The last few years have been revolutionary for women, with many of them allowed to achieve whatever they've ever desired. Especially in the film industry, you may not know that some talented actresses have established themselves as producers through their popular films.
While there are few women among the current Oscar nominees for writing and directing, not to mention behind the camera in Hollywood at all, you may be surprised to find that before 1925, during the silent-film era, women wrote the outlines for roughly half of all films. In fact, many female celebrities produced and directed films as well as operated studios back then. Women also invented most of the film technology that we use today! These 22 famous actresses below have truly done it all. From Margot Robbie to Oprah Winfrey, scroll down for more details!
#1 Margot Robbie
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Margot Robbie, an Australian actress, celebrated her 32nd birthday on July 2 with a special themed party on the set of her newest film, Barbie. As part of the celebrations, Robbie was given the cake of every girl's dreams: a hot pink Barbie doll cake with the words "Happy Birthday Barbie Margot!" inscribed in light pink icing. In addition to playing Barbie, Robbie will also co-produce the film with her company, LuckyChap
Entertainment, alongside her husband, Tom Ackerley. As compiled by The Los Angeles, Margot Robbie received or was part of 2 major nominations in 2019.
#2 Reese Witherspoon
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With "Legally Blonde 2," Reese Witherspoon made her debut as a producer in 2003. She has since produced and appeared in numerous critically acclaimed films and television programs, including "Wild," "Big Little Lies," "Little Fires Everywhere," and "The Morning Show." She has produced at least one notable production in which she did not appear: Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl" adaption in 2014.
#3 Jennifer Aniston
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Jennifer Aniston remains an A-list actor for decades, though she may always remain best known for her role as Rachel Green on the landmark sitcom "Friends" (NBC, 1994-2004). She began producing in 2008 with the romantic dramedy "Management." She most recently collaborated with Reese Witherspoon to executive produce "The Morning Show." She also produced "Murder Mystery," "The Yellow Birds," "Cake," "Life of Crime," "Dumplin'," and "The Switch," all of which she appeared in.
#4 Selena Gomez
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Selena Gomez is one of our list's youngest producers. Between chart-topping songs and appearing in buzzy films, the singer-actress is also producing some excellent television. She created the Netflix blockbuster "13 Reasons Why," and she is now executive producing the Hulu comedy series "Only Murders in the Building," in which she also stars. She also executive produced "This Is the Year," "The Broken Hearts Gallery," and the upcoming "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania."
#5 Nicole Kidman
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Nicole Kidman may have a short list of producing credits, but given that one of her most recent projects is the award-winning HBO series "Big Little Lies" (co-starring fellow actress-producer Reese Witherspoon), it's evident she knows what she's doing. She also executive produced the forthcoming Hulu series "Nine Perfect Strangers" and the buzzy 2020 HBO project "The Undoing." (She is the main character in both.)
#6 Melissa McCarthy
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Melissa Ann McCarthy is an American actress, comedian, producer, writer, and fashion designer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. She also executive produced many projects including the fourth season of "Little Big Shots" and the upcoming Hulu series "Nine Perfect Strangers."
#7 Drew Barrymore
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She's only 34, but Drew Barrymore has spent a lifetime in Hollywood. Since her acting debut aged seven the petite star known for her free-spirited energy and girl power credo has acted in and produced more than 40 films -- all of which she has drawn on for her directorial debut, "Whip It."
#8 Angelina Jolie
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Angelina Jolie has produced four films, including "First They Killed My Father," "By the Sea," "Unbroken," and "In the Land of Blood and Honey." She also directed two "Maleficent" films.
#9 Mindy Kaling
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Mindy Kaling began her career as a producer on the American version of "The Office," in which she also starred. She later produced "The Mindy Project" and "Never Have I Ever."
#10 Jessica Chastain
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Hollywood actress turned producer Jessica Chastain opened up about the portrayal of women in the industry and spoke about her desire to see the true reflection of how strong women are on screen. The Oscar-nominated actress produced the films "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby," "The Zookeeper's Wife," and "Ava," as well as two future projects: "The Eyes of Tammy Faye Bakker" and "The 355."
#11 Rashida Jones
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Rashida Jones made her producing debut with "The Ten" in 2007. She went on to create the romantic dramedy "Celeste & Jesse Forever," as well as the TV programs "Angie Tribeca" (in which she played the eponymous policeman), "Claws," "BlackAF," and "Kevin Can F*** Himself."
#12 Amy Poehler
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Amy Poehler is one of Hollywood’s most versatile and sought-after talents. Poehler is perhaps best known for her starring role in the Emmy-nominated NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation. Additionally, she produces and hosts the award-winning online series Smart Girls at the Party, which showcases real girls who are “changing the world by being themselves.” She serves as executive producer of the scripted Comedy Central hit Broad City and many other projects.
#13 Elizabeth Banks
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With the 2009 film "Surrogates," Elizabeth Banks began her career as a producer. She subsequently produced the "Pitch Perfect" trilogy before writing, directing, producing, and starring in the 2019 "Charlie's Angels" revival. She most recently executive produced Aidy Bryant's Hulu sitcom "Shrill."
#14 Charlize Theron
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Charlize Theron received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal in the 2003 movie "Monster," which also marked her producing debut. She has since produced and appeared in various films, including "Young Adult," "Atomic Blonde," "Tully," "Long Shot," "Bombshell," and "The Old Guard." She also served as an executive producer on the critically acclaimed Netflix series "Mindhunter."
#15 Tina Fey
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Tina Fey made her producing debut with the acclaimed NBC comedy "30 Rock," for which she received several Emmy nods for her role as an actor, writer, and producer. She also produced two films in which she starred, "Sisters" in 2015 and "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" in 2016, as well as executive producing the program "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," the short-lived series "Great News" and "Mr. Mayor," and the upcoming Peacock comedy "Girls5eva."
#16 Natalie Portman
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Natalie Portman made her producing debut with the 2009 indie drama "The Other Woman," and went on to produce four films in which she also starred — "Hesher," "No String Attached," "Jane Got a Gun," and "Vox Lux," as well as the documentaries "The Seventh Fire" and "Eating
animals," and the 2016 adaptation of Seth Grahame-novel Smith's "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies."
#17 Eva Longoria
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Eva Longoria is an American actress, producer, and director. Following a number of guest appearances on various television shows, she was famous for her depiction as Isabella Bra on the CBS daytime serial opera The Young and the Restless. She was an executive producer on the Lifetime television series Devious Maids. She has also served as an executive producer on films on social issues such as Food Chains and The Harvest.
#18 Taraji P. Henson
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Taraji P. Henson's career as a producer began with the 2014 film "No Good Deed," in which she also starred. She has subsequently produced two additional films in which she also appears: "Proud Mary" in 2018 and "What Men Want" in 2019.
#19 Anne Hathaway
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Oscar winner Anne Hathaway not only stars in but is also one of the producers of the new romantic dramas. Anne Hathaway’s two films are "Song One" in 2014 and "Colossal" in 2016.
#20 Mila Kunis
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Mila Kunis executive produced and appeared in two films, "The Angriest Man in Brooklyn" in 2014 and "A Bad Moms Christmas" in 2017.
#21 Amy Adams
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Amy Adams made her producing debut with the 2018 HBO series "Sharp Objects," for which she received two Emmy nominations: best lead actress in a limited series or movie and best-limited series.
#22 Oprah Winfrey
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Oprah Winfrey wears many hats, one of which is the producer. Since 1989, the multi-hyphenate has played a significant part in bringing fantastic films and TV series to our attention. Her most notable films were "Beloved," "Precious," and "Selma," all of which received Oscar nominations. She also runs her own television network, OWN, through which she produces the shows "Queen Sugar" and "Greenleaf."