Who Blue-blooded gal from the Deep South.

Vital statistics 29; married to the actor Ryan Phillippe; mother of Ava, 7, and Deacon, 2; founder of her own production company, Type A Productions; veteran of 30 films; self-confessed Dolly Parton fan; famously single-minded.

We fell in love with her As the kooky Elle Woods in the blockbuster satires Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2, and all over again as June Carter in Walk the Line.

Got to admire her for Turning the myth of the cute, dumb blonde on its head too many times to mention.

Says “I’ve never felt any pressure to be thin, because I’ve never based my work on the way I looked.”

Fee per film Just scored an £18m deal for her next opus, Our Family Trouble, making her the highest-paid actress in Hollywood.

Rachel Weisz

Who An English rose from London.

Vital statistics 35; six months pregnant by the film director, Darren Aronofsky; a face of Burberry; could have been an academic.

We fell in love with her In Bernardo Bertolucci’s Stealing Beauty.

Got to admire her for Rising to the top without shedding her British sang-froid.

Says “I prefer to keep as far away from the centre of celebrity as possible.”

Fee per film £3m.

Penelope Cruz

Who Creamy Spanish enchantress.

Vital statistics 31; trained dancer; a household name in Spain since her teens; once donated a movie fee to Mother Teresa’s children’s sanctuary; has made 41 films; going out with the actor Matthew McConaughey.

We fell in love with her When she played a doomed pregnant nun in Pedro Almodovar’s All About My Mother.

Got to admire her for Not going out with Tom Cruise any more.

Says “I'm strong and opinionated. It’s brought me a lot of problems.”

Fee per film £5m.

Shirley MacLaine

Who Warren Beatty’s lion-hearted big sister.

Vital statistics 71; self-proclaimed tomboy; the only girl ever to be welcomed into the Rat Pack’s inner circle as a buddy; unconventional 27-year marriage to a man who lived in Tokyo; intrepid solo traveller; new ager; co-wrote a book with her dog, Terry; acted in 58 films; fabulous legs; has, according to one writer, a gift for “three-martini irony”.

We fell in love with her In Billy Wilder’s 1960 classic, The Apartment. More recently, in In Her Shoes opposite Cameron Diaz.

Got to admire her for Her enduring pluck and lack of pretension; her willingness to say what she thinks about anything she damn well fancies.

Says “Beauty? Glamour? Oh, please. It’s just so uncomfortable.”

Fee per film Ladies don’t tell.

Charlize Theron

Who South African bombshell.

Vital statistics 30; dates the Brit actor Stuart Townsend; was 15 when she saw her mother shoot dead her alcoholic father; face of J’Adore Dior; 27 films.

We fell in love with her As serial-killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. “It’s like she liquified her soul,” said one critic.

Got to admire her for Breaking down Hollywood’s lazily myopic view of beautiful women.

Says “I always wanted to prove that just looking a certain way doesn’t mean you’re not capable of something different.”

Fee per film £5m.

Zhang Ziyi

Who Chinese living doll.

Vital statistics 27; grew up in Beijing; China’s first international movie star; dancer’s poise; multiple fashion and beauty contracts.

We first fell in love with her In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and every movie thereafter.

Got to respect her for Choosing to work with Chinese directors over American ones.

Says “It’s not so important to go to Hollywood. All the trash that comes out of there! I don’t want to do that.”

Fee per film Not as much as she’ll make in future.

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