Pulp Fiction

Uma Thurman

Six feet tall, with features that beggar belief, Uma Thurman was sexual desire incarnate throughout this decade. And though her acting chops may have lagged behind her blinding beauty, it's worth remembering that she turned 20 years old in 1990, and sought out ... morechallenging roles and crowd pleasers alike. Thurman's talent and allure came together definitively in "Pulp Fiction" (maybe it was the wig?), which established her not only as an object of desire, but as a natural star with a light comedic gift.

Essential performances: "Henry & June," "Mad Dog and Glory," "Pulp Fiction," "Gattaca," "Sweet and Lowdown"