1. Natalie Portman

She dared to shave her head in V For Vendetta—a terrifying move to make for any girl who's always had long, gorgeous locks. It's doubly difficult if part of your job is to look beautiful. As if that weren't hard enough, she only had one chance to get it right. She got it perfect in that one take, and she rocked her new look like nobody's business.

(Image from V For Vendetta courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

2. Justin Timberlake

Justin found fame as one fifth of one of the most popular boybands of the '90s, 'NSync. But he dared to go solo and shifted from pop to R&B—a pretty big change that wasn't guaranteed to be a success—and he went from being just another part of some pop group to becoming a bona fide superstar with two hit albums under his belt.

(Images courtesy of Sony Music)

3. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal

They dared to put aside their usual leading man roles to play gay cowboys in Brokeback Mountain, both delivering Oscar-worthy performances and placing them in the Hollywood acting A-list for all time.

(Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

4. John Lloyd Cruz and Luis Manzano

They dared to play gay lovers in In My Life. That might sound a little anticlimactic after Brokeback Mountain, but Philippine viewers (with the macho mindset and all) are quick to typecast an actor once he plays a certain role, especially if it's a gay role. So to tackle this kind of subject matter was a very brave and risky move. And they've managed to keep all gay rumors at bay.

(Image courtesy of Star Cinema)

5. Daniel Radcliffe

He dared to bare it all, and we mean ALL, in the play Equus. He proved that he had real acting chops—talent that extended beyond the Harry Potter films that made him famous. And he had the guts to get buck naked onstage in front of hundreds of people night after night!

(Image from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

6. Charlize Theron

She dared to transform herself into an entirely different person for a movie role. She looked nothing at all like her usual blonde, beautiful, statuesque self in Monster—in fact, she was barely recognizable in her role as a serial killer prostitute! She proved to the world that she was definitely more than her looks, and she bagged an Oscar for her incredible performance.

(Image from Monster courtesy of Newmarket Films)

7. Beyonce

She dared to leave her wildly popular R&B group to make a name for herself. Destiny's Child was doing more than well, churning out girl power hit after girl power hit and inspiring women everywhere to be strong. But Beyonce struck out on her own and became an even bigger star and icon than anyone could have ever imagined—and still continued to wave the flag for fun, fearless females everywhere.

(Images courtesy of Columbia Records)

8. Angel Locsin

She dared to leave the TV network that made her famous. Angel was one of GMA-7's biggest, brightest stars, having played the title role in Darna. She was offered the lead in Marimar, a HUGE role. But she turned it down. And then she transferred to GMA-7's rival, ABS-CBN. She might not be as popular now as she was when she was with GMA, but she won an acting award for her role in an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya. She's even been nominated for an Emmy award since she jumped ship. And you already know that she topped FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World list—again.

(Image courtesy of ABS-CBN)

9. Anne Hathaway

She dared to defy conventions. She got her start in the major leagues playing tweetums characters in Disney-produced flicks, but Anne decided to be bold—literally. She took her clothes off for a role, proving she could definitely handle more serious adult roles. She's since become one of the best dramatic actresses of her generation—one who is still more than capable of wholesome, family-friendly comedy. And there was no nudity backlash, either! People remember her incredible acting talent, not her boobs.

(Image from Valentine's Day courtesy of New Line Cinema)

10. Sandra Bullock

She dared to be serious. Known more for her funny roles and spot-on comedic timing, Sandra's a consummate comedienne. So while people might have expected her to do okay in The Blind Side, no one thought she'd be so amazing in a serious dramatic role that she'd actually bag an Academy Award for it! She fought hard to be given the chance to play Leigh Anne Tuohy, and she did an astounding job.

(Image from The Blind Side courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)