q/,' .) /iiCOVER STORY espite Holly- wood's obsession With youth" which; let's face it, ttg"bf grows old -there's a pollrer surgeA $)-qN *N$NR: 'f for lady A strong woman who can take charge and kick butt? Pam Grier practicalllr defined that as Coffy and Foxy Brown in B-movies of those names in 1973 and 1974, helping to make her the first black woman to qiace the cover of Ms. maoazine back in 1975.</p><p> Grier proved she was more than just a campy icon in "Fort Apache the Bronx" (1981) and in a recurring part on the 1980s hit series "Miami Vice," and showed she could be sexy and in on the joke in 1997's "Jackie Brown." On Showtime's "The L Word," the 57-year-old actress is a bar owner and port in the storm for the gals, including her half sister (played by iennifer Beals).</p><p> Survivor? You bet.</p><p> When Quentin Tarantino crafted her "Jackie Brown" comeback, he didn't see a 1970s icon; he saw an actress ready for the best role of her career.</p><p> And nothing is sexier than a woman who knows o what she's worth, and won't settle for less. m i M,G.Sally Field was rdpor-tedly turned down for the role of Benjamin Eraddock's girlfriend in 1962's ,,The craduate," and it's easy to see why: Her sexiness has always been of the wholesome, all-American variety.</p><p> Even though she shot to fame as the bikini- wearing Gidget, you just knew Field wasn't the type who would play on the beach after dark.</p><p> She even rnacie flirting with Burt Reynolds seem innocent both in "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977) and in her privaie life, where Field turned down his marriage proposals.</p><p> In short, we really /lked Field, and that kept us on her side as she formed a union in ,,Norrna Rae" (1979), fought for her farm in "places in the Heart" (1984), juggled suitors in "Murphy's Romance" (19g5) and pitched a tit in "soapdish" (i991).</p><p> NoW at 60, as a widow on ABC's drama,,Brothers & Sisters," Field makes her character Nora's desire to date after her husband's death touching, amusing and, yes, sexy.</p><p> She won't be hitting on a teenage gardener or her neighbor's son; that wouldn't suit her.</p><p> But when Fieid wants to find romance again, we'll be rooting for her, as always.</p><p> Michael cilb REGAL, ROYALTY CUTE Helen Mirren (opposite) has wowed at the mnovies and on the red carpet; $allir Field is America's sweetie.happening among more seasoned female Perform- ers.</p><p> And while guYS have long been able to main- tain treading-rnan status as their birthda5r candles hit , the thiee-Score mark, today tire women come off just as commanding, seSY and in tr"me.</p><p> Noivonder sonfte of their latest work has rnol"ie titles like "T'he Qtleenf'or song titles lihe "UnderYour Spell Ag;ain." Here's a party of five who prove that "sexY" aPPIies
