20 Artists That Brought Cleopatra to Life on the Big Screen

There are a few historical figures that have managed to escape textbooks and become, one way or the other, part of popular culture. Among them we will absolutely find Cleopatra, which is, well... a textbook case of what we described before: more than 2,000 years have passed since she roamed the Egyptian palaces, and she’s still imposing all kinds of beauty trends. She has been portrayed in all sorts of ways, from the femme fatale to the relentless seductress that the Romans thought she was. And of course, celebrities have not restrained themselves from bringing her to life in their own, very personal way.

So as a tribute to the legendary queen of Egypt and to all those celebrities who were up to the challenge of playing a part that portrayed her according to their time, Bright Side made a compilation for you to see how Cleopatra’s image evolved on screen.

1. Elizabeth Taylor — Cleopatra (1963)

2. Vivien Leigh — Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)

3. Monica Bellucci — Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002)

4. Sophia Loren — Two Nights with Cleopatra (1954)

5. Leonor Varela — Cleopatra (1999)

6. Katy Perry — “Dark Horse” (music video, 2013)

7. Theda Bara — Cleopatra (1917)

8. Claudette Colbert — Cleopatra (1934)

9. Virginia Mayo — The Story of Mankind (1957)

10. Florence Lawrence — Anthony and Cleopatra (1908)

11. Pascale Petit — A Queen for Caesar (1962)

12. Rhonda Fleming — Serpent of the Nile (1953)

13. Micheline Dax (voice) — Asterix and Cleopatra (1968)

14. Hildegarde Neil — Antony and Cleopatra (1972)

15. Jeanne d’Alcy — Cleopatra’s Tomb (1899)

16. Amanda Barrie — Carry on Cleo (1964)

17. Alessandra Negrini — Cleopatra (2007)

18. Lindsey Marshal — Rome (2005)

19. Piper Laurie — Caesar and Cleopatra (1959)

20. Janet Suzman — Antony and Cleopatra (1974)

So now that you’ve seen the most iconic representations of Cleopatra, we have a game for you: if you had to choose one artist that wasn’t mentioned in this list, to play her own version of the Egyptian ruler, who would you choose? Let us know in the comments!