The most captivating female stars of 2015

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Most Captivating Star: REESE WITHERSPOON She’s been acting since she was seven and has an Oscar, Golden Globe and countless nominations to her credit. But even Reese has admitted to feeling lost as an artist. So she took matters into her own hands, and as 2015 unfolds that choice is making all the difference. “I started my production company two years ago because I saw six of my favourite actresses fighting over a really crappy role in a movie and I thought, ‘We deserve better. We just do,’” she says. Enter 'Wild,' for which Reese, 38, is nominated for a best actress Oscar. The film, based on the memoir of hiker Cheryl Strayed, has been her baby from the start. She wept while reading the manuscript, bought the rights and pushed to have it made. “Once every five years, every 10 years, you read something that moves you to your core,” said Reese, who also produced the 2014 hit Gone Girl. Hollywood is paying attention. Reese – who next stars with Sofia Vergara in Hot Pursuit – is setting a fine example for her children: Ava, 15, and Deacon, 11, from her first marriage to Ryan Phillippe, and Tennessee, 2, with her husband, agent Jim Toth. “I don’t think there’s been an hour of my life since Ava was born that I don’t think of my kids,” she has said. Photo: © Getty Images
Most Captivating Singer: TAYLOR SWIFT If her 25th birthday party – a star-studded affair attended by the likes of Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake – was any indication, Taylor Swift is one of the most popular people in music. Although she made a deliberate – and hugely successful – shift from country to pop music with her latest album, 1984, the “Blank Space” singer attests that all she’s done to top the charts is stay true to herself. That same adage is what’s made her one of the world’s most influential artists, too. Maintaining a relationship with her fans is key for Taylor, whether through social media, surprise listening parties or personal outreach. The pop star, whose hit “Shake It Off” has become an anti-bullying anthem, penned a memorable response to one fan who was being hassled at school. “If they don’t like you for being yourself, be yourself even more,” she wrote. “Let them keep living in the darkness and we’ll keep walking in the sunlight.” She’s put high-profile romantic relationships aside for now to focus on friendships with equally confident women (Lorde and model Karlie Kloss are part of her inner circle, and the three Haim sisters will join her on her next world tour). A true class act, Taylor is more fun to watch than ever because she looks like she’s having so much fun herself. Photo: © Getty Images
Most Captivating Model: COCO ROCHA With her vivacious personality and ambitious approach, Coco has always been more than just a pretty face. The Vancouver-raised model, 26, continues to push the boundaries of her career in fashion and beyond. She was one of the first runway stars to embrace social media and has amassed more than 850,000 followers on Instagram and Twitter. Coco, who recently showed off her posing prowess in her first book, Study of Pose, is also a TV personality and an advocate for models’ rights. “Early on it was a little difficult for me to voice my opinion,” she says. “Now it’s common knowledge: [I] will only wear certain things or do certain things.” Next, Coco’s getting ready to tackle another challenge, motherhood. She and her husband James Conran are due to welcome a little girl in the spring. How gorgeous! Photo: © BFANYC/SIPA USA
Most Captivating Mother: CELINE DION When she makes her planned return to the Las Vegas stage later this year, Celine, 46, will do so knowing that her family – husband René Angélil, 73, son René-Charles, 14, and twin boys Nelson and Eddy, 4 – is stronger than ever. The Canadian singer, who began her residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in 2003, stepped away from the mic last year to support her husband and kids as René recovers from surgery to treat throat cancer. “It’s important for me to dedicate this time to him and to our children,” she said at the time. Her choice wasn’t surprising given how hard Celine worked to build her family; the singer has bravely shared her journey through miscarriages and IVF with her fans. Although she epitomizes grace and elegance onstage, for her husband and family she is a pillar of strength. “I think it’s so beautiful and smart for Celine to be with her husband and children,” says her mom Thérèse. “I know she has a big heart and a mother’s soul.” Photo: © Getty Images
Most Captivating Businesswoman: DREW BARRYMORE I don’t really think of myself as the boss,” Drew Barrymore told Hello! Canada while she was in Toronto to launch her makeup line, Flower, in Canada. “It’s a very collaborative environment and the more opinions, the better.” Drew, 39, may downplay her talents, but her success as an actress, producer (her company, Flower Films, has made movies such as Charlie’s Angels and Never Been Kissed) and now a makeup maven is no accident. “I’m an overachiever. Everything I do, I do infinite per cent,” she explained to us. “I work really hard.” Just don’t ask her to put work before her art dealer husband Will Kopelman or their two kids, Olive, 2, and Frankie, who turns one in April. To protect family time, Drew selects her projects with care and declines the rest. “As you add more to your plate, particularly family, things have to fall off or you won’t be a good parent.” Photo: © Getty Images
Most Captivating Crusader: ANGELINA JOLIE Angelina, 39, proved her box office appeal is still strong as the titular sorceress in last year’s Maleficent. But as awesome as she is onscreen, it is her offscreen pursuits -- her promising career as a film director, her life with new husband Brad Pitt and their six kids, and her humanitarian efforts -- that are captivating us most these days. Her sense of purpose explains why Angelina was so committed to directing Unbroken, her Second World War epic about the undying spirit of an Olympian in the face of extreme hardship. (Getting it made was “the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said.) No one should be surprised by Angelina’s choice of subject matter. She’s always sought to shine a light on difficult subjects, ranging from cancer to the plight of refugees in places such as Iraq and Syria. (In January, she wrote an op-ed on the refugees in The New York Times, where she also wrote about her preventive mastectomy.) Recently, her commitment to human rights was recognized by the Queen, who bestowed the title of honorary dame on the star. It’s a rare distinction, but one that befits one of Hollywood’s most inspiring figure. Photo: © Getty Images
Most Captivating Newlywed: AMAL CLOONEY Only a few months after marrying superstar George Clooney, human rights lawyer Amal, 37, is proving that she hasn’t given up her professional prowess along with her single status. Rather than spending her days doting on George, vacationing in Lake Como and shopping for couture (a lifestyle which has its temptations!), she’s gone straight back to her groundbreaking work. The barrister showed her priorities when a reporter asked whose clothes she wore to represent Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. “I’m wearing Ede & Ravenscroft,” she replied with a laugh, referring to the London tailor that has been making legal robes since 1689. Photo: © Getty Images
Most Captivating Up-And-Comer: EMMA STONE Maybe it’s the intelligence and wit that sparkle in her light-green eyes or the slightly husky pitch of her voice. Or the red-hot chemistry she has with co-stars, who’ve included her real-life boyfriend, Andrew Garfield, in The Amazing Spider-Man and Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Whatever the reasons, at 26, Emma continues to surprise audiences and critics alike. As chanteuse Sally Bowles in Cabaret on Broadway, she danced, sang and strutted her way to across-the-board raves, tapping into a maturity seemingly beyond her years. As Michael Keaton’s hilariously embittered daughter in Birdman, Emma landed her first Oscar nomination, for best supporting actress, the youngest contender in a category that includes Hollywood royalty Meryl Streep. “Well, this is surreal,” reacted the humble star. “I am completely knocked out.” As are we every time we watch her. Photo: © Getty Images
Most Captivating Royal: THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE When Kate married Prince William in 2011, she became the Royal Family’s not-so-secret weapon. Since then, her power to captivate us – with her style, compassion and obvious delight in her husband and son, Prince George – has only grown stronger. This could be Kate’s best year yet – both in the public eye and at home. The pregnant royal, 33, has been getting a rapturous reception from fans as she carries out her engagements, and in April she and William will welcome their second child, a sibling for their beloved son. “She’s doing a fantastic job as a mum,” William has said. While Kate will be missed during her months at home with her newborn, we’re sure she’ll be back in the spotlight by summer’s end and better than ever! Photo: © Getty Images
Most Captivating TV Star: MICHELLE DOCKERY The English rose, now 33, was anonymous and underemployed when she signed on to the period drama Downton Abbey, now in its fifth season. The decision changed her life – “it’s amazing what’s happened and I feel that anything else is a bonus,” Michelle has said – but she’s also shaped the series, too. As Lady Mary Crawley, she is front and centre, her vibrancy and vulnerability coming across in expertly subtle ways (who else can say so much with an arch of an eyebrow?). With the sixth and perhaps final season in production, we don’t have to say goodbye to Mary just yet. And what comes next may be Michelle’s best work. “I do look forward to [having a family] more than anything,” says the actress, who is dating financier John Dineen. Photo: © Getty Images
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