The1990sis the decade known as the period that marked the end of the Cold War and contained advances in technology, including the internet. The ’90s brought significant developments in cinema and carried on traditional trends from the 1980s low-budget independent films that maintained their popularity throughout the decade. During the ’90s, full-length films were made to be displayed both on theater screens and smaller TV screens, featuring dialog with close-up scenes instead of wide-angle scenes made for theaters. Home videos rose in popularity and that market increased the total revenue for a film, frequently doubling its total income. The decade also cultivated the rise of independent cinema, and advancements in CGI-technology used inTerminator 2: Judgment Day, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, and more.
The 1990s presented many incredible performances by actresses who made an impact in cinema and are still beloved and prominent in the present day. The best actresses of the 1990s have received widespread recognition and awards for their work on the big screen, portraying some of the most iconic roles in classic movies. From gracing us with their performances to standing the test of time and becoming cinema icons, here are the most popular actresses of the 1990s, ranked.
Update June 13, 2025: This article has been updated with even more great actresses from the 1990s, for those nostalgic for the decade as the new year has begun.
15Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandonbegan acting in 1970 with the drama filmJoe, and hassince received accolades and a staron the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work spanning decades. Her filmography from the ’90s earned her Academy Award nominations for Best Actress forThelma & Louise, Lorenzo’s Oil, The Client, andDead Man Walking. During the Nineties, she also appeared inWhite Palace, Little Women, James and the Giant Peach, Stepmom, Anywhere but Here, andCradle Will Rock. Sarandon received the Women in Film Crystal Award in 1994 and earned eight Golden Globe nominations, including forWhite PalaceandStepmom.
Related:The Best Feel Good Movies of the 1990s
14Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstonemade her film debut inThe Crushin 1993, and washonored for her performanceat the 1994 MTV Movie Award, earning the award for Best Breakthrough Performance. Silverstone then garnered more popularity starring in the music video for Aerosmith’s “Cryin”, in the filmCluelessin 1995, andBatman & Robinin 1997. She received multiple nominations and awards for her amazing performance inCluelessandThe Crush. She also recently got acclaimed for her role in the Netflix series The Baby Sitter’s Club as Elizabeth Thomar-Brewer. Alicia was one of the most famous romance movie actresses in the 90s and received praise for her performances over the years.
13Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diazmade her debut beside Jim Carrey in the super popular comedy movieThe Maskin 1994, which brought her immediately into the spotlight. The rest of the ’90s also saw her appearing in various movies, includingShe’s the One,My Best Friend’s Wedding,Very Bad Things,Being John Malkovich, andThere’s Something About Mary. While Diaz would later reach new heights in the 2000s thanks to theShrekfranchise andCharlie’s Angels,it was the 1990s that set the tone for her career. Even though she has not appeared in any films since 2014, her many fans still love her and are waiting for her to return to the industry after her long hiatus.
12Angelina Jolie
Angelina Joliebegan acting alongside her father in 1982 and became popular during the Nineties.Her filmography during the decadeincludedCyborg 2, Hackers, Love Is All There Is, Mojave Moon, George Wallace, Playing God, Hell’s Kitchen, Playing by Heart, Gia, andGirl, Interrupted; which earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Jolie’s star would rise even higher in the 2000’s as she would become as well known for her charity work as her film career, but her breakout career in the 1990s set her down the path to becoming one of the biggest stars in the world.
11Demi Moore
Demi Mooremade her film debut in 1981 inChoices, and in that decade she became known as a member of the Brat Pack. Then, shebecame more popular throughout the ’90s. She appeared in some of the most popular films of the decade, includingGhost,A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure, The Juror, G.I. Jane, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and more. Her performance inGhosteven earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress, and she became the highest-paid actress in history for her performance in Striptease, for which she earned $12.5 million, an unprecedented salary at the time.
10Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet’s debut was marked by her appearance inDark Season, where she played the character of Reet and was fifteen years old. She found her breakthrough playing the role of Marianne Dashwood in the movieSense and Sensibilityin 1995. Even though she gets the most recognition for playing the role of Rose in the classic movieTitanic, she has been part of many other films and TV shows during the 90s. Her filmography during that time includesHeavenly Creatures,Jude,Hamlet,Hideous Kinky,Holy Smoke!, andFaeries. Winslet most recently appeared inAvatar: The Way of Water,where she played the character of Ronal.
9Uma Thurman
Uma Thurmanbegan her career in acting in the movieKiss Daddy Goodnight, which came out in 1987. One of her most recognizable roles from the 1990s has to be Mia Wallace inQuentin Tarantino’sPulp Fiction. This movie earned her various awards and nominations, including a nomination for the Academy Awards. The other movies of the decade that Thurman has been a part of includeMad Dog and Glory,Beautiful Girls, andBatman and Robin. Thurman’s career would rebound later when she collaborated with Tarantino onKill Billin the 2000’s but there was no denying in the 1990’s she emerged as one of the biggest stars of the decade with her Mia Wallace haircut still being a pop culture staple to this very day.
8Winona Ryder
Winona Rydermade her film debut inLucasin 1986, and becamemore popular during the ‘90swithEdward Scissorhands,Bram Stoker’sDracula, Girl InterupptedandLittle Women. Ryder was nominated for two Academy Awards during the decade; the first was for Best Supporting Actress for her role inThe Age of Innocenceand then the following year, Best Actress forLittle Women. Early in her career, she worked with some of the biggest directors, including Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Tim Burton. Combine all that with her relationship to star Johnny Depp and it was hard to escape Winona Ryder during the decade. She recently received huge critical acclaim and love for her role as Joyce Byers in the beloved Netflix seriesStranger Things.
7Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymoreachieved fame as a child actor in the 1982 filmE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004. She has also received a Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, British Academy Film Award and seven Emmy Awards. During the ’90s, she starred inPoison Ivy, Batman Forever, Scream, The Wedding Singer, Home Fries, Ever After, Never Been Kissed, and more. Her role inScreamis certainly the most iconic of the decade, as the film used her star power to lure audiences into a false sense of security as she was front and center in the marketing, only to die in the films opening scene.
6Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer’s acting career has spanned over four decades, and she became one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses during the ’90s, including being recognized as the decade’s sex symbol. During the ’90s,Pfeiffer starred inBatman Returns, Love Field, Frankie and Johnny, The Age of Innocence, Wolf, Dangerous Minds, Up Close & Personal, and more. She has received a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, nominations for Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Related:Best Michelle Pfeiffer Movies, Ranked
