If you are an avid Hollywood follower, you probably would agree that so many actresses are overrated. While some are considered A-listers because of their numerous movie appearances, box office hits, and recognitions, other not-so-famous faces deserve the spot more.
These so-called B-listers probably don’t have the highest billing and don’t always get the A-list attention. However, they are recognized for their immense acting talent and societal influence. They don’t have the biggest, most recent hits, but their global fan base is massive.
Here are some B-list actresses in their 40s who have consistently demonstrated their talent, surpassing many A-listers in the industry.
1. Felicity Jones (40 Years)
Birmingham-born British Actress Felicity Jones began her acting career at 12 years old, featuring in the 1996 famous British family TV film, the Treasure Seeker. After that, the 40-year-old was featured in numerous blockbusters such as The Worst Witch, Amazing Spiderman 2, the Weird Sister College, the Tempest, True Story, and Like Crazy, among many others.
Felicity Jones has even been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actress, among many other career-defining awards, which should affirm her position as an A-lister.
2. Hayley Atwell (41 Years)
Hayley Elizabeth Atwell is another B-lister who deserves an A-lister salute. The 41-year-old British-American actress gained popularity for her roles in the 2008 historical drama, The Duchess, which earned her the British Independent Film Award.
Hayley also earned the 2010 Golden Globe Award for her role in the 8-part TV series The Pillars of the Earth.
Her long list of movie features also includes Captain America (First Avenger and Winter Soldier), Avengers (Age of Ultron and End Game), and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, to name a few.
3. Rebecca Hall (41 Years)
You probably remember her as Ana from the 2017 romantic comedy-drama Permission. Rebecca Hall also plays Maya Hansen in Iron Man 3, Evelyn Caster in Transcendence, Jules in Teen Spirit, and Dr. Grace Hart in Holmes & Watson.
The 41-year-old British actress has also been featured in Awakening, Closed Circuit, A Promise, The Gift, the Dinner, and Passing, among many others. Her latest appearance is in Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, slated for 2024.
4. Kirsten Dunst (41 Years)
Kirsten Dunst is a 41-year-old American-German actress who gained instant recognition for playing Claudia, a child vampire, in the 1994 American horror film Interview with the Vampire, where she starred alongside Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. The film earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress role.
Since then, Kirsten Dunst has been featured in numerous films, including Little Women, ER (Season 3), Wag the Dog, Bring It On, and Get Over It, among many others. Her role in Spiderman is arguably her highlight, which should earn her an A-list recognition.
5. Cobie Smulders (41 Years)
Very few Canadian actresses are as established as Cobie Smulders. The 41-year-old mother of two is famous for her role in CBS’s sitcom How I Met Your Mother, the Avengers (2012 edition) and Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D., where she plays the role of Agent Hill.
Other appearances that support the argument that she is an A-lister include movies like Safe Haven, Results, The Lego Movie, Stumptown, and Present Laughter.
6. Natalie Dormer (42 Years)
Natalie Dormer is an A-list prospect, having won the prestigious annual British Empire Award and earned nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award, Critics Choice Awards, and Gemini Awards.
The 42-year-old British actress grabbed the movie world’s attention for her appearance in Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games, and Cressida.
7. Mindy Kaling (44 Years)
44-year-old American actress Mindy Kaling was recognized by Time Magazine in 2013 as one of the world’s most influential people.
She even received the 2022 National Medal of the Arts Award from President Biden. That alone, coupled with her numerous appearances on blockbusters like Despicable Me, No Strings Attached, Ocean’s 8, and Late Night, should earn her an A-list spot.
8. Evangeline Lily (44 Years)
Evangeline Lily is a 44-year-old Canadian actress who most people recognize from ABC’s drama series Lost, which earned a Golden Globe nomination in the Best Actress Drama category.
Besides, she has featured in Reel Steel, the Hobbit, and Ant-Man, among other hits, which should stamp her name as an A-lister.
9. Zoe Saldana (45 Years)
Just for her role in the Avatar (2009), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: End Game (2019), and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), 45-year-old Zoe Saldana certainly should be an A-lister. After all, the four movies are among the highest-grossing films in history.
The mother of three was the 2nd highest-grossing film actress in history in 2023. Time Magazine even named her one of the world’s top 100 most influential people.
10. Liv Tyler (46 Years)
Live Tyler started as a model at 14 years before making her film debut in 1994 in the American psychological thriller Silent Fall. The 46-year-old went on to feature in the Lord of Rings, Reign Over Me, the Incredible Hulk, the Strangers, and Harlots, features that should surely earn her an A-list recognition.
11. Judy Greer (48 Years)
Judy Greer kick-started her acting career in 1999, playing a supporting role in the American dark comedy Jawbreaker. The 48-year-old American actress would later feature in What Women Want, 27 Dresses, Elizabeth Town, 13 Going On 30, Love & Other Drugs, and The Village.
Judy Greer has received multiple nominations over the years, which should enlist her among the A-listers. Notable ones include the Teen Choice Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Critics Choice Movie Awards.
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Judging by their mastery of the acting craft, role execution, recognition, and fan base, the above actresses surely deserve a spot among A-listers. It’s an undeniable injustice to call them B-listers as you could argue they are more talented than most A-listers, and we hope that the movie world will soon realize that and accord them their due recognition.
