There’s really nothing like a classic beauty, and when we think of classic beauties our minds usually take us back to actresses of the past. That’s not to say today’s actresses aren’t beautiful, but there’s just something special about the actresses from the golden years of Hollywood.
Here are some of the most unforgettable actresses from the 50s, 60s, and 70s…
Cheryl Tiegs
While Cheryl Tiegs was more of a model than an actress, she did make a number of TV appearances over the years. Cheryl is also considered the first-ever American supermodel, so clearly she deserves a spot on this list.
Olivia Newton-John
One of the most well-known names on this list, this blonde beauty was already a famous singer when she dabbled in the world of acting in the late ’60s. Her big break came in 1978 when she starred alongside John Travolta as Sandy in the hit movie-musical, Grease.
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was more than just a beautiful face, she was a 70’s icon. She was one of the first actresses to turn her name into a full-on brand. She sold everything from Farrah Faucet dolls to posters, and her “Farrah Flip” hairstyle became a beauty staple.
Elke Sommer
German-born actress, Elke Sommer, got her start when she was spotted in Italy by a film director. Elke is widely regarded as one of the most popular “pin-up” girls and sex symbols of all time.
Pam Grier
Pam Grier gained attention in the movie world for her roles in the Blaxploitation films before she earned a Golden Globe nod for her role in the film Jackie Brown. She was often cast as a bold female character and was thus credited as the first female action star.
Hedy Lamarr
This beautiful brunette was a popular film star from the ’30s through the ’50s. Hedy got her start in German films, but after crossing paths with the head of MGM studios, her career in American films took off.
Sharon Tate
Sharon Tate didn’t appear in many movies or films, but of her shortlist of roles, she was especially talented. She was a natural beauty whose career was cut too short when she was brutally murdered while 8 months pregnant by Charles Manson’s family.
Barbara Eden
Ms. Barbara Eden may be most remembered for her roles in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie and I know I’m not the only one. While she was quite beautiful, she was multi-talented as she was an accomplished actress and singer.
Katharine Ross
Katharine Ross was a prominent sex symbol of the 1960s. She appeared in many popular films in the 60s as well, including The Graduate and The Stepford Wives.
Eartha Kitt
Once dubbed as the “most exciting woman in the world” by Orson Wells, Eartha was an extremely talented dancer, actress, and singer with a very distinctive voice. She sang the hit song Santa Baby and played Catwoman in the final season of the Batman TV series.
Virna Lisi
This Italian-born actress was reportedly brought in by Hollywood producers as a “new Marilyn Monroe”. Although she may not have had the same success, she was quite famous in her own right. Virna Lisi made her Hollywood debut in 1965 along with Jack Lemmon in How to Murder Your Wife.
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Light is considered one of the most beautiful actresses of all time and had some serious acting chops to boot. She had tremendous success both onscreen and on Broadway, and is perhaps most famous for having played as Scarlet O’Hara in Gone with the Wind.
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker was the first African-American woman to star in a major motion picture in 1934. She spent the next three decades starring in countless roles. She was also a known activist during the Civil Rights Movement who was even offered leadership after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Diahann Carroll
Diahann Caroll was a popular singer, as well as a TV and stage actress. She was also one of the first to star in films composed of prominently African American casts.
Barbara Bach
If you’re cast as a Bond Girl, you know you’re a hot commodity. Other than appearing in the 007 film, The Spy Who Loved Me, Barbara Bach is also famous for being married to The Beatles’ drummer, Ringo Star.
Jayne Kennedy
Jayne Kennedy was named one of the “20 greatest sex symbols of the 20th century” by Ebony Magazine, but she was also a model, an actress, a public speaker, a corporate spokeswoman, and a philanthropist.
Goldie Hawn
She may be more known these days as Kate Hudson’s mom, but Goldie Hawn was considered one of the most gorgeous and talented actresses of her time.
Catherine Bach
We all know Catherine as Daisy Duke from the Dukes of Hazard, but as it turns out, way before she was the long-legged Duke beauty, she was actually one of the children in the Sound of Music.
Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch was every teenage boy’s fantasy in the ’60s and ’70s thanks to her role in 1966’s One Million Years B.C. She is argued to be one of the most beautiful women in history and to this day remains active in the industry.
Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren began her acting career at 15-years-old in Italy where she was discovered at a beauty pageant. She then went on to appear in her first international film, The Pride and Passion, in 1956. The Italian beauty earned herself an Academy Award, five Golden Globes, and a Grammy, throughout her career.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe, of course, needed to make this list of iconic beauties. She was, after all, one of the most famous sex symbols of her time, if not of all time. If there’s one caveat to Marilyn Monroe it’s that she died way too early.
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn is widely considered one of the most beautiful and iconic women ever. She began her career as a ballet dancer before eventually getting a role in the Broadway play, Gigi. She made history as the only actress to ever win an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA performance for a single performance for her role in the 1953 film Roman Holiday.
Brigitte Bardot
French actress, Brigitte Bardot, made her modeling debut at age 15 on the cover of the French magazine, Elle. Before long, she transitioned into a successful actress, and by 1953, she was featured along with Kirk Douglass in Act Of Love. When she retired from acting she had 47 films under her belt.
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield had a gorgeous smile, sparkling eyes, and flowing blonde hair. She’s probably best known for being the first-ever woman to bravely perform a nude scene on-screen in Hollywood. She died in a car accident at just 34-years-old.
Ursula Andress
Ursula Andress is probably the most relatively unknown on the list, aside from those who are huge fans of the James Bond film series. Ursula was the first “Bond Girl.”
Jacqueline Bisset
Making her film debut in 1965, Jacqueline Bisset’s beauty and stunning green eyes immediately made an impression on Hollywood audiences. In just a few years, she appeared in the James Bond film, Casino Royale, and Bullit along with Steve McQueen.
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor began her career in 1942’s There’s One Born Every Minute. She was the most bankable star throughout the 1950s because most of the films she appeared in turned out to be huge financial successes. She even set a record for female actresses at the time for her role as the titular character in 1963’s Cleopatra.
Jane Seymour
While Jane Seymour started out as a Bond girl in the 1973 James Bond film, Live and Let Die, she has since carved out a career spanning 4 decades.
Lauren Bacall
Like most women on this list, Lauren Bacall started off as a model before becoming an actress. She debuted in 1944 with Humphrey Bogart in the film, To Have and Have Not.
Ann-Margret
Once referred to by many as the female counterpart of Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret quickly became one of the biggest Hollywood sensations of the 1960s. She had a successful career that spanned the entertainment industry for over 5 decades. To date, she remains active in the industry and recently appeared in the 2017 movie, Going In Style.
Jessica Lange
Jessica Lange was both a model and actress who made her debut in the 1976 remake of King Kong and co-starred along with Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie in 1982.
Sally Field
Sally Field was one of the biggest stars of the 60s, appearing in the famous Gidget series. She has since proven herself to be one of the most prolific actresses of all time, proving her acting skills across all genres.
Martha Stewart
Before Martha Stewart was busy making the perfect cake, she was a well-known model. When she was young, she babysat Major League Baseball star Mickey Mantel’s children. In college, she was hired for a modeling gig that paid more than $50 an hour, which was a significant amount of money at the time.
Nina Mae McKinney
Nina Mae McKinney barely makes it onto the list, as most of her film career took place way back in the late ’30s, however, she’s a stunner, so we’ll give it a pass.
Diane Keaton
In the 70s, Diane Keaton was America’s “girl next door.” She made her major film debut in 1972, playing as the wife of Michael Corleone in the iconic Godfather trilogy. Over the years, she has starred in a combined 65 films and TV series and most recently played the voice role of “Jenny” in the recent Disney Pixar film Finding Dory.
Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway started on Broadway in the early 1960s before making her debut in the 1967 film The Happening. She also appeared in the famous gangster film, Bonnie and Clyde, that year. Throughout her career, she starred in over 100 roles.
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine made her film debut in Alfred Hitchock’s 1995 film, The Trouble With Harry. For her role, she won a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year.
Helen Mirren
As beautiful as she is today, Hellen Mirren was even more gorgeous in the ’60s and ’70s. To date, she remains one of the few to ever win an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony in the acting categories. Mirren has since gone on to enjoy quite an illustrious career.
Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Shepherd was initially a model who made the cover of every major magazine in the mid-60s as the model of the year. In 1971, Shepherd cemented her legacy as one of the most beautiful women in all of Hollywood in The Last Picture.
Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood quickly rose to fame thanks to her girl-next-door look and expressive eyes. She then starred in films such as Rebel Without a Cause, West Side Story, and Miracle on 34th street. Wood was married twice to actor Robert Wagner and once to producer Richard Gregson.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep’s career began on Broadway before making her film debut in the late ’70s. When her acting chops got noticed, she won an Academy Award for best-supporting actress for her role in the 1979 film, Kramer vs Kramer. Many consider Meryl Streep as the best actress of her generation, and for good reason, she boasts the most Academy Award nominations of all time with 19.
Susan Sarandon
Before she was considered as one of the ultimate MILFs of Hollywood, Sarandon was the dream girl of every guy back in the 70s. She made her debut in the 1970 film Joe and starred in the cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975. She has earned five Emmy’s throughout her career.
Lena Horne
Lena Horne was a triple threat actress, singer, and dancer who enjoyed an illustrious career back in the late ’40s and 50 who was ahead of her time. Because her reputation as a political activist got her blacklisted from Hollywood for a period of time.
Judy Pace
Judy Pace earned a name for herself for her roles in the Blaxploitation films and The Young Lawyers TV series on ABC. She also received an Image Award for Outstanding Actress back in 1970.
Julie Newmar
While she gained icon status for her role as Catwoman in the hit TV series Batman in the late 60s, Newmar was a well-renowned actress before that. She has even earned herself a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway production, The Marriage-Go-Round.
Sandra Dee
Sandra Dee was a child model before bursting onto the scene after working in various TV commercials. Before long, she transitioned into film and snagged herself a Golden Globe Award for being one of the most promising newcomers at the time.
Bo Derek
Bo Derek started appearing in movies at the young age of 16, but it was her role in the 1979 film 10 that turned her from a beautiful teenager to an international sex symbol from the 80s until today.
Tuesday Weld
Tuesday Weld was the blond bombshell fantasy of every man of her time. She won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1960 and received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge is an actress, singer, and dancer who is probably best remembered for being the first-ever African-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award in the best lead actress category for her role in Carmen Jones.
Rita Moreno
Rita enjoyed a career that spanned more than seven decades. She can still be seen frequently on television today and has starred in many memorable films such as West Side Story and The King and I.