TOP 30 Actresses Working Today: 2012

Well, after three days thinking about the names who should be part of this list, selecting information and selecting the pictures, the "TOP 25 Actresses Working Today" list is (finally!) finished. The list had 32 names in the beginning, but making a TOP 30 just didn't sound good to me this time: it had to be 25, but after the post was made, I felt I had to add some names to the list, so it became a TOP 30! I had in my consideration, besides Oscar recognition, the actress' status in today's industry and cinema history, how she's seen by critics and by audiences, career prospects and "body of work vs quality of work" relation (which explains Viola Davis' name in the shortlist, for example).

Have a good time and feel free to let me know what are you thinking!

1. 

Meryl Streep

Born: June 22, 1949 - Summit, New Jersey, USA

Breakthrough Performance: The Deer Hunter (1978)

5 Best Performances: Kramer Vs Kramer (1979); Sophie's Choice (1982); The Bridges of Madison County (1995); The Devil Wears Prada (2006); The Iron Lady (2011)

Oscar recognition: 17 nominations | 3 wins (Best Supporting Actress for Kramer Vs Kramer; Best Leading Actress for Sophie's Choice; Best Leading Actress for The Iron Lady)

2. 

Cate Blanchett

Born: May 14, 1969 - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Breakthrough Performance: Oscar and Lucinda (1997)

5 Best Performances: Elizabeth (1998); The Aviator (2004); Little Fish (2005); Notes On a Scandal (2006); I'm Not There (2007);

Oscar recognition: 5 nominations | 1 win (Best Supporting Actress for The Aviator)

3. 

Kate Winslet

Born: October 5, 1975 - Reading, Berkshire, England, UK

Breakthrough Performance: Heavenly Creatures (1994)

5 Best Performances: Sense and Sensibility (1995); The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (2004); Little Children (2006); The Reader (2008); Revolutionary Road (2008)

Oscar recognition: 6 nominations | 1 win (Best Leading Actress for The Reader)

4. 

Tilda Swinton

Born: November 5, 1960 - London, England, UK

Breakthrough Performance: Orlando (1992)

5 Best Performances: The Deep End (2001); Michael Clayton (2007); Julia (2008); I Am Love (2009); We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)

Oscar recognition: 1 nomination | 1 win (Best Supporting Actress for Michael Clayton)

5. 

Juliette Binoche

Born: March 9, 1964 - Paris, France

Breakthrough Performance: Rendez-vous (1985)

5 Best Performances: Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (1991); Three Colors: Blue (1993); The English Patient (1996); Chocolat (2000); Certified Copy (2010)

Oscar recognition: 2 nominations | 1 win (Best Supporting Actress for The English Patient)

6. 

Helena Bonham Carter

Born: May 26, 1966 - Golders Green, London, England, UK

Breakthrough Performance: A Room with a View (1985)

5 Best Performances: Margaret's Museum (1995); The Wings of the Dove (1997); Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007); Alice In Wonderland (2010); The King's Speech (2010)

Oscar recognition: 2 nominations

7. 

Marion Cotillard

Born:  September 30, 1975 - Paris, France

Breakthrough Performance: Taxi (1998)

5 Best Performances: A Very Long Engagement (2004); La vie en rose (2007); Nine (2009); Inception (2010); Rust & Bone (2012)*

Oscar recognition: 1 nomination | 1 win (Best Leading Actress for La vie en rose)

8. 

Maggie Smith

Born: December 28, 1934 - Ilford, Essex, England, UK

Breakthrough Performance: The V.I.P.s (1963)

5 Best Performances: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969); California Suite (1978); A Room With a View (1985); The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987); Gosford Park (2001)

Oscar recognition: 6 nominations | 2 wins (Best Leading Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; Best Supporting Actress for California Suite)

9. 

Nicole Kidman

Born: June 20, 1967 - Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Breakthrough Performance: Dead Calm (1989)

5 Best Performances: To Die For (1995); Moulin Rouge! (2001); The Hours (2002); Birth (2004); Rabbit Hole (2010)

Oscar recognition: 3 nominations | 1 win (Best Leading Actress for The Hours)

10. 

Vanessa Redgrave

Born:  January 30, 1937 - Greenwich, London, England, UK

Breakthrough Performance: Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966)

5 Best Performances: Isadora (1968); Mary, Queen of Scotts (1971); Julia (1977); Prick Up Your Ears (1987); Coriolanus (2011)

Oscar recognition: 6 nominations | 1 win (Best Supporting Actress for Julia)

11. 

Michelle Pfeiffer

Born: April 29, 1958 - Santa Ana, California, USA

Breakthrough Performance: Scarface (1983)

5 Best Performances: Dangerous Liaisons (1988); The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989); Batman Returns (1992); The Age of Innocence (1993); White Oleander (2002)

Oscar recognition: 3 nominations

12. 

Kristin Scott Thomas

Born: May 24, 1960 - Redruth, Cornwall, England, UK

Breakthrough Performance: A Handful of Dust (1988)

5 Best Performances: Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994); The English Patient (1996); I've Loved You So Long (2008); Nowhere Boy (2010); Sarah's Key (2010)

Oscar recognition: 1 nomination

13. 

Julianne Moore

Born:  December 3, 1960 - Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

Breakthrough Performance: Short Cuts (1993)

5 Best Performances: Boogie Nights (1997); Magnolia (1999); Far From Heaven (2002); The Hours (2002); A Single Man (2009)

Oscar recognition: 4 nominations

14. 

Franches McDormand

Born: June 23, 1957 - Chicago, Illinois, USA

Breakthrough Performance: Mississippi Burning (1988)

5 Best Performances: Fargo (1996); Almost Famous (2000); Laurel Canyon (2002); North Country (2005); Burn After Reading (2008)

Oscar recognition: 4 nominations | 1 win (Best Leading Actress for Fargo)

15.

Michelle Williams

Born: September 9, 1980 - Kalispell, Montana, USA

Breakthrough Performance: Dick (1999)

5 Best Performances: Land of Plenty (2004); Brokeback Mountain (2005); Wendy and Lucy (2008); Blue Valentine (2010); My Week With Marilyn (2011)

Oscar recognition: 3 nominations

16. 

Glenn Close

Born: March 19, 1947 - Greenwich, Connecticut, USA

Breakthrough Performance: The World According to Garp (1982)

5 Best Performances: The Big Chill (1983); Fatal Attraction (1987); Dangerous Liaisons (1988); 101 Dalmatians (1996); Albert Nobbs (2011)

Oscar recognition: 6 nominations

17. 

Catherine Deneuve

Born: October 22, 1943 - Paris, France

Breakthrough Performance: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

5 Best Performances: Belle de Jour (1967); The Last Metro (1980); Indochine (1992); Place Vendôme (1998); Potiche (2010)

Oscar recognition: 1 nomination

18. 

Viola Davis

Born:  August 11, 1965 - Saint Matthews, South Carolina, USA

Breakthrough Performance: Far From Heaven (2002)

5 Best Performances: Antwone Fisher (2002); Doubt (2008); Trust (2010); The Help (2011); Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

Oscar recognition: 2 nominations

19. 

Charlize Theron

Born: August 7, 1975 - Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa

Breakthrough Performance: The Devil's Advocate (1997)

5 Best Performances: The Cider House Rules (1999); Monster (2003); North Country (2005); Young Adult (2011); Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Oscar recognition: 2 nominations | 1 win (Best Leading Actress for Monster)

20. 

Judi Dench

Born: December 9, 1934 - York, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Breakthrough Performance: A Room with a View (1985)

5 Best Performances: Mrs. Brown (1997); Shakespeare in Love (1998); Chocolat (2000); Iris (2001); Notes On a Scandal (2006)

Oscar recognition: 6 nominations | 1 win (Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love)

21. 

Samantha Morton

Born: May 13, 1977 - Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK

Breakthrough Performance: Under the Skin (1997)

5 Best Performances: Sweet and Lowdown (1999); Minority Report (2002); In America (2003); Control (2007); The Messenger (2009)

Oscar recognition: 2 nominations

22. 

Jodie Foster

Born: November 19, 1962 - Los Angeles, California, USA

Breakthrough Performance: Taxi Driver (1976)

5 Best Performances: Taxi Driver (1976); The Accused (1988); The Silence of the Lambs (1991); Nell (1994); Carnage (2011)

Oscar recognition: 4 nominations, 2 wins (Best Leading Actress for The Accused; Best Leading Actress for The Silence of the Lambs)

23. 

Laura Linney

Born: February 5, 1964 - New York City, New York, USA

Breakthrough Performance: The Truman Show (1998)

5 Best Performances: You Can Count On Me (2000); Mystic River (2003); Kinsey (2004); The Squid and the Whale (2005); The Savages (2007)

Oscar recognition: 3 nominations

24. 

Natalie Portman

Born: June 9, 1981 - Jerusalem, Israel

Breakthrough Performance: Léon - The Professional (1994)

5 Best Performances: Léon - The Professional (1994); Beautiful Girls (1996); Garden State (2004); Closer (2004); Black Swan (2010)

Oscar recognition: 2 nominations | 1 win (Best Leading Actress for Black Swan)

25.

Penélope Cruz

Born: April 28, 1974 - Madrid, Spain

Breakthrough Performance: Jamón, jamón (1992)*

5 Best Performances: The Girl of Your Dreams (1998); Don't Move (2004); Volver (2006); Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008); Broken Embraces (2009)

Oscar recognition: 3 nominations | 1 win (Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona)

26.

Annette Bening

Born: May 29, 1958 - Topeka, Kansas, USA
Breakthrough Performance: The Grifters (1990)
5 Best Performances: The Grifters (1990); Bugsy (1991); American Beauty (1999); Being Julia (2004); The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Oscar recognition: 4 nominations

27. 

Sissy Spacek

Born: December 25, 1949 - Quitman, Texas, USA
Breakthrough Performance: Badlands (1973)
5 Best Performances: Carrie (1976); Coal Miner's Daughter (1980); Crimes of the Heart (1986); The Straight Story (1999); In the Bedroom (2001)
Oscar recognition: 6 nominations | 1 win (Best Leading Actress for Coal Miner's Daughter)

28.

Kirsten Dunst

Born: April 30, 1982 - Point Pleasant, New Jersey, USA
Breakthrough Performance: Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)
5 Best Performances: Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994); The Virgin Suicides (1999); The Cat's Meow (2001); Marie Antoinette (2006); Melancholia (2011)
Oscar recognition: none

29.

Jessica Chastain

Born: March 24, 1977 - Sacramento, California, USA
Breakthorugh Performance: Jolene (2008)
5 Best Performances: Jolene (2008); The Tree of Life (2011); The Help (2011); Take Shelter (2011); The Debt (2011)*
Oscar recognition: 1 nomination

30.

Julia Roberts

Born: October 28, 1967 - Smyrna, Georgia, USA
Breakthrough Performance: Mystic Pizza (1988)
5 Best Performances: Steel Magnolias (1989); Pretty Woman (1990); My Best Friend's Wedding (1997); Erin Brokovich (2000); Charlie's Wilson War (2007)
Oscar recognition: 3 nominations | 1 win (Best Leading Actress for Erin Brokovich)

* based on reviews only