French actress Catherine Deneuve rose to prominence after her breakthrough roles in ‘Les Parapluies de Cherbourg’ and Roman Polanski’s ‘Répulsion’. She is a 14-time César Award nominee, and worked as the occasional singer, model and producer. The actress is still active today and has appeared in over 100 movies.
Deneuve was also highly revered for her beauty, and was picked as the official face of Marianne, the French personification of liberty. The actress has always been involved in politics, and recently came out against the #MeToo movement, saying that it devolved into a witch-hunt at this point.
Raquel Welch
It was certainly an uphill battle for Raquel Welch before the media and audiences began noticing her in films. She started out in various small roles, and rose to prominence after appearing in the movie 'One Million Years B.C.', where she wore her iconic fur bikini.
Things quickly picked up from there for the young actress, as she went on to appear in several more popular films, including 1967’s 'Bedazzled', 1968’s 'Bandolero!' and 1969’s '100 Rifles'. Welch's legacy is mostly centered around popularizing the strong female character type and changing gender relations in Hollywood.
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth is best known as one of the most prominent sex symbols in Hollywood back in the '40s and '50s. She was described by the press as a "Love Goddess" and was the most featured pin-up girl for soldiers during World War II.
Hayworth’s most famous film role was in 1964's 'Gilda', where she played one of Hollywood's first "femme fatales". The model and actress faced various difficulties throughout her life, from alcoholism to Alzheimer’s disease. She passed away in the late ‘80s, but will always be remembered for her beauty and talents.
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman not only lived a prominent Hollywood life, filled with various accolades, awards and honors, but also gave birth to an actress who continued her legacy. We've already mentioned that she is the mother of Isabella Rossellini, who herself became a female Hollywood legend.
Bergman had a fundamental impact on Hollywood, and was even referred to as one of the most international stars in the history of entertainment. Her list of iconic films is quite impressive. Eventually, the actress became a symbol of breast cancer awareness, after passing from the disease in 1982.
Loretta Young
Loretta Young was always destined to be an actress. She began her first role at the young age of three years old. She appeared in the silent film 'Sweet Kitty Bellairs', and continued acting from 1917 well into the '90s. The actress passed on August 2000, at age 87.
Young appeared in almost a hundred different movies over her seven-decade career. She was renowned for her beauty and acting talents. The actress was a smoker from age 8, and continued smoking well into her 60’s. She eventually quit smoking in order to gain a few pounds for a role.