they've made it big by being wicked. discover how a crop of highly paid, very successful young actresses is bringing girl power to hollywood american pie 2 arrives in britain next month, having already grossed £100m in just six weeks at the box office. its twentysomething stars, tara reid, mena suvari and alyson hannigan, have made their fortunes and are being feted by fashion houses and advertisers. maybe you've heard of them - and maybe you haven't. but in hollywood, they matter. the girls not only look like a million dollars, they can make it, too. in the latest twist of power on the backlots of film studios in los angeles, a crop of young and beautiful unknowns have become rich by playing scream queens and sex queens. they have been bad girls, bitches, marriage wreckers and groupies. whether it's american pie or american beauty, they deliver put-downs, stitch-ups and chat-ups while ringing up success, and have the rich trappings to prove it. there has never been a better time for girl power in hollywood. jb rogers, the director of american pie 2, is enjoying the success of a sequel to the surprise comedy hit of 1999, with its lightweight plot based on girls calling the shots when it comes to college sex. "the talent and competition among actresses for these roles is phenomenal," he reports. "success breeds success and, suddenly, we have a crop of highly paid young actresses. i am not saying they don't deserve it." and these hollywood girls are flexing their muscles. the american kate hudson, at 22, a star on the strength of almost famous, which despite warm reviews did only moderately well at the box office, has pulled out of a british film, girl with a pearl earring, co-starring ralph fiennes. producers are now in a flap trying to find a replacement who will have equal pulling power. the rise to be able to command a million dollars for a film in america can be rapid. rachel leigh cook is still only 21, but used films like antitrust and a 1999 hit, she's all that, to lever the lead in the twentieth century fox film josie and the pussycats, about an all-girl rock band, released last month. yet in britain, apart from kate winslet, 25, and, to a much lesser extent, pearl harbor's kate beckinsale, 28, and rachel weisz, 29 (who scored hits with the two mummy movies), there is no such twentysomething power base. winchester, a british film company, is currently seeing the advantage of their investment in heartbreakers, with the 22-year-old jennifer love hewitt playing the con-artist daughter of sigourney weaver. the film looks set to deliver a full return on its investment of £15m, and has already grossed £3m in four weeks in britain. the dark-haired, brown-eyed hewitt, who grew up on the hit television series party of five, also brought to heartbreakers that ingredient vital to the success of all hollywood twentysomething stars: a bad-girl moment. her particular turn was kneeling in dress and high heels in front of a protesting ray liotta and giving him oral sex. it was one of the movie's most memorable scenes. "britain has some brilliant young talent and that is not in dispute," says american director david mirkin. "but hollywood girls seem to have a certain sassiness that translates worldwide." another actress currently lighting up the big screen is reese witherspoon, 25, as elle woods, a dream california girl, in legally blonde. the film, a send-up of hollywood girls and their strengths and weaknesses, topped the box office in america and grossed £60m. the nashville-born witherspoon, who began acting classes at seven and made her film debut at 14, was already on big money, despite never - until now - having had a serious hit. alicia silverstone hit big time in 1995, with clueless, based on jane austen's emma. the shrewd silverstone, 24, has gone on to launch her own production company and make even more money. sarah michelle gellar, also 24, in addition to her movies, earns several million dollars a year as buffy, and two years ago set up a production company. drew barrymore, recently married for the second time and clean of all drug and alcohol abuse, set up her own company, flower films, seven years ago. she is now one of the busiest actresses in america. it was her debut as both producer and star in never been kissed, in 1999, that set her apart from her contemporaries. this film grossed nearly £40m and became one of twentieth century fox's biggest hits of the year.
