The 1980s were a defining era in Hollywood, introducing audiences to a host of talented actresses whose beauty and charisma left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. Many of these iconic figures continue to captivate fans today, their enduring appeal a testament to their talent and timeless allure.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer’s rise to prominence in the 1980s was marked by a series of diverse and compelling roles. She first gained attention in Grease 2 (1982), but it was her portrayal of Elvira Hancock in Scarface (1983) that solidified her status as a Hollywood star. Pfeiffer continued to showcase her versatility with performances in The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), and The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989). Her talent has not waned over the years; recent roles in The Wizard of Lies (2017) and French Exit (2020) demonstrate her enduring presence in the industry. In 2023, she reprised her role as Janet Van Dyne in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, further proving her lasting appeal.
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder became one of the greatest teen stars of the 1980s with her debut in Lucas (1986). She soon cornered the market on sardonic but wholesome roles in darkly funny films like Beetlejuice (1988) and Heathers (1989), then finished out the decade with a lovely turn in 1990’s Edward Scissorhands. She lowered her profile after the early ’90s achievements of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Little Women (1994), and The Age of Innocence (1993), but recently reclaimed her rightful place in viewers’ hearts with a magnificent turn on Stranger Things, which will return soon for its final episodes on Netflix.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis followed up her 1978 debut in Halloween with a stellar 1980s run that included Trading Places (1983), Perfect (1985), and A Fish Called Wanda (1988), then had a massive hit opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1994’s True Lies. And yet, somehow, she’s only peaked in the last few years: She was the best part of the new Halloween trilogy, stole the show in Knives Out (2019), and won her first Oscar last year for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). She’s also compulsively watchable in Season 2 of The Bear, and will soon executive produce and appear in The Sticky, about a Canadian maple-syrup heist.
Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald remains the undisputed queen of teen films from the 1980s. Thanks to the consecutive triple act of Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Pretty in Pink (1986), Ringwald established herself as a teen movie star and an icon for an entire generation. Her later films, including The Pick-Up Artist (1987) and For Keeps (1988), were commercially successful, cementing her place as one of the biggest box office draws of the decade. Her career waned in the ’90s after infamously turning down the lead roles in Pretty Woman and Ghost, but she began to play into her reputation with her roles later in life. She cameoed in Not Another Teen Movie (2001), which spoofed many of her teenage comedies, took on a role in Jem and the Holograms (2015), and then played an adult role in a new teen comedy franchise, as Mrs. Flynn in The Kissing Booth trilogy (2018–2021). She also played Mary Andrews in The CW series Riverdale (2017–2023).
Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner rose to prominence at the beginning of the decade thanks to her performance in Lawrence Kasdan’s neo-noir, Body Heat (1981). A string of commercial and critical successes followed, including Romancing the Stone (1984), Prizzi’s Honor (1985), The Accidental Tourist (1988), The War of the Roses (1989), and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988). For her performance in the 1986 comedy Peggy Sue Got Married, Turner received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Despite a slight career slowdown in the ’90s after her rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, Turner has been a steady presence on TV and in the occasional film ever since and is perhaps best known more recently for her role in The Kominsky Method (2018–2021). She also appeared in the TV show Californication (2007–2014) and in 2022 made a rare return to the movies with The Swearing Jar and The Estate.
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Jennifer Jason Leigh broke through as Stacy in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), a film that made Roger Ebert wonder, “Don’t they know they have a star on their hands?” given her empathetic handling of a complex character in crisis. Leigh proved herself one of the most versatile film actors in movies ranging from Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) to Backdraft (1991) to Single White Female (1992) to Dorothy Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994) to The Anniversary Party (2001), which she co-wrote, co-directed, co-produced and acted in. She stood out in Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight (2015). She devoured the scenery in the latest season of Fargo (2020), and was by far the highlight of the show, her old-time transatlantic accent standing out from all the Minnesota and North Dakota accents around
