Sharon Stone – Basic Instinct
With a simple uncrossing of her legs,Sharon Stonecemented her femme fatale status as writer-turned-murder-suspect Catherine Tramell inPaul Verhoeven’s 1992 psychological thrillerBasic Instinct. From her erotic appetites to her witty wordplay, Stone keeps Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) off balance and under her spell. But the risque movie role was almost too much for Stone.
Scandalous from the start, the film was protested for its portrayal of a lesbian affair between Catherine and Nick’s ex (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and had to be dialed back after steamy sex scenes landed it an NC-17 rating. Still,Instinctwent on to massive commercial success and established Stone as a bombshell.
Catherine Deneuve – Belle De Jour
In famed 1967 French dramaBelle De Jour,Catherine Deneuveplays Séverine Serizy, a young housewife who’s troubled past keeps her from being intimate with her husband(Jean Sorel). Her Path to spicing up her marriage is a bit unconventional; she secretly works as a high-end prostitute in the afternoons while her hubby is at work.
DirectorLuis Buñuel’s sexually charged film explores Séverine’s taboo desires, including domination, bondage, and sadomasochism, and proved so haunting that thirty years laterAmerican directorMartin Scorsesepromoted a re-release of the award-winning film in the United States and a 2002 DVD re-release.
Honor Blackman – Goldfinger
Sexy movies and Bond Girls go together like peanut butter and inappropriately clothed jam, and there are certainly quite a few of 007s leading ladies who could be on this list. But few of the spy’s unlucky lovers have the cultural staying power ofHonor Blackman’s less-than-subtlety named Pussy Galore in 1964’sGoldfinger.
With a proclivity for sexy wrap tops, Pussy leads a troop of female pilots aptly named Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus. Nearly 40 at the time, Blackman is the only on-screen Bond girl who was older than the actor playing the spy (Sean Connery), which might explain that extra dollop of moxie.
Kathleen Turner – Body Heat
BeforeLawrence Kasdan’s 1981 erotic dramaBody Heat, the world had yet to hearKathleen Turner’s notoriously throaty voice. In this steamy, dreamy thriller, Turner plays Matty Tyler Walker, a wealthy Florida housewife who seduces subpar lawyer Ned Racine (William Hurt) and ensnares him in her plans to off her husband.
A commercial success, the flick made Turner an instant sex symbol, who went on to star in some of the decade’s biggest blockbusters includingRomancing the Stone,Prizzi’s HonorandWho Framed Roger Rabbit. But it’s the image of her windblown in a low-cut white dress that remains forever sexy.
Sofia Vergara – Modern Family
Univision starSofia Vergarabecame a household name in 2009 as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on ABC’s meg-hitModern Family. Balancing in sky-high heels and poured into outfits highlighting her physics-defying figure, Gloria is a riot as the smart, sassy, second wife of Jay (Ed O’Neil) and the ultimate MILF.
The sitcom is an ensemble, for sure, but Vergara—who’s been nominated multiple times for Emmys and Golden Globes—is far and away the breakout star. For years, she’s topped the list of TV’s top earners, raking in upwards of $40 million from the role and endorsement deals playing off Gloria’s sexy image.
Glenn Close – Fatal Attraction
One of the 80’s risque movies that could also double as a campaign for abstinence,Fatal Attractionmanaged to first arouse and then scare the pants ON every married man in America.Fatal AttractionstarsGlenn Closeas Alex Forrest, a free-spirited editor who gives new meaning to the word clingy when her weekend-long affair with a married lawyer (Michael Douglas)ends on a sour note.
A massive critical and commercial success, thisAdrian Lyne-directed thriller became the highest grossing film of 1987, and it’s still a talked-about cultural touchstone even decades later. To this day, Close remains the wrist-slitting, bunny-boiling embodiment of the dark side of temptation and passion.
Kim Cattrall – Sex in the City
From 1998-2004 audiences were riveted by the sexploits of NYC writer Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her friends on HBO’s smashSex and the City. But it was almost alwaysKim Cattrall’s alter ego, publicist Samantha Jones, who upped the erotic ante…and often got the biggest laughs doing it.
While the other girls often found themselves playing romantic politics to please partners, Samantha remained utterly unapologetic about her erotic appetites. “I’m a trisexual,” she proudly proclaimed. “I’ll try anything once.” And indeed she experimented with threesomes, female viagra, lesbianism, sex swings and (shockingly) even occasional monogamy.
Jane Fonda – Barbarella
An acclaimed up-and-comer,Jane Fondasolidified her sex symbol status in this 1968 adaptation of theBarbarellacomic books.As the scantily-clad titular character, Fonda (who was married to directorRoger Vadim) is a space adventurer sent by the president to foil the plans of an evil scientist (Milo O’Shea).
The Academy Award-winner didn’t score any acting awards for this pic, but the kitschy film was a huge hit in the UK and became a cult classic in the sexy movies category. Not to mention, Fonda’s space suit striptease in the opening sequence certainly won her a ton of life-long devotees of fanboys.
Pamela Anderson – Baywatch
Pamela Andersonwas no stranger to the pages ofPlayboy,but she became an international superstar when she slipped on a tiny red one-piece bathing suit onBaywatch. From 1992-1997, Anderson caused hearts to race as she rescued LA beachgoers as new-age lifeguard C.J. Parker.
At its height,Baywatchwas the biggest show on the planet pulling in a weekly audience of 1.1 billion around the world. And while co-starDavid Hasselhoffmay have been the one with top-billing, it’s the scenes of Anderson sprinting into action that remain synonymous with the show.
Michelle Pfeiffer – Batman Returns
In the course of his battles, the caped crusader has taken quite a few licks, but none as smoldering as the literal one he gets from Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman in 1992’sBatman Returns. Knocking Batman (Michael Keaton)on his back, Pfeiffer straddles him and then tongues him from chin to cowl.
By that point in her career, Pfeiffer had already survived shootouts in lingerie inScarfaceand won an Oscar for slinking across a piano inThe Fabulous Baker Boys,but it’s her skintight latex catsuit with white stitching fromTim Burton’s flick that made her the stuff of fanboy dreams.
