Showing posts with label Angelina Jolie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Angelina Jolie. Show all posts

20th-century screen sirens
Today is the birthday of the legendary Marilyn Monroe, the day when she would have turned 85. In honor of this iconic sex symbol we take a look at the most glamorous and seductively beautiful silver screen sirens of the 20th century, along with their dazzling films and fiery love affairs. 


Marilyn Monroe
Her fame surpassed that of any other entertainer of her generation, and she transcended the bounds of stardom to become a cultural icon. She offered the whole package -- glamour, beauty, sex appeal, a sizzling screen presence and a talent for singing.

Her films:
"Gentleman Prefer Blondes"
"How to Marry a Millionaire"
"The Seven Year Itch"

Her loves:
A policeman
A baseball legend
A famous playwright
Greta Garbo
One of silent film's biggest stars  this Swedish actress captivated audiences with her divine looks and natural talent for conveying emotions on-camera. After the Hollywood "talkies" were introduced, her seductive voice and mysterious persona helped her become a legend, eventually earning her an honorary Oscar for her screen career.

Her films:
"Ninotchka"
"Grand Hotel"
"Camille"

Her loves:
A silent film star
A businessman
A writer and socialite
Brigitte Bardot
She was the first international star  to be as popular as any homegrown pinup in the U.S. This sultry sex symbol  is known for popularizing the bikini and also for her illustrious career as a model, singer  and flirtatious actress.

Her films:
"Contempt"
"...And God Created Woman" )
"Viva Maria!"

Her loves:
A director
A French actor
A German multimillionaire
Angelina Jolie
Regularly on the "world's most beautiful" lists, this silver screen goddess is known for her otherworldly beauty  acting talent, eccentricities and humanitarian work. She is at home portraying tough young women on the big screen and received an Academy Award for her role as a sociopath.

Her films:
"Lara Croft Tomb Raider"
"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" 
"Salt"


Her loves:
An actor and adoptive father to her children
An actor, screenwriter and director
A British actor
Sophia Loren
This Oscar-winning  actress is widely considered to be the most popular Italian actress of her time. She is famous for starring in more than 100 movies  and for her hourglass figure.

Her films:
"Two Women" 
"Man of La Mancha"
"El Cid"

Her loves:
An Italian film producer
A debonair actor
Elizabeth Taylor
She was admired for her acting ability  glamorous lifestyle, beauty and distinctive violet eyes. Part of her enduring fame includes two Academy Awards  her pioneering AIDS activism and her many marriages.

Her films:
"A Place in the Sun"
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"
"Giant"

Her loves:
A Welsh actor
A popular singer and entertainer
A hotel heir and businessman
Raquel Welch

A new international sex symbol took to the cinematic throne in the '60s when she hit the screen in a skimpy fur bikini. Her natural beauty  wiped away the notion that enduring sex goddesses could only be blond, and she gained recognition as a serious actress, author (check out her book) and businesswoman.

Her films:
"One Million Years B.C."
"Fathom"
"The Three Musketeers"

Her loves:
A French producer and photographer
A Hollywood press agent
Betty Grable
The No. 1 pinup girl and morale booster during World War II  this American actress, dancer and singer  was one of the most famous of Hollywood's blonde superwomen. Known for her luxurious legs -- famously insured by her studio  -- she offered wholesome appeal and an alluring stage presence.

Her films:
"How to Marry a Millionaire"
"Pin-Up Girl"
"I Wake Up Screaming"
Her loves:
A child film star
A trumpeter and bandleader
Rita Hayworth
With her signature wavy, auburn hair and charismatic smile  this sexy actress became a popular pinup girl during World War II  and one of the era's top stars. She left her mark on the silver screen with her sultry roles  and her considerable talent as a dancer  and singer.

Her films:
"Gilda"
"The Lady From Shanghai"
"Cover Girl"

Her loves:
A famous radio actor and film director
A prince
A big band crooner and actor
Sharon Stone

This diva has a flair for combining brainy sex appeal and old-fashioned Hollywood glamour. Her brazen role as a femme fatale elevated her to international star status, and she has since shown her considerable range as an actress.

Her films:
"Basic Instinct"
"Casino"
"Total Recall"

Her loves:
A writer, producer and director
A newspaper editor
A country singer
Gene Tierney
One of Hollywood's most luminous actresses, this striking beauty  was known for her etched cheekbones, crystal-like green eyes and elegance. A successful Broadway and film career  helped propel her to stardom.

Her films:
"Laura"
"Heaven Can Wait"
"Sundown"

Her loves:
A fashion designer
A president of the United States
A Houston oil man 
Hedy Lamarr
This Austrian-born actress became a worldwide sensation in a '30s Czech film  which featured her completely nude. For a decade she was cast opposite top male stars, usually as a woman of mystery  and was known for her extraordinary beauty.

Her films:
"Algiers"
"My Favorite Spy"
"A Lady Without Passport"

Her loves:
A British actor
A highly decorated naval officer
An arms manufacturer with Nazi connections
Lana Turner
A statuesque, shapely blonde this movie goddess was discovered and signed to a film contract at age 16. Despite a highly publicized scandal, she had a prolific film career and was another of the Hollywood glamour gals to become a popular World War II pinup.

Her films:
"Peyton Place"
"The Bad and the Beautiful"
"The Postman Always Rings Twice"

Her loves:
An actor
A jazz clarinetist and composer
A gangster bodyguard
Farrah Fawcett
Sporting feathered blond hair  this iconic entertainment figure of the '70s burst onto the scene after a poster of her in a red bathing suit  sold millions of copies. Along with her wholesome look and sex appeal, she gained acclaim for her starring role in a hit TV series.

Her films:
"Extremities"
"Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story"

Her loves:
The "Six Million Dollar Man"
A screen actor from the '70s
A Canadian filmmaker
Julia Roberts
Not only has she frequented People magazine's "World's Most Beautiful" list  but she quickly became one of Hollywood's highest-paid stars after headlining a '90s romantic comedy as a hooker. She won an Oscar for this movie.

Her films:
"Pretty Woman"
"Erin Brockovich"
"Duplicity"

Her loves:
A country-western singer
An actor, director and producer
A "Law & Order" actor
Kim Novak
One of postwar Hollywood's most mysterious and alluring actresses  she is best known for her unforgettable performance in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. She exuded a daunting intellectual iciness in her roles. 

Her films:
"Picnic"
"Vertigo"
"Bell, Book and Candle"

Her loves:
An eminent English actor
The son of a Dominican dictator
A veterinarian
Jean Harlow
Known as the original "blond bombshell," she made her mark on Hollywood with her trendsetting platinum blond hair, luminous skin, arched eyebrows and red lips. This golden girl showed talent in both her sensual and comedic performances.

Her films:
"China Seas"
"The Public Enemy"
"Hell’s Angels"

Her loves:
A TV star
A director and producer
A cinematographer
Vivien Leigh
This delicate beauty is best known for her role as a Southern belle  garnering a Best Actress Academy Award.  

Her films:
"Gone With the Wind"
"Waterloo Bridge"
"Caesar and Cleopatra"

Her loves:
A renowned British actor
An English barrister
A British theater actor
Salma Hayek
One of the most prominent Mexican stars in Hollywood, this siren earned initial renown with her exotic looks  hourglass figure and smoldering onscreen charisma. Her most acclaimed performance was her Academy Award-nominated role as a Mexican painter.

Her films:
"Frida"
"From Dusk Till Dawn"
"Once Upon a Time in Mexico"

Her loves:
A French businessman
An actor and producer
An actor
Kim Basinger

A cover girl initially, this tall, blond actress  performed a breakout role as a Bond girl. She knows how to steam up the screen and is best known for her award-winning performance in a crime drama.

Her films:
"L.A. Confidential"
"9 1/2 Weeks"
"Batman"

Her loves:
A prolific TV and film actor
An actor and sex symbol
A makeup artist and author
Ava Gardner
Amidst a sea of blond-haired bombshells, this striking, green-eyed brunette  stood out and maintained a solid acting career . She was also known for her high-profile love affairs with some of Hollywood's leading men.

Her films:
"Pandora and the Flying Dutchman"
"Mogambo"
"The Barefoot Contessa"

Her loves:
An actor and comedian
A jazz clarinetist and composer
A famous bullfighter from Spain
Lauren Bacall
Known as a great female entertainer, not to mention "one tough broad," she first emerged as a leading lady in the film noir genre. She was famous for her characterizations of women whose strong will complemented their sexual attraction  and for her distinctive husky voice, sultry eyes and "the look".

Her films:
"The Big Sleep"
"To Have and Have Not"
"How to Marry a Millionaire"

Her loves:
An actor and cultural icon
A legendary singer
A stage and film actor
Jane Russell

A famous director, who cast her in an odd, psychological Western, helped bring her to fame, along with her smoldering voluptuousness. Her talents as a multifaceted actress were given more attention later in her career, when she was hailed for her comic delivery and singing talents.

Her films:
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
"The Outlaw"
"Gentlemen Marry Brunettes"

Her loves:
A pro football quarterback
A stage actor
A real estate broker
Dorothy Dandridge
Her lovely dark eyes, beauty marks and cool singing style made Dandridge a standout. She reached the pinnacle of stardom as the sultry seductress in a Hollywood musical and went on to become the first black performer ever nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.

Her films:
"Carmen Jones"
"Island in the Sun"
"Change of Heart"

Her loves:
A German director and producer
A famous tap dancer
A restaurant owner

Celebrities who quit acting

 Actors who ‘quit’ the business.Sure, we’ve all had a bad day at work and wanted to throw in the towel, but how do you “quit” being a celebrity? Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman film Black Swan is the latest superstar to publicly hint at quitting the business natalie portman quit acting family. Here are some actors who tried to leave the business. Did any of them succeed?

 Ryan Phillippe
Just as his latest movie hits theaters, the young actor announced he was leaving the business. Will he really do it? A rep is already denying the report. 
 Amanda Bynes
The former Nickelodeon teen queen appeared in a modest Colin Firth hit and this cult fave before announcing that she was retiring in June 2010.  She had a change of heart one month later.
 Joaquin Phoenix
In 2008, the Oscar-nominated actor said “I’m done” with acting. What followed was a bizarre interview with David Letterman in 2009, followed by him un-retiring in 2010.
 Evangeline Lilly
In 2009, the actress revealed plans to quit acting after the show that made her a star wrapped for good. But in an interview in 2010  she said she wouldn’t rule acting out but wanted to focus on upcoming mommy-hood.
 Phoebe Cates
Once a darling of teen films  she retired from acting in the mid-1990s to be a full-time mom, making only one brief appearance since as a favor to her famous best friend.
 Nicolas Cage
In 2008, he announced that he wanted to quit the business, but based on the fact that he has eight new films scheduled for release through 2012  he must have changed his mind.
 Sean Connery
The veteran actor retired from acting in 2005, and when asked about it in 2007 after winning a prestigious award, he confirmed that he had no intentions of returning—and has not yet.
 Alec Baldwin
In 2009, Baldwin said he plans to retire from acting. That remains to be seen, as he’s starring on a hit sitcom and has hosted this show 15 times.
 Angelina Jolie
In 2010, the vixen hinted in a Vanity Fair interview that she wouldn’t be acting much longer, but she has movie releases through 2013, including one about a historical figure. 
 Viggo Mortensen
He announced in 2009 that he was exhausted and would be quitting the business.  But Mortensen joined the cast of a famous book-based film in 2010, and is attached to two more films in the next year.
 Debra Winger
She quit the business in 1995, and didn’t reappear on screen until Rosanna Arquette’s  documentary that bore Winger’s name in 2002.  She returned to acting shortly after, getting critical praise for return in this film.
 Leonard Nimoy
The “Star Trek” actor announced his retirement from acting in 2010, but he still continues his role in a sci-fi cult fave series and provides a character voice in an upcoming big-budget film.  So he’s not exactly retired, right?
 Emma Watson
She seems a little young to retire, but in 2009 she announced her plans to do just that so she could attend college and “find herself” after her mega-hit film series wrapped.  After 18 months, she’s left school and has several films coming up, including this one.
 Anthony Hopkins
The legendary actor first said he wanted to quit acting in 1998, then again in 2006—but he never really left the public eye for long. In fact, he has a big role in one of the most-anticipated summer blockbusters.
 
Gene Hackman
In 2008, Hackman quit the acting business and briefly toured with a historical novel he co-wrote. He has not returned to the silver screen.

Iconic beauties

Iconic beauties

Women with Iconic Good Looks.Many women are beautiful, but not all have achieved icon status. Some women just have "it" -- the attitude, the allure and the enchanting looks that make them unforgettable and endlessly fascinating.

Meet the iconic beauties of yesterday and today that we just can't get enough of.


Lauren Bacall

Trademark looks: husky voice and The Look -- chin down, eyes up

Most known for: "The Big Sleep," "How to Marry a Millionaire"

Husbands: Humphrey Bogart, Jason Robards

Lucille Ball

Trademark looks: red hair, heart-shaped lips

Most known for: impeccable comedic timing, hit TV show "I Love Lucy"

Husbands: Desi Arnaz, standup comedian Gary Morton

Brigitte Bardot

Trademark looks: smoky eyes, pouty lips, the Bardot updo hairstyle

Most known for: popularizing the bikini, the original "sex kitten," many French films, animal rights activism

Husbands: Roger Vadim, Jacques Charrier, Gunter Sachs, Bernard d'Ormale

Ingrid Bergman

Trademark looks: Film critic Wanda Hale said of Ingrid: "She has a combination of rare beauty, freshness, vitality and ability that is as uncommon as a century plant in bloom."

Most known for: "Casablanca," "The Bells of St. Mary's"

Husbands: Petter Lindstrom, Roberto Rossellini, Lars Schmidt

Halle Berry

Trademark looks: beauty-queen looks and the official face of Revlon and Versace

Most known for: "Jungle Fever," "Monster's Ball," Bond girl, first African-American woman to win the Best Actress Oscar.

Husbands: baseball player David Justice, Eric Benet

Cyd Charisse

Trademark looks: great gams

Most known for: dancing with Gene Kelly in "Singin' in the Rain"

Husbands: Nico Charise, Tony Martin

Cleopatra

Trademark looks: Plutarch wrote of her: "what ultimately made Cleopatra attractive were her wit, charm and sweetness in the tones of her voice."

Most known for: last pharaoh of Egypt, affair with Mark Antony, suicide by asp

Husbands: royal consorts, including Julius Caesar and Marc Antony

Cindy Crawford

Trademark looks: mole above her upper lip, all-American girl

Most known for: supermodel status

Husbands: Richard Gere, Rande Gerber

Dorothy Dandridge

Trademark looks: sultry, flirtatious style, dark eyes and beauty mark on her chin

Most known for: singer-dancer-actress, "Carmen Jones," "Porgy and Bess," first African-American woman to earn Academy Award nomination for Best Actress

Husbands: Harold Nicholas, Jack Denison

Bette Davis

Trademark looks: those pretty peepers

Most known for: "Jezebel," "All About Eve," "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?," first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Husbands: Ham Nelson, Arthur Farnsworth, William Grant Sherry, Gary Merrill

Catherine Deneuve

Trademark looks: flawless Gallic features

Most known for: "Repulsion," "Belle de Jour"

Husband: British photographer David Bailey, relationship with Marcello Mastroianni produced a daughter

Princess Diana

Trademark looks: short blond hair, shy demeanor, glamorous gowns

Most known for: fairy-tale wedding, two princely sons, charity work, international style icon, paparazzi frenzy, untimely death

Husband: Prince Charles

Marlene Dietrich

Trademark looks: blue eyes, arched eyebrows; her New York Times obituary observed that "Her masculinity appeals to women and her sexuality to men."

Most known for: "The Blue Angel" (German), "Morocco"

Husband: Rudolf Sieber

Greta Garbo

Trademark looks: A New York Times film critic once wrote of her: "Set in the face of classic structure were large, sad, luminous eyes that expressed a limited but intense emotional range."

Most known for: "Anna Karenina," "Anna Christie" and the nickname "Swedish Sphinx"

Husbands: none, though reportedly had liaisons with both men and women

Ava Gardner

Trademark looks: her "earthy femininity"

Most known for: "Mogambo," "The Barefoot Contessa"

Husbands: Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, Frank Sinatra

Jean Harlow

Trademark looks: platinum-blond hair, she was the "original blond bombshell"

Most known for: "Hell's Angels," "Dinner at Eight"

Husbands: Charles McGrew, Paul Bern, Harold Rosson, William Powell (she died before they wed)

Rita Hayworth

Trademark looks: Red hair

Most known for: dancing with Fred Astaire; the films "Gilda," "The Strawberry Blonde," "You'll Never Get Rich"

Husbands: Edward Charles Holmgren Judson, Orson Welles, Prince Aly Khan, Dick Haymes, James Hill

Helen of Troy

Trademark looks: the face that launched a thousand ships

Most known for: overwhelming beauty that triggered the Trojan War; daughter of Leda and Zeus

Audrey Hepburn

Trademark looks: angelic face, poise, elegance

Most known for: Holly Golightly, "Roman Holiday," the little black dress, UNICEF ambassador

Husbands: Mel Ferrer, Andrea Dotti

Katharine Hepburn

Trademark looks: "a lithe, horsey beauty with a haughty voice" (American Theater Guide)

Most known for: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "The Lion in Winter," "African Queen," "The Philadelphia Story"

Husband: Ludlow Ogden Smith, lifelong affair with Spencer Tracy; romance with Howard Hughes

Lena Horne

Trademark looks: sparkling smile, smooth-as-silk voice

Most known for: pioneering jazz singer and actress, career lasting six decades; signature song "Stormy Weather," triumphant Broadway show "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music."

Husbands: Louis Jordan Jones, songwriter Lennie Hayton

Angelina Jolie

Trademark looks: pouty lips, long brown hair, sultry eyes

Most known for: humanitarian work, her large family, films "Girl, Interrupted," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith"

Husbands: Jonny Lee Miller, Billy Bob Thornton, domestic partner Brad Pitt

Grace Kelly

Trademark looks: With her white gloves and string of pearls, this classic beauty was sometimes described as "virginal"

Most known for: "Dial M for Murder," "Rear Window," princess of Monaco, tragic death

Husband: Prince Rainier III of Monaco

Vivien Leigh

Trademark looks: Catlike smile, raised right eyebrow

Most known for: "Gone With the Wind," "A Streetcar Named Desire"

Husbands: Herbert Leigh Holman, Lawrence Olivier

Sophia Loren

Trademark looks: voluptuous brunette, the "Italian Marilyn Monroe"

Most known for: "La Ciociara," "The Black Orchid," "It Started in Naples"

Husband: Carlo Ponti

Jayne Mansfield

Trademark looks: ample cleavage, platinum-blond hair

Most known for: films "The Wayward Bus," "The Girl Can't Help It"; sexy pinup girl and first leading actress to pose nude in a mainstream film ("Promises! Promises!"); dying young

Husbands: Paul Mansfield, bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, Matt Cimber

Marilyn Monroe

Trademark looks: Platinum blond, buxom bombshell

Most known for: "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "How to Marry a Millionaire," "Seven Year Itch," singing "Happy Birthday" to JFK

Husbands: James Dougherty, Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller

Nefertiti

Trademark looks: long neck, delicate features

Most known for: Queen of Egypt, the limestone bust of her uncovered in a dig at Marna; a name meaning "the beautiful one has come"

Husband: Pharaoh Akhenaten

Kim Novak

Trademarks: Husky, seductive voice

Most known for: "The Man With the Golden Arm," "Vertigo"

Husbands: Richard Johnson, Robert Malloy

Julia Roberts

Trademark looks: megawatt smile, voluminous hair, her laugh

Most known for: "Pretty Woman," "Erin Brockovich"

Husbands: Lyle Lovett, Daniel Moder

Jane Russell

Trademark looks: statuesque (aka busty) figure

Most known for: "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," World War II pinup girl, later in life was popular spokeswoman for Playtex full-figure bras

Husbands: high school sweetheart & NFL Hall of Famer Bob Waterfield, actor Roger Barrett, John Calvin Peoples

Brooke Shields

Trademark looks: teenage model of virginal innocence

Most known for: "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins," "Suddenly Susan" TV show, speaking out about postpartum depression

Husbands: Andre Agassi, Chris Henchy

Elizabeth Taylor

Trademark looks: dark hair, dramatic eyebrows, porcelain skin

Most known for: "National Velvet," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and befriending Michael Jackson

Husbands: Conrad Hilton Jr., Michael Wilding, Michael Todd, Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton (twice), John Warner, Larry Fortensky

Gene Tierney

Trademark looks: green eyes and a slight overbite

Most known for: "Laura," "Leave Her to Heaven"

Husbands: Oleg Cassini, W. Howard Lee

Lana Turner

Trademark looks: "The Sweater Girl," WWII pinup

Most known for: "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "Peyton Place" and a stormy affair with a mobster who was stabbed and killed by Turner's daughter during an altercation

Husbands: Artie Shaw, Stephen Crane, Henry Topping, Lex Barker, Fred May, Robert Eaton, Ronald Dante

Twiggy

Trademark looks: doe eyes, boyish bob and waifish figure

Most known for: supermodel and icon of the "psychedelic '60s," movie "The Boy Friend"

Husbands: Michael Whitney, Leigh Lawson

Mae West

Trademark looks: 38-24-38

Most known for: "Night After Night," "She Done Him Wrong"

Husbands: Guido Deiro, Paul Novak

Natalie Wood

Trademark looks: Life magazine called her "The Most Beautiful Teenager in the World" in 1956

Most known for: "Rebel Without a Cause," "Splendor in the Grass," mysterious death by drowning

Husbands: Robert Wagner (married twice), Richard Gregson
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