Top 5 Favorite Actresses

My first Top 5's post was a huge hit with my dedicated followers, so I couldn't be more excited to share with you the second installment!

Evan Rachel Wood is always shocking me with her project decisions. One of my all time favorite movies, starring Evan, is Across the Universe in which she beautifully sang numerous Beatles songs in a film based around a selection of The Beatles biggest hits. Ever since I became aware of her existence, I've felt that we were somehow separated at birth. She is always saying things that I'm thinking... we chopped our 12+ inch hair off the same week and she has worked with some of my all-time favorite actors as well. Evan guest-starred in one of my favorite tv shows, True Blood and to this day, her role in Mildred Pierce, alongside the brilliant Kate Winslet, haunts me!

 Emma Stone first caught my eye with her gorgeous red head and her fiery personality to match! I was only slightly disappointed when I found out that she was in no way a natural redhead, as I've really grown to love her ambitious spirit. She has tacked such a diverse number of projects within the past few years that I can only hope to be as gutsy as her if the time ever came! In an attempt to list all of my favorite films that she's taken part in.. I realized I love everything she does! Zombieland, The House Bunny, Crazy Stupid Love, Easy A, Paper Man, and The Help. I just love her diversity and fearlessness in style choices. I think that is an actors biggest asset and really separates true talent from an easy paycheck.

 Michelle Williams jumped onto my radar with her powerful role in Brokeback Mountain, (though I've yet to see it), she burst into the spotlight with her deep performance and relationship with Heath Ledger. I soon realized that though Michelle was famous for her years on Dawson's Creek, she had always been capable of so much more than anyone could have imagined. Michelle soon began to take on deeper roles such as Leonardo DiCaprio's deceased wife in Shutter Island, and the title character in Blue Valentine. My Week With Marilyn blew me away, as I've never been a fan of Marilyn Monroe interpretations but I loved that Michelle was able to embody the character without coming across as overdone. As the years tick on, Michelle has only grown stronger, more beautiful and articulate, as a woman. When she had her hair cut into a pixie and stuck with it, even when she noted that men like longer hair better, I acquired a huge amount of respect for her. She was/is happy with her new look and that is ALL that matters.

I've already written a bit about my love for Emma Watson, but she earned the number 2 spot due to the ways she's handled her careers (yes plural!) and personal life since the wrapping of the Harry Potter saga (come on, by now we have to admit that it's a Saga.. 7 books... 8 films?!). Emma is the epitome of graceful with every move she makes. Her small role in My Week With Marilyn was ingenious. Emma wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to continue acting so she took it extremely slow and didn't commit to anything HUGE until she was completely certain that she could give it her all. Keep in mind that she is also finishing up a Bachelor's Degree! Emma's pixie cut changed her image in a seriously high fashion way. I cannot wait to see her in The Perk's of Being a Wallflower and her Beauty and the Beast project that should be in the making within the next few years.

Carey Mulligan is without a doubt the most inspirational living actress for me. The #1 spot was really a toss up between Michelle, Emma, and Carey... but when it came down to it, Carey's work has been such an inspiration for me. Carey's first on screen role was Kitty in Pride & Prejudice, which I could not believe! It was if she'd been acting for years. She then started popping up in every film I saw, The Greatest, Public Enemies, An Education and Never Let Me Go. Soon it became obvious that the casting directors of Hollywood felt the same way about her. I could not be more thrilled for all of the opportunities she has had without formal training and it may seem crazy but that fact pushes me to do my best in everything I do. In Drive, along with Ryan Gosling, Carey proved that she had the gift of acting without speaking. She makes a point to stay in shape but not to look unrealistic, because her job requires that she look like a "real" person, and I love that she understands that and uses it to her advantage. I also cannot wait to see her Daisy Buchanan in the newest adaption of The Great Gatsby.

Oddly enough, deciding on my top 5 All Time Favorite Actresses may be one of the hardest lists I've ever had to make, and I am an avid list maker! Here is a list of some of my favorite ladies of Hollywood that didn't make my Top 5 list but I absolutely adore their work! Who would you say are your top 5 favorite actresses?