Every Major Actress to Play Anne Shirley on Screen, Ranked

Few literary heroines have been brought to the screen as many times — or in as many different ways — as Anne Shirley. Since Anne of Green Gables was first published in 1908, L.M. Montgomery’s imaginative, red-haired orphan has inspired everything from silent films and faithful television adaptations to darker reimaginings that took some major liberties with the original story.

Over the decades, actresses including Megan Follows, Amybeth McNulty, Ella Ballentine, and even silent film star Mary Miles Minter have put their own spin on Anne. Some became synonymous with the beloved character, while others starred in adaptations that Anne fans might find questionable.