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The Best Female Celebrity Role Models
Ranked By
103.4K votes
7.6K voters
24 reranks
Who are the top celebrity role models for girls? They're those famous females who encourage girls to be themselves and to stay true to their own thoughts and imaginations. They run their own world and make their own decisions. No one is perfect and celebrity role models for girls are certainly human. It’s because of this, not despite it, that artists and actress role models can best influence the badass women of tomorrow. This list aims to include both women who have always been positive role models, as well as those who have faced some tough times, scrutiny, and even scandal to come out on the other end even more successful and healthy than ever.
The older ladies on this list have been around the block and can give some real life on surviving the slings and arrows of life. Betty White is one of the most positive celebrity role models for girls because she’s been scandal-free, hardworking, hilarious, and still popular as she approaches a century.
Younger female actor role models can teach a master class on how to lead, too. Emma Watson is a UN ambassador and has been inspiring girls since her Hermione days. Her HeForShe campaign has put Watson on the world stage where she is happy to inspire and promote women. "My recent research has shown me that 'feminism' has become an unpopular word. Women are choosing not to identify as feminists ... Why has the word become such an unpopular one?” Why, indeed, Miss Watson.
P!nk, Billie Eilish, and Katharine Hepburn are examples of role models who inspire young girls to embrace both sides of their personalities. You can be a girly girl and then switch over to sports in a flash. You can be smart, nerdy, introverted, or a social butterfly. Just be yourself in all cases, according to these celebrity role modes for girls. In fact, Amy Poehler started an entire online community, Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, dedicated to this mission.
Who leads the pack of the top artist and actress role models? Who will stand the test of time as one of the most influential celebrity role models for girls? Upvote the female role models who inspire you the most or add any other Hollywood celebrities who are leading the way.
Most divisive: Amy Poehler
Over 7.6K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Female Celebrity Role Models
- 1
- Age: Dec. at 99 (1922-2021)
- Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois, USA
- Schools: Horace Mann School, Beverly Hills High School
- 2
- Age: Dec. at 89 (1934-2024)
- Birthplace: Ilford, Essex, England, UK
- Schools: Oxford High School
- 3
- Age: 34
- Birthplace: Paris, France
- Schools: Worcester College, Oxford, Stagecoach Theatre Arts, Dragon School, Headington School
- 4
- Age: Dec. at 63 (1929-1993)
- Birthplace: Brussels, Ixelles, Belgium
- Cause Of Death: Appendix cancer
- 5
- Age: 60
- Birthplace: Arlington County, Virginia
- Schools: East Carolina University, Washington-Lee High School, Neighborhood Playhouse
- Major/Field Of Study: Theatre Arts
- 6
- Age: 90
- Birthplace: York, North Yorkshire, England, UK
- Schools: The Mount School, York, Central School of Speech and Drama
- 1Mrs Brown92 Votes
- 2The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel93 Votes
- 3Notes on a Scandal77 Votes
- 7
- Age: 79
- Birthplace: Chiswick, London, England, UK
- Schools: St Bernard's High School and Arts College
- 8
- Age: 79
- Birthplace: Sevierville, Tennessee, USA
- Schools: Sevier County High School
- 9
- Age: Dec. at 86 (1928-2014)
- Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Schools: California Labor School, George Washington High School
- 10
- Age: 75
- Birthplace: Summit, New Jersey, USA
- Schools: Bernards High School, Yale University, Vassar College, Dartmouth College, Yale School of Drama
- Major/Field Of Study: Drama
- 11
- Age: 28
- Birthplace: Oakland, USA, California
- Schools: Oakland School for the Arts, American Conservatory Theater
- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Royal Berkshire Hospital, United Kingdom
- Schools: Marlborough College, St Andrew's School, Pangbourne, Downe House School, University of St Andrews
- Major/Field Of Study: History of art
- 13
- Age: Dec. at 96 (1907-2003)
- Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, USA
- Schools: American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Kingswood-Oxford School, Bryn Mawr College
- Cause Of Death: Natural causes
- 14
- Age: 49
- Birthplace: Reading, Berkshire, England, UK
- Schools: Redroofs Theatre School
- 15
- Age: Dec. at 36 (1961-1997)
- Birthplace: Sandringham, England
- Schools: Institut Alpin Videmanette, The New School at West Heath
- Cause Of Death: Traffic collision
- 16
- Age: 44
- Birthplace: Huntington Woods, Michigan, USA
- Schools: Berkley High School, Tisch School of the Arts, Shrine Catholic High School
- Major/Field Of Study: Drama
- 17
- Age: Dec. at 76 (1942-2018)
- Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Schools: Northern High School, Juilliard School
- Major/Field Of Study: Classical Piano
- 18
- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel
- Schools: Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Harvard College, Syosset High School, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Major/Field Of Study: Psychology
- 19
- Age: 55
- Birthplace: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Schools: Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne, University of Melbourne, Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, National Institute of Dramatic Art
- Major/Field Of Study: Fine art, Economics
- 20
- Age: 65
- Birthplace: Paddington, London, England, UK
- Schools: University of Cambridge, Newnham College, Cambridge, Camden School for Girls
- 1Nanny McPhee122 Votes
- 2Sense and Sensibility141 Votes
- 3Saving Mr. Banks119 Votes
- 21
- Age: 36
- Birthplace: England, London
- Schools: BRIT School
- 22
- Age: 39
- Birthplace: Portland, Maine, USA
- Schools: Lincoln Middle School, Deering High School
- 23Great with animals, very positive and polite, sweet and respecful.
- Age: 26
- Birthplace: Buderim, Queensland, Australia
- 24
- Age: 66
- Birthplace: Santa Ana, California, USA
- Schools: Fountain Valley High School, Golden West College
- 25
- Age: 36
- Birthplace: Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
- Schools: Xavier College Preparatory, Sequoya Elementary School, Cocopah Middle School
- 26
- Age: Dec. at 70 (1933-2003)
- Birthplace: Tryon, North Carolina, USA
- Schools: Juilliard School
- Cause Of Death: Cancer, Breast cancer
- 28
- Age: 59
- Birthplace: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Schools: Timmins High and Vocational School
- 29
- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan, USA
- Schools: The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
- Major/Field Of Study: Fashion design
- 30
- Age: 54
- Birthplace: Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, USA
- Schools: Beverly Hills Middle School, Upper Darby High School, University of Virginia
- Major/Field Of Study: Drama
- 31
- Age: 53
- Birthplace: Burlington, Massachusetts, USA
- Schools: Burlington High School, Boston College
- Major/Field Of Study: Communication studies
- 32
- Age: 54
- Birthplace: Plainfield, Illinois, USA
- Schools: Joliet Catholic Academy
- 33
- Age: Dec. at 90 (1932-2022)
- Birthplace: Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, USA
- 34
- Age: 52
- Birthplace: Barranquilla, Colombia
- Schools: Columbia University
- 35
- Age: 66
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Schools: Yale University, Boca Ciega High School, Yale School of Drama
- 36
- Age: 59
- Birthplace: Saint Matthews, South Carolina, USA
- Schools: Rhode Island College, Central Falls Senior High School, Juilliard School
- 37
- Age: 75
- Birthplace: Cloquet, Minnesota, USA
- Schools: University of Minnesota, Guthrie Theater Drama School, Cloquet High School
- 1Sweet Dreams76 Votes
- 2Frances102 Votes
- 3Blue Sky82 Votes
- 38
- Age: 57
- Birthplace: Smyrna, Georgia, USA
- Schools: Georgia State University, Griffin Middle School, Campbell High School, Campbell High School, Fitzhugh Lee Elementary School
- 39
- Age: 45
- Birthplace: USA, Abington Township, Pennsylvania
- Schools: Lenape Middle School, Central Bucks West
- 40
- Age: 57
- Birthplace: Jackson, Mississippi, USA
- Schools: Hinds Community College
- 41
- Age: 49
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Schools: Buckley School, Harvard University
- 42
- Age: 54
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Schools: Westchester High School, University of Southern California
- 43
- Age: 78
- Birthplace: USA, California, El Centro
- Schools: Montclair College Preparatory School
- 44
- Age: 49
- Birthplace: Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa
- Schools: Joffrey Ballet School
- 45
- Age: 42
- Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Schools: San Pedro High School
- 46
- Age: 45
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Schools: Northwestern University, Crossroads School
- 47
- Age: 41
- Birthplace: Kiev, Ukraine, Soviet Union
- Schools: University of California, Los Angeles, Bancroft Middle School, Loyola Marymount University, Rosewood Elementary School
- 48
- Age: 34
- Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Schools: Kammerer Middle School
- 49
- Age: 56
- Birthplace: Shoreham, Kent, England, UK
- Schools: North Sydney Girls High School, Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni
- 50
- Age: 35
- Birthplace: Reading, USA, Pennsylvania
- Schools: Aaron Academy, West Reading El Ctr, The Wyndcroft School, Hendersonville High School, Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School
- 51
- Age: 32
- Birthplace: Grand Prairie, Texas, USA
- Schools: Danny Jones Middle School
- 52
- Age: 51
- Birthplace: Canandaigua, New York, USA
- Schools: University of Arizona, Brighton High School
- 53
- Age: 71
- Birthplace: Queens, New York, USA
- Schools: Richmond Hill High School
- 54
- Age: 15
- Birthplace: Texas.
- Schools: Suffern, NY Elementary School.
- 55
- Age: 38
- Birthplace: Camberwell, London, United Kingdom
- Schools: Camberwell College of Arts
- 56
- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Pomona, California, USA
- Schools: Claremont High School, Atlantic Theater Company
- Major/Field Of Study: Acting
- 57
- Age: 54
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Schools: Amherst Regional Middle School, Northfield Mount Hermon School
- 58
- Age: 56
- Birthplace: Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand
- Schools: University of Auckland
- 59
- Age: 59
- Birthplace: DeKalb, Illinois, USA
- Schools: Northwestern University, DeKalb High School
- Major/Field Of Study: Chemical Engineering
- 60
- Age: 66
- Birthplace: Wynnewood, USA, Pennsylvania
- Schools: Wheaton High School
- 61
- Age: 38
- Birthplace: New York City, USA, New York
- Schools: Convent of the Sacred Heart, Tisch School of the Arts
- Major/Field Of Study: Music
- 62
- Age: 67
- Birthplace: Gibson City, Illinois, USA
- Schools: Bethany College, Yale University, Yale School of Drama
- Major/Field Of Study: Theatre
- 63
- 64
- 65
- Age: 41
- Birthplace: Sea Cliff, New York
- Schools: Columbia University
- 66
- Age: 47
- Birthplace: New York City, Manhattan, USA, New York
- 67
- Age: 52
- Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA
- Schools: Corona del Mar High School
- 1This Is 4075 Votes
- 2Knocked Up55 Votes
- 3The Other Woman90 Votes
- 68
- Age: 56
- Birthplace: Oregon, USA, Portland
- Schools: The Evergreen State College
- 69
- Age: 48
- Birthplace: Bronx, New York, USA
- Schools: Michael Howard Studios, Spence School, George Washington University
- Major/Field Of Study: Anthropology, Sociology
- 70
- Age: 40
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Schools: George Ellery Hale Middle School, El Camino Real High School, Calabash Street Elementary School, University of Southern California
- 71
- 72
- Age: 48
- Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA
- Schools: Crocker Middle School, San Mateo High School, Beverly Hills High School
- 73
- Age: 87
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Schools: Emma Willard School, Actors Studio, Vassar College
- 19 to 5132 Votes
- 2Barefoot in the Park124 Votes
- 3Klute140 Votes
- 74
- Age: 42
- Birthplace: Pasadena, California, USA
- Schools: Westridge School, University of Southern California
- Major/Field Of Study: Journalism
- 75
- Age: 49
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Schools: Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, El Rodeo School, New York University, William O. Schaefer Elementary School, Beverly Hills High School
- Major/Field Of Study: Filmmaking
- 76
- Age: 83
- Birthplace: Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Schools: Barnard College, Nutley High School
- 77
Katherine Kiernan Maria Mulgrew (born April 29, 1955) is an American actress. She is known for the roles of Captain Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager and Galina "Red" Reznikov on Orange Is the New Black. She first came to attention in the role of Mary Ryan on the daytime soap opera Ryan's Hope. Mulgrew has won an Obie Award, and has received a Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award nomination. She is an active member of the Alzheimer's Association National Advisory Council and the voice of Cleveland's MetroHealth System.
- Age: 69
- Birthplace: Dubuque, Iowa, USA
- Schools: Wahlert Catholic High School, New York University
- 78
- 79
- Age: 45
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Schools: Ramaz School, Miami Country Day School
- 80
- Age: 51
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Schools: Loyola Marymount University, John Burroughs Middle School, Harvard University, Harvard Business School, Immaculate Heart High School
- 81
- 82
- Age: 28
- Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois, USA
- 83
- Age: 54
- Birthplace: Slovenia, Sevnica
- Schools: University of Ljubljana
- 84
- Age: 63
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Schools: University of Michigan, Cornell University, New Canaan High School, University of Michigan Law School
- 85
- Age: 43
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Schools: Northwestern University
- 86
- Age: 43
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Schools: William Esper Studio, South Side High School, Towson University
- 87
- Age: 52
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Schools: Spence School, University of California, Santa Barbara, Crossroads School
- Major/Field Of Study: Art history
- 1Seven226 Votes
- 2Iron Man239 Votes
- 3The Talented Mr. Ripley187 Votes
- 88
- Age: 66
- Birthplace: Michigan, USA, Bay City
- Schools: West Junior High, Rochester Adams High School, University of Michigan, St. Andrew's School
- 89Sings with Bocelli, Carreras, Domingo, Sumi Jo (and for The Pope 9/27). Strong sense of family, and of charity. Spokesperson for the Humane Society of the U.S, performed (3x) for Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night Parkinson's Research Charity, Cirque du Soleil's "One Night for ONE DROP" clean water charity, David Foster Medical Foundation, Starkey Hearing Foundation, Loma Linda Children's Hospital Foundation, Hiroshima Peace Arch Memorial Concert, and more. Not too bad for public high school student...
- Age: 24
- Birthplace: Pittsburgh, USA, Pennsylvania
