2. Sharon Stone - Casino (1995)
Think Sharon Stone in
Total Recall,
Basic Instinct or
Catwoman. Chances are you'll also think of the word bad. Forever typecast as a sultry vamp, Stones probably never been widely seen as an actress with diverse abilities. That is, apart from Martin Scorsese. Scorseses women are rarely better-drawn than the men, but Sharon Stones
Casino role outshines even on-screen husband Robert De Niro through sheer, effervescent brilliance. As Ginger, a headstrong Vegas hooker turned trophy-wife and coke-addled woman on the edge, Stone is unstoppable. Her mood yo-yos from one strip of the emotional spectrum to another, giving an unpredictable woman a crazed, over-the-top streak that crucially never feels forced. It just fits right into a tale of excess and self-destruction, a heartfelt display from one of American cinemas sexiest women and, better still, one that looks as though it required no effort. Stone does it all seamlessly.