Crush List: Top 99 Women 2016
Crush. Noun. (\ˈkrəsh\) Someone you have a crush on. The object of one's interest. Someone you can't stop thinking about. Ex: Damn, I have such a crush on her.
Crush. Verb. To kick ass at something; to own it, dominate it, ace it. Ex: Damn, did you see that? She totally crushed it.
Crush List: Noun. A collection of 99 incredible women who kick so much ass at what they do that we can't stop thinking about them. Ex: Did you see the AskMen Crush List? What a bunch of boss-ass babes, stars, pros, and geniuses.
Every year AskMen takes a look at the women who impress our readers the most. We had a lot of fun with last year's Top 99 Most Outstanding Women list; but now it's time for the Crush List.
After we launched the voting phase in March, frenzied fans voted so many times they actually crashed the site. Well, we're finally ready to show the world who the most crushingest women are. Check it out.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
OLIVIA WILDE
Actress, model and producer Olivia Wilde has been in the spotlight steadily since her recurring role in House. Wilde has gone beyond the role of an actress by taking after her award-winning journalist parents through her work with the documentary short Body Team 12. Wilde is also a board member on Artists for Peace and Justice, which provides education and health services in Haiti and is a part of Gucci's "Chime for Change" campaign, which raises awareness of women's issues in education and health. Wilde can currently be seen in HBO's Vinyl, or heard revealing the pick-up line that Jason Sudeikis used to win her heart.
FACT: The late journalist Christopher Hitchens used to babysit Olivia Wilde.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @OliviaWilde
Twitter: @OliviaWilde
Vera Anderson/Getty Images Portrait
KRYSTEN RITTER
She appeared in Breaking Bad, Veronica Mars and Gossip Girl, but most recently, Ritter has taken on a brand new case. You'll recognize her as moody, ass-kicking superhuman Jessica Jones in the eponymously titled Netflix show. Her unsettling and emotionally stirring performance as a hard-drinking private eye instantly made Jessica Jones one of the most complex and compelling hero stories in the entire Marvel universe.
FACT: Krysten Ritter was discovered at her local mall when she was shopping with her mom by a modeling agency.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @krystenritter
Instagram: @therealkrystenritter
Jason McCawley/Getty Images
MICHELLE JENNEKE
Best known for being the Australian dynamo who brought her country home a silver medal for the 100m hurdles at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, she gained international attention for her awesome 2012 warm-up routine, which involved dancing and went viral overnight. Now, Jenneke inspires others to be fit on her Instagram, with over 165,000 followers, and will compete in the Rio Olympics this summer after qualifying earlier this year.
FACT: Michelle Jenneke studied mechanical and electrical engineering at Sydney University.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @MJenneke93
Twitter: @MJenneke93
FOX
JESSICA LUCAS
You may recognize Lucas from crime drama Gracepoint, historical disaster movie Pompeii, or for her short-lived runs on the Melrose Place and 90210 relaunches. She also appeared on the silver screen in The Covenant, Cloverfield and the Evil Dead remake. The Canadian actress now has a recurring role in the DC Universe, appearing in Gotham as the whip-wielding villain Tigress. And luckily, we'll be able to see more of her: Season 3 of Gotham is officially going to happen.
FACT: Jessica Lucas began acting at only 7 years old.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @iamjessicalucas
Twitter: @jessicalucas
allisonstokke/Instagram
ALLISON STOKKE
Pole vaulter Allison Stokke got a lot of unwanted attention when, at the age of 18, a photo of her at a track meet went viral. Internet audiences obsessed over her looks, said a lot of creepy, stalker-ish things, and generally ignored Stokke’s athletic ability — despite the fact that her pole vaulting won her a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied sociology. Stokke never gave up on her love for the sport, though, and managed to turn the unwelcome fame into a good thing: Last year had her modeling for Athleta and Nike, and her promotional videos for GoPro have gained over 6 million views.
FACT: Allison Stokke holds a number of American records for vaulting at the high school level.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @allisonstokke
Twitter: @StokkeAllison
Courtesy of Arika Sato
ARIKA SATO
YouTube, TV and social media star Arika Sato has generated a big following with her beauty, fashion and fitness how-to videos and general lifestyle advice. Her passion for the digital world goes way back: She got her first computer in the first grade and became instantly hooked. She continued to expand her content producing skills, studying communications and broadcast journalism before working as a TV host. From shopping hauls to unboxings, her YouTube videos give fans a glimpse into her #GLAMLIFE. Last year, she was part of BeautyCon LA, which brought together online beauty educators from around the world. With all the planet’s contouring experts gathered under one roof, Sato was the hands-down standout.
FACT: Raised by parents who immigrated from Japan to the USA, Arika Sato speaks fluent Japanese.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @arikasato
Twitter: @ArikaSato
YouTube: Arika Sato
Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images
VICTORIA BECKHAM
At one point, she was deemed that classy Spice Girl who ended up on David Beckham’s arm, but Posh Spice has proven to have far more depth than that. She’s worked hard to establish herself in the fashion industry and now she’s an influential businesswoman in the realm. From eyewear, to clothing lines, to a hot-ticket bi-annual show at New York Fashion Week, she’s successfully won over a tough crowd. And she’s especially won us over by bringing attention to a number of causes, like fighting the fur industry and raising money for AIDS. She has also recently been named World's Best Dressed Traveller by British Airways — better dressed than even Amal Clooney and Kendall Jenner.
FACT: Victoria Beckham lost the role of Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider to Angelina Jolie in 2001.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @victoriabeckham
Instagram: @victoriabeckham
Chloe Paul
NERVO
Musicians, songwriters, models, and DJs. That’s NERVO; what are you doing with your life? The Australian sisters are successful multitaskers, but music is how Mim and Liv have made their name. They started their careers ghostwriting for stars like Kylie Minogue and Kesha.Their peak achievement so far was co-writing the Grammy Award-winning single “When Love Takes Over,” performed by David Guetta and Kelly Rowland. At last check, the YouTube video has just shy of 105 million views. They continue to DJ live events and work with stars like Armin van Buuren, and while EDM remains a male-dominated field, NERVO have solidified themselves as two of its top-earning females.
FACT: After their mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, NERVO launched the #tittiestittiesyeah campaign to raise awareness of the disease.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @nervomusic
Facebook: NERVO
Imeh Akpanudosen/WireImage
TATIANA MASLANY
Since 2013, Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany has occupied the leading role(s) in sci-fi series Orphan Black, in which she plays many clones of herself — but they each have unique accents, body language and personalities. That sounds exhausting for an actor, but it doesn’t seem to be wearing her out: Maslany is slated to appear in 2016’s drama Two Lovers and a Bear, and will star opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in 2017’s Stronger, which is based on the events of the Boston Marathon bombing.
FACT: In order to fully capture the Orphan Black clone characters’ essence — how they move, especially — Maslany assigns an animal to each.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @tatianamaslany
Courtesy of Matt Meyerson
TIA BLANCO
Tia Blanco is making major waves in the surfing world. She won the Under 18 Women’s Surfing season in 2014, and last year snagged a gold medal at the International Surfing Association World Games in Nicaragua. She’s also a brand ambassador for Reef surf apparel, and posed for Playboy late last year. Blanco attributes some of her success to a healthy lifestyle: She is an outspoken vegan, prefers raw food and has even appeared in ads for PETA.
FACT: To those who question her low-protein diet, Blanco points out that she has won many arm-wrestling matches against dudes.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @tiablanco
Facebook: Tia Blanco
Twitter: @tia_blanco
YouTube: Tia Blanco
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SYDNEY LEROUX
Canadian-American pro soccer player Sydney Leroux helped the United States grab gold at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and currently fills a role as forward for FC Kansas City in the National Women’s Soccer League. She got her semi-professional debut playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps at age 15 — the youngest person to ever play for the team. She was also the youngest member of — and a goal-scorer for — the USA’s gold-winning team at the 2012 Olympics.
FACT: Sydney Leroux got her start playing little league baseball as a teenager.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @sydneyleroux
Facebook: Sydney Leroux
Twitter: @sydneyleroux
Nathan Gallagher/Getty Images for Coca-Cola
RITA ORA
British singer, actress and magazine cover girl Rita Ora broke into the mainstream in 2012 with several hit songs, and last summer’s single “Poison” reached Top 5 on the UK charts. She also did a stint as judge on X Factor. She got her break on the big screen, playing Christian Grey’s sister in 50 Shades of Grey, and appeared in the boxing drama Southpaw. An immigrant herself, Ora delivered a speech on the Syrian refugee crisis at a 2015 event in London organized by Free the Children.
FACT: Rita Ora is fluent in Albanian and last year was named an honorary ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @RitaOra
Instagram: @ritaora
Snapchat: officialritaora
Anthony Harvey/Getty Images
ELIZABETH OLSEN
The younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley, Elizabeth Olsen is her own person altogether. She’s got a knack for action roles, having appeared in Godzilla and Avengers: Age of Ultron. You can see her right now in Captain America: Civil War. Her acting chops, however, are by no means limited to blockbuster action-hero fare. Later this year, she plays country music legend Hank Williams’ wife and manager Aubrey in I Saw the Light. And come 2017, she’ll appear in the gritty FBI thriller Wind River.
FACT: Mary-Kate and Ashley’s fashion line, Elizabeth and James, is named after Olsen and her brother.
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TAYLOR PISCHKE
Canadian pro volleyball player Taylor Pischke got her start playing in college for UCSB and later the University of Manitoba. She’s part of Canada’s national beach volleyball team — yes, there are beaches in Canada — and has brought in a pile of medals on the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit, as well as helping her team take fourth at the 2015 Pan Am Games. Off the sand, she’s pursuing pre-med studies at the University of Manitoba.
FACT: Taylor Pischke's father, Garth Pischke, was an Olympic volleyball player for Team Canada back in the day. She cites him as an inspiration.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @taylorpischke
Instagram: @taylor_pischke
Jeff Lipsky
BROOKLYN DECKER
She is probably best recognized for multiple appearances in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue, and for her ongoing role in the Netflix hit Grace & Frankie. The Ohio native has a great sense of humor and isn't afraid to show it. A recent Twitter rant about getting stranded in an airport while pumping breast milk for her newborn, along with photos on Instagram of the “small butt crack” that formed on the back of her neck as a result of a wardrobe choice, have made Decker a hit on social media. Her acting career is ramping up, too. This year, she appears in the romantic drama Lovesong. When she's not busy killing it on TV and social media, she goes on expeditions to the Arctic with the Sierra Club.
FACT: Brooklyn Decker's aunt was born without a corpus callosum. Through her aunt's struggles, she became active in the Special Olympics of her hometown of Charlotte, and has gone on to become a global ambassador for the organization.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @BrooklynDecker
Facebook: Brooklyn Decker
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ANA IVANOVIC
Serbian pro tennis player Ana Ivanovic has seen her career go through ups and downs, but right now she is on the way up. Winning the 2008 French Open put a lot of stress on her, thanks to constant media attention, and her game suffered. But now she’s back, ranked 17th worldwide in women’s tennis. She can also boast about her career earnings, now in excess of $15 million. She returned to the French Open last year, and it was the first time in seven years that she made it to the semifinals of a major tournament. On the court this season, she will be showing off some of sponsor Adidas’ hottest new tennis wear.
FACT: When she lost her first match, at age 15, Ivanovic cried because she was afraid of being dropped by her management agency.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @anaivanovic
Twitter: @AnaIvanovic
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ALEXIS REN
At the age of 13, Alexis Ren was discovered in a Brandy Melville store, and she went on to launch her modeling career with the brand. Since then, she’s worked for brands such as Calvin Klein, Forever 21 and Victoria’s Secret, while amassing five million Instagram followers. And the Californian has tapped into her inner beach, making a name for herself as a swimsuit model: Her first runway walk, in 2014, was for Sahara Ray Swim, and she recently appeared bikini-clad in Surfing Magazine.
FACT: Alexis Ren is good friends with famous fashion photographer Bryant Eslava.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @alexisren
Courtesy of Last Gang Entertainment
JACK NOVAK
Jacqueline Novak — or Jack, as she’s better known — is one of the leading ladies in EDM culture. She’s self-taught and she’s done a pretty good job of it. She turned a computer, some software and a home studio into a gig as Pharrell’s touring DJ in 2013. Not bad. Vibe Magazine named her one of the Top DJs to watch in 2014 and now she has her own label, Power and Light Records. She’s shared the music stage with acts like Skrillex, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg and many others. Keep an eye on her as she continues to rise on the EDM scene.
FACT: Jack Novak decided to become a DJ when a friend asked her for a mixtape.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @IAmJackNovak
Twitter: @IAmJackNovak
Facebook: iamjacknovak
Soundcloud: jacknovak
Site: JackNovakMusic.com
Courtesy of Christian Bjelland
MARCELA SAPONE & JESSICA BECK
If you’ve never heard of Marcela Sapone or Jessica Beck, don’t fret; it’s Hello Alfred you should be interested in. Hello Alfred is essentially a personal butler service, in which you’re matched “with a carefully vetted Alfred who visits your home each week to handle your grocery shopping, laundry, home cleaning and more.” Both Beck and Sapone built the wildly popular app in hopes of simplifying the way people live, clean, work, and get things done. And it paid off. Since they took home the top prize, worth $50,000, at Tech Crunch Disrupt in 2014, Sapone and Beck's unique sense of entrepreneurship and unwavering commitment to bring people closer to the American dream have continued to grow Hello Alfred into a huge success.
FACT: Marcela Sapone and Jessica Beck met at Harvard Business School.
SOCIAL
Twitter:
Ivo Gonzalez / Globo via Getty Images
ALANA BLANCHARD
Proud Hawaiian Alana Blanchard is a professional surfer and model who has won five major surfing awards in both Hawaii and Spain. With over 1.5 million Facebook likes and 1.1 million Instagram followers, Blanchard is clearly a fan favorite — pretty easy to understand, given her mad surfing skills and girl-next-door looks. Blanchard also designs and models Rip Curl swimwear, a line of wetsuits specifically made for the surfing crowd, and has surfed on the ASP World Tour. Her Instagram and video presence shows the side of the surfing scene that makes it so appealing to the rest of the world and inspires the rest of us to throw down our briefcases and hit the waves.
FACT: Taught by her dad, Alana Blanchard first learned how to surf at the age of 4.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @AlanaRBlanchard
Twitter: @AlanaRBlanchard
YouTube: alaneta
Tumblr: alanareneblanchard.tumblr.com
Courtesy of Sam Milman
SYD WILDER
With over 30,000 subscribers on her YouTube account, Syd Wilder knows how to get people to pay attention to her. Why? Because she’s f*cking funny and drop-dead gorgeous. Her secret ingredient to success is the way she spoofs and satirizes the “regular, pretty girl" in videos like "How To Take a Slutty Selfie" and "How To Be An Actress in L.A." while retaining the charm and grace of a veteran actor. Wilder is also a model who flaunts her girl-next-door looks on Instagram (she has nearly 200,000 followers) and shares her thoughts with her 30,000 Twitter followers.
FACT: Syd Wilder was offered a record deal at the age of 14, but turned it down to pursue acting.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @SydWilder
Twitter: @SydWilder
YouTube: Syd Wilder
Site: SydWilder.com
SAMANTHA HOOPES
Model Samantha Hoopes had her breakthrough in 2014's 50th-anniversary edition of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and has modeled for Levi’s Jeans and GUESS. But her most famous work was last year’s appearance in a Carl’s Jr. ad in which Hoopes chowed down on The Most American Thickburger while lounging in a hot tub in a bikini (in the back of a stars ‘n stripes pickup truck). Arterial plaque never looked so appealing.
FACT: Samantha Hoopes bit into more than 20 separate burgers for the Carl’s Jr. shoot to capture the most elegant chomping motion possible.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @samanthahoopes_
Twitter: @samanthahoopes
Facebook: Samantha Hoopes
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
RASHIDA JONES
It’s hard not to have great things expected of you when you’re the daughter of Quincy Jones, but Rashida has gone above and beyond and truly made a name for herself. After small parts in TV shows like Boston Public and The Office, Jones landed the role of Ann Perkins in Parks and Recreation and became a household name. The 40-year-old comic book author, film producer, singer, and screenwriter has appeared in more than a dozen movies, all while finding the time to pursue philanthropic endeavors such as fundraising for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Stand Up To Cancer. Following her father’s footsteps in the music world, she recently released a '90s-inspired music video for her "Flip and Rewind" song. Find her killing it on Angie Tribeca — a hilarious new show on TBS, created by the one and only Steve Carrell.
FACT: Rashida Jones graduated from Harvard University and was going to study law, if it weren't for the disastrous O.J. Simpson trial.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @RashidaJones
Twitter: @RashidaJones
Dave Lee/GC Images
ANASTASIA ASHLEY
Before moving to Hawaii in 1992, Anastasia Ashley learned to surf in her hometown of San Clemente, California. Barely a year later, she won a surf contest using a discarded surfboard she found by a trash can near her house. Since then, she’s won two National Scholastic Surfing Association championships and the professional surfing tour of America championship. Alongside her surfing, Ashley’s found the time to model for Sports Illustrated and Maxim and even appeared in an episode of Hell’s Kitchen, in which she taught the winners how to surf.
FACT: Anastasia Ashley won her first surfing competition when she was just 6 years old.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @AnastasiaAshley
Twitter: @AnastasiaAshley
Site: AnastasiaAshley.com
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
LILY COLLINS
Lily Collins began her career at age 2 as a child actor in BBC’s Growing Pains. After some time off, Collins pursued a career as a journalist, penning the column "NY Confidential" in Elle Girl and writing for Seventeen, Teen Vogue and the Los Angeles Times. In 2009, her acting career picked up again when she appeared in The Blind Side. She steadily acted in two films a year since then. She was most recently cast in the Netflix film Okja, yet still finds time to serve as a celebrity ambassador of the anti-bullying organization Bystander Revolution.
FACT: Lily Collins loves to collect old antiques, and pretty much anything vintage she can get her hands on.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @LilyJCollins
Twitter: @LilyCollins
Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Marriott International & Universal Music Group
ELLIE GOULDING
One voice you are always guaranteed to hear when you turn on the radio is Ellie Goulding’s. At the age of 24, Goulding won the BBC Sound of 2010 poll, which showcased some of the music industry’s top stars, then went on to open for U2 for two different tour dates, and participated in the Great North Run for the British Heart Foundation. In the six years since her debut, Goulding has collaborated with Major Lazer, participated in the Australian version of The X Factor, and performed at the Apple Music Festival. She's touring North America right now, in support of her latest album, Delirium, so get your tickets while they last.
FACT: Ellie Goulding sang at Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @EllieGoulding
Twitter: @EllieGoulding
Site: EllieGoulding.com
Chris Weeks/Getty Images for Burberry
ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY
Supermodel and actor Rosie Huntington-Whiteley may look like she has it all, but that is only because she does! Besides starring in the fire-and-earth Mad Max: Fury Road as one of the badass Immortan Joe's Wives fighting for her freedom with a prosthetic baby belly strapped to her midsection, she spends her time getting famous fashion photographers to dedicate entire books to her. She recently got engaged to Jason Statham, forming a power couple, the likes of which we haven't seen since John Krasinski and Emily Blunt.
FACT: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley grew up on a rural English farm.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @RosieHW
Twitter: @RosieHW
Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images
JULIANNE MOORE
After grabbing an Oscar for Still Alice, Moore always lets us remember that she is the boss of her own destiny. She is also an accomplished children’s author whose books revolve around the titular character Freckleface Strawberry, for which she drew inspiration from her son's dislike of his own appearance. A badass mother who empowers the children of the world to love themselves? Yes, please.
FACT: Julianne Moore is known to read every script that lands on her desk.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @_JulianneMoore
KARA DEL TORO
Model Kara Del Toro jump-started her career with a super popular Instagram account, and has since been picked up by the likes of Guess and Beach Bunny swimwear and Surfing. During her work with the latter, Del Toro got to spend some time splashing around on a beautiful beach with giant feral pigs. She recently appeared in a spot for Carl’s Jr., promoting the chain’s new Tex Mex burger during a cross-border volleyball match. Spicy.
FACT: Raised in a small Texas town, Del Toro says that if it weren’t for her modeling career, she would have stayed put and worked as an elementary school teacher.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @karajewelll
Twitter: @karadeltoro
Courtesy of Rebecca Grant
REBECCA GRANT
First getting her start on ESPN and Fox Sports, Grant has recently expanded her brand into music and fashion. She has also turned her passion towards those in need by designing for charity events, and has advocated for breast cancer research since losing her own mother to the disease. Besides running her own business and keeping her brand on point, Grant makes it a point to engage with her fans — an impressive 170K across platforms.
FACT: The Dungeon Siege III character Katarina is modeled on Grant.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @RebeccaGrants
Twitter: @RebeccaGrants
Facebook: Rebecca Grant
Site: rebeccagrant.com
Snapchat: rebeccagrants
Stuart Franklin — FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
LAUREN SESSELMANN
This Olympic bronze medalist and soccer player has kept us all on our toes while racking up athletic achievements. Between having her own exercise DVD, Fit As A Pro, and representing Canada at FIFA, Sesselmann is seriously crushing it. Despite representing Canada's soccer team, she actually hails from Green Bay, Wyoming, and started playing soccer at the age of 12. After Canada's team was defeated at last year's FIFA Women's World Cup, she had strong words to counter her critics: “You can sit there and choose to focus on every negative and pick apart our team BUT you have NO IDEA how much passion, heart and hard work this team puts in."
FACT: Lauren Sesselmann attended Purdue University, where she set six (!!!) soccer records.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @LSesselmann
Twitter: @LSesselmann
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
SERENA WILLIAMS
Where to even begin with this 34-year-old tennis superstar? In the past year, the world's best female tennis player slammed down body-shaming haters and appeared in Beyonce's Lemonade. Besides English, Williams can converse in three other languages and has become a fashion icon for her work with Puma. Off court, she also works hard with her charity to provide relief to families affected by natural disasters.
FACT: Serena Williams has an eye-popping 89.8 winning percentage at the U.S. Open.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @SerenaWilliams
Twitter: @SerenaWilliams
Site: SerenaWilliams.com
Snapchat: serenaunmatched
Mike Windle/Getty Images for The People's Choice Awards
ALISON BRIE
When she wasn’t making you laugh until you cried on Community or How to be Single, Alison Brie was slowly making a name for herself in the film and comedy industries. And when she wasn’t romancing Dave Franco (sorry, fellas), she was hard at work appearing in Mad Men and BoJack Horseman. She will be appearing alongside Zac Efron and James Franco in The Masterpiece later this year. But if you can't get enough of her now, check out Search Party, featuring Thomas Middleditch, and a whole lot of mayhem.
FACT: Alison Brie used to work as a clown at birthday parties.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @AlisonBrie
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
EMMY ROSSUM
Shameless’ Emmy Rossum has been putting in work on the hit Showtime program since 2011, but you may recognize her from The Day After Tomorrow or the film adaption of The Phantom of the Opera. When she isn’t busy being friends with Beyonce, Rossum spends her time as a YouthAIDS ambassador and is a huge advocate for no-kill animal shelters and the LGBT community. She will appear in next year's Netflix's National Lampoon biopic about the series' co-creator.
FACT: Emmy Rossum was raised by her mother, and only met her father twice while growing up.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @EmmyRossum
Twitter: @EmmyRossum
Site: EmmyRossum.com
Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Turner
TINA FEY
It's almost impossible to talk about modern television comedy without mentioning Tina Fey. Creator of both 30 Rock and, most recently, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Fey has become a household name. When she isn’t making us laugh, she is making the world a better place through her work with Autism Speaks and the Light the Night Walk.
FACT: Tina Fey is a massive Star Wars nerd and will throw a Star Wars reference into her writing whenever she can.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @MsTinaFey
Jeff Neumann/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
JAIMIE ALEXANDER
You may recognize Alexander for her work in Marvel’s Thor and its subsequent 2013 and now 2017 sequels, or you may even recognize her from the NBC series Blindspot, but we can all agree she is a force to be reckoned with. Alexander has also appeared in everything from Kyle XY to Nurse Jackie, making her both versatile and captivating.
FACT: It takes a full seven hours to apply the makeup tattoos for Jaimie Alexander's role in Blindspot.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @JaimieAlexander
Twitter: @JaimieAlexander
Michael Stewart/WireImage
IVANKA TRUMP
It would be easy to say Ivanka Trump was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But Donald Trump's daughter always worked hard to earn her own money (starting with a modeling gig in her teens) and make a name for herself. The 34-year-old businesswoman and writer is currently the executive vice-president of development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization. She also helps run the Ivanka Trump lifestyle brand, which includes shoes, handbags, jewelry, and fragrances. In addition to being a mother of three and running a highly successful company, Trump loves to actively support political candidates.
FACT: The most recent season of Celebrity Apprentice, where Trump appeared alongside her brothers, had the highest ratings.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @IvankaTrump
Twitter: @IvankaTrump
Site: IvankaTrump.com
Tada Varich
FLORENCE FAIVRE
This stunning French-Thai actress and model is best known for her role as kickass pilot Julie Mao on SyFy’s The Expanse, but you may also recognize her as an active Instagram presence: she boasts a large following and loves to interact with fans. She started hosting teen TV shows in Bangkok, Thailand at only 13 years old, modeled in Asia throughout her teens, and was nominated for Best Actress at The Bangkok International Film Festival. She scored her first role in the film The Siam Renaissance — a drama about her traveling back in time to Thailand's renaissance, uncovering its darkest secrets.
FACT: Florence Faivre lived in France until she was 8 and in Thailand until she was 19. She speaks fluent French, Thai and English.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @FlorenceFaivre
Twitter: @Florence_Faivre
Karwai Tang/WireImage
ZOE SALDANA
Zoe Saldana is out of this world. No, literally. Besides appearing in the box-office smash Guardians of the Galaxy (and its upcoming sequel) and the rebooted Star Trek films, she also has the next three Avatar movies lined up. Basically, we'll be seeing Zoe Saldana kick ass in space every year until 2022. And when she isn’t a prepping for a massive blockbuster or gracing a red carpet with her presence, she's an active celebrity supporter of FINCA International, a microfinance organization.
FACT: Like many celebs, Saldana was once on Law & Order, making her screen debut in a 1999 episode.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @ZoeSaldana
Twitter: @ZoeSaldana
Studio Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images
GISELE BUNDCHEN
Last year, Forbes ranked Bundchen’s collected worth at over $44 million dollars, which is no surprise given the fact that she's appeared on over 1,200 magazine covers. With nearly 500 runway shows under her belt, the Brazilian model is also an actor and producer. And when she isn’t in front of the camera or working on a video project, she spends her time as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program.
FACT: One of Bundchen's favorite places was on her grandmother's farm, where she would pick fresh eggs, ride a horse-drawn carriage, and shuck corn. (No wonder she and Tom Brady only eat organic veggies).
SOCIAL
Instagram: @Gisele
Twitter: @GiseleOfficial
Site: GiseleBundchen.com
doina/Instagram
DOINA CIOBANU
You may recognize Doina from her extremely successful lifestyle and travel blog, The Golden Diamonds, where she covers everything from tips on how to wear that poncho out to a work happy hour to travel guides with the best places to find the cheapest margaritas. It's clear people are looking to Doina for a better life — a whole 145,000 of them on Instagram, to be exact — but this never seems to get in the way of her highly successful modeling career. Between working with brands such as Fendi, Versace and Agent Provocateur and traveling across the world, she is also completing a bachelor's degree in political science and diplomacy.
FACT: Doina Ciobanu was born in Chisinau, Moldova.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @GoldenDiamonds
Facebook: Doina Ciobanu
Twitter: @golden_diamonds
Tumblr: doinaciobanu.tumblr.com
YouTube: TGDlive
Pinterest: Doina Ciobanu
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JORDANA BREWSTER
Brazilian-American actress Jordana Brewster’s breakthrough role was as Mia Toretto in The Fast and the Furious, a part she reprised in multiple sequels. Lately, she’s been drawn to work on intrigue-laden TV shows, appearing last year in Secrets and Lies and this year in true crime anthology American Crime Story, which covers the O.J. Simpson trial.
FACT: Jordana Brewster met her husband while filming her 2006 film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @jordanabrewster
Twitter: @JordanaBrewster
Facebook: Jordana Brewster
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COBIE SMULDERS
Canadian actress and model Cobie Smulders played Robin Scherbatsky on How I Met Your Mother. At the age of 25, during filming, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. But she didn’t let that slow her down: Smulders continued in the role even as the cancer spread to her lymph nodes and she was forced to undergo multiple grueling surgeries. Today, she’s still going strong. Smulders appeared this year in comedy The Intervention, and is currently filming opposite Tom Cruise for Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.
FACT: Until she graduated high school, Smulders dreamed of being a marine biologist.
SOCIAL
Instagram: @cobiesmulders
Twitter: @CobieSmulders
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HILARY KNIGHT
Ice hockey phenom Hilary Knight has a fantastic collection of jewelry. As a forward for the USA Women’s Ice Hockey team, she’s picked up two silver Olympic medals and six gold World Championship medals. And her professional career? Well, that's been going pretty well, too. The former Canadian Women's Hockey League star moved to the brand-new National Women's Hockey League this past season before tearing it up, scoring nearly two points a game and helping the Boston Pride win the first-ever Isobel Cup. In a recent Red Bull feature, she was compared to hockey legend Wayne Gretzky for her skill and accomplishments.
FACT: In 2014, Knight took part in a full practice with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @Hilary_Knight
Instagram: @hilary_knight
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OLIVIA MUNN
Getting her professional start in the Japanese fashion industry — she was largely raised on an American military base in Japan — Olivia Munn moved on to broadcast journalism before starting a career in acting. She’s proven to be versatile in that regard, co-hosting Attack of the Show and serving as a correspondent on The Daily Show, where she disproved critics who claimed she was just brought on as a sex symbol. Recently, she turned down a lead role in Deadpool, because she was sick of "being the girlfriend" and chose to appear this year in X-Men: Apocalypse as telekinetic ass-kicker Psylocke instead.
FACT: Olivia Munn had an indoor swing in her apartment in Prague, which once disconnected from the ceiling — leaving her with a dislocated shoulder.
SOCIAL
Twitter: @oliviamunn
Instagram: @oliviamunn
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AMYMARIE GAERTNER
She loves to dance, but she loves teaching others even more. Amymarie Gaertner became a YouTube star with her instructional dance videos, in which she teaches viewers how to cut a rug like a pro. Gaertner is also big on Instagram, with 1.5 million followers, and last year, she took charge of the Dancing With the Stars' Snapchat. But it’s with Vine that she’s really blown up, amassing more than 4 million followers. Who knew you could teach someone how to bust a move in six seconds or less?
FACT: Amymarie Gaertner is entirely self-taught. (YouTube videos may have helped.)
SOCIAL
YouTube: Amymarie Gaertner
Instagram: @amymarie
Twitter: @amymarieg
Vine: Amymarie Gaertner
Snapchat: amymarie
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AMY ADAMS
Golden Globe-winning actress and singer Amy Adams played her highest-grossing role to date this year as Lois Lane in