Rank these Most Talented A List Actresses

Add Jennifer Lawrence too for a good measure!

Here's my list:

1. Amy Adams
2. Jessica Chastain
3. Emily Blunt
4. Michelle Williams
5. Keira Knightley
6. Natalie Portman
7. Mia Wasikowska
8. Jennifer Lawrence
9. Carey Mulligan
10. Rooney Mara
11. Anne Hathaway

The Best, career-defining and the talent-showcasing performance(s):

Keira Knightley (Rank #5):
- "Pride & Prejudice" (2005)
- "Atonement" (2007)
- "The Imitation Game" (2014)

OMG, tough list!

Very large talent here. I think you listed the absolute creme de la creme of actresses right now, although I may have included Amy Adams amongst the next best contemporary actress group in terms of age, since she's around the age of Kate Winslet (and then my list would include, in no particular order: Winslet, Adams, Blanchett, Kidman, Watts, Weisz).

I care less about Oscar attention and more about do I like an actresses, choices, has she impressed me, how much has she impressed me?

Here is my list:

1. Amy Adams
2. Keira Knightley
3. Emily Blunt
4. Natalie Portman
5. Michelle Williams
6. Carey Mulligan
7. Jessica Chastain
8. Rooney Mara
9. Mia Wasakowska
10. Anne Hathaway/Jennifer Lawrence

Best performances:

A Dangerous Method
Pride & Prejudice
Atonement
The Imitation Game/Begin Again
Anna Karenina

Hey, TheImitationWavess, thanks for your thoughts. On another page, we just discussed Amy Adams and the fact that she probably would belong to Watts/Blanchett/Bullock etc. group, at least age wise. The reason why I listed her in the "Starlets" group was that she, despite her age, actually had a late start into her career but now could go either way. Now, imagine if some of these A-listers would star in the same movie together with about 5 female leads. Wouldn't it be great if "Little Women" was to be remade using these actresses as the March sisters? The last (and my favorite) version was the one with Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst and Susan Sarandon in the early 1990s.

Yes, that explanation, of why Amy Adams belong in the most talented starlets category, makes sense.

It would be wonderful if they were all in the same movie. They could also film a biography of all the Bronte sisters using some of these top actresses.

I'll stick to 35 and under actresses:

10. Greta Gerwig
9. Lupita Nyong'o
8. Jennifer Lawrence
7. Anne Hathaway
6. Alicia Vikander
5. Kristen Stewart
4. Carey Mulligan
3. Brie Larson
2. Emma Stone
1. Keira Knightley

Honorable Mention:

Anna Kendrick
Rooney Mara
Natalie Portman
Saoirse Ronan
Shailene Woodley

Surprised no one has mentioned Saorise Ronan here. Has no one here seen Brooklyn? She is extraordinary in it, but I will concede of her other work I've only seen her age 13 in Pride and Prejudice, of course with Ms. Knightley, and in Grand Budapest Hotel, which film I thought was a failure even though she was good in it.

And no mention of Brie Larson?? Wow. And I know she was tied up in tv with Boardwalk Empire, but imo Kelly Macdonald is an excellent actress.

On the other hand I've not seen much of Emily Blunt, other than opposite Amy Adams in Sunshine Cleaning, which yes she was very good in. Carey Mulligan I've seen in films like Shame, Drive and Llewyn Davis, but she was not all that memorable while competent, imo. Natalie Portman is not that impressive, imo as well. Don't know Ms. Wasikowska's work. Anne Hathaway is okay.

As for below, I would have ranked Ms. Winslett even higher but I am not sure she is still at the top career wise. I haven't seen much of her recent work other than Divergent which (not her fault) I found unwatchable.

With that, here's my list:

1. Amy Adams
2. Jessica Chastain
3. Keira Knightley
4. Kate Winslett
5. Michelle Williams
6. Jennifer Lawrence
7. Kelly Macdonald
8. Saoirse Ronan
9. Brie Larson
10. Alicia Vikander

Honorable mentions to Sienna Miller and Rooney Mara.

Btw I would put Julie Delpy in that list except I don't think she is within the category intended by the OP, and while on French actresses I see Lea Seydoux gets a lot of press but I've only seen her in The Lobster in which she was meh.

Think that covers it.