5. Pam Grier - Jackie Brown
The title character in Jackie Brown was the part Pam Grier was destined to play. No other actress could pull of the role of a strong, beautiful woman in her late 40's way over her head with both arms dealers and the law like Grier did in Jackie Brown. Grier holds the character together with a strong foundation as a woman taking one last shot at making her own way in life. She teeters on the verge of being terrified and confident all at the same time, as she hatches a plan to swindle Samuel L Jackson's character out of a half million dollars. Her intention of staying one step ahead of everyone else in this ongoing game of cat and mouse is what makes her such a strong character. In one such scene, Grier surprises Ordell Robbie (Jackson) in her apartment as he has arrived to kill her off for knowing too much about his business. Jackie stuffs a handgun into Ordell's groin and gives him the option of walking away unscathed or sticking around to see what she does next. That is what makes her performance so terrific, that at any given moment she can be sympathetic and also as intimidating as she will allow herself in any given situation. Grier has continued to work in Hollywood, but has yet to see a role as fulfilling as Jackie Brown come her way.