Angelina Jolie
The Great Breakthrough
Los Angeles, California, United States
Jolie's first breakthrough came when she portrayed supermodel Gia Carangi in HBO's Gia (1998). Vanessa Vance of Reel.com retrospectively noted, "Jolie gained wide recognition for her role as the titular Gia, and it's easy to see why. Jolie is fierce in her portrayal—filling the part with nerve, charm, and desperation—and her role in this film is quite possibly the most beautiful train wreck ever filmed." For the second consecutive year, Jolie won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Emmy Award. She also won her first Screen Actors Guild Award.