The top 10 actresses that I’d see in pretty much anything

After last week’s very successful, hate-filled post, I needed to balance out the negativity with some love. So, inspired by another one of Abbi’s ideas, here are the actresses that I would see in pretty much anything, which reads very similarly to this list from a few months back, but I don’t care. Expect a guys’ list soon, as well.

But, ladies first.

Meryl Streep (of course)

Where is the love? Where isn’t it? This lady is the best actress working today, possibly the best ever and she’s perfection. I’ve daydreamed about meeting her a million times and I kinda hope it doesn’t ever happen because I would faint/cry/pee my pants.
Best role? Please don’t make me answer this question.
The one even she couldn’t convince me to see: The Giver looks fucking awful
Words of wisdom: “It’s a lesson I learned in drama school: the teacher asks, how do you be the queen? And everybody says, ‘Oh it’s about posture and authority.’ And they said, no, it’s about how the air in the room shifts when you walk in. And that’s everyone else’s work”.

Frances McDormand

Where is the love? She doesn’t care about fame or looking great every time; she’s an incredible actress, equally adept at comedy and drama, and she’s married to a Coen, for Pete’s sake. Plus, we share birthdays.
Best role? Tie between Fargo and Burn After Reading
The one even she couldn’t convince me to see: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Words of wisdom: “Most women’s pictures are as boring and as formulaic as men’s pictures. In place of a car chase or a battle scene, what you get is an extreme closeup of a woman breaking down. I cry too, maybe three times a week, but it’s not in closeup. It’s a wide shot. It’s in the context of a very large and very mean world”.

Jennifer Lawrence

Where is the love? Even though I’m starting to get tired of her off-screen persona, the girl is a phenomenally talented actress. I’ll stick with what I’ve said about her being miscast in American Hustle, but even then she did a great job. Plus, she can do a scared/shocked face like nobody’s business.
Best role? The Burning Plain
The one even she couldn’t convince me to see: House at the End of the Street
Words of wisdom: “[on Josh Hutcherson] Whenever Josh is like ‘I don’t think you should do it like that’. And then I’m like ‘Oh, really? Do you wanna tell that to my Oscar?'”

Kate Winslet

Where is the love? She’s the next Meryl Streep: beautiful but not distractingly so, funny, refined, has a nice voice and insane acting talent. Solid every single time.
Best role? Revolutionary Road
The one even she couldn’t convince me to see: Divergent
Words of wisdom: “My skin still crawls if you call me a movie star. I get embarrassed. I think, don’t be ridiculous. Maybe it’s because I’m British. To me, Julia Roberts that’s a movie star. But when people do call me one, that, I think, is an enormous compliment but, my God, is that a responsibility!”

Amy Adams

Where is the love? Gorgeous woman, fantastic actress; great at comedy and drama, has a good singing voice. Plus, she seems so nice. And gets extra points for being a redhead.
Best role? Enchanted 
The one even she couldn’t convince me to see: Leap Year
Words of wisdom: “I think that I’ve always been attracted to characters who are positive and come from a very innocent place. I think there’s a lot of room for discovery in these characters and that’s something I always have fun playing.”

Carey Mulligan

Where is the love? I love her very restrained, subtle style of acting. She’s one of those actresses who is always solid; vastly underrated. She sings beautifully, too. Plus, she’s gorgeous.
Best role? Shame
The one even she couldn’t convince me to see: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Words of wisdom: “I spent the first five years of my career thinking that everyone behind the camera had little notepads and were marking my performance out of ten.”

Cate Blanchett

Where is the love? She looks like she stepped out of Hollywood’s Golden Age but is not afraid to lose the glamour for a role. An intense actress who always turns in a great performance. 
Best role? Tie between I’m not There. and Blue Jasmine
The one even she couldn’t convince me to see: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Words of wisdom: “[I have] this strange, probably unachievable fantasy about performing in German in Berlin. [But] I don’t speak German.”

Marion Cotillard

Where is the love? That accent, that face, that innate acting talent; she’s a joy to watch, always. Well, you know, except for The Dark Knight Rises.
Best role? La Môme (La Vie en Rose)
The one even she couldn’t convince me to see: Anchorman 2
Words of wisdom: “I think that when you don’t see the boundaries, you cross them without even knowing they exist in the first place.”

Rooney Mara

Where is the love? Beautiful, enigmatic, she totally becomes immersed in a role. I’ve seen very few of her films but, frankly, she would’ve ended on this list on Lisbeth Salander alone.
Best role? The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The one even she couldn’t convince me to see: A Nightmare on Elm Street
Words of wisdom: “Sometimes you read a review to see if anyone else picked up on something bad that you already picked up on yourself… In fact, rarely do you believe it when someone says something nice”.

Jessica Chastain

Where is the love? Possibly the best young actress working today, and definitely the most beautiful. Underrated social media presence and Oscar-worthy every time she steps in front of the camera. Please cast her in season 2 of True Detective.
Best role? The Help
The one even she couldn’t convince me to see: Mama
Words of wisdom: “It’s tough, acting. You have to walk two lines of a tightrope. There’s the all-consuming fear of failure: I’m about to fall flat on my face. There’s that and there’s also confidence – you have to be confident in order to try things – and they fight each other all the time.”