The past decade has seen a number of excellent performances from actresses all over the world, earning many well-deserved awards. From iconic veteran stars to emerging talent, each have shown their immense talent in the movies they’ve acted in. In this article, we take a look at some of the best actress award winners from the last decade featuring their diverse roles and range of characters.
Best Actress Award Winners – 2010
- Natalie Portman – Black Swan (2010)
Natalie Portman has been a commanding presence in the world of acting since her early work in The professional in 1994. Her role as an ambitious ballerina in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan earned her huge acclaim and many awards, including the Oscar for Best Actress at the 83rd Academy Awards. Portman’s performance was lauded by critics for its complexity and intensity.
- Melissa Leo – The Fighter (2010)
Melissa Leo is an actress best known for her numerous supporting roles in films. But in the 2010 boxing drama The Fighter, she delivered an equally memorable performance that won her many awards, including the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Leo’s portrayal of Alice Eklund-Ward, the mother of two boxer brothers, was constantly praised for its realism and dramatic power.
- Halle Berry – Monster’s Ball (2001)
Halle Berry has been one of the most recognizable and popular actresses throughout the decade, and in 2001, she was recognized for her role as Leticia Musgrove in the drama Monster’s Ball. This performance earned her an Oscar for Best Actress, becoming the first black woman to win this coveted award, and catapulted her into the A-list of Hollywood actresses.
Best Actress Award Winners – 2011
- Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady (2011)
Meryl Streep is one of the greatest actresses of all time and has earned many awards in her long career. In 2011, she won her third Oscar for her role as Margaret Thatcher in the biopic The Iron Lady. Portraying a powerful and controversial political leader with a tremendous ability for statecraft, Streep gave an unforgettable performance that was praised by many for its nuance and strength.
- Viola Davis – The Help (2011)
Viola Davis is one of the most esteemed actresses of recent times, and her 2011 performance as Aibileen Clark in the drama The Help was just as impressive. Davis won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of a dutiful African-American maid, displaying great sensitivity and understanding.
- Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Rooney Mara is an actress who has Made a big impact during the decade, and her breakthrough performance came in 2011’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In the titular role of Lisbeth Salander, Mara gave an electrifying performance that won her many awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
Best Actress Award Winners – 2012
- Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Jennifer Lawrence has dominated both cinema and pop culture as an extraordinary actress, and in 2012, she won her first Oscar for her role in Silver Linings Playbook. Portraying the troubled Tiffany Maxwell, Lawrence gave a performance full of nuance and gravity, becoming one of the first actresses to win an Academy Award in the Best Actress category for a comedic role.
- Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Jessica Chastain has become a leader in modern acting and has been recognized many times for her powerful performances. One of her best roles was as Maya, a CIA agent on the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty. With her inimitable energy and sharp-eyed intelligence, Chastain earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
- Emmanuelle Riva – Amour (2012)
Emmanuelle Riva has been a masterful actor since the 1950s, and in 2012, she delivered another incredible performance in the French drama Amour. As the loving yet frail Anne, Riva was recognized with the first of numerous awards, including an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her final role.
The last ten years have been filled with powerful performances from actresses around the world, leaving us with some unforgettable films. The names that appear on this list are some of the best actresses of this century and will go down in history as some of the most honored motion picture performers. May they continue to bring us memorable and inspiring stories!
