It doesn’t always happen the way it does in the movies but if only, right? Let’s take a moment to appreciate some of our favorite film heroines who, while fictitious, inspire us to take charge and run the show. These characters are leaders, unflappable, tough as nails, with survivor instinct and, like their real-life counterparts have some flaws (that’s what makes us interesting and human). Also important to note: they are not mean girls. Instead of submitting to less-than-ideal circumstances and becoming the victim, they take control of the narrative, overcome obstacles and emerge victorious. Think Harvard-crashing Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Or Working Girl’s Tess McGill. That amazingly unholy 9-5 trio: Judy, Violet and Doralee (played with delicious vigor by Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton, respectively). When their sexist bully of a boss is laid up in the hospital and they step in, the office runs smoothly for a change. Erin Brockovitch, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scarlett O’Hara…the list goes on and on. Don’t forget about Charlies’s Angels – that was a girl gang that embraced ambition with teamwork. We suspect that our list will get people talking — possibly up-in-arms. That’s good. That’s the point.

Our top 10 film and television heroines, in no particular order, below:

Erin Brockovitch, Erin Brockovitch

Diana Christensen, Network

Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

Buffy, Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Scarlett O’Hara, Gone With The Wind

Violet, Doralee and Judy, 9-5

Tess McGill, Working Girl

Marge Gudnerson, Fargo

Lisa Simpson, The Simpsons

Ellen Ripley, Alien

More about #EmbraceAmbition & the Tory Burch Foundation:
In 2009, Tory launched the Tory Burch Foundation which provides access to capital, education and digital resources to empower women entrepreneurs. Learn more about the Foundation and #EmbraceAmbition here.