by Camilla Persson

Created on: July 14, 2008

Every time someone asks me to assess and write lists I think, here we go again ... but do sit down happily and start to come up with traits, images and qualities I believe should be used to judge a person or a thing.

As I have so many times before, I now start from scratch with the exception of my number one and decide what qualities I'm to look for this time. Being a great actress naturally requires that the person can act but also to have the ability to star in roles that fits their own skills. If someone only does what is necessary and never try and do better job, they'll never end up in my lists. An actress, just like any individual, needs to strive for challenges to grow and accomplish greater things.

Being an actress isn't just about beauty but what the person brings to the screen. Sometimes the most beautiful performance is from the person who would be overlooked in a beauty talent. Being one of the greatest of all times means that you need to be remembered from generations, survive changes in the world and connect to a lot of different people.

These are the actresses that I feel have all of the above

1. Katharine Hepburn; in my book no one will ever touch this divine actress. Not just for her beauty and acting skills but for the individual woman who wasn't too shy to speak her mind. She carefully selected roles which suited her persona and wasn't` afraid to go for that challenge. She lived through rougher times but proved everyone wrong and came out on top in the end.

2. Meryl Streep; one of the women I really admired. Not classical beautiful but on screen she surely shines. She delivers stellar performances all the time no matter what kind of role. And now she has taken to singing in Mamma Mia.

3. Julie Andrews; although overlooked for the role in My Fair Lady she got her revenge with Mary Poppins and Sound of Music. She is a brilliant actress with an outstanding voice who has inspired many.

4. Julie Walters; at the moment I'm very fond of funny actresses and I think Julie Walters tops this list. She can o it all, sing act and be a comedian. Way to go.

5. Helen Mirren; having a passion for detective stories and strong leading ladies I have to put Ms Mirren on this list. She can really capture an audience.

If you ask me tomorrow my list might be different but wouldn't completely change. They are all so good that they are worth mentioning on any list, whether it is at number 1 or 10. Creating lists is more about what You think than anyone else and every list will ultimately vary.

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