Saturday, February 06, 2010
A QUICK GUIDE TO YOUNG LEADING LADIES OF FILM
Here's a quirky list of 28 or so major leading ladies that are quite young -- basically 19-35. I compiled this list kind-of for my own reference -- for convenience as new films come out -- remembering who is famous for what films. The list does not include actresses early in their teens, like Abigail Breslin, or established actresses like Reese Witherspoon, Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett. (The list is tilted toward actresses I've met and films I've seen.)
Actresses who are usually blond or redhead are often given somewhat different roles from actresses that play darker haired women, so I divided the list that way, even though hair color is hardly immutable. I did not make a separate category for bald actresses (eg Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta). (Other than that, there's no particular order to the list.)
Of these actresses, I think Kristen Stewart, Scarlett Johansson, Evan Rachel Wood, Emmy Rossum, Emily Blunt, and Natalie Portman are especially likely to show up in powerful roles in extremely interesting movies. Claire Danes has just gotten great notices for Temple Grandin. Eva Green -- in The Dreamers -- created an unforgettable character and one of the hottest ever; with another role that really fits her she will scorch the screen. In some films coming out soon Lindsay Lohan has a chance to shine. Keira Knightley was the best actor interviewee I've ever seen with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. Keri Russell's August Rush is one of my favorite films.
Kate Bosworth - SUPERMAN RETURNS, RULES OF ATTRACTION, BEE SEASON, HORSE WHISPERER
1983-01-02 (27) - 5' 5 (LA)
Lindsay Lohan - THE PARENT TRAP, FREAKY FRIDAY, MEAN GIRLS
1986-07-02 (23) - 5' 5 (NEW YORK)
Scarlett Johansson - VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, GIRL WITH A PEARL EARING, LOST IN TRANSLATION, THE HORSE WHISPERER
1984-11-22 (25) - 5' 4 (NEW YORK)
Julia Stiles - THE BOURNE FILMS, MONA LISA SMILE, O, STATE & MAIN, HAMLET,
1981-03-28 (28) - 5' 8 (NEW YORK)
Isla Fisher - CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, WEDDING CRASHERS, DEFINITELY MAYBE
1976-02-03 (34) - 5' 3 (OMAN)
Kirsten Dunst - SPIDERMAN, MARIE ANTOINETTE, MONA LISA SMILE, BRING IT ON
1982-04-30 (27) - 5' 6 (NJ)
Amy Adams - JULIE & JULIA, ENCHANTED, DOUBT, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
1974-08-20 (35) - 5' 4 (ITALY)
Rachel McAdams - SHERLOCK HOLMES, REDEYE, MEAN GIRLS, THE NOTEBOOK
1978-11-17 (31) - 5' 5 (CANADA)
Amanda Seyfried - MEAN GIRLS, MOMMA MIA
1985-12-03 (24) - 5' 3 (PENNSYLVANIA)
Kristen Bell - VERONICA MARS, WHEN IN ROME, COUPLES RETREAT, FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL
1980-07-18 (29) - 5' 1 (MICHIGAN)
Anne Hathaway - ALICE IN WONDERLAND, VALENTINE'S DAY, THE DEVIL WEAR'S PRADA, THE PRINCESS DIARIES
1982-11-12 (27) - 5' 8 (NY)
Emmy Rossum - DARE, POSEIDON, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, DAY AFTER TOMORROW, MYSTIC RIVER, NOLA, SONGCATCHER, AUDREY HEPBURN STORY
1986-09-12 (23) - 5' 8 (NY)
Evan Rachel Wood - WHATEVER WORKS, THE WRESTLER, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, THIRTEEN
1987-09-07 (22) - 5' 7 (NC)
Claire Danes - TEMPLE GRANDIN, STARDUST, TERMINATOR 3, THE HOURS, ROMEO & JULIET, MY SO-CALLED LIFE
1979-04-12 (30) - 5' 5 (NY)
Keri Russell - BEDTIME STORIES, AUGUST RUSH, EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES, WAITRESS, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III, FELICITY
1976-03-23 (33) - 5' 4 (CA)
Keira Knightley - ATONEMENT, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, KING ARTHUR, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, STAR WARS I,
1985-03-26 (24) - 5' 7 (MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND)
Jessica Alba - VALENTINE'S DAY, FANTASTIC FOUR, HONEY, DARK ANGEL
1981-04-28 (28) - 5' 6 (CA)
Kate Hudson - NINE, FOOL'S GOLD, RAISING HELEN, ALMOST FAMOUS, DR T AND THE WOMEN
1979-04-19 (30) - 5' 6 (LA)
NOT BLONDE OR REDHEAD
Eva Green - CASINO ROYALE, QUANTUM OF SOLACE, THE DREAMERS
1980-07-05 (29) - 5' 6 (PARIS)
Jessica Biel - VALENTINE'S DAY, NEXT, BLADE, TRINITY
1982-03-03 (28) - 5' 8 (MINNESOTA)
Natalie Portman - BROTHERS, THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL, PARIS JE T'AIME, V FOR VENDETTA, STAR WARS, CLOSER
1981-06-09 (29) - 5' 3 (ISRAEL)
Kristen Stewart - TWILIGHT, THE RUNAWAYS, ADVENTURELAND, INT THE WILD, THE CAKE EATERS, PANIC ROOM
1990-04-09 (19) - 5' 6 (LA)
Rose Byrne - ADAM, DAMAGES
1979-07-24 (30) - 5' 6 (Australian, actually)
Megan Fox - TRANSFORMERS, CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN
1986-05-16 (23) - 5' 5 (TENNESSEE)
Zoe Saldana - AVATAR, STAR TREK, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN --BLACK PEARL
1978-06-17 (31) - 5' 7 (NJ)
Ellen Page - WHIP IT, SMART PEOPLE, JUNO
1987-02-21 (22) - 5' 1 (NOVA SCOTIA)
Zooey Deschanel - ALMOST FAMOUS, YES MAN, WEEDS, 500 DAYS OF SUMMER
1980-01-17 (30) - 5' 6 (LA)
Alice Braga - CROSSING OVER, I AM LEGEND
1983-04-15 (26) - 5' 4 (BRAZIL)
Christina Ricci - BLACK SNAKE MOAN, THE OPPOSITE OF SEX, THE ICE STORM, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, MERMAIDS
1980-02-12 (29) - 5' 1 (SANTA MONICA, CA)
Emily Blunt - THE WOLFMAN, THE YOUNG VICTORIA, CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
1983-02-23 (26) - 5' 7 (LONDON)
