5. Phoebe Cates – Fast Times At Ridgemont High

Phoebe Cates was cast as Linda Barrett, for her second film in 1982, the first being “Paradise”. Her role was far from the girl next door type. In fact, she had a very natural approach and confidence to her body awareness and how to use it. The teen world is threatening to most teen girls and boys, but Linda Barrett was often giving advice to less experienced girls, using a carrot to practice with in the school cafeteria for example. Once her friend passed Linda’s lesson, the boys at the adjacent table gave applause of approval. It was the matter-of-fact way that Linda just dropped her bikini top that took the film’s viewers by surprise.

Ridgemont High was shown as the petri dish of personal teen-hood experimentation, personality development or destruction, and where you had to measure yourself as popular or a loser. Times could be hard and fast at Ridgemont High, but it portrayed a typical high school environment. Sean Penn never had to audition for his role as Spicoli, Ridgemont High was Nicholas Cage’s debut as Brad’s Bud, and Ridgemont was the film that pointed out that Jennifer Jason Leigh was going to be a very talented star.

From there Phoebe Cates got starring roles in Gremlins 1 & 2, Lace 1 & 2, and many other films including the role of Sophia Gold in “The Anniversary Party” in 2002.

4. Kate Winslet – Holy Smoke

Kate Winslet best known in the United States, and probably the world for her role as the young Rose DeWitt in “Titanic”. She was an English actress just getting noticed for some heavy weight roles in England and New Zealand at the time the auditions for Titanic came about. Quickly after her success in that blockbuster film, she got two other American roles. “Hideous Kinky” in 1999, and “Holy Smoke” in the same year.

Kate’s character in Holy Smoke, Ruth Barron, was a young woman who had joined a religious cult. She finds herself engaged by the cult-leader, P.J. Waters, but what you do not expect is the skillful way Ruth removes the balance of power from the leader as she rattles him in ways that he never expected.

Even at a young age Kate Winslet amazed producers and directors by her poise and the way she could handle her own, working among senior talents in the industry. She has a winning way in taking opportunities to learn from those who have more experience.