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Top Actresses of the 1950s

The phrase blonde bombshell took center stage during the 1950s as the decade was dominated by blonde actresses like Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Diana Dors. Referred to as sex symbols, these actresses were responsible for turning up the heat in Hollywood during the decade. Although the 1950s was dominated by the blondes, the decade also witnessed the rise of their brunette counterparts like Natalie Wood. Read on to know about other top actresses of the 1950s.

1. Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe
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Also Known As: Norma Jeane Mortenson
Gender: Female
Birthday: 01 June 1926
Born In: Los Angeles, California, United States
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died On: 04 August 1962

A legendary American actress, model, comedienne and singer, Marilyn Monroe emerged as a major sex symbol in Hollywood in the 1950s and early 1960s. Amongst the most successful actresses of her time, she also won critical acclaim for her acting in movies like Some Like It Hot. Her personal and professional life, though from the beginning, were marked by hardships, struggles and controversies.

2. Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly
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Also Known As: Grace Patricia Kelly
Nickname: Graciebird, Gracie
Gender: Female
Birthday: 12 November 1929
Born In: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Died On: 14 September 1982

Aptly named by her parents, Grace Kelly was one of the most graceful and talented actresses of her era, starring in 11 feature films and over 60 TV productions. A darling of Alfred Hitchcock movies, this Oscar winning actress left her successful Hollywood career after her wedding to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, and thus became the Princess of Monaco.

3. Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn
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Also Known As: Audrey Kathleen Ruston
Gender: Female
Birthday: 04 May 1929
Born In: Ixelles, Belgium
Sun Sign: Taurus
Died On: 20 January 1993

British actress Audrey Hepburn is counted among the greatest female screen legends in Golden Age Hollywood. Rising to prominence in the 1950s, she became one of the few people to win Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards. She devoted much of her time in her later life to UNICEF and was actively involved in humanitarian work.

4. Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor
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Also Known As: Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor
Gender: Female
Birthday: 27 February 1932
Born In: Hampstead, London, England
Sun Sign: Pisces
Died On: 23 March 2011

Considered an incandescent beauty, Elizabeth Taylor was a very popular and successful actor and her legacy is an everlasting one. She shone in movies like A Place in the Sun, Giant, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Butterfield 8 in the 1950s and 60s. Recipient of two Oscars, she married eight times.

5. Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood
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Also Known As: Natalie Zacharenko
Gender: Female
Birthday: 20 July 1938
Born In: San Francisco, California, United States
Sun Sign: Cancer
Died On: 29 November 1981

Amongst the top child artists of her generation, Natalie Wood garnered fame at the age of eight with the movie Miracle on 34th Street. Later, as an adult, she successfully established herself as a talented and sought after actress with movies like Splendor in the Grass and West Side Story. Her vibrant life came to an end after she died of drowning.