Here’s Taking a Look at 10 Women Who Created TV and Film History
10 Women Who Created TV and Film History
Hollywood has produced an inspirational list of women who have carved exceptional career graphs. As per She Knows, from bridging the pay parity to creating billion-dollar projects, these women have created history when it comes to a male-dominated entertainment industry. Let us take a look at some of the most influential women in film and television.
1. Greta Gerwig
Greta Gerwig created history by becoming the first solo female director of a billion-dollar film with Barbie's success. As reported by Variety, the indie filmmaker's first major venture collected $1.36 billion at the global box office, including $600 million in North America and $760 million internationally. As per Variety, Barbie is predicted to win big at the Academy Awards this year, and Gerwig's directorial has been predicted for nomination in the Oscars‘ Best Picture lineup. Lady Bird (2017), a coming-of-age picture that received five Academy Award nominations, marked the renowned writer's solo directorial debut. As per Forbes, her second directorial classic film Little Women secured six Oscar nominations and won Best Costume Design. The Louisa May Alcott's novel adaption grossed a whopping $206M at the domestic box office.
2. Zoe Saldana
Zoe Saldaña is one of the most known faces of the billion-dollar Marvel universe with her role as Gamora. She became the first female actor to have worked in four films that made over $2 billion at the box office: Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avatar: The Way of Water. As per Variety, Avengers: Endgame toppled Avatar's milestone of being the highest-grossing film by earning $2.7902 billion globally.
3. Judi Dench
One of the most illustrious actors in the UK, Judi Dench has had a long and prosperous career in theater, garnering eight Oliviers and a Tony. Dench created cinematic history in 2022 when, at the age of 87, she received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Kenneth Branagh's Belfast. “Retirement is not a word used in my house,” she told The Mail in October 2021. "You don't retire, for goodness sake! You might as well fall onto a shelf and lie down," she concluded.
4. Viola Davis
Known as one of the fiercest female actors, Viola Davis has won an Oscar, an Emmy, and two Tonys in her career spanning over two decades. In 2015 Davis became the first Black actress to win the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama - How to Get Away With Murder. She received her fourth Oscar nomination for Best Actress in 2021, making her the only Black woman to do so in the Academy's history. David essayed the role of Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. As per The Guardian, she rightfully earned the title of E.G.O.T. in 2023 by winning a Grammy for her audiobook recording of her memoir, Finding Me. Davis is the eighteenth actor to attain this esteemed status.
5. Sandra Oh
According to the LA Times, Sandra Oh became the first Asian woman to win the SAG award for Best Actress in 2006 for her role as aspiring physician Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy. As per Vox, she was the first person of Asian descent to host the prestigious Golden Globes in 2019. Oh created history by earning an Emmy nomination for lead drama actress for Killing Eve in 2018. In 2019 she became the only Asian woman to win a Golden Globe for the role after 39 years.
6. Shonda Rhimes
Television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes is credited for creating three hit TV shows with over 100 episodes each - Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and Scandal. As per Forbes the founder of Shondaland raked in 2 billion dollars profit with her hit series to ABC's parent company, Disney. Rhimes made the historic decision to leave traditional TV in 2017 and join Netflix, agreeing to a five-year contract worth at least $100 million; the agreement was extended in 2021. She's produced much acclaimed hits like Bridgerton and its spin-off, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and Inventing Anna.
7. Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington became the first Black woman to lead a network drama in 40 years. Her role as Olivia Pope on the ABC series Scandal took her career to new heights. The critically acclaimed actress received multiple nominations for Emmys, Golden Globes, and SAG awards.
8. Oprah Winfrey
Dubbed the "Queen of All Media," Oprah Winfrey was the wealthiest African-American of the 20th century. In addition, the media tycoon is the sole black billionaire in the world. The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran for an incredible 25 seasons, was owned and produced by Winfrey, making her the first female television producer in history. Throughout her illustrious career, she has received numerous honors, including 18 Daytime Emmys and an Oscar nomination in 1986 for her role in the movie The Color Purple.
9. Betty White
Veteran comedian and actress Betty White had a career spanning over seven decades. The late game show host created history in 1983 by becoming the first woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host for Just Men! As per Forbes, she is hailed as one of TV’s first superstars, White was one of the few women in the 1950s to start a production company named after her dog, Bandit.
10. Rita Moreno
In 1962, Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno made history as the first Hispanic woman to win an Oscar by playing Anita in the original West Side Story. After winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, she would go on to become the first female person of color to be named an E.G.O.T. As per People, she presented at the 2018 Oscars and did a cameo in Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of the hit 1961 classic as a brand new character named Valentina.