It’s been a century of showstopping cinema moments, as these British icons prove.
VIVIEN LEIGH
Vivien beat 1,400 other actresses to play Scarlett O’Hara in 1939’s Gone With The Wind, the role that saw her become the first British woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress.
AUDREY HEPBURN
A fashion and film legend, Audrey’s star turn as Holly Golightly in 1961’s Breakfast At Tiffany’s remains one of cinema’s most iconic moments to this day.
ELIZABETH TAYLOR
Elizabeth was the first woman to earn more than $1m for her lead role in 1963’s Cleopatra – and in turn, she paved the way for a new generation of money-savvy female film stars.
JULIE ANDREWS
It was the first feature film of her career and Julie’s Oscar-winning portrayal of the muchloved nanny in 1964’s Mary Poppins was practically perfect in every way.
HELEN MIRREN
Long before The Crown, Helen set the standard for depicting the monarch on screen with her haunting depiction in 2006’s The Queen, for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress.
KATE WINSLET
From Berkshire to the bright lights of Hollywood, Kate’s role as rebellious aristocrat Rose in 1997’s Titanic turned her into a global superstar.
SOPHIE OKONEDO
Her gut-wrenching performance in 2004’s Hotel Rwanda made Sophie the second Black female Briton ever to receive an Oscar nomination (Marianne Jean-Baptiste was the first) and also caught Hollywood’s eye, where she’s carving out quite a career.
JULIE WAL
