Nicole KidmanBorn in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 20, 1967, Kidman moved with her parents to their native Australia several years later, where she grew up in Longueville, a Sydney suburb.Interested in play-acting as a child, the future Hollywood star was in drama school by age 10, and by 14 appeared in her first professional role in the TV movie Bush Christmas, now a perennial holiday favorite on Australian TV.From Aussie TV to HollywoodIn a series of other TV movie roles throughout the 80's, the 19-year old Kidman later gained international recognition in the movie thriller, Dead Calm in a critically acclaimed performance alongside Sam Neil and Billy Zane.Future husband Tom Cruise also took notice and helped to cast her in his next star vehicle, Days of Thunder in 1989. The couple were married in December 1990 and would go on to appear together in Far and Away in 1992 and later in Eyes Wide Shut.Meanwhile, it wasn't until Kidman's tour-de-force performance in To Die For in 1995 - as an ambitious, homicidal housewife - before she came into her own as a dramatic actress.Her star continued to rise the following year with roles in Jane Champion's adaptation of The Portrait of a Lady, and opposite George Clooney in The Peacemaker. Then she created an international sensation with a stage performance in The Blue Room with a nude scene that was described as "theatrical Viagra" and the talk of both London and in New York when the actress moved with the show to Broadway.Award WinnerIn 1999, Kidman reteamed with Cruise to mixed reviews in the controversial Eyes Wide Shut directed by Stanley Kubrick. The following year, she was praised by critics for her lead role in Moulin Rouge, which cast her as a 19th century Parisian courtesan.She followed that role wth a chilling performance in the ghostly The Others, quickly followed by her Oscar win for The Hours in which she appeared almost unrecognizable playing author Virginia Woolfe.Kidman later starred in the film remake of The Stepford Wives and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her starring role in Birth.Most recent movie roles have included appearances as Samantha Stephens opposite Will Farrell in the remake of the 60's TV hit, Bewitched and in the title role as The Interpreter opposite Sean Penn.A Wedding, and a BabyOff-screen, Kidman was dating Australian singer Keith Urban for a year when it was announced that she was officially engaged to the country crooner. A late June 2006 wedding soon followed with a ceremony in a north Sydney suburb.It was the second marriage for Kidman, who has two adopted children, Isabella and Connor, with ex-husband Tom Cruise. The marriage marked Keith Urban's first trip down the aisle.Keith Urban's popularity in his own homeland is eclipsed by the huge fan base he enjoys in the U.S., where he has collected the lion's share of country music accolades including the 2006 ACM Top Male V ocalist of the Year award.In June, Keith Urban was also named by Country Weekly magazine as country music's Sexiest Man. However, his marriage to Kidman appeared to hit the rocks when he wasadmitted into a drug and alcohol abuse program shortly after their honeymoon. As a result, by the end of 2006 tabloids were predicting a divorce for the newly-married couple due to Urban's continued carousing.However, the marriage has endured to include happy news of a baby on the way, due in the summer of 2008. The baby would be the first for both Urban and the 40-year old Kidman, who has two adopted children with ex-husband Tom Cruise.Cate BlanchettBorn Catherine Elise Blanchett in Melbourne, Australia on May 14th, 1969 the future Hollywood actress was ten years old when her Texan father died, leaving her Australian mother to raise her and two other siblings.In her teens, Blanchett joined a local theater troupe, but lost interest in drama to attend the University of Melbourne to study art history. It was only later - when on a travel adventure in Egypt - when the acting bug bit again after she was cast as an extra in a boxing movie being shot nearby.Once again back in Sydney, Blanchett enrolled in the National Institute of Dramatic Art where she shone as an ingenue, and upon graduation launched her career in an award-winning stage performance appearing opposite actor Geoffrey Rush in Oleanna.National recognition soon followed with such appearances in the Australian Broadcasting Commission's production of Heartland, and another award-winning performance in 1997 in Thank God He Met Lizzie.A year later, Blanchett launched her Hollywood career when she burst upon the world scene in an internationally acclaimed performance in Elizabeth, for which she won a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Since then, Blanchett has established a reputation for fearlessness as she has taken on a variety of roles in such films as Pushing Tin with Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie, and alongside Jude Law and Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley.The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was a tremendous success for all concerned in 2001, and furthered Blanchett's reputation with Tolkien fans in her brief, powerful performance as Queen Galadriel.In 2005, the actress was nominated for a Golden Globe, won best supporting actress at the SAG Awards and again for best supporting actress at the 2005 Oscar Awards for her portrayal of legendary actress Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.Most recenlty, she co-starred with actor Brad Pitt in the Golden Globe nominated Babel in 2006 followed by another Oscar-nominated role as Best Supporting Actress opposite Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal.Cast in yet another chameleon-like role, Blanchett is next set to appear as the young Bob Dylan in the musical biopic I'm Not There scheduled for 2007 release. The actress also reprises her star-making role as Queen Elizabeth I in The Golden Age, also slated to be released in 2007.When once asked in a New York Times interview if she was going to emulate Britney Spears by baring it all for her fans, Hilary Duff made a revolutionary statement (by show-biz standards at any rate) about where her career is headed, and about growing up..."It means different things to different people," Duff cheerily replied, adding "I don't think it means taking your clothes off ... or having my boobs pushed up to my chin."Pretty, intelligent, and with talent to spare everyone's favorite girl next door was born in Houston, Texas on September 28, 1987.In her teens, Duff developed a passion for acting and after minor parts in movies and TV shows, was cast in her first starring role as Ellie in Soul Collector. However, her biggest break came when she was cast in the part of Lizzie in the Disney Channel Series Lizzie McGuire, an instant hit.Following that success, Duff was cast in the Disney cable movie, Cadet Kelly. Meanwhile, the Lizzie McGuire sitcom continued to attract millions of Hilary Duff fans who also snatched up the show's soundtrack album, along with Duff's special Christmas Album recorded in 2002.As a natural follow-up to her hit series, Duff was soon drawing summer crowds at movie box offices with the release of The Lizzie McGuire Movie in 2003.Its success resulted in Duff' ultimately announcing that she would be leaving TV to persue a career in movies.True to form, Duff had racked up two successful big screen performances by the end of that year with lead roles in Agent Cody Banks and Cheaper by the Dozen.Another major hit in 2004 came with Cinderella Story followed by Raise Your V oice which opened later in the year.In 2005, Hilary Duff returned to the big screen opposite Heather Locklear as daughter and mother in the comedy The Perfect Man- and in 2006 co-starred with sister Haylie in Material Girls.Offstage, Duff has been romantically linked with rocker Joel Madden from the band Good Charlotte before calling it quits following a 2 1/2 year relationship. She is currently dating NHL New York Islander hockey center Mike Comrie.Her latest album, "Dignity" was released in April 2007.Most recenlty in the news over another baby on the way with rumors that she may be pregnant with twins, the Hollywood actress was born Angelina Jolie Voight on June 4, 1975 to actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand.Inheriting her parents' striking Hollywood looks, Jolie began a modeling career while still in her teens and later enrolled in the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and attended New York University where she began acting in school productions.Her soon-forgotten first film, Cyborg 2, was followed by a more memorable performance as a computer hacker in the 1995 film, Hackers. Jolie finally won real recognition in 1997, and with it a Golden Globe for her performance as George Wallace's wife in the TV movie George Wallace, followed shortly with an Emmy-nominated performance in Gia.Her star continued to rise when, in 2000, the actress won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Girl, Interrupted and In 2001 Jolie's career skyrocketed with a star turn in the role of Tomb Raider's Lara Croft in the video-game-inspired movie that was an instant hit with audiences. Since then, other notable work include starring roles in Beyond Borders, Sky Captain: The World of Tomorrow and as the voice of the femme fatale Lola in Shark Tale.Brad & AngelinaAs Jolie attended the London premiere of Alexander in 2004, rumors swirled back home linking her to the much-reported marriage breakup of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. At the time, Star magazine published a candid photo of Jolie and Pitt in what is reported to be a cozy moment near Naples where they had been shooting a scene for the Mr. and Mrs. Smith, released in June 2005.Remaining good friends following the film, Pitt and Jolie both steadfastly denied having an affair, but rumors and gossip continued to swirl until news was confirmed that the couple - now dubbed "Brangelina" - were expecting their first child.Following one of the most anticipated announcements of the year, Jolie finally gave birth to her first child in Namibia, a baby girl named Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt.Brangelina LatestIn a surprise move in early 2007, Jolie and Pitt were rumored to be moving to New Orleans and planning to send their three children to school there. The movie star couple moved to the Big Easy on January 11 and have purchased a multi-million dollar, six-bed mansion in the city's French Quarter.Off the set, the Hollywood star couple also set in motion the adoption of yet another child, a reported 3-4-year old Vietnamese boy, whom the couple renamed Pax Thien Jolie.Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie fans were hotly anticipating the actress' next movie role, playing the seductive mother of the demon Grendul in the Dark Ages epic Beowulf which opened in November 2007. However, an earlier dramtic performance this year in A Mighty Heart garnered Jolie even more critical notice.Most recently, Jolie's personal life has yet again been the subject of tabloid attention with January 2008 rumors she may be pregnant - with twins - fathered by husband Brad Pitt.Jolie can next be seen on the big screen opposite Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy in the 2008 summer action thriller Wanted set for release on June 27.Natalie PortmanNow internationally known as Queen Amidala in the second Star Wars series, Portman was born on June 9, 1981 in Jerusalem and moved with her parents to New York when she was three.A child model, she was all of 12 when she auditioned for her first movie role with director Luc Besson who cast her in The Professional in which she plays a girl who trains as an assassin to avenge her brother's death.The part launched Portman's career, but she continued to appear in minor roles, i.e., opposite Al Pacino in Heat and as the president's disaffected daughter alongside Jack Nicholson and an all-star cast in Mars Attacks! in 1996.Portman went on to appear in two other critically acclaimed films that year - in Woody Allen's Everybody Says I Love You and in Beautiful Girls, in which she held her own against movie veterans Matt Dillon and Timothy Hutton.Her Broadway debut came next, in a strong and sensitive performance in the title role of Anne Frank, followed by the biggest role of her career to date - when she signed a 10-year contract to play the pivotal role of Queen Amidala in three new installments of the epic Star Wars series.Portman's more recent film credits have included appearances in Garden State and alongside Jude Law and Nicole Kidman in the critically acclaimed Cold Mountain, crowning a busy year in film with a Golden Globe winning performance as Best Supporting Actress for her role in Closer and an Oscar nod, as well, for the role.Her final appearance in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith as Queen Amidala was opposite co-star Hayden Christensen as the young Darth Vader.In 2006, Portman starred in V for Vendetta as a rebel fighter against a futuristic totalitarian British government co-starring Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, and John Hurt, followed by almost universal derision a year later for her lightweight performance alongside Dustin Hoffman in "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium."Up next, she co-stars with Scarlett Johannson in the costume drama The Other Boleyn Girl released in February 2008.Julia RobertsOne of the highest paid actresses in Hollyood was born October 28, 1967 in Smyrna, Georgia, showing an early interest in acting that she shared with her older brother, actor Eric Roberts.Roberts' first major film appearance was a memorable role as a small town waitress in Mystic Pizza in 1989, quickly followed by her Oscar-nominated performance in Steel Magnolias that same year.Roberts' breakthrough role came in 1990, with her acclaimed prostitute-with-a-heart-of-gold performance in Pretty Woman opposite Richard Gere.In the mid-90's, the actress also showed her dramatic acting chops alongside Denzel Washington in the Pelican Brief and in an equally-tense thriller, Conspiracy Theory, co-starring Mel Gibson. Offscreen, Roberts wed and divorced singer Lyle Lovett in a short-lived marriage that ended in divorce in 1995.She later closed out the decade starring in huge box office successes - including Runaway Bride, Notting Hill (with Hugh Grant) and most notably in My Best Friend's Wedding featuring a young fledgling actress, Cameron Diaz.In 2000, Roberts followed up with a powerhouse performance in Erin Brockovich for which she was paid an astronomical $20 million and walked off with the Best Actress Oscar, and the title of Highest Paid Actress in Hollywood.Other notable appearances include co-starring alongside good friend George Clooney in Ocean's Eleven and with Julia Stiles and Kirsten Dunst in Mona Lisa Smile.In 2004, the actress appeared with Jude Law in Closer and re-teamed with the Ocean's Eleven crew in the sequel, Ocean's Twelve.Offscreen, Roberts gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl named Phinnaeus and Hazel in Los Angeles on November 28, 2004 with current husband, Danny Moder, at her side. The infants' television premiere occured when the actress shared pictures of the twins with Oprah Winfrey (screen shot, upper right) in February 2005.In 2006, Julia Roberts turned her considerable talents to stage acting, in what was predicted to be a ticket sell-out on Broadway with a limited run appearance in Three Days of Rain.Roberts was most recently heard in voiceover in two animated features, Ant Bully and Charlotte's Web and made tabloid headlines on June 18 when she gave birth to her third child - a son named Henry Daniel weighing in at 8 lbs. 8 ounces.Offscreen, Roberts is also joining the fight against AIDS in 2007 by designing for her favorite designer, Giorgio Armani, a commemorative bracelet for World AIDS Day planned as "a visible reminder of the part that we can all play in fighting AIDS in Africa."The actress, and mother of three, was also recently in the news for lecturing photographers who were apparently chasing her by car on a road near a school zone in LA.Coming up, Julia Roberts co-stars with Tom Hanks in the Mike Nichol's directed political drama Charlie Wilson's War set to open in late 2007.Catherine Zeta-JonesWelsh-born Catherine Zeta-Jones began her career in the British version of the musical 42nd Street, but her breakthrough role came in the as the star in the comedy-drama The Darling Buds of May which premiered on British television in the early '90's.With beauty and poise reminiscent of a classic Hollywood star, Zeta-Jones played bit roles in major movies before appearing in her breakthrough performance in The Mask of Zorro opposite Antonio Banderas in 1998.She later made headlines with her marriage to actor Michael Douglas in 2000. A triple-threat acting-singing-dancing performance won her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her appearance in the 2002 Broadway adaptation of Chicago.In 2005, Zeta-Jones reprises her role in the Zorro franchise as Elena de la V ega alongside actor Antonio Banderas as Zorro in The Legend of Zorro.Scarlett Johansson"You don't become an actress," the blond beauty has been quoted as saying. "You are an actress."And Scarlett Johannson should know, having begun her acting career at age 8.Born in New York City on November 22nd, 1984, Scarlett Johansson (sometimes erroneously credited as Scarlett Johansen or Scarlett Johanssen) attended classes in her hometown at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute for Young People.Thereafter, she made her stage debut in 1992 in an off-Broadway production of Sophistry, alongside a young Ethan Hawke.Two years later, Johansson was starring in her first film role in North, starring Elijah Wood, and with several more minor film appearances to her credit finally made her breakout performance at age 13 in Horse Whisperer alongside acting veteran Robert Redford. Although the film generally received lackluster reviews, it was the young Scarlett Johansson's gifted performance that everyone was talking about.Her film career stalled out for several years more years - with appearances in such unremarkable films as My Brother the Pig in 1999 - but she would gain a formidable teen following as Rebecca in Ghost World in 2000. In 2001, she turned her talents to a more serious role playing a young refugee fleeing communist Hungary in An American Rhapsody.2003 resulted in a watershed year for Johansson, who made her mark in Hollywood as a serious adult actress with two critically acclaimed performances - in Lost in Translation opposite Bill Murray, and in the title role of Girl with a Pearl Earring, for which she received a pair of Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress.Johansson again received a nod for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes in 2006, for her role opposite Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in Woody Allen's Match Point. She next appeared in yet another Woody Allen film, Scoop alongside Hugh Jackman.Offscreen, Johansson has been romantically linked to actor Jared Leto and co-star Josh Hartnett.with whom she appeared in The Black Dahlia by director Brian De Palma.Despite her growing recognition as a serious Hollywood actress, the sexy star's most head-turning performance to date has been a nude appearance in a Vanity Fair photo shoot which hit newstands February 2006.Shortly thereafter, Johansson was also named the world's sexiest woman in a poll by FHM Magazine, and won a similar honor from Esquire magazine as 'the sexiest woman alive' in their November 2006 issue.Coming up, Scarlett Johansson co-stars with Natalie Portman in the costume drama The Other Boleyn Girl set for release in February 2008.Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan, who in February won as Worst Actress at the 2008 Razzie Awards, has also made recent headlines for her tribute to icon Marilyn Monroe in a full photo spread in New York Magazine.Already a TV advertising star by age 3, Lindsay Lohan was born in New York City on July 2, 1986 and later raised on Long Island, NY.Following her toddler acting years - in which she appeared in national commercials for such name brands as Wendy's and Pizza Hut - the young actress by age 10 was appearing in her first full-time acting stint playing Ali Fowler in the NBC soap opera Another World.Movies followed, with an auspicious debut playing twins in the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. Following up with a string of Disney Channel TV movies, Lohan's movie career continued its upward spiral in the 2002 Disney-made vehicle, Freaky Friday, a major comedy hit for Lohan who appeared alongside Jamie Lee Curtis as a mother and daughter who wake up in each other's bodies.That same year, Lohan launched her music career with a five-album deal with Estefan Enterprises. In 2004, she took the lead role for another of Disney's recent hits, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen which also opened to critical acclaim.Lohan scored another hit with her appearance in Mean Girls for Paramount Studios. She returned to Disney for her next role as a race car driver in the comedy Herbie: Fully Loaded in 2005, and appeared alongside the likes of Meryl Streep and other stars in Robert Altman's Prairie Home Companion.Even more notoriety arose in 2005 over Lohan's sudden weight loss, spawning such Web sites as that call for the star's return to her former buxom figure.In early 2006, Lohan frankly admitted to dabbling in drugs, and battling with bulimia, in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine.Lohan had been in the tabloid headlines throughout the year for her party girl antics, resulting in a blistering letter from Georgia Rule movie producer James G. Robinson castigating her for "discourteous, irresponsible and unprofessional" behavior.The party-loving young star finally admitted to her battle with alcoholism and was regularly attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.By January 2007, Lohan was admitted to a rehab center in Los Angeles, but by spring was involved in a suspected drunk driving incident and arrested by Beverly Hills police. The crash was Lohan's third accident in two years.The 21-year-old Lohan was again arrested on July 24 and booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on a suspended license and possession of cocaine, among other charges.In 2007, Lindsay Lohan faced almost universal panning as a pole stripper in the psychological thriller I Know Who Killed Me, a film that swept the February 2008 Razzie Awards which also awarded Worst Actress to Lohan.Days before the awards, Lohan was also making headlines for a nude photo shoot in New York Magazine that recreated a famous series of photos taken of actress Marilyn Monroe.Offscreen, Lindsay Lohan has been romantically linked to Calum Best, as well as HarryMorton, son of Hard Rock Cafe owner billionaire Peter Morton.Hilary SwankBorn Hilary Ann Swank in Lincoln, Nebraska on July 30, 1974, the future actress and 2005 Oscar award and Golden Globe winner - for her starring role in Million Dollar Baby - grew up in Bellingham, Washington and as a child was active in sports and gymnastics.She later competed in the Junior Olympics and eventually ranked fifth in the state of Washington in all-around gymnastics.The spirited kid with the lanky frame, Swank was all of 16 years old when she decided to move to Los Angeles to persue an acting career. Two years later, the fledgling actress had her first minor role in 1992's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and in 1994 starred in the forgettable The Next Karate Kid alongside Pat Morita.Subsequent to her appearance in a number of minor film roles, Swank briefly took on the character of Steve's (Ian Ziering) girlfriend Carly in 1997 in the hit TV series 90210, the same year she married actor Chad Lowe.Then in 1999, Swank's career skyrocketed with a starring role in Boys Don't Cry as Teena Brandon, a small town woman whose decision to live her life as a man ultimately ends in violence and murder. Her powerful performance met with unrelenting praise from critics, earning Swank both Golden Globe and Oscar Awards for Best Actress.Surprisingly, Swank returned to less-than-memorable roles in such movies as The Gift (2001), Insomnia (2002) with Al Pacino, and in the sci-fi action film, The Core (2003) -- before once again becoming the talk of Hollywood with her recent portrayal of a boxer determined to train over the objections of her coach, played by Clint Eastwood, in Million Dollar Baby -- for which the actress triumphantly won Best Actress at the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the 2005 Oscars.Offscreen, Swank has been in the headlines over the breakup with husband Chad Lowe stating that the couple have decided to divorce after more than eight years of marriage.In 2007, the actress has started off the new year in Freedom Writers which has opened to glowing reviews for both the film and its star. In the movie, Swank plays real-life inspirational teacher Erin Gruwell, who encourages her high school students to fight for their dreams.Jude LawBorn in London on December 29, 1972, Law began his acting career as a teen on the London stage, most notably in Indescretions, which he later followed to New York to star in the Broadway version with film actress Kathleen Turner.Law next turned to film, initially in independent productions, but with his first major performance in Gattaca opposite Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, and in a notable role in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.His star continued to rise in Hollywood with the 1999 release of The Talented Mr. Ripley alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Matt Damon, for which he received both a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.Other notable performances include a starring role in Enemy at the Gates; an appearance in Steven Speilberg's A.I.; in Road to Perdition alongside Tom Hanks and Paul Newman; and in 2003's Cold Mountain with Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Actor.In 2004, Law became unavoidable on the silver screen with starring roles in no less than six films including Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow with Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, and in the comedy I Heart Huckabee's. Additional 2004 appearances included the starring role in a remake of the 60's hit, Alfie, in the Mike Nichol's drama, Closer and as Errol Flynn in the Howard Hughe's film biography, The Aviator.He has been named "Sexiest Man Alive 2004" by People magazine for "supernatural good looks, supersize talent, and his reputation as an all-around nice guy..."The following year Jude Law appeared in few credits, but followed up in 2006 with starring roles in All the King's Men, Breaking and Entering and The Holiday in which he co-starred with actress Cameron Diaz.Relationship with Sienna MillerBreaking the hearts of millions of female fans, the actor announced his engagement in 2005 to actress Sienna Miller, although their wedding plans were soon after called off following Law's fling with his children's nanny. At the time, Law had expressed "sincere regret" to Sienna Miller regarding the affair.Law divorced fashion designer-actress Sadie Frost in October 2003 after a six-year marriage and three children.Jude "Law Breaker"The actor was back in the news in September 2007 after an arrest by police for allegedly "attacking" a member of the paparazzi in West London. During a brief struggle, Law attempted to take the photographer's camera and is now up on charges with a hearing scheduled for October.。
