The 40 Most Stunningly Beautiful Actresses Before 1960

2. Elizabeth Taylor

Dame Elizabeth Taylor began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and quickly rose to fame, becoming one of Hollywood’s top stars in the 1950s. In the 1960s, she became the world’s highest-paid movie star and remained a prominent public figure for the rest of her life.

Ranked seventh on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female screen legends of Classic Hollywood cinema in 1999, Taylor was known for her incredible acting range, despite never receiving formal training. She became as famous for her public persona as for her remarkable talent.