Dorothy Dandridge

Halle Berry
Born: Cleveland

Berry's acting is so nuanced and genuine that people often forget she was once a model and beauty queen (she was runner-up for 1986's Miss USA, and was Miss USA World 1986), but her looks are a huge part of what makes Berry so captivating. Her stunning... more appearance can sometimes be a handicap of sorts: To play a crack addict in Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever," Berry didn't bathe for days, but that did little to dim her stunning natural beauty. She won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe award for her portrayal in "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" and became the first African-American woman to win a Best Actress Oscar, for "Monster's Ball." Playboy named Berry one of the 100 Sexiest Women of the Century, but sexy is just part of the incredibly hot Berry package.