Where Are They Now: The Beautiful Actresses of the ’80s
1 Christina Applegate
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- Christina Applegate got her first acting gig at just three months old when she appeared with her mother on the soap opera Days Of Our Lives.
- She had a double mastectomy in 2008 after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
- Biggest project: Married…With Children (1987)
- Her role: Kelly Bundy, the ditzy, somewhat promiscuous daughter of the family
- Age: 15
- Current age: 50
- What she does now: Since 2019, she can be seen as Jen Harding in the Netflix series Dead to Me.
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2 Kelly Preston
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- Kelly Preston married John Travolta on September 12, 1991, and had three children with him.
- Over the years, she was heavily involved in activism for education and drug reform.
- Biggest film: Mischief (1985)
- Her role: Marilyn McCauley, Jonathan Bellah’s love interest
- Age: 23
- Regretful news: She sadly passed away on July 12, 2020, at age 57, of breast cancer.
- Her last role: We will be able to see her in the comedy-drama Off the Rails which will be released in 2021.
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3 Demi Moore
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- Demi Moore married much-older musician Freddy Moore at just 17 years old, but their relationship fell apart after five years together.
- She first worked as a bill collector before her acting career took off.
- Biggest film: Ghost (1990)
- Her role: Molly Jensen, a potter renovating an apartment in Manhattan with her banker boyfriend, Sam Wheat
- Age: 26
- Current age: 59
- What she does now: In June 2020, she joined the cast of the pandemic-themed thriller Songbird, and she also has a lead role in Amazon’s Dirty Diana series.
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4 Farrah Fawcett
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- Farrah Fawcett really kicked off her career with an iconic poster by Pro Arts that sold 12 million copies and is still the best-selling poster of all time.
- She landed her first big role in Charlie’s Angels because she played tennis with television producer Aaron Spelling.
- Biggest film: The Burning Bed (1984)
- Her role: Francine Hughes, a battered wife who set her husband on fire while he slept
- Age: 37
- Regretful news: She sadly passed away on June 25, 2009, at age 62, of anal cancer.
- Her last role: She was seen in the role of Mrs. Crowley in the movie The Cookout in 2004. Subsequently, her most recent appearances have been as herself, in 2008 in a documentary entitled A Wing & a Prayer: Farrah’s Fight for Life, and in 2009 in a series called Farrah’s Story.
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5 Tanya Roberts
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- Tanya Roberts was born Victoria Leigh Blum, but embraced her stage name as her career took off.
- She dropped out of high school at age 15 and hitchhiked around the country for a few years before pursuing her acting career.
- Biggest film: A View to Kill (1985)
- Her role: Bond girl Stacey Sutton, a geologist
- Age: 30
- Regretful news: She sadly passed away on January 4, 2021, at age 71, of multi-organ failure due to sepsis.
- What she does now: Her last film role was in 1994 when she played Charlotte in the movie Deep Down. She last appeared on television in 2005 in the series Eve and Barbershop.
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6 Brooke Shields
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- Brooke Shields appeared on the cover of Vogue at 14 years old, making her the youngest model to ever do so.
- She paused her career from 1982 to 1987 to attend Princeton University.
- Biggest film: The Blue Lagoon (1980)
- Her role: Emmeline Lestrange, a young woman who survives a shipwreck in the South Pacific with her cousin and a galley cook
- Age: 14
- Current age: 57
- What she does now: She was seen playing Alicia’s character in the 2020 movie My Boyfriend’s Meds.
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7 Michelle Pfeiffer
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- Michelle Marie Pfeiffer was born April 29, 1958, in Santa Ana, California.
- She was nominated for Golden Globe awards for five consecutive years, from 1988 to 1993.
- Biggest film: The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)
- Her role: Susie Diamond, a nightclub singer hired to play with a jazz cabaret duo
- Age: 31
- Current age: 64
- What she does now: In 2019, she was seen in the films Avengers: Endgame and Maleficient: Mistress of Evil. She will be seen in 2021 in the movie French Exit, and in 2022 in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
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8 Heather Locklear
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- Heather Locklear was raised in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks by her father and mother, neither of whom worked in entertainment.
- She went to school at UCLA, but dropped out after just a year to pursue a career in acting.
- Biggest project: Dynasty (1981-1989)
- Her role: Sammy Jo Carrington, the niece of Krystle Carrington
- Age: 20
- Current age: 60
- What she does now: The last times we saw her on our screens were in the movie Scary Movie 5 in 2013 and in the TV series Fresh Off the Boat in 2017.
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9 Mia Sara
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- Mia Sarapochiello, better known as Mia Sara, was born June 19, 1967, in Brooklyn, New York.
- In addition to her acting career, Mia also has a private pilot’s license.
- Biggest film: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
- Her role: Sloane Peterson, Ferris Bueller’s girlfriend who skips school with him
- Age: 18
- Current age: 55
- What she does now: Her last significant television role came in 2011 when she played Princess Langwidere in the miniseries The Witches of Oz. She later reprised this role in the 2012 film Dorothy and the Witches of Oz.
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10 Bo Derek
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- Bo Derek was born Mary Cathleen Collins on November 20, 1956 in Long Beach, California.
- She began acting at age 16 and started dating her future husband, John Derek, who was 30 years older than her.
- Biggest film: Bolero (1984)
- Her role: Lida MacGillivery, a young woman on a mission to lose her virginity
- Age: 17
- Current age: 65
- What she does now: She was seen in 2017 in the movie 5 Weddings, then in 2018 in the TV movie The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time, in which she took over the role of May Wexler, which she had previously played in 2015 in the TV movie Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!.
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11 Heather Thomas
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- Heather Thomas got her start in entertainment at just 14 when she starred on the NBC series Talking With a Giant.
- Since 1992, she has donated $280,000 to various political candidates.
- Biggest project: The Fall Guy (1981-1986)
- Her role: Jody Banks, a Hollywood stunt performer who also works as a bounty hunter
- Age: 24
- Current age: 64
- What she does now: We last saw her in 2014 in the movie Girltrash: All Night Long. She has now quit acting, partly because of the stalkers who made life difficult for her, but also to concentrate on her family life and writing. She published her first novel, Trophies, in April 2008.
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12 Elisabeth Shue
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- Elisabeth Shue got her start in entertainment when she landed a Burger King commercial at 16 years old.
- She married director and producer Davis Guggenheim in 1994 and went on to have three children with him.
- Biggest film: Adventures In Babysitting (1987)
- Her role: Chris Parker, a 17-year-old high school senior who takes on a babysitting job when her boyfriend stands her up
- Age: 24
- Current age: 58
- What she does now: Always a prolific actress, we could see her playing the role of Madelyn Stillwell in the series The Boys. We also saw her in 2020 in the movie Greyhound. We will see her soon in the series On The Verge, then in 2021 in the series Cobra Kai.
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13 Kim Basinger
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- Kim Basinger started her career as a model and broke into acting when she landed a role on the TV series Charlie’s Angels.
- She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1997 for her role in L.A. Confidential.
- Biggest film: Never Say Never Again (1983)
- Her role: Bond girl Domino Petachi, the sister of a criminal organization operative
- Age: 30
- Current age: 68
- What she does now: Her last film role dates back to 2017, when she played Elena Lincoln in the movie Fifty Shades Darker.
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14 Cheryl Ladd
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- Cheryl Ladd was born on July 12, 1951, in Huron, South Dakota.
- After high school, Cheryl got her start in entertainment by traveling with the band The Music Shop before settling in Los Angeles.
- Biggest project: Charlie’s Angels (1977-1981)
- Her role: Kris Munroe, a female private detective and younger sister of Jill Munroe
- Age: 26
- Current age: 71
- What she does now: She had her last film role in 2017 in the movie Camera Store, but she is mostly active on the small screen now. She was seen in 2020 in the TV movie Christmas Unwrapped.
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15 Jaclyn Smith
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- Jaclyn Smith, born Jacquelyn Ellen Smith, originally wanted to be a famous ballerina.
- She got her first big break in acting when she was cast in the television series Charlie’s Angels in 1976.
- Biggest project: Charlie’s Angels (1976-1981)
- Her role: Kelly Garrett, one of Charlie’s Angels. She is the only female lead to have been present throughout all the series. She even made cameo appearances in the 2003 and 2019 Charlie’s Angels movies.
- Age: 31
- Current age: 76
- What she does now: We could see her in 2019 doing a cameo in the movie Charlie’s Angels, then play Lauren Larkin in the TV movie Random Acts of Christmas. In addition to her acting career, she launched the STYLE by Jaclyn Smith wig collection for Paula Young Wigs in 2008 after battling breast cancer in 2003.
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16 Lisa Bonet
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- Lisa Bonet began her acting career at age 11 by starring in commercials.
- She married musician Lenny Kravitz in 1987 and had daughter Zoe with him, but the couple divorced in 1993.
- Biggest project: The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
- Her role: Denise Huxtable, the second-born child of Cliff and Clair Huxtable
- Age: 16
- Current age: 54
- What she does now: She was seen in 2013 in the movie Road to Paloma, and in 2016 in the series Girls and Ray Donovan.
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17 Betsy Russell
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- Betsy Russell was born on September 6, 1963, in San Diego, California.
- She knew she wanted to be an actress at just eight years old and got her initial start acting in school plays.
- Biggest film: Private School (1983)
- Her role: Jordan Leigh-Jensen, a student at Cherryvale Academy for Girls
- Age: 20
- Current age: 58
- What she does now: She was seen in 2017 in the TV movie Born and Missing, also known as Babynapped, and is currently working on a film currently in pre-production entitled Bully High.
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18 Christie Brinkley
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- Christie Brinkley was born on February 2, 1954, in Monroe, Michigan.
- She first got her start in entertainment as a model and was most notably photographed as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model in the 1970s.
- Biggest film: National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
- Her role: The girl in the Ferrari, a woman who keeps running into Clark Griswold during his road trip with his family
- Age: 29
- Current age: 68
- What she does now: In the last decades, she has been seen in the Parks and Recreation series and in the musical Chicago, but her activities are mostly off-screen. She is an actress, illustrator, television personality, photographer, writer, designer, and activist for human and animal rights and the environment.
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19 Jennifer Beals
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- Jennifer Beals was born on December 19, 1963, in Chicago, Illinois.
- She only had one small part in a movie before landing her breakout role in Flashdance.
- Biggest film: Flashdance (1983)
- Her role: Alex Owens, a young dance teacher who wants to become a professional ballerina
- Age: 18
- Current age: 58
- What she does now: In recent years, she has been seen in the films The White Orchid (2018) and After (2019), and in the series Swamp Thing (2019) and The L Word: Generation Q (2019-Present).
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20 Susan Sarandon
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- Susan Sarandon graduated with a degree in drama from Catholic University of America in 1968.
- She has continued acting well into her 60s and 70s, starring in movies like Tammy (2014), A Bad Moms Christmas (2017), and Viper Club (2018).
- Biggest film: Atlantic City (1981)
- Her role: Sally Matthews, a young waitress who dreams of becoming a blackjack dealer
- Age: 35
- Current age: 75
- What she does now: Always very active as an actress, we could see her in 2019 in the movies Blackbird, VHYes, and The Jesus Rolls. She will also be in the cast of the film Tunnels, whose production has not yet started.
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21 Lea Thompson
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- Lea Thompson was born as the youngest of five children on May 31, 1961, in Rochester, Minnesota.
- She dreamed of being a professional ballerina, but quit after she was told she was too stocky to make it in the dance world.
- Biggest film: Back to the Future (1985)
- Her role: Lorraine Baines McFly, the younger version of Marty McFly’s mom
- Age: 24
- Current age: 61
- What she does now: She was seen in the TV movies Over the Hill and Culture Clash in 2018, then in the episode “The Return of the Formica King” of the series The Goldbergs in 2020. On the big screen, we saw her in 2020 in Dinner in America, and she will be in the films Mark, Mary & Some Other People, which is currently in post-production, and Unplugging, which is currently filming.
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22 Jessica Lange
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- Jessica Lange got her start in entertainment when she dropped out of college to travel and met producer Dino De Laurentiis, who cast her in King Kong (1976).
- King Kong was so poorly received that Jessica didn’t work for two years after its release.
- Biggest film: Tootsie (1982)
- Her role: Julie, a soap opera actress
- Age: 33
- Current age: 73
- What she does now: She was last seen in a movie in 2016 in the film Wild Oats, then on television in 2019 in the series The Politician. She is also a photographer and has published 4 books on photography.
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23 Diane Lane
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- Diane Lane was born on January 22, 1965, to acting coach Burt Lane and nightclub singer Colleen Farrington.
- Diane got her start in entertainment by performing in theater productions starting at just six years old.
- Biggest film: The Outsiders (1983)
- Her role: Sherri ‘Cherry’ Valance, a 16-year-old Soc girl
- Age: 18
- Current age: 57
- What she does now: Always very active in cinema, she has appeared in the films Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), and Let Him Go (2020).
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24 Phoebe Cates
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- Phoebe Cates was born July 16, 1963, in New York City, New York to Broadway producer Joseph Cates.
- She started modeling at age 14 and had a successful career that allowed her to transition into acting.
- Biggest film: Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
- Her role: Linda Barrett, the experienced and outspoken friend of Stacy Hamilton
- Age: 19
- Current age: 59
- What she does now: She left the world of cinema, making a brief return to the camera in 2001 in the film The Anniversary Party. In 2005, she opened a boutique on Madison Avenue in the Upper East Side, Blue Tree.
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25 Erin Gray
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- Erin Gray met Nina Blanchard by chance at age 15. The meeting convinced Erin to pursue a career in acting.
- Between her gigs as a model, Erin studied acting under coach Warren Robertson.
- Biggest project: Buck Rogers In the 25th Century (1979-1981)
- Her role: Colonel Wilma Deering, an ardent defender of Earth
- Age: 29
- Current age: 72
- What she does now: In 2017, she was seen in the movie In-World War and in an episode of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 series.
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26 Kelly LeBrock
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- Kelly LeBrock was born on March 24, 1960, in New York City, but she was raised in London.
- At age 16, Kelly began pursuing a career as a model before making the transition to acting.
- Biggest film: The Woman In Red (1984)
- Her role: Charlotte, the women in red Teddy Pierce is obsessed with
- Age: 24
- Current age: 62
- What she does now: In recent years, she has been seen in the films 10 Days in a Madhouse (2015), A Prince for Christmas (2015) and Charlie Boy (2019).
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27 Linda Fiorentino
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- Linda Fiorentino first earned recognition for her breakout role in the movie Vision Quest (1985).
- Years after her big roles in the 80s, Linda received the London Film Critics’ Circle Award and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress for her work in the 1994 film The Last Seduction.
- Biggest film: After Hours (1985)
- Her role: Kiki Bridges, a sculptor who makes and sells paperweights
- Age: 26
- Current age: 62
- What she does now: We last saw her in the 2009 film Once More with Feeling. Since then, she would have had two documentary projects in development, but none of them were completed.
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28 Olivia Newton-John
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- Olivia Newton-John left high school after she landed a part on an Australian TV show, The Tarax Happy Show.
- Along with her many acting credits, Olivia wrote and published a children’s book in 1993 called A Pig Tale.
- Biggest film: Grease (1978)
- Her role: Sandy Dee, a sweet Australian immigrant who falls in love with bad boy Danny Zuko
- Age: 29
- Regretful news: She sadly passed away on August 8, 2022, at the age of 73, of cancer.
- What she does now: She was seen in 2020 in the film The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee. In 2017, she was on the LIV ON In Concert with Beth Nielsen Chapman and Amy Sky, the tour surrounding the 2016 “Liv On” album she created. In 2016, she also released the album “Friends for Christmas” in collaboration with John Farnham.
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29 Tracy Scoggins
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- Tracy Scoggins studies speech communications and physical education at Southwest Texas State.
- Tracy didn’t pursue a career in entertainment until after college, when she was hired by Elite Modeling Agency.
- Biggest project: Dynasty (1981-1989)
- Her role: Monica Colby, a lawyer and the daughter of a wealthy California-based CEO
- Age: 28
- Current age: 68
- What she does now: His last film role was in Borrowed Moments in 2014. In 2008 and 2012, she appeared on the small screen for an episode of NCIS and Castle.
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30 Meg Ryan
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- After high school, Meg Ryan attended New York University and majored in journalism.
- She originally started acting to earn a little extra money while working on her degree.
- Biggest film: Top Gun (1986)
- Her role: Carole Bradshaw, the wife of Nick “Goose” Bradshaw
- Age: 24
- Current age: 60
- What she does now: Her last television role was as Karen Sharpe in the Web Therapy series (2011-2013), while in film, she was seen in 2015 in the TV movie Fan Girl and in 2016 in the movie Ithaca, which she also directed and produced.
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31 Kathleen Turner
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- Although she was uncredited in the film, Kathleen Turner did the voice-over for Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
- Kathleen was born in Springfield, Missouri, but attended the American School in London until her graduation in 1972.
- Biggest film: Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
- Her role: Peggy Sue Bodell, a woman who suffers an accident at her high school reunion that allows her to travel back in time and relive her high school days
- Age: 32
- Current age: 68
- What she does now: His last film role was in 2017 in Another Kind of Wedding. On television, she was seen in 2020 in 2 episodes of Mom, an episode of Summer Camp Island, and as herself in the “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” episode of Prop Culture. Otherwise, she made her debut at the New York’s Metropolitan Opera in February 2019 with a speaking role in Donizetti’s opera La fille du régiment.
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32 Debra Winger
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- Debra Winger was born on May 16, 1955 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
- Debra started pursuing her acting career after she was injured while working at an amusement park.
- Biggest film: Terms of Endearment (1983)
- Her role: Emma Greenway-Horton, the daughter of a controlling mother who marries a professor and moves away from her mom
- Age: 28
- Current age: 67
- What she does now: We saw her in 2020 in the film Kajillionaire, and she will also be in the film With/In, which is currently in post-production. Her last television role was in 2018 in season 2 of Patriot.
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33 Jodie Foster
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- Jodie Foster started her acting career at just two years old, starring in television commercials.
- Jodie’s first notable role was at 12 years old when she starred in the Martin Scorsese film Taxi Driver (1976) alongside Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel.
- Biggest film: The Accused (1988)
- Her role: Sarah Tobias, a 24-year-old waitress who finds herself in a legal battle against men who attacked her
- Age: 26
- Current age: 59
- What she does now: We could see her in the movie Love, Antosha in 2019, then she will be in the movie The Mauritanian scheduled for 2021.
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34 Sharon Stone
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- Sharon Stone was raised in a small town in Pennsylvania by her factory worker father and stay-at-home mom.
- Due to her 154 IQ, she first wanted to become a lawyer, but later decided to capitalize on her good looks by becoming a model.
- Biggest film: Total Recall (1990)
- Her role: Lori Quaid, the wife of construction worker Douglas Quaid
- Age: 31
- Current age: 64
- What she does now: Always very active as an actress, she was seen in 2020 in the series Ratched, as well as in an episode of The New Pope, as herself. In the movies, she was seen in the Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese and The Laundromat in 2019. She will also be in the film What About Love in 2021, then in Here Today and Beauty, which have not yet begun filming.
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35 Winona Ryder
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- Winona Ryder was born Winona Laura Horowitz, named after a town close to her birthplace: Winona, Minnesota.
- Winona Ryder may have accidentally married Keanu Reeves while starring opposite him in Dracula. When their two characters got married, a real priest performed the ceremony.
- Biggest film: The Age of Innocence (1993)
- Her role: May Welland, a respectable woman engaged to New York City lawyer Newland Archer
- Age: 22
- Current age: 50
- What she does now: Her last film appearance was in 2018 in Destination Wedding, but she was seen in 2020 in The Plot Against America, and in Stranger Things since 2016.
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