10) Kate Beckinsale

Short Bio
Though her days as just another struggling actress are long behind her, Kate Beckinsale’s drop-dead gorgeous looks have generally prevented her from being taken seriously as an actress -- something that certainly changed in 2008. Her heartbreaking work in the critically acclaimed drama Snow Angels earned her some of the best reviews of her career, while the political thriller Nothing But the Truth placed Kate Beckinsale firmly at the forefront of well-deserved Oscar-nomination rumors. It’s an impressive turnaround for an actress previously best known for her work within the action genre, thanks to her roles in such popcorn-friendly endeavors as 2003’s Underworld and 2004’s Van Helsing.

Why She's No.10?

Kate Beckinsale’s determination to reinvent herself as a serious actress has paid off in spades: Before its distribution was cut short because the studio behind the film was forced to file for bankruptcy, her performance in Nothing But the Truth was generating serious Oscar buzz. She hasn’t completely turned away from the big-budget shoot-‘em-ups that turned her into a star, however. Whiteout, set for release in 2009, casts the actress as a U.S. Marshall on the hunt for a vicious killer in Antarctica, where her investigation is about to become a whole lot harder as the sun prepares to set for six months straight. She’ll also be seen alongside Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore and Sam Rockwell in the ensemble drama Everybody’s Fine. There’s little doubt that Kate Beckinsale has firmly established herself as that rare beauty who can actually act