Her striking resemblance to Natalie Portman is actually putting Keira Knightley at a disadvantage. But she has proven many times that she can match anyone in terms of both box office appeal and critical acclaim. With a reported salary of $5 million per film, Keira is one of today’s highest-paid actresses.

Thanks to her breakthrough performances in Bend it Like Beckham, The Pirates series and The Jacket as well as her Oscar-nominated role in Pride and Prejudice and the more recent acclaim she received for playing the lead in both Atonement and the upcoming Dylan Thomas biopic The Edge of Love, the Knightley star is shining very brightly right now.

“We all need romance in our lives, but marriage and living happily ever after is not something I even think about at the moment and certainly won’t for a while,” she says. “But who knows? It’s a nice dream.”

Why she’s in the top 10: How surprising to note that she used to play small, supporting roles (think Star Wars and playing “double” to Queen Amidala a.k.a. Natalie Portman), and then fast forward to Pride and Prejudice! While some of you might still have doubts, with Atonement, apparently she has proven she got what it takes to be at the very top.

Oh, and she’s also Chanel’s signature model!