Time’s 100 Influential List Women
The annual TIME 100 Most Influential List was released on April 17, 2019. The prestigious list honored 45 remarkable women who are changing the world on their own terms, and in their own ways. Celebrities like Lady Gaga, Sandra Oh, and Ariana Grande were honored for their contributions to the arts, while politicians like Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were recognized for how they’re trying to change Washington, DC. But the reason for each woman’s inclusion is the same: they’re making a difference by just being themselves. Gaga isn’t just a singer and an actress; she’s an LGBTQ activist. Ariana went through extreme hardship and came out as one of the world’s biggest stars. Alexandria went from bartender to one of the country’s most talked about politicians, and she’s not slowing down. See them, and the other women from TIME 100 in this gallery.
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Lady Gaga had an incredible 2018. She was nominated for Best Actress for “A Star is Born”, and won the award for Best Original Song for “Shallow” from the movie. She was included on the TIME 100 because, as Celine Dion put it, “What makes her even more special, and such a powerful influence on society, is that she empowers her fans to adopt the very same values in their lives—to stand up for what they believe in, despite what others might think. By doing so, she gives her followers the strength and confidence to believe in themselves. Whether it’s her unstoppable support for the LGBTQ community, or her anti-bullying campaigning, Lady Gaga’s voice is being heard where it really counts.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Chrissy Teigen may have started as a model, but she’s now made a name for herself as an incredible chef and cookbook author. The hilarious star really has the chops, says her friend, Chef Eric Ripert: “While she might come off as lighthearted, Chrissy’s cooking is truly excellent. She’s a true perfectionist and extremely precise… she may be glamorous and an icon in elegance, but she’s extremely approachable and warm. And above all, she’s a very proud mother and a tremendously supportive wife.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Sandra Oh is killing it as the lead on “Killing Eve”. The actress, long overlooked, is racking up accolades for her BBC show. As her “Grey’s Anatomy” boss Shonda Rhimes puts it, Sandra has “chosen to fearlessly take up space in a universe that has not always made space for her. Now, the power of her talented presence makes space for others. And that is a gift to every artist of color who follows in her footsteps.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Ariana Grande struggled through unimaginable loss and heartbreak in 2018, losing her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, and ending her engagement to Pete Davidson. Her friend Troye Sivan, writes, “Through just about the craziest storms and whirlwinds I can imagine, Ariana Grande remains the most real person I’ve met… Now she’s the biggest artist in the world, and that’s kind of a no-brainer to me.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Though no longer FLOTUS, Michelle Obama is still making a major impact on our country. She became a best-selling author with the release of her memoir, “Becoming”, and continues to be a passionate activist. She’s Beyonce’s hero: “I am so grateful that my daughters and my son live in a world where Michelle Obama shines as a beacon of hope who inspires all of us to do better and to be better.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Despite her hardened and gritty ‘Game of Thrones’ persona, Emilia Clarke is one of the sweetest people in Hollywood. But don’t get it wrong; she’s an incredibly hard worker and badass. Her “Last Christmas” costar Emma Thompson describes her as having the “courage of a small lion, the stamina of a Welsh pit pony and the soul of a clown. A powerhouse to watch and an ally to die for.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s road to DC is the stuff of movies. A bartender in Queens, NY, AOC beat the odds in 2018 to unseat her district’s sitting representative and get to the House. She’s a force to be reckoned with, ushering in admiration and rampant criticism equally. Senator Elizabeth Warren writes, “She reminds all of us that even while greed and corruption slow our progress, even while armies of lobbyists swarm Washington, in our democracy, true power still rests with the people. And she’s just getting started.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Brie Larson is an actress and an activist who shattered an industry glass ceiling by becoming Marvel’s first female superhero to have their own movie — “Captain Marvel”. Her “Avengers” costar Tessa Thompson writes that Brie “is a warrior on- and offscreen… she’s fighting fiercely for gender equality, inclusivity and an end to sexual harassment in the workplace.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Nancy Pelosi is the first female Speaker of the House in US history, and she’s done it twice. When the Democrats took back the House in 2018, she replaced Paul Ryan, and is leading the charge to protect reproductive rights. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton writes, “Speaker Nancy Pelosi is living proof that when it comes to getting the job done, more often than not, it takes a woman.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford courageously came forward in front of the entire nation to accuse SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in the 1980s. She was interrogated by a Senate committee on live TV, and in the aftermath of her accusations, was harassed so much that she had to move. “And through her courage, she forced the country to reckon with an issue that has too often been ignored and kept in the dark,” Senator Kamala Harris writes.
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
“Fixer Upper” star Joanna Gaines was included on the list with her costar and husband, Chip Gaines. Their friend Tim Tebow wrote that Joanna has an “incredible” heart, and is truly passionate about helping others. That’s exemplified in projects like making their houses wheelchair accessible.
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Despite Glenn Close’s prowess and power as an actress, she has inexplicably never won an Oscar. But that doesn’t define her. The star of classics like “The Natural” and “Fatal Attraction” will always be at the top of her game, writes friend Robert Redford: “She doesn’t play roles as much as she transforms herself into them, never allowing her own personality or celebrity to get in the way.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Regina King is a superstar. The actress is making the transition to directing, and the Oscar-winner is a force to be reckoned with. As her friend Viola Davis says, “It’s like they say: what the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly. I think Regina is morphing into the most beautiful butterfly.”
Time’s 100 Influential List Women
Dr. Leana Wen is the first doctor to lead Planned Parenthood in 50 years. Today, she’s fighting conservatives who want to defund the comapny and take away women’s rights to safe abortions. Former NY gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon praises her, writing, “Leana Wen is the fierce visionary I want fighting on behalf of all of us.”
