Brunette Power

What can brown do for you? A lot, if you ask Hollywood's biggest brunette power players. While L.A. may seem awash with blondes, plenty of actresses have risen to the top by ditching the peroxide and flaunting their true colors. Here are a few that have made it to the A-list (and our "best-tressed" list) by keeping it dark.

Anne Hathaway first caught Hollywood's attention in "The Princess Diaries." She then shot to mega-stardom in "The Devil Wears Prada" by playing a mousy fashion magazine assistant who turned out to be anything but.

Through it all, Anne has kept her trademark brown tresses. With an Oscar nomination in the bag at only 26 years old (not to mention a spot on People's 100 Most Beautiful list for 2009), we think Anne just may know what she's doing.

Natalie Portman is probably best known for two assets: her smarts, and that enviable, shiny brown hair.

The Harvard grad – who once said she'd "rather be smart than a movie star" – has already earned an Oscar nomination for her role in "Closer," and is now one of Hollywood's most sought-after young actresses.

As her star has risen, Natalie has kept it real – eschewing a blond makeover in favor of natural-looking light brown locks.

As both a writer and an actress, Tina Fey is a true Hollywood heavyweight. She's also a natural brunette who chooses to keep her hair a brilliant shade of brown. Though Tina often plays the nerd role, she's not fooling America. She was recently listed alongside Megan Fox as the woman men most want to party with. Who says blondes have more fun?

Speaking of Megan Fox, the "Transformers" hottie is known to take pride in being a brunette. (In fact, there were even rumors that she wanted to limit the number of dark-haired girls allowed on the "Transformers" set.)

The young actress stands out, in no small part due to her sexy dark 'do. Now that Megan is headed for super-stardom, we trust she'll keep the chocolaty color that made her such a standout in the first place.

Angelina Jolie is not only part of Hollywood's hottest power couple, she's also an Oscar winner, a mother, a crusader for human rights worldwide, and a style icon.

Perhaps gentlemen prefer blondes, but there's no doubt that Angie made Brad Pitt a convert to brunettes.

Wherever Katie Holmes goes, the paparazzi seem to follow. Photographers are particularly transfixed by her hair style, as was exhibited when Katie temporarily donned extensions for the Tokyo premiere of "Valkyrie."

Katie's overall style has grown more sophisticated since her "Dawson's Creek" days but, even as her 'do has gotten shorter and edgier, that mocha-brown color has remained mostly unchanged. Why mess with a good thing?

Newly married Salma Hayek is a poster-girl for the power of brunettes. Not only has she starred in critically-acclaimed films like "Frida," she's also worked behind the scenes as a director and producer, and recently showed her comedic acting chops with a reccuring role on "30 Rock." Just call her a brunette quadruple threat.

What's Cindy Crawford's secret for remaining babelicious, lo all these years? The original supermodel might credit her trademark brown tresses. This iconic brunette (and mother of two, though it's hard to believe based on her recent stripped-down photo spread in Allure Magazine) is also one smart cookie. She's transitioned modeling into a successful career as a businesswoman, launching her own line of home furnishings and skin-care products.

Jennifer Garner got her start as butt-kicking Sydney Bristow on TV's "Alias," then branched out to become one of Hollywood's favorite leading ladies. The Texas-born actress – who keeps her locks a lighter shade of brown – has also become an icon for her ability to successfully balance motherhood and stardom.

Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones got her start on London's West End, but it wasn't long before Hollywood came calling. Her wavy brunette mane made her the perfect choice for the role of high-spirited Elena in "The Mask of Zorro," and it's a sexy, sophisticated look that she's maintained ever since.

Don't lump "Twilight" and "Adventureland" starlet Kristen Stewart in with the pack of interchangeable teen celebs. The actress' quirky sense of style, complemented by her hottie-next-door brown hair, sets her apart from the crowd of cookie-cutter ingenues.

Penelope Cruz recently took home an Oscar for her work in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," cementing her status as one of Hollywood's hottest leading ladies.

The Spanish actress has served as muse to more than one big-name director. (Pedro Almodóvar and Woody Allen, if you're wondering.) We're sure this is mostly due to her acting chops, but don't discount the power of that shiny brown hair to garner some serious attention.

No discussion of iconic brunettes would be complete without paying homage to the grand dame of brown-haired chic: Jackie Kennedy. The former first lady's trademark brown flip inspired legions of Americans, and many of Hollywood's hottest celebrities, to go dark. Marilyn who?