List of female theater actors

This is an alphabetical list of notable female theater actors from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The list includes also female actors from other countries who have played leading or co-leading roles in notorious theaters of North America, Great Britain or Ireland.

Actors who have become famous playing leading or co-leading parts in musicals are also listed. Further, a certain number of theater actors included in this list are known as movie actors, too.

See also: Actors and List of male theater actors.

List of actors

• Debbie Allen
• Julie Andrews
• Maya Angelou
• Francesca Annis
• Peggy Ashcroft
• Elizabeth Ashley
• Josephine Baker
• Anne Bancroft
• Tallulah Bankhead
• Christine Baranski
• Ethel Barrymore
• Sarah Bernhardt
• Joan Blondell
• Claire Bloom
• Sarah Brightman
• Betty Buckley
• Mrs Patrick Campbell
• Mrs. Leslie Carter
• Nell Carter
• Carol Channing
• Stockard Channing
• Petula Clark
• Glenn Close
• Claudette Colbert
• Gladys Cooper
• Blythe Danner
• Judi Dench
• Colleen Dewhurst
• Paola Dionisotti
• Marie Dressler
• Lindsay Duncan
• Sandy Duncan
• Maxine Elliott
• Edith Evans
• Lynn Fontanne
• Elizabeth Franz
• Gina Gershon
• Annie Girardo
• Dorothy Gish
• Lillian Gish
• Jane Green
• Tammy Grimes
• Uta Hagen
• Helen Hayes
• Wendy Hiller
• Lena Horne
• Dana Ivey
• Glenda Jackson
• Judy Kaye
• Lainie Kazan
• Diane Keaton
• Rachel Kempson
• Jane Krakowski
• Swoosie Kurtz
• Jessica Lange
• Angela Lansbury
• Linda Lavin
• Carol Lawrence
• Gertrude Lawrence
• Gypsy Rose Lee
• Vivien Leigh
• Lotte Lenya
• Beatrice Lillie
• Patti Lupone
• Shirley MacLaine
• Dinah Manoff
• Andrea Martin
• Mary Martin
• Jessie Matthews
• Mercedes McCambridge
• Audra McDonald
• Ethel Merman
• Penelope Ann Miller
• Juliet Mills
• Carmen Miranda
• Helen Mirren
• Debra Monk
• Rita Moreno
• Anna Neagle
• Patricia Neal
• Kate Nelligan
• Bebe Neuwirth
• Julie Newmar
• Julia Ormond
• Elaine Paige
• Estelle Parsons
• Bernadette Peters
• Mary Pickford
• Louise Pitre
• Amanda Plummer
• Josephine Premice
• Lynn Redgrave
• Vanessa Redgrave
• Madeleine Renaud
• Diana Rigg
• Chita Rivera
• Jana Robbins
• Flora Robson
• Roxie Roker
• Mercedes Ruehl
• Fiona Shaw
• Sarah Siddons
• Maggie Smith
• Frances Sternhagen
• Meryl Streep
• Barbra Streisand
• Elaine Stritch
• Jessica Tandy
• Ellen Terry
• Lynne Thigpen
• Sybil Thorndyke
• Margaret Tyzack
• Joan Van Ark
• Zoe Wanamaker
• Sigourney Weaver
• Mae West