ELLE has long been a partner for women in Hollywood — to connect, to provoke, to move the cultural needle. In these photographs, taken from 2018 to 2025, their growing power dominates every frame.

The old binary — serious actress or brand-builder, artistic or commercial — has collapsed. In its place stands a new kind of force: the multihyphenate woman who shapes her own image and owns the infrastructure behind it. Zendaya co-produces her films and curates globalbrand partnerships with the same precision Kylie Jenner brings to a billion-dollar beauty empire. In music, Billie Eilish has merged sound, fashion, visuals and creative control into a singular brand.

Performers like Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis no longer merely take roles: They choose them, develop them and use their visibility to elevate passion projects. Their legacy is built on craft — but also on never surrendering the narrative.

Whether they’re winning Oscars, headlining stadiums or launching category-defining businesses, the message is clear: Ownership is the new currency. Agency is the model. And the most influential women in entertainment aren’t waiting for permission.