Top 10 Funniest Actresses of the Past 10 Years

“ What becomes an acting legend most? Apparently comedy, as Streep – she of the serious, heartbreaking turns in movies like Sophie’s Choice, Out of Africa, The Hours, and more – has started to show off her funny side more and more. Adaptation saw her getting giddily stoned, The Devil Wears Prada showed her as a hilariously sly ice queen, and Mamma Mia! allowed her to sing, throw zingers, and showcase her physical comedy. And don’t miss the three episodes of “Web Therapy” where she upstaged co-star Lisa Kudrow as a wacky orientation-conversion therapist. ”

“ Stone had two great where-did-she-come-from? turns in both The House Bunny and Zombieland, but it was her star-making, hilarious performance in Easy A that catapulted her to stardom; her performance as Olive, the wallflower turned supposed school slut, ranks as one of the best comedy turns of recent years (and garnered her a Golden Globe nomination to boot). She continued to charm in Crazy Stupid Love, as well as her first presentation gig on the Academy Awards – which, by the way, we think she should host! ”

“ Wilson practically stopped the show with her brief appearance in the comedy Bridesmaids (To Kristen Wiig: “At first I did not know it was your diary, I thought it was a very sad handwritten book.”) and cemented her popularity with the a capella comedy Pitch Perfect (“Well... sometimes I have the feeling I can do crystal meth, but then I think, mmm... better not.”) before hosting the most recent MTV Movie Awards. Up next: her own half-hour network comedy, “Super Fun Night.” ”

“ This may have been the last season of “30 Rock”, but Fey and company went out on top, and now Liz Lemon ranks as one of top TV heroines of all time alongside Mary Richards and Murphy Brown. She also wrote (and co-starred) in one of the best teen comedies of all time, Mean Girls, and her work on “Saturday Night Live” brought us her peerless impersonation of Sarah Palin, among other memorable characters. And thanks to her and Amy Poehler, the Golden Globes outranked the Oscars this year in hosting charisma and smarts. ”

“ Speaking of Poehler, in addition to her fab turn at the Golden Globes (where she tossed off our favorite line, “When it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron."), her continued work on “Parks and Recreation” turned councilwoman Leslie Knope from a clueless bureaucrat to the most awesome civil servant who ever lived. We still miss her on “Saturday Night Live”, though are beyond ecstatic when she pops back in to co-anchor “Weekend Update” with Seth Meyers. ”

“ A woman of many faces on “Saturday Night Live” – the Target Lady, Gilly, Penelope, party spoiler Sue (“Oh my godddddd!”), and tons more – Wiig jumped to movie stardom with Bridesmaids, which earned her an Oscar nomination for screenwriting and a spot on the most-wanted list of comedic actresses. Most recently, her spot-on performance as the young Lucille Bluth on “Arrested Development” was pitch perfect in its mix of comedy and meanness. ”

“ Bullock’s ingénue rom-com days may be over, and though she won her Oscar for her dramatic turn in The Blind Side, she remains one of the most empathetic actresses on screen, and her comedic timing is matched only by her innate gift for physical comedy. She cracked wise with Ryan Reynolds in the otherwise ho-hum The Proposal and may meet her match in Melissa McCarthy with the upcoming The Heat. ”

“ Faris may be the Judy Holliday of her generation, an actress who looks like a daffy blonde (and can play dumb with the best of them) but underneath is whip-smart, fearless, and ready to take on any situation. She’s gone from stealing scenes in Lost in Translation and Just Friends to headlining her own comedies like The House Bunny and What’s Your Number? Next, she jumps to network TV to star in her own sitcom, “Mom”. ”

“ Last year, Louis-Dreyfus made history as the first woman to win three comedy Emmys for playing three different characters: Elaine of “Seinfeld”, Christine of “The New Adventures of Old Christine”, and most recently, Selina Meyer of “Veep”. This year, “Veep” not only improved upon its first season but saw Louis-Dreyfus doing some of her best comedic work ever, some 30 (!) years after her debut on “Saturday Night Live.” We’re more than ready to re-elect (or that “re-appoint”?) her for another term. ”