Julia Roberts ruled the '90s. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. This Georgia peach ran with her "Steel Magnolias" momentum to star in seven non-franchise films from 1990-99 that grossed over $100 million in the U.S. Read that again. No wonder she smiled so big. "Pretty Woman" is #1, and may be the most iconic romcom ever. That earth-shattering success was swiftly followed by the fun thriller "Sleeping with the Enemy" and Steven Spielberg's "Hook". Julia didn't have to hook up with Denzel Washington in "The Pelican Brief", paying customers showed up anyway. Her boffo box office shouldn't obscure the fact that she's a great actress. Look no further than that summer she had to pretend to be in love with Nick Nolte. After a few flops("Mary Reilly", anyone?), she reclaimed the crown with three late '90s crowd-pleasers- "My Best Friend's Wedding", "Notting Hill", and "Runaway Bride". We may never see another run like the one Roberts had ever again.
Michelle Pfeiffer was #2 in the '80s and #2 in the '90s, in my estimation. That might be better than being #1. Every actress in Hollywood wants to play Catwoman, and MP's sizzling portayal of Gotham City's premiere siren will forever be the gold standard. Pfeiffer was getting offered everything from 1987-2000, and went to work for Garry Marshall, Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, and Rob Reiner in her most prolific decade. She made 15 films, and more than half of them were good. Yet, somehow Earth's most alluring woman was underrated. Her emotionally-damaged waitress in "Frankie and Johnny" deserved an Oscar nomination, and only Michelle could have made "Dangerous Minds" a major worldwide hit.
Meg Ryan became a star the moment the faked an orgasm in 1989's "When Harry Met Sally". Four years later, that film's writer Nora Ephron made her a superstar as the adorable Annie in "Sleepless in Seattle". The '90s saw this former soap opera actress eclipse her then-husband Dennis Quaid- a union that began in "Innerspace", her first big film role. This woman was beloved even when she was an alcoholic in 1994, and addicted to love in 1997. Edward Zwick's Gulf War drama "Courage Under Fire" effectively showed us a more serious side of Ryan. Sadly, that wouldn't happen twice. Meg's career definitely peaked with 1998's holiday hit "You've Got Mail", which reunited her with Ephron and Tom Hanks(don't sleep on their first pairing in "Joe Versus the Volcano"). It never got that good again, as the 2000s brought a drastic downturn personally and professionally for the blonde beauty. We'll always have Katz's Delicatessen.
Demi Moore was the most desired brunette in the world during her '90s heyday, that saw her achieve an equal amount of fame as her "Die Hard" hubby Bruce Willis. Like Ryan, Moore impressed close observers with a soap opera stint and suppporting roles in '80s movies. Then "Ghost" happened. Demi's short hair was a risky, rebellious move that payed off- the 1990 afterlife romance was a phenomenon and is the 14th biggest domestic moneymaker of the entire decade. She was the only woman in "A Few Good Men", another mega-hit that was swiftly followed by the sexy conversation-starter "Indecent Proposal". Perhaps, her press and paychecks got too big, as evidenced by the high profile failure of "Striptease". It's unusual that "G.I. Jane" was the end of the road as far as A-list movie stardom is concerned, because a buff, bald Demi really went for it for Ridley Scott.
Sandra Bullock- "Speed", "While You Were Sleeping", and "A Time to Kill" made her a mid-'90s threat to Roberts. And she was just getting started.
Meryl Streep- The female GOAT managed four more Best Actress nominations(1990,1995,1998,1999). "The Bridges of Madison County" was her best '90s movie.
Jodie Foster- Is Clarice Starling the best female film character of the '90s?
Susan Sarandon- The "Thelma & Louise" star was smoking from 1988-1998. Her Best Actress Oscar for "Dead Man Walking" was well-deserved.
Sharon Stone- "Basic Instinct" made her a movie star. "Casino" made her an Academy Award nominee.
Cameron Diaz- "There's Something About Mary" was a monster hit, making this dream girl one of the decade's breakout stars.
Nicole Kidman- The Australian stunner proved she was here to stay in "To Die For" and "Eyes Wide Shut".
Annette Bening- From "Bugsy" to "American Beauty", this brainy beauty is one of the most underrated actresses ever.
Julianne Moore- One of the hardest-working women in the business, Moore mixed blockbusters("The Fugitive", "The Lost World: Jurassic Park") with Oscar contenders("Boogie Nights", "Magnolia").
Marisa Tomei- Admit it, "My Cousin Vinny" turned you into George Costanza for awhile.
Gwyneth Paltrow- The 26 year old upstart won the Best Actress Oscar for "Shakespeare in Love". Ten years later, she was Tony Stark's love.
Drew Barrymore- Gertie was all grown up in "Boys on the Side", "Batman Forever", and "The Wedding Singer". And "Scream", the $103 million franchise-starter that her popularity made possible.
Patricia Arquette- Why can't there be more women like Alabama Worley?
Winona Ryder- Has ANY under-30 actress ever had a better run? The answer's no.
Geena Davis- The star of "A League of Their Own" was on the All-Star team for at least five years. What went wrong?
Kathy Bates- The "Misery" star wouldn't be denied a major movie career.
Rene Russo- This leggy former model had a better run than she gets credit for, and was a good match for multiple male superstars(Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner).
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