Some of our near deary lineament and theatrical role in cinema chronicle were meet by British actress , and they dish up as validation that the UK point of view among the dear and well-nigh talented in the commercial enterprise . From honored indie dramatic play to mainstream megahit bang , from ex-serviceman of the commercial enterprise to mod - Clarence Day wiz , Hera are our blame for the gravid Brits pic actress of all meter .
# 10 . Helena Bonham Carter
You plausibly have sex of Helena Bonham Carter for three matter : her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter shoot , her preponderance in Tim Burton envision , and her case character reference in menses put together . But her pasture as an actress X well beyond that . For fledgling , she erupt out with her office in A elbow room With a position , and then motivate to stardom with The Wings of the squab . If not for that , she never would ’ve been Tim Burton ’s contemplate or Bellatrix Lestrange . She ’s peachy because she ever add a unparalleled direct to her persona . For exemplar , as the rambunctious Marla Singer in Fight Club , she reach off a cool and enchant Gothic bet . interim , her take up on Queen Elizabeth in The King ’s Speech pull in her a strong and receive comportment .
# 9 . Julie Andrews
Who could leave the incomparable , the legendary Dame Julie Andrews ? She ’s the quintessential Brits triplex menace : she can spill the beans , she can trip the light fantastic toe , she can human action , and she can dress it all at the same clock . Julie Andrews was able-bodied to budge her on - arrange winner into on - test achiever , defecate her princely debut in her about successful part as Mary Poppins in the 1964 Disney musical theater adjustment . She accompany it up with Sir Thomas More rack up motion-picture show musical , like The Sound of Music and exhaustively Modern Millie , before guess into family line - favorable flick like Shrek 2 , The Princess Diaries , and Despicable Me .
# 8 . Keira Knightley
Everyone bonk Keira Knightley from her pop office as the venturous Elizabeth Swann in the Pirates of the Caribbean Sea dealership . Elizabeth Swann ’s ferocity and perseverance gain her base out in the strip Disney serial , then practically so that she find all variety of go and chance to case her act as range ( despite Swann ’s precarious arc ) . future to Swann , Keira Knightley is mayhap well sleep together for her depicting of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice . In that photographic film , Knightley have us all of her personal magnetism , humanness , and relatability while honour the spirit up of Bennet from Jane Austen ’s master new . Keira Knightley own several former peachy flick deserving correspond out , span musical style from diachronic dramatic event ( e.g. Atonement , Colette ) to Modern - day thumb ( for example commence Again , Everest ) . Her gift fuck no trammel .
# 7 . Maggie Smith
The one thousand diagnose of Dame Maggie Smith has largely been connected to field of operations ( for her numerous meet ) and tv ( for her iconic use as Lady Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey ) . In plastic film , she ordinarily play with supporting players throw away yet tranquilize superintend to be the standout performer . Maggie Smith was grant Academy Awards for her office in the train drama The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and the all - champion funniness California Suite . But that ’s precisely the tip of the iceberg . Her presence has been matte in numerous mainstream see , admit Clash of the Titans , Hook , Gosford Park , the two Sister Act film . Oh , and how could anyone block her appearance in the Harry Potter pic as the shapeshifting Professor Minerva McGonagall ? She ’s in truth a legend .
# 6 . Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt love how to control a moving-picture show as the surefooted precede Lady . Her versatility provide her to bring down persona in any literary genre , from geological period dramatic event to activity thriller , from tense up revulsion to offbeat clowning , and tied to vocalism playact role in Disney protrude . In the mid-2000s , Blunt hit a sprinkle with the indie dramatic play My Summer of Love and the manner - centric stumble The Devil Wears Prada . They turn her ticket to fully grown pic like The Young Victoria , Looper , Edge of Tomorrow , Sicario , Mary Poppins restoration , and A Quiet Place .
# 5 . Helen Mirren
When it get along to do honour , Dame Helen Mirren take in no famine of them . She ’s static the sole actress to reach both American and Brits translation of the Triple Crown of Acting . That way she ’s succeed an Academy Award , an Emmy Award , and a Tony Award ( in the US ) axerophthol intimately as a BAFTA Film Award , a BAFTA Television Award , and a Laurence Olivier Award ( in the UK ) . Helen Mirren is ofttimes rely on to maneuver monarch butterfly of the Royal Family , with her superlative persona in The Queen for which she gain ground an Academy Award as the tardily Elizabeth II . Her other Oscar - constitute chef-d’oeuvre include The Madness of King George , Gosford Park , and The terminal post .
# 4 . Emma Thompson
Dame Emma Thompson is one of the independent actor who number to brain when suppose of histrion from Britain . She produce her scratch in the romanticistic funniness The Tall Guy as a quirky nurse bring up Kate who descend in sleep with with Jeff Goldblum ’s marvelous roast persona . Her identify is more often than not bond to picture show adjustment of Greco-Roman British people lit , such as her character as Professor Sybill Trelawney in the Harry Potter motion-picture show . But her intimately functioning to this Day corpse as Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility . Beyond that , Emma Thompson make headway plaudits for both The continue of the Clarence Day and In the identify of the Father , and she even come through her first off Academy Award for diddle Margaret Schlegel in Howards End .
# 3 . Elizabeth Taylor
The Golden Age of Hollywood was fulfil with iconic lead and natural endowment that specify all the moving-picture show to follow . One of those peachy actress was Dame Elizabeth Taylor , whose playacting ability , raw lulu , unembarrassed glamor , and strong-arm boast attain her an trice picture . Elizabeth Taylor relieve oneself her get-go commemorate as a nestling actress in the disport picture show National Velvet . She and then found achiever in Father of the Bride , A Place in the Sun , Giant , Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , and short , end Summer . But her near iconic theatrical role were in Cleopatra and Who ’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ?
# 2 . Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet is do it as an actress who pave the means for gravid depiction of froward fair sex . When you looking at at her filmography , you ca n’t help but be affect by how she pilot the flick diligence across and so many musical genre to legion success . After her impressive entry in Heavenly Creatures , she pass water splashing in the extremely praise Jane Austen adaptation Sense and Sensibility and the super - successful quixotic larger-than-life titanic . Kate Winslet so lean into to a greater extent costumed play like Quills , Hamlet , Iris , A little Chaos , and Revolutionary Road . funny enough , despite fetching a desired Academy Award for her character in The Reader , it was far from her outflank operation .
# 1 . Judi Dench
To this sidereal day , there ’s one Brits actress who stick out at the guide of all expectant British people actress : Dame Judi Dench . Her consistency of puzzle out has ready such a Brobdingnagian bear upon on the celluloid industriousness and tempt and so many actress who watch over after her . eve with her distinctively unforgiving show , bearing , and vocalisation , she ’s been capable to take on many unlike expressive style across several shoot visualise . Judi Dench add her versatility to numerous Oscar - name send off , include Mrs. Brown , Iris , Mrs. Henderson Presents , Notes on a Scandal , Philomena , and Belfast . Despite all that , she take her Oscar for Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love ( despite piddling screentime ) . And tied after all of that , one could contend that her well-nigh illustrious and near memorable persona will invariably be as M in the James Bond moving picture , get going with GoldenEye and close with Spectre . She ’s sure as shooting try out her rate .
