Successful Women In History

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, making any list of the most beautiful people in history up for serious debate. Many of these women became successful thanks to their looks, so if we've piqued your curiosity, check out which women we have selected...and let's see who is the most breathtaking of them all. sh

During the '80s and '90s, Michelle Pfeiffer was one of the most popular actresses on the silver screen, thanks to her skilled acting and drop-dead gorgeous looks. She managed to break the typecast of the pretty girl in her late '70s movies, going on to have a supporting role in Scarface that led to obtaining more serious roles as she rose to stardom. According to one Daily Telegraph contributor, hers is "the kind of beauty you find yourself involuntarily taking a moment to marvel at mid-conversation."

Italian-Tunisian Claudia Cardinale's career began when she won the "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia" contest, which earned her a trip to Italy. Although she struggled with Italian (as the Sicilian she knew from her parents is quite different), her beauty brought her offers to model and act. Her voice was actually dubbed over in the early part of her career due to her raspy tone and a French accent. She is an outspoken supporter of women's rights, becoming a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for the defense of women in 2000.

Smith is a successful actress and businesswoman who is best known for starting her career off as the stunning Kelly Garrett in the television version of Charlie's Angels. The show leaped her and the other Angels into stardom and she then returned for the same role in 2003 in the film Charlie's Angels: Full throttle. Smith went on to appear in many other TV films and mini-series's for the rest of her career. Her beauty did not go unknown as she was married four times.

Basinger made a career for herself as a successful model in the 1970s and moved to Los Angeles where she took a turn at acting. She starred in several films made-for-television, but her debut came in the drama Hard Country. After her performance in Never Say Never Again as a Bond girl, Basinger became a poster girl and continued into the 1990s. Since then she went on to appear in many more films and still is acting to this day.