Top 10 Hottest Brunettes: Iconic

We open with an audacious femme-fatale actress, who led a life as interesting as her good looks were enticing! Ava Gardner made a name for herself in 1946 with “The Killers” and would go on to Oscar nominations in 1953 for “Mogambo”. In her private life, Gardner led a series of marriages, relationships and close personal friendships with many of the most famous men of the era. Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra, Howard Hughes and Ernest Hemingway were all captivated, and it’s easy to see why!

Another actress with talent to match her attractiveness, Ali MacGraw came to fame in 1970 when she was an Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner for her role opposite Ryan O’Neal in “Love Story”. A woman whom audiences would all like to romance, MacGraw was the main draw to many a movie of the following few decades. Her long dark hair was often worn parted down the middle, but her looks in general definitely didn’t divide opinion... Everyone thought she was hot!

As Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind”, Vivien Leigh ensured an iconic status that will never be lost, and as Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire” she doubled her ‘best actress Oscar haul’ for good measure! For all her fine acting however, she was fantastically fine looking as well! A ‘Southern Belle’ to behold, Leigh had eyes that were impossible to look away from, and for her promotional pictures was able to capture a look of longing which had fans all longing for her!

An international movie star of the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and even within the 21st Century, Jane Seymour has led an exceptional career, and what’s perhaps even more impressive (particularly in relation to today’s countdown...) is that she’s still turning heads - in 2005’s “Wedding Crashers” she all but stole the show as ‘Kitty’ Kat Cleary! An older generation will most remember her as Bond Girl Solitaire in “Live and Let Die” however, or as Cathy Ames in “East of Eden”... She was (and is) the picture of paradise!

A woman who, in 2009, was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as 'the most awarded female act of all time', Whitney Houston had a habit of winning things, and wowing us with good looks as she did so! An icon and then some(!), she broke all sorts of sales records during her career, and is still one of the best-selling artists ever! Whitney starred in the 1992 movie "The Bodyguard" as well, and we've gotta agree with (though we won't try to sing...) that film's famous soundtrack, because we will always love her!

A child star turned adult actress, Brooke Shields flitted in and out of show business during the ‘80s, but she was ever present in all things attractive! A brunette who took a break from acting in order to attend Princeton University, upon graduating she grabbed attention for more than just her degree in French Literature. An intelligent person undoubtedly, Shields was also absurdly pretty! She had a face for the film reel, and for a time was the beauty of Broadway! What a babe!

Another teen star turned all-out international celebrity; Natalie Wood was a woman we’d all like to have met! Her long brown hair became a regular feature of many a well-received movie in the ‘60s and ‘70s, as this hottie had to her name three Academy Award nominations! In “Splendor in the Grass”, Wood plays Deanie, a character trying to find her way in life and love... On-screen she was unsure, off-screen we were all absolutely certain; here was a gal worth going the extra mile for!

Stepping onto the podium, Sophia Loren brings style and sophistication to the party in a way that no one else can! This Italian-French film star first fell into international attention after her role in gritty drama “Two Women”, but is also well known for appearing alongside Charlton Heston in “El Cid” and Peter Sellers in “The Millionairess”. With an appealingly edgy look, Loren was lovely, but not quite in the same way as the rest of Hollywood - which was a good thing! She had good looks that got remembered!

Sometimes a standard model can’t quite make the cut to be a super model, but in our runner up’s case, she all but invented the latter term! Cindy Crawford dominated the magazine aisle in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, featuring on a variety of covers many times over! The likes of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and Allure were clamoring for the latest Crawford photo shoots, and is it any wonder? Trademark beauty spot and all, she’s credited with converting mainstream culture from the bubbly blonde to the sultry brunette!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Jane Russell
- Anjelica Huston
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
- Jane Birkin

She’s one of the most iconic people of the twentieth century, she’s one of the most beautiful, and she’s brunette... Quite clearly, she’s a very deserving winner of today’s countdown! In fact, Audrey Hepburn is often described as one of the – if not, the - most beautiful woman that ever lived! Whether she’s longing for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, partaking in a “Roman Holiday”, or leading us on a “Charade”, Hepburn is the fairest of ‘Fair Ladies’! She set the brunette bar, and she’s never likely to be bettered!

Do you agree with our list? Which iconic brunette is your favorite? For more beautiful top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.