When it comes to women in Hollywood, we have made leaps and bounds. From a time where actresses were viewed solely as love interests, singers were marketed solely as sex-symbols and woman filmmakers were practically non-existent, we have entered into a new wave for the badass woman in the industry.
Here we chart some of the women who have played their role in changing the game for women in Hollywood.
Charlize Theron
This Oscar winner is a strong voice for females in the industry with her powerful presence in Hollywood. Theron made her voice known when she negotiated a higher salary for her role in 2016 film ‘Snow White and the Huntsman”, ensuring she matched her co-star Chris Hemsworth.
See who else makes the list:
Pop-Culture Feminist Icon
Who could forget her powerful performance in 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” where she portrays Impertora Furiosa, a figure who has become something of a pop-culture feminist role model. She told Elle recently “Girls need to know that being a feminist is a good thing.”.
Gina Rodriguez
Gina Rodrigues has risen to international fame with her role on “Jane the Virgin”, acknowledging her own celebrity she often speaks about how she uses her platform to reach out to people and send her message.
“Now I can talk to more girls and tell them that any skin color, any economic background, any shape they were born into is perfect and right and strong and beautiful and enough because I’m sitting here not the stereotype,” she told TV Guide in 2014.
We Will Foundation
Not only does she use her social media for activism, but in 2016 she launched the “We Will Foundation” which supports an art education for women without the means to afford going for the arts without assistance.
Gal Gadot
The real-life wonder woman who famously did Wonder Woman re-shoots while she was five months pregnant with her second child is a shining example of strong female leads in Hollywood and what they can accomplish.
Superhero
The gorgeous Gal was raised in a small city in Israel and opened up to Rolling Stone about her path to becoming one of the biggest names in Hollywood and how feminism helped along the way. She stated:
"People always ask me, 'Are you a feminist?' And I find the question surprising, because I think, 'Yes, of course. Every woman, every man, everyone should be a feminist. Because whoever is not a feminist is a sexist.'
Ellen DeGeneres
Feminist, human rights activist, talented person, and all-round gem, Ellen DeGeneres has been protecting women and LGBT rights throughout her time in the business.
Breaking Barriers
When Ellen came out as gay on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Time magazine, she was the first openly gay lesbian who played an openly lesbian character on a show.
This actually greatly affected her career at the time with many refusing to work with her. in fact, her coming out created a national dialog about sexuality and freedom.
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon has established herself as one of the most successful and powerful women in the Hollywood game. The actress who counts Oprah Winfrey as one of her best friends (casual) has emerged as a powerful producer on top of being an Oscar Winning actress.
Pacific Standard
Witherspoon, who was a part of EW’S Beyond Beautiful roundtable earlier this year started her production company Pacific Standards with the goal of producing films centered on creating interesting and diverse female characters.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé is another player in Hollywood that has transcended boundaries and established herself as one of the most powerful people (not women) in the game. The Lemonade singer, in a rare interview with Ell,e explained her take on her feminism and how she related it through her music.
Saying It Like It Is
"I'm not really sure people know or understand what a feminist is, but it's very simple. It's someone who believes in equal rights for men and women," she told Elle.
"I don't understand the negative connotation of the word, or why it should exclude the opposite sex. If you are a man who believes your daughter should have the same opportunities and rights as your son, then you're a feminist.
We need men and women to understand the double standards that still exist in this world, and we need to have a real conversation, so we can begin to make changes."
Ariana Grande
Grande is the pocket-size, yet larger than life singer who has been through one hell of a year from the tourist attack at her concert to her ex Mac Miller’s death, and a broken engagement. Through it all, she has remained strong and tried her best to empower all her young and old fans alike.
God Is A Woman
She even released something of a female anthem ‘God is a Woman’ on her new album which hit the top of the charts and sent out one hell of a woman-positive message.
Shonda Rhimes
In an industry dominated primarily by white males, Shonda Rhimes is an African woman who has been breaking down walls since the start of her career.
She is the executive producer, showrunner and director of the most addictive shows out there including "Grey's Anatomy," "How to Get Away with Murder," and "Scandal."
'There Are No Dumb Weak Woman'
Not only is she incredibly talented, but Rhimes isn’t afraid to let her thoughts be known when it comes to women’s place in Hollywood. On February 2018 she tweeted some thought-provoking words:
"Entertainment industry, time to stop using the phrases 'Smart Strong Women' and 'Strong Female Leads.' There are no Dumb Weak Women. A smart strong woman is just a WOMAN. Also? 'Women' are not a TV trend—we're half the planet."- you go girl.
Emma Watson
As soon as the little curly-haired Hermione Granger popped up on our screens with her no-it-all attitude it was obvious Emma Watson was going to move mountains during her career. And that she has.
Throughout her time in the spotlight, Watson has used her limelight for speaking on women’s rights, gender equality, and the environment.
A Woman Of Many Talents
Watson is not only an actress, but she is also a goodwill ambassador for the U.N working to focus on gender equality. And who could forget her sassy response when she received a ton of backlash after posing braless for a shoot in Vanity Fair:
"Feminism is about giving women choices. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women, it’s about freedom, it’s about liberation, it’s about equality. I really don't know what my tits have to do with it. It's very confusing."
Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain, the vocal supporter of the ‘Times Up’ movement has become something of a feminist icon that we cannot live without. And she puts her money where her mouth is- recently she ensured her co-star Octavia Spencer got the exact same pay as her for a project they worked on together.
Working With A Female Director Yearly
Another active way Chastain tried to be the change needed in Hollywood culture is her goal to work with female filmmakers, in her THR editorial she explained:
"they’re not given the same opportunities so if I have any influence in choosing a film or a script or finding a director, I’m absolutely going to make a difference."
She’s done pretty well honoring her word, since 2008, she has worked with five female directors, including Kathryn Bigelow, Ami Canaan Mann, Liv Ullman, Niki Caro, and Susanna White.
Lena Dunham
The name Dunham has become synonymous with her unapologetic feminist representation and her in-your-face attitude. The creator of the hit show Girls may have her critics, but one thing is for sure, she is a powerhouse that knows what she wants and is not afraid to go for it.
The Gift Of A Voice
Dunham ensures her characters are relatable and often blasts Hollywood for creating unrealistic standards of physical appeared with the women the cast. Dunham broke this trend in her series Girls and has sued her platform to speak about inequality as well as advocate for sexual assault survivors.
In her own words that she spoke at the 2015 Power of Woman event “I am grateful every day for the gifts I've been given, particularly the gift of a voice and of people willing to hear it."
Jennifer Lawrence
The goofy, awkward stunning Jennifer Lawrence may be hilarious, but she can also be serious when she needs to and doesn’t hesitate to make her thoughts known on equality issues such as Hollywood’s pay gap problem.
Get A Grip
She also has no problem putting people int heir place when she feels the need. When a controversy brewed around the outfit, she wore for a photo call with many brandings it as inappropriate for the weather she made sure to let it be known that she’ll wear what she wants gosh darn it.
She wrote on Facebook following the many comments “Get a grip people, everything you see me wear is my choice. And if I want to be cold THAT'S MY CHOICE TOO!”
Angelina Jolie
Actress, producer, mother, and activist, Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie has been brave in the face of many hardships exclusive to women.
The mother of six recently spoke about her decision to go through with a double mastectomy and the surgical removal of her ovaries after losing her mother, grandmother and aunt to cancer- making woman’s health an important topic of discussion for the public.
Humanitarian Work
Jolie has also worked with the UN focussing on woman’s struggles in war-torn areas. Her involvement has not gone unnoticed and she received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her efforts.
Jane Fonda
Looking back its clear Jane Fonda has played a key role in the empowering of women in Hollywood.
She recently wrote an essay for Lena Dunham’s magazine Lenny Letter which detailed her journey to becoming an “Embodied Feminist” and admits that she had to get through an eating disorder in a time where she was trying to live up to societies unrealistic standards for woman.
Embodied Feminist
Explaining her take on the word feminism she wrote that it is “ not about replacing one '-archy' with another, it's about transforming social and cultural norms and institutions so that power, violence, and greed are not the primary operating principles.
It's not about moving from patriarchy to matriarchy, but from patriarchy to democracy. Feminism means real democracy."
Madonna
Her feminist acts are too many to count, Madonna has proved to be one of the key players in woman’s empowerment in Hollywood. I mean, she’s endured enough misogyny in her 35-year music career to know a thing or two!
Playing The Game
Speaking about the stereotype and double standard with how women are treated she said:
'If you're a girl, you have to play the game. You're allowed to be pretty and cute and sexy. But don’t act too smart. Don’t have an opinion that's out of line with the status quo. You are allowed to be objectified by men and dress like a slut, but don’t own your sluttiness. And do not, I repeat do not, share your own sexual fantasies with the world’-
She definitely crossed all those lines and more.
Viola Davis
Viola Davis has a lot on her mind when it comes to unequal pay, and the powerhouse actress is not afraid to say it. At the Woman in the World Los Angeles Salon she came out against the racial pay gap stating
'I have a career that’s probably comparable to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Sigourney Weaver. ...They had the same path as me, and yet, I am nowhere near them, not as far as money, not as far as job opportunities, nowhere close to it.'
"I’m Worthy"
She continued her heated speech concluding, 'People say, "You’re a black Meryl Streep. You are, and we love you"…Well, then if there’s no one like me. You pay me what I’m worth…I’m not hustling for my worth. I’m worthy.'
Natalie Portman
Portman is another young, gorgeous, and talented star whose activism is as important to her as her career. She is a vegan who fights for animal rights, as well as a vocal fighter for gender equality and supporter of Time’s Up.
It’s All Connected
Recently the ‘Vox Lux’ star shared how she feels all her activism is related “It’s all under the same system,” the actress told The Hollywood Reporter at a screening of the documentary which she narrated and produced -‘Eating Animals’.
“It's not an accident that women are treated in a different way in our society, and our Earth is called Mother Earth and it's treated poorly.”
Meryl Streep
Arguably the most powerful star in Hollywood, Streep has received 16 Academy Award nominations, winning 2, and 25 Golden Globe nominations, where she won 7.
But what could be even more impressive than that is her activism and the part she plays as a role model for woman and girls everywhere.
Demanding Change
Recently, Streep voiced her opinion again at the annual Massachusetts Conference for Woman where she and other notable women in Hollywood gave their two-sense on the industry and equal pay.
Explaining how it affects everyone she stated “Equal means equal. And if it starts at the top, none of these shenanigans would have filtered down and it wouldn’t have been tolerated.”
Chrissy Teigen
She is so far from being only ‘John Legends' wife’. Chrissy Teigen has established herself as the most relatable star as an activist, mother, and of course, Twitter personality.
The model is always quick to respond to news and is not afraid to be outspoken in what she believes where it is connected to politics or pasta.
Proud Of Her Routes
She is also outspoken about her distaste for Trump.
When the president recently came out with her “Zero tolerance: immigration policy, she gave her two sense: “I’m incredibly proud to be the daughter of an immigrant,” she said of her Thai background at the march.
“America at its best is big, beautiful and diverse, like our great city of Los Angeles.”
Geena Davis
Geena Davis is one of the women in Hollywood that was changing the industry before it was cool.
Way back in 2006 she founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media which aims to examine gender representation on screen and advocate for more honest depictions of women in Hollywood.
Power Player
And she never stopped the fight. In 2015 she once again used her power to fund the Bentonville Film Festival, the mission of which is “to champion women and diverse voices in media.” Go Geena and everything you stand for!
Kristen Bell
This gorgeous blonde is proof that dynamite comes in small packages. The actress is vocal about her beliefs and took on the gender pay gap in 2016 when she appeared in a feminist video, ‘Pinksourcing’.
Why outsource all your production to faraway countries like India, China, and Narnia when we have the cheapest and best workforce right here in the good ole U.S. of A.: women,” Bell said in the spoof.
Bell Of The Ball
Bell has continued to be an advocate for women and in March 2018 it was announced that she would become the first global advocate for the Women's Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) —a United Nations and civil society partnership supporting women to prevent crises and build peace
Sharmeen Obaid
Sharmeen, a producer and director, is not only making waves in Hollywood but is even sparking political change.
In 2016 she made history being the only Pakistani to win two Academy Awards, not to mention being the only woman of color to win that year with her moving documentary “A Girl in the River: Th Price of Forgiveness”.
Reaching Politics
During her acceptance speech, she stated, "The Pakistani Prime Minister has said that he will change the law on honor killing after watching this film,".
And low and behold that year a loophole was repealed that allowed perpetrators of honor killings to avoid punishment by seeking forgiveness- thus being legally pardoned.
Patty Jenkins
She may not be the most recognizable on the lost, but Patty Jenkins is the director who is moving mountains for the value of women behind the screen in Hollywood. She is the women behind the camera of “Wonder Woman”.
Real Wonder Woman
Jenkins made history with the film- the first female director to take on a project of this level for the DC universe, and as we all know, she did one fine job bringing Wonder Woman to life.
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer is a breath of fresh air. The female stand-up comedian and actress often attacks rape culture, gender double standards and general Hollywood sexism in her stand-up.
Saying It Like It Is
She is always real with what woman go through every day without glamorization and has been documenting her current pregnancy authentically to fans on her social media including
The moments of how very un-glamorous it could be with a video of her vomiting in a public restroom…
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand is one of the power women of our century and holds the title of being the only woman to have won the Golden Globe for Best Director for her 1983 film “Yentl”.
The Time Has Come
The actress and director also presented the Oscar for Best Director to the only ever female recipient Kathryn Bigelow in 2010 stating “The time has come”.
Streisand has spoken out for the pressing need for gender equality in all parts of life, both the film industry and the political system. “I think women are still treated as second-class citizens,” she told the Associated Press in 2014.
Oprah Winfrey
The entertainment mogul that is Oprah Winfrey is no stranger to breaking barriers. One of the first women in color in the talk-show industry, Oprah worked her way up to becoming the Talk Show queen of the world. Literally.
Oprah For President
And she only gets better. Women n Hollywood have begun to urge Winfrey to run for president after she electrified the Golden Globes this year with her speech with transformed the award show into a platform for women’s rights and social justice.
Ava DuVernay
She’s the most badass in the business, there’s no stopping director, writer, and distributor Ava DuVernay in her fight to level the playing field in the directing industry.
Her most recent badass moment came when she dared an angry male director to sue her after he complained about her favoring female directors.
Go Right Ahead
The Wrinkle in Time director told the audience upon accepting the Woman of Vision Award that after she received the complaint, she had no problem putting him in his place stating,
"I invite you to tell whoever is feeling discriminated against to sue me so that I can sue every studio that has left women out. Because we can do this, if that’s what you want to do.”
Malala Yousafzai
You have definitely heard of her name, and that is because Malala Yousafzai has gone through hell and back to fight for what she believed in. in 2012, Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban after she publicly spoke about her fight for girl’s education.
A Survivor
She survived the attack and has gone on to become an activist, a published author, a UN messenger of peace and the youngest Novel Laureate ever when she received the Nobel Peace Prize.
In her inspiring words: “change is possible and do not limit yourself, do not stop yourself, just because you are young.”
Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd was one of the first to come out about sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein prompting a national dialog about sexual misconduct in the Hollywood industry and bravely gong on record to reveal her story.
Combating Inequality
But that’s not where her fight began and ended. Judd has been involved in other aspects of combating inequality.
In 2012 she published an essay calling for women to challenge the patriarchy and in 2017 she participated in the Women’s March on Washington where she recited a powerful poem “Nasty Women: for the hundreds of thousands of protestors.
Sofia Coppola
Sofia Coppola is one of the very few women in Hollywood that has made a name for herself as a director and writer. She also was the first woman to win a Beds Director Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in the last 50 years with her film “Beguiled”!
Quite The Cast
