Halle Berry

First known for her beauty - she was the first black American Miss World entrant and is the face and spokeswoman for Revlon - Halle Berry is now acknowledged as a supremely talented actress. She got her first big break as a crack addict in Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever," won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of 50s black actress Dorothy Dandridge and in 2002 became the first African-American woman to win a Best Actress Oscar for her role in "Monster's Ball." She has also recently appeared in mainstream movies, such as "X-Men" (a role she reprised in the 2003 sequel) and "Die Another Day" opposite Pierce Brosnan.