10 Hollywood Actresses Who Were Also Beauty Pageant Winners
10 Hollywood Actresses Who Were Beauty Pageant Winners
Beauty queens reign with their intelligence, grace, and poise in the pageant world. Due to their polished acting and businesslike demeanor, a few of them have achieved success in the entertainment world. Here are a handful of the most naturally gifted beauty queens who have achieved breakthrough success and topped the Hollywood blockbuster charts.
1. Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer won the title of Miss Orange Country in 1978 and was placed sixth in the Miss California competition. As per Walk of Fame, the former model made her Hollywood debut with the crime thriller Scarface in 1980. Pfeiffer, who was honored on the cover of People's first "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" issue in 1990 and again in 1999, rose to prominence during the late 1980s and early 1990s. She won a BAFTA Award for Dangerous Liaisons and a Golden Globe Award for The Fabulous Baker Boys.
2. Oprah Winfrey
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey won the title of Miss Black Tennessee in 1972. As per The Kennedy Center, the actress and television producer became the first female African American news anchor in Nashville at the age of 19. She established Harpo Productions in 1986 and began the phenomenal talk show titled The Oprah Winfrey Show, she earned her first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 1987. As per Vibe, she has received 17 more Daytime Emmys, including the Chairman's Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. Winfrey is also the recipient of two Primetime Emmys: the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2002 and the Outstanding Made for Television Movie Award in 2000 for Tuesdays With Morrie.
3. Sharon Stone
Before beginning her film career, Sharon Stone participated in the Miss Pennsylvania pageant and won the regional title of Miss Crawford County in 1976. Since then, the Ford model has essayed a prominent role with Michael Douglas in the 1992 thriller Basic Instinct and received an Oscar nomination for the 1995 crime thriller Casino.
4. Delta Burke
Delta Burke won the title of Miss Florida in 1975, she was also the first plus-size woman to attain major success in television. She played the iconic Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS comedy Designing Women from 1986 until 1991. For this role, Burke received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
5. Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Williams became the first Black woman to win the coveted title of Miss America in 1984. However, ten months later she had to lose the crown because of a controversial scandal. As per Yahoo, before her time as a pageant contestant, Williams had posed for a few nude photos while working with a photographer. The images caused a great uproar when they were eventually released in Penthouse without her permission.
6. Halle Berry
Halle Berry was crowned 1986’s Miss Ohio and runner-up for the title of Miss USA. She made history by being the first African American to win the Academy Award for best actress in 2001's Monster's Ball when she played the sensitive, Leticia Musgrove. In 2020, she made her directorial debut with the sports thriller Bruised.
7. Cloris Leachman
The late Cloris Leachman competed in the 1946 Miss America Pageant. She began her acting career by essaying guest roles on TV series such as The Ford Theatre, Suspense, Actor’s Studio, and The Bob & Ray Show. Her recurring appearances as Phyllis Lindstrom in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its 1975–1977 spin-off, Phyllis, are among her most well-known portrayals. As per Deadline, Leachman has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, and an Academy Award for her performance in The Last Picture Show and worked for more than seven decades in show business.
8. Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless won the title of Miss New Zealand in 1989. The enigmatic actress's big break came when she made a cameo on the popular fantasy television program Hercules: The Legendary Journeys in 1994. In 1995, Xena: Warrior Princess, a spin-off program, was inspired by her portrayal of the female warrior Xena which benchmarked her career in Hollywood.
9. Ali Landry
After winning the Miss USA title in 1996, Ali Landry placed among the Top 6 competitors and represented her nation in the Miss Universe competition. As per The Hollywood Reporter, in 1997, the former beauty queen started her career in television. As per Facts, Landry's performance in a Doritos commercial during the 1998 Super Bowl stands out as one of her most famous moments. The supermodel has also made appearances in episodes of Criminal Minds, Eve, and Felicity.
10. Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria is regarded as one of Hollywood's most successful television and film actresses. Her ascent to fame began when she placed first in the Miss Corpus Christi USA pageant in 1998 and then attempted to win a second crown in the Miss Texas USA competition. After winning the title of a beauty queen, the Desperate Housewives moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. The Mexican actress was nominated for a Golden Globe and won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for her portrayal of Gabrielle Solis in the hit ABC series.
