Female screen icons

Why does the woman have to be "their generation" when 2 of the men you have mentioned defiitely are not?
I would have gone for Michael Caine anyway -much longer and more varied career.
I agree about Dench and Mirren. But I would always choose Katherine Hepburn as a true icon
Today TV and video dominates so what about Julianna Margulies star of The Good Wife?

Oh, and Jessica Chastain; always plays incredibly strong women eg Zero Dark Thirty and the most recently Mollys Game...hasn't become quite so 'Hollywood' as Lawrence albeit being the face of a perfume brand...

Jennifer Lawrence [especially in The Hunger Games and Winters Bone].

Bond has to be Connery ,the original and best .Female icons are hard to come by though ,Judi Dench maybe ,Emma Watson,Julia Roberts ?

Which James Bond btw Newquay - that could be a topic of heated discussion?

Pierce Brosnan of course.

Maggie wrote:
“You always remind me of that actress. The dead one.” Turned out to be Greta Garbo.
Sorry I can't resist adding this link ( though it's rather rude):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilmOHfnIpFI

and Fred Astaire

ps showing my age

Well, I'm stumped!!

But I wouldn't have chosen any of those men either.

James Stewart, Paul Newman, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier

It would have to be Audrey Hepburn if only to fulfil the 'iconic' label. And Katherine Hepburn.

Barbra Streisand, Deborah Kerr, AvaGardner ?

Slightly off topic, but this reminds me of a friend who told me “You always remind me of that actress. The dead one.” Turned out to be Greta Garbo. A bit old (and dead) for this thread.

Sorry J52, I saw Susan Sarandon who is my favourite ?

Thank you all for your contributions. Will pass them on. Have a relative in Oz who is a film buff so she's on the case too. Isn't it sad that we have to have such a search for female icons?

It depends whether they want someone near their own age or someone who has been and still is performing during their life time. I don’t think we have any really striking (could well be wrong, am open to correction!) younger ones who immediately hit the spot for their generation (and subsequent ones) as did Marilyn, Elvis, Audrey etc. But we do have Judi Dench...who has enchanted us with her performances for decades and continues to do so. She is older than many of GNs but 40 year olds would have grown up with her and she would surely be an icon to them. If it can be for the portrayal of a single, iconic, character then Carrie Fisher would definitely be one.

Yes, Cathrine Zeta Jones is a current beauty MissA

Annie my post 11:37.

Catherine zeta Jones? I don't really watch films.

I liked Kim Novac. No mention of Liz Taylor ?

Cameron Diaz. She was good in the film " holiday" swopping a cottage with Kate winslett

I fail to see any character in Kate Winslet or Gwinny

Also Lauren Bacall.

Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind.
The oldies were more glamorous, (eg Dorothy Lamour in the Road films) The modern ones seem to have more 'character'.
I like Rees Witherspoon from modern times.

Meryl Streep or Helen Mirren

Not answering the question, I know, so I’ll go with Susan Sarandon

Elizabeth Taylor, in everything she did.