Hollywood - And The Top 10 Actresses Are...

Although there is still a void between the quality and quantity of roles between actresses and actors, Hollywood's women are enjoying unprecedented power these days. So, who are the considered to be the best actresses gracing movie theater screens at the moment...

10. Jodie Foster

An understated performer who made a big splash in Hollywood when she appeared as a child prostitute in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, she has combined dramatic roles in niche films with mainstream action movie roles. Her most memorable role is in The Silence of the Lambs. She also had lead roles in The Brave One and Panic Room.

9. Nicole Kidman

One of the most powerful female actors in Hollywood, she has been acting in movies since she was a child. Although spending much of her young life in Australia, Hawaii is her place of birth. Her private life has, unfortunately, overshadowed he career at times, but the ending of her marriage to Tom Cruise has resulted in the focus once more being placed solely on her acting talents. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002 for her performance in The Hours.

8. Halle Berry

She was the first actress of African-American descent to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, with her performance in Monster's Ball clinching it for her. She is most famous for her roles in James Bond movie Die Another Day, playing Bond Girl Jinx, and the X-Men movies, in which she plays fan favorite Storm.

7. Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep is one of Hollywood's most consistent performers. Whether appearing in small art films or huge, mainstream hits, she always delivers strong, powerful performances. She achieved critical acclaim with her early role in Kramer Versus Kramer; a performance which won her an Academy Award for Best Actress. She has taken on roles in all sorts of films, from comedy (Death Becomes Her), to hard-hitting drama (The Deer Hunter), to action (The River Wild), to musicals (Mamma Mia).