Icon: Meryl Streep

The very first time I had ever seen her acting was in "She-Devil" with Roseanne Barr. I had an instant admiration for her skill and I wanted to see more. Over the years I have seen her be a nun, a white water rafter, a fashion Goddess, a Holocaust survivor, a music teacher, an icon chef, an ant queen and the blue fairy. Her skill is so on point and when people say that she is the best living actor around, I simply have to nod my head and agree. Over her career she has garnered a record 16 Academy Award nominations; 2 of which she has won, 13 BAFTA nominations with 1 win, 25 Golden Globe nominations; 7 of which she won, 2 wins out of 3 Emmy nominations, 4 Grammy nominations, 11 Screen Actors Guild nominations with 2 wins and 1 Tony nomination. She has inspired a slew of young actors and actresses to do the best work possible and to strive to be as good as she is. She is a true icon in the acting world and a gift to everyone she has blessed with her work.

Icon: Whoopi Goldberg

A true comedy rebel Caryn Elaine Johnson redefined the role of a black Comedian and Actress with the unforgettable and iconic stage name Whoopi Goldberg. Not only a great comedian, but a exceptionally great dramatic actress winning an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, 7 NAACP Image Awards, 2 Daytime Emmy awards, 3 People's Choice awards and 2 Golden Globe awards for her acting range. In 1999, she received the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Vanguard Award for her continued work in supporting the gay and lesbian community. In 2001, she won the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center. She has also won a Tony and Grammy award and has appeared in over 150 films in the 1990's. Whoopi was the highest-paid actress of all time. Goldberg has also been an advocate for human rights worldwide, moderating a panel at the Alliance of Youth Movements Summit on how social networks can be used to fight violent extremism in 2008 and also moderating a panel at the UN in 2009 on human rights, children and armed conflict, terrorism, human rights and reconciliation. and and true American Treasure that should be honored as a maverick that is still today refusing to bow to any ones standards and showing you a way to live as you are and be happy with whom you are 100% of the time. She is a true inspiration and living legend.