#1. Famke Janssen
The first time I saw Famke Janssen was in 1995's Goldeneye. She played Xenia Onatopp, and she was unforgetable. Ever since then, she has been the one actress that actracts me to movies purely to see her. My favorites of hers are Goldeneye, Deep Rising, House on Haunted Hill, and of course X-Men and X2. She plays the center pole of X3, being the Pheonix and Jean Grey, which she deserved. Having her play Jean Grey was so fabulous.
Date of Birth: November 5, 1965
Place of Birth: Amsterdam Netherlands
#2. Terry Farrel
For the most part I know Terry Farrell from her work as Jadzia Dax in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She played that character for six years, before being killed off in a rather unceremonious way. After that, she moved on to Becker, a CBS Ted Danson vehicle. After a few rocky seasons, the show found its stride, and lasted until 2002. Outside of her TV work, I haven't really seen much of her. The reason she is so high up on this list is the way she struck me when I first started watching DS9 way back when. And even now, when I think of her, I'm breathtaken. He eyes and elegance are so striking, that she leaves a lasting impression.
Date of Birth: November 19, 1963
Place of Birth: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
#3. Kate Beckinsale
I have to admit, Kate Beckinsale wasn't on this list until Underworld in 03. I'd seen her in Serendipity and Pearl Harbor, but those weren't my kind of movies. With Underworld, she entered my list, and with Van Helsing in 04, she jumped up to #3. I think she is so striking, and has so much talent. She carried Underworld on her back, and looked damn good doing it. The second Underworld in 06, plus the Adam Sandler flick Click, cemented her for this year.
Date of Birth: July 26, 1973
Place of Birth: London England
#4. Jennifer Connelly
Again, she is one of those actresses that I fell in love with early. I first saw Labyrinth when I was about 10, and even though I didn't know what I was feeling then, I was captivated by this beautiful girl playing with muppets. Since then, she has matured into one of Hollywood's most sought after talents, and has done a wide variety of roles. She's won an Oscar for her performance in A Beautiful Mind, and managed to make the Hulk real. My Favorite movie of hers, of course, is still Labyrinth.
Date of Birth: December 12, 1970
Place of Birth: Catskill Mountains, New York
#5. Nicole Kidman
The former Mrs. Tom Cruise is one of the most talented actresses around. She is one of those poised, respected and hot actresses on the planet. Most people hated Eyes Wide Shut, but I watched it for her. And her accent just drives me batty. She recently won an Oscar for playing Virginia Wolff in The Hours, and has been nominated quite a few times. She's finally found her way out of Tom's shadow and into her own breathtaking spotlight. My favorite Nicole Kidman movie: To Die For. She's so evil, and she liked it.
Date of Birth: June 20, 1967
Place of Birth: Honolulu, Hawaii
#6. Dina Meyer
Who? You might ask. Dina Meyer, for the most part, has been relegated to smaller parts in genre movies, but I've seen enough of her to know that I like her. Movies like DragonHeart, Starship Troopers, even Johnny Mnemonic have endeared me to her. Plus, she's one of only 3 people to be in all three Saw movies. She's very attractive, and is a chameleon in her roles. The best thing though: she snuck into Star Trek Nemesis and stole my heart for good.
Date of Birth: December 22, 1968
Place of Birth: Queens, New York
#7. Milla Jovovich
Ever since The Fifth Element, I've had a soft spot for the former Mrs. Luc Besson. She's athletic, talented, and very hot. Even The Messenger was watchable mostly because of her, and her performance in Resident Evil was so over-the-top awesome. The sequel lagged, as well as Ultraviolet in 06, but Resident Evil 3 promises more sexy action from Milla.
Date of Birth: December 17, 1975
Place of Birth: Kiev, Ukraine
#8. Gwyneth Paltrow
Of all the actresses on this list, I'd say that she sticks out like a sore thumb. The willowy blond has mostly stuck to serious dramas or fluffy romantic comedies, but it was her role in David Fincher's Se7en that brought her to my attention. She's undeniably talented, and her diverse film roles make her endearing to a lot of different people. Of course, my favorite performance from her was the one in Se7en, but her role in Flesh and Bone is a close second.
Date of Birth: September 28, 1972.
Place of Birth: Los Angeles California
#9. Cate Blanchett
Like Gwyneth, Cate Blanchett is a seriously trained actress, and like her, she's been nomintaed for a few Oscars. I had heard about Elizabeth, where she played the original Queen Elizabeth, but never watched it. The first thing I saw her in was Pushing Tin. She is a striking woman, with great sensibilities toward her roles. After watching The Gift, I felt she was one of best talents around. And, seeing her as Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy has put her in my heart for good. She was also very good in The Missing, playing off of Tommy-Lee Jones and holding her own. But, my favorite still has to be The Gift, where you're not quite sure what really happened until the very end.
Date of Birth: May 14, 1969
Place of Birth: Melbourne, Australia
#10. Catherine Zeta-Jones
She is possibly the most exotic looking woman on this list, and possibly the most elegant. She kind of popped out of nowhere with The Mask of Zorro in 1998, at least that's when myself and most of the world first heard of her. Despite her marriage to Micheal Douglas, she continues to make superb movies, and won an Academy Award for her role in Chicago. My favorite performance of hers is from Intolerable Cruelty. Yes, I have watched romantic comedies, and this was probably the best I've seen.
Date of Birth: September 25, 1969
Place of Birth: Swansea, Wales
Well, that's the list. Its pretty exhaustive, but I think its just different enough to warrant the examination. Enjoy.
For their filmographies, see the Internet Movie Database, linked on the links page. That's easier than listing them.
