Jessica Ann Simpson / Jessica Simpson

Mini Biography

Jessica Ann Simpson was born July 10, 1980, in Abilene Texas to Joe and Tina Simpson. She grew up in Richardson, Texas, living a normal childhood as the daughter of a youth minister. In church, she was able to shine, using her gifted voice to attract an independent record producer. This producer was the first of many to see the potential for greatness in Jessica. However, because of the lack of finances the independent label went bankrupt, preventing Jessica's album from reaching wider audiences.

Although heartbroken, Jessica's dream to be on the radio remained. With support from her family, and her father's managerial talents, Jessica's independent album managed to work its way to Tommy Mottola's desk, then President of Columbia Records. He was won over by her "pure heart" and strong voice. Jessica's singing career with Columbia would take her all over the world many times over and include three major albums reaching Gold, Platinum, and double Platinum.

As a born performer, it was only natural for Jessica to spend more time in front of the camera both in television and feature films. Audiences were naturally drawn to her open and uncensored attitude, contributing to the success of the hit reality show "Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica" (2003), which she starred in alongside her then husband Nick Lachey. She followed up the show by making the bold choice to fill in the famous "Dasiy Duke shorts" alongside Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott in her debut performance for the film version of The Dukes of Hazzard (2005).

Jessica has proven she is a rare talent with an ability to capture the hearts and minds of fans around the globe. Whether it be music or film, it is evident that she has a long career ahead of her as she continues to change and grow as an artist.

Simpson released her first single, "I Wanna Love You Forever," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2000. Soon afterward her major label debut album Sweet Kisses was released. To support the album, Simpson toured with Ricky Martin and boy band 98 Degrees. Simpson and 98 Degrees group member Nick Lachey began dating shortly afterwards. After dating for two years, the couple cooled their relationship. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the couple reconciled. Simpson stated, "After 9/11, I knew that I never ever wanted to be away from Nick ever for the rest of my life."

Meanwhile, Simpson's album Sweet Kisses had gone double platinum, helped by follow-up singles "Where You Are" and "I Think I'm In Love With You", which were both released in 2000. The latter became Simpson's biggest radio hit at that point, and was her first release of an uptempo single. Although her debut album sold 2 million copies, sales fell far short of those achieved by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and unlike the two pop princesses, Simpson was not a worldwide household name. Columbia Records officials reportedly decided Simpson needed a change for her second album.

In 2001, Simpson recorded a follow-up album with what Columbia considered more radio-friendly, up-tempo tracks. The result in that was Irresistible, released in mid-2001 on the heels of the title-track first single. "Irresistible" became one of the biggest hits of her career; it peaked at # 15 on the Hot 100. Irresistible debuted at #6 in June 2001 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, and has sold 825,000 copies to date.

2002: Marriage to Nick Lachey and TV success

During the summer of 2003, the reality show, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, starring Simpson and her then-new husband Nick Lachey began airing on MTV. Simpson's third album, In This Skin, was released in August 2003 to coincide with the series premiere of Newlyweds.

The show quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and is credited with making her a household name, even among those who did not follow pop music or MTV. “I never knew that just doing the show would give me that pedestal to step on,” Simpson told Blender magazine in a March 2004 feature.

The associated album, In This Skin, debuted at #10 on The Billboard 200 album chart, with sales of 64,000 in its first week. It rebounded after a special collectors' edition was released in April 2004 and subsequently reached a peak of #2. It was eventually certified quadruple platinum. It contained the song "Sweetest Sin", which barely even made an impact on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. However, the album did contain the hit singles "With You" (#14, 2004) and a cover of the Berlin song "Take My Breath Away" (#20, 2004), and a lesser hit, a cover of the Robbie Williams song "Angels", which charted just outside the Billboard Hot 100.

The couple starred in the television special The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour, which aired in 2004 and was compared to The Sonny & Cher Show. Simpson released Rejoyce: The Christmas Album in late 2004, which peaked at #14 on the album chart and was later certified gold.

In 2005, Newlyweds won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show before wrapping shortly after.

Discography

* 1994: Jessica
* 1999: Sweet Kisses
* 2001: Irresistible
* 2002: This Is the Remix
* 2003: In This Skin
* 2004: Rejoyce: The Christmas Album
* 2006: A Public Affair
* 2008: Do You Know

Salma Hayek

The amazing Salma Hayek was born on September 2, 1966, in the oil boomtown of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Hayek has freely admitted that she and her brother, Sami, were spoiled rotten by her well-to-do Lebanese-Mexican businessman father and her Mexican-born opera-singing mother. After having seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) in a local movie theatre, Salma decided she wanted to become an actress. Her education included a stint at a New Orleans convent school, where she pulled pranks on the nuns by setting their clocks back three hours. She was soon expelled. Only after attending Mexico City's Universidad Iberoamericana did she feel ready to pursue acting seriously.

She soon landed the title role in "Teresa" (1989), a hugely successful soap opera which earned her the star status in her native Mexico. However, anxious to make films and to explore her talent and passion, Hayek left both "Teresa" (1989) and Mexico in 1991. Heartbroken fans spread rumors that she was having a secret affair with Mexico's president and left to escape his wife's wrath.

At long last, Salma made her way to Los Angeles. The 24 year old actress approached Hollywood with naïve enthusiasm, and quickly learned that Latin actresses were, if at all, typecast as the mistress maid or local prostitute. By late 1992, Hayek had landed only bit parts. She appeared on "Street Justice" (1991), "The Sinbad Show" (1993), "Nurses" (1991), and as a sexy maid on the HBO series "Dream On" (1990). She also had one line in the Allison Anders film Mi vida loca (1993). Feeling under-appreciated by Anglo filmmakers, Hayek vented her frustrations on comedian Paul Rodriguez's late-night Spanish-language talk show in 1992.

Robert Rodriguez and his producer wife Elizabeth Avellan happened to be watching and were immediately smitten with the intelligent, opinionated young woman. He soon gave her her big break--to star opposite Antonio Banderas in the now cult classic Desperado (1995), which put her on Hollywood's map. The moviegoers proved to be as dazzled with Hayek as he had been. After her break, she was cast again by Rodriguez to star in his From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). Although her vampy role opposite George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino was a small one, it was a good credit to her box office name. Hayek's first star billing came later that year with Fools Rush In (1997) opposite "Friends" (1994) actor Matthew Perry. The film was a modest hit, and Hayek continued to rise her star in both commercial and artistic films such as: Breaking Up (1997) with an unknown Russell Crowe; "54" about the rise and fall of the legendary New York club; Dogma (1999), playing the muse in a somewhat odd comedy co-starring Matt Damon and Chris Rock; In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) (TV), the small artistic film which won Hayek an ALMA award as best actress; and the 1999 summer blockbuster Wild Wild West (1999). Her production company "Ventanarosa" produced the 1999 Mexican feature film Coronel no tiene quien le escriba, El (1999), which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and selected as Mexico's official Oscar entry for best foreign film.

The new millennium started out quietly around Salma as she was preparing to produce and star in her dream role, that of Frida Kahlo, the legendary Mexican painter whom Salma had been admiring her entire life and whose story she wanted to bring to the big screen ever since her arrival in Hollywood. It finally happened in 2002. Frida (2002), co-produced by Hayek, was a beautifully made film overflowing with passion and enthusiasm, with terrific performances from Salma and Alfred Molina as Kahlo's cheating husband "Diego Rivera". On the side was an entourage of stars including Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush, Edward Norton and Valeria Golino.

The picture was a hit and was nominated for six Oscars, including best actress for Hayek, who became the first Latin actress to be nominated in the category, and won the awards for make-up and its brilliant original score by Elliot Goldenthal. Hayek established herself as the serious actress that she is and, in the same year, expanded her horizons, directing The Maldonado Miracle (2003) (TV), which was shown at the Sundance Film festival. In 2003, she starred in the final of Rodriguez's "Desperado" trilogy Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), again opposite Banderas, and has just finished After the Sunset (2004) opposite Pierce Brosnan and Ask the Dust (2006) opposite Colin Farrell. Both are scheduled for release in early 2005. In the works are Robert Altman's "Paint" and Bandidas (2006) in which she will star with her friend Penélope Cruz.

She soon left her native Mexico and her popularity to make her way to Los Angeles. There, her career took off. Having arrived in Hollywood, she was anonymous and had to start from scratch. She soon realized she had been slightly naïve about continuing her acting career in a foreign country, with a very thick accent and no experience, whatsoever. She was told over and over again by the big suits she would have no chance of becoming a leading lady in Hollywood as there just weren't any parts for Latinas with accents, let alone one who doesn't speak English.

She started to take acting classes from the renowned Stella Adler and worked on her accent. By 1993, she still wasn't getting her feet off the ground and was too stubborn to return back to Mexico as she would consider it as "having failed". Instead, she vented her frustrations in a late-night talk show by Paul Rodriguez. Director Robert Rodriguez, who happened to be watching that very show, was smitten with the beautiful, witty, and articulate Hayek, and cast her in his upcoming movie Desperado (1995).

Desperado (1995) was released in 1995 and was a hit. Antonio Banderas and Hayek had ignited sparks on the screen and the moviegoers fell in love with both stars. By now, she had entered the Hollywood scene. This hadn't happened for a Latina actress since the 1930s with the success of Dolores del Rio and, later on, with Rita Moreno.

In 1996, she appeared in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and Fled (1996) and started production on her first star billing movie, Fools Rush In (1997). The romantic comedy, which cast her as a woman who ends up pregnant after a one night stand with Matthew Perry, grossed around 35 million domestically and achieved rave reviews for Hayek. During this period, she also got to cash in on her status and looks by signing a lucrative deal with cosmetics giant Revlon.

Although she had now started climbing Hollywood's A-list, the lack of good scripts, especially for women, made the young star more persevering in finding quality roles which actually demanded some acting ability. It was around this time that she felt she wanted to do a movie on the life of iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. She turned down a prominent role in a $70 million movie and instead took on roles in independent films including: Breaking Up (1997), a romantic drama alongside then-newcomer Russell Crowe; The Hunchback (1997) (TV);' '54;' and The Velocity of Gary (1998). They were impressive but didn't do much at the box-office.

In the late 1990s, Hayek went back to mainstream movies starring in Wild Wild West (1999), which grossed well over $100 million, and Dogma (1999). Her own production company, "Ventanarosa", co-produced the Mexican film Coronel no tiene quien le escriba, El (1999), which was shown at the Cannes film festival and submitted as an Oscar entry. At this time, Hayek had also started preparation on her upcoming Frida Kahlo film and managed to star in more movies, most notably Mike Figgis's 'Timecode,' 'Chain Of Fools,' and 'La Gran Vida.'

In late 2002 'Frida' was released. The hit movie provoked a great deal of publicity and rave reviews for both her and co-star Alfred Molina. When award season came the film and its star were not overlooked, winning the movie two Academy Awards and six nominations, including 'best actress' for her. After Frida came the final part in the closing trilogy of 'El Mariachi' with 'Once Upon a Time in Mexico.' Again Banderas and Hayek received top billing and big box-office.

Filmografi

Film

• Lonely Hearts (2006)
• Bandidas (2006)
• Ask the Dust (2006)
• Sian Ka'an (voice) (2006)
• After the Sunset (2004)
• The Maldonado Miracle (2003) (Sutradara)
• Once Upon A Time dalam Mexico (2003)
• Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
• Frida (2002)
• In the Time of the Butterflies (2001)
• Hotel (2001)
• Traffic (2000)
• La Gran Vida (2000)
• Chain Of Fools (2000)
• Timecode (2000)
• Wild Wild West (1999)
• El Coronel No Tiene Quien le Escriba (No One Writes to the Colonel, 1999)
• Dogma (1999)
• The Faculty (1998)
• The Velocity Of Gary (1998)
• 54 (1998)
• Sistole Diastole (1997)
• Breaking Up (1997)
• The Hunchback (TV) (1997)
• Fools Rush In (1997)
• Fled (1996)
• Follow Me Home (1996)
• From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
• Fair Game (1995)
• Desperado (1995)
• El Callejón de los Milagros (Midaq Alley, 1995)
• Roadracers (TV) (1994)
• The Sinbad Show (series) (1993)
• Mi Vida Loca (1993)

Telenovela

• El Vuelo del Águila (1996)
• Teresa (1989)
• Un Nuevo Amanecer (1988)

Sophia Anna Bush

Sophia Anna Bush was born on July 8, 1982, in Pasadena, California. She is an only child. Her father, Charles William Bush, is a renowned advertising and celebrity photographer, and her mother, Maureen Bush, runs a photography studio.

Young Bush was brought up in Pasadena; she made her acting debut in a school theater production while attending Westridge School for Girls, a small private school in her hometown. She was crowned the Queen of the Tournament of Roses at Pasadena Rose Parade in 2000; that same year she graduated from HS. In 2002 Sophia Bush made her screen debut as Sally, a college student, in the comedy Van Wilder (2002) opposite Ryan Reynolds. She attended University of Southern California for three years and took Journalism major and Theatre minor, albeit she did not graduate, taking her leave of absence after getting the part as Brooke Davis, a flirtatious cheerleader on the WB TV series One Tree Hill (2003). She was also cast to play opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nick Stahl in Terminator 3 but, after she began principal photography on the film, the director deemed her too young for the role and she was soon replaced by actress Clare Danes.

However, Bush got her big break when 'One Tree Hill' developed a loyal following and became her steady gig over four seasons. It was while working on the series that Bush began dating her on-screen love interest, actor Chad Michael Murray. They wed in April 2005, but split after five months, in September 2005. In December 2006, their divorce became final. Meanwhile, she continued to land big screen roles, such as October Bantum in Stay Alive (2006), a horror film by writer/director William Brent Bell, and as Beth in_John Tucker Must Die (2006)_, a comedy by director'Betty Thomas (I)'. Bush is co-starring as Grace Andrews, who is terrorized by a killer played by Sean Bean, in the remake of The Hitcher (2007).

Outside of her acting profession, Bush has been working as an Assignment Editor for Annenberg TV News in her spare time. Her other talents include horseback riding, boxing, and photography. She enjoys reading and spending time with her friends and is currently residing in Wilmington, North Carolina, where the 'One Tree Hill' show is filmed.

Sophia Bush, an only child, was born and raised in Pasadena, California to Charles William Bush, an advertising and celebrity photographer, and Maureen, a photography studio manager. Bush has Italian ancestry, and attended Westridge School for Girls (Pasadena), as well as the University of Southern California. She was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, where she served as Social Chair.

On April 16, 2005, Bush married actor Chad Michael Murray, her One Tree Hill co-star. They dated for almost two years before they were married in Santa Monica. But then they announced their separation on September 26, 2005 after five months of marriage when Bush filed court papers to have their marriage annulled. In December of 2006, Bush and Murray's divorce was made final. Bush was in a relationship with Stay Alive co-star Jon Foster after her divorce until August 2007. Later, rumors surfaced that Bush and Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo were dating. They were reportedly seen together in Texas.

In December 2007, it was reported by Rush & Molloy in the New York Daily News that Bush had "now hooked up with co-star James Lafferty"; the report mentioned that a rep for the actress denied there was any romance. In May 2008, photos surfaced of Lafferty and Bush at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which fueled rumors of a possible romance.

In February 2008, Bush made several appearances in Texas in support of the Barack Obama campaign in the Texas Presidential primary election. She was joined in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Waco by fellow actor Adam Rodriguez. Touring mostly college campuses, they urged young voters to get involved politically.

Ana Ivanović

Ana Ivanović, born November 6, 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia, then Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional tennis player. She is the current World No. 1 on the WTA Tour and the reigning French Open champion. She was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open.

Ivanović's mother, Dragana, a lawyer, attends all of her daughter's matches. Her father, Miroslav, a self-employed businessman, attends as many events as he possibly can. Ana has a younger brother, Miloš, with whom she loves to play basketball. Other hobbies include shopping, watching movies and playing Sudoku. She chooses not to have a permanent coach. Aside from her tennis career, Ivanović also studies finance at a university in Belgrade, and Spanish in her spare time. Her inspiration to begin playing was Monica Seles, and she also admires Roger Federer.

On September 8, 2007, Ivanović became a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia, alongside Aleksandar Đorđević and Emir Kusturica. She takes a special interest in the fields of education and child protection. Ivanović visited a primary school in Serbia during her inauguration and said: "I'm also looking forward to going into the classroom and meeting many kids."

Ivanović is a fan of all sport clubs competing under the name of Partizan Belgrade.

Ivanović is friends with former doubles partner Maria Kirilenko, as well as other professional tennis players Daniela Hantuchova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Sanja Ancic, Rafael Nadal, Tatiana Golovin and fellow Serbians Novak Djokovic (whom she has known since the age of and Janko Tipsarević.

Career Highlights

SINGLES

* Winner 2008 - Paris, France - French Open title
* Winner (5): 2007 - Berlin, Los Angeles, Luxembourg; 2006 -
*Montreal; 2005 - Canberra; 2004 - ITF/Mallorca 2-ESP, ITF/Gifu-JPN, ITF/Fukuoka-JPN, ITF/Fano-ITA, ITF/Batumi-GEO.
* Finalist (2): 2007 - Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Roland Garros 2007
* Semifinalist: (6): 2007 - Amelia Island, Wimbledon, Year-End
*Championships; 2005 - Warsaw, Zurich, Linz.
* Quarter finalist (14): 2007 - Gold Coast, Sydney, Antwerp, s‘Hertogenbosch
* 2006 - Sydney, Indian Wells, Warsaw, s'Hertogenbosch; Los Angeles; Linz, Hasselt
* 2005 - Miami, Roland Garros; 2004 - Luxembourg.

DOUBLES

* Finalist (1): 2006 - 's-Hertogenbosch (w/Kirilenko).
* Semifinalist (2): 2006 - Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Warsaw (both w/Kirilenko).

2004

Ivanović first caught the eye of the tennis world when she reached the final of the Junior Wimbledon tournament in 2004, losing to Kateryna Bondarenko. In 2004, she also went 26-0 on the ITF circuit, and won all 5 events that she entered, two of them as a qualifier. Her first professional breakthrough occurred in October of 2004 when she took Venus Williams to two tie breaks before losing 7–6(11), 7–6(6) in the second round of the Zürich Open in Zürich, Switzerland, in which she held several set points in both sets; this was after a 3-set battle with then-ranked Number 27 Tatiana Golovin. She followed that up with a quarterfinal showing in Luxembourg the following week.

2005

Ivanović won her first career singles title, as a qualifier, in Canberra, Australia. Her ranking continued to rise after wins over Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, and Vera Zvonareva, all of whom were top 10 players. Ivanović lost to Amelie Mauresmo at the Australian Open, Doha, and Key Biscayne, Florida. However, Ivanović defeated Mauresmo in the third round of the French Open. Ivanović eventually reached the quarterfinals of that tournament, where she lost to Petrova. Later in the year, Ivanović reached the semifinals of the Zurich Open and Generali Ladies Linz, losing in both tournaments to Patty Schnyder.

2006

Ivanović started off 2006 by playing at the Hopman Cup with fellow Serbian Novak Djokovic where the pair narrowly missed the final. To start off her WTA year she played at the Medibank International in Sydney where she once again defeated Amelie Mauresmo, this time in straight sets, before falling to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals.

2007

Ivanović's first tournament was the Mondial Hardcourts in Gold Coast, Australia, falling to Shahar Pe'er in the quarterfinals 5–7, 6–4, 6–4. Her next tournament was the Sydney Medibank International, where she again lost in the quarterfinals, this time to Nicole Vaidisova 6–4, 6–2.

Ivanović was the 13th seed at the Australian Open. She defeated Polish player Agnieszka Radwańska in the second round but lost to World No. 22 Vera Zvonareva in the third round 6–1, 6–2. Immediately after the tournament, Ivanović announced via her official website that she had terminated the services of her then-coach, David Taylor.

Biography for Gisele Bündchen / Gisele Caroline

Gisele Caroline Nonnenmacher Bündchen (born July 20, 1980) is a Brazilian model. According to Forbes, she is the highest-paid model in the world and also the sixteenth richest woman in the entertainment world, having earned $33 million in 2007 and $35 million in 2008 alone, adding to her estimated $150 million fortune. She is also listed on Guinness Book of World Records as the world's richest supermodel. Bündchen has been the face of more than 20 brands internationally, and has appeared on more than 500 magazine covers.

It was in 1994 when Gisele Bundchen was discovered at age 14 in a Brazilian fashion mall, and now she is "the" most famous face in the business. Since then, Gisele has graced the covers of countless magazines as any other model in the history, including Rolling Stone, Time, Forbes, Newsweek and all the fashion top magazines such as Vogue, W, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, i-D, The Face, and many others. Gisele also has multi-million dollars deals with some of the world's biggest companies. Her contract with Victoria's Secret is the biggest in the fashion industry, and she also has deals with Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Joop!, Otto, Lanvin, Guerlain, Nivea, DSquared, St. John, Colcci, Vivo, Vogue Eyewear and Grendene. Her own line of shoes, called "Ipanema Gisele Bundchen", have sold more than 100 million pairs since 2001.

Birth Name
Gisele Caroline Nonnenmacher Bündchen

Nickname
Gise
The Body
The Midas Queen
The Hurricane Gisele
La Bundchen

In 1993, a then-13-year-old Bündchen joined a modeling course with her sisters Patrícia and Gabriela at her mother's insistence. The following year, Bündchen went to São Paulo in a school excursion to give them an opportunity to walk in a big city. In a shopping mall, Bündchen was discovered by a modeling agency. She was subsequently selected for a national contest, Elite Look of the Year, in which she placed second — Claudia Menezes, from Bahia, took first place. Bündchen placed fourth in the world contest, held in Ibiza, Spain. In 1996, Bündchen moved to New York City to begin her modeling career, debuting at Fashion Week.

Her debut on the cover of the July 1999 issue of Vogue magazine, and the accompanying editorial entitled, "The Return of the Sexy Model" is widely viewed as marking the end of the fashion's "heroin chic" era. She graced the cover again in November and December of that year. She won the VH1/Vogue Model of the Year for 1999, and a January 2000 cover gave her the rare honor of three consecutive Vogue covers. In 2000, she was the fourth model in history to grace the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, when she was named "the most beautiful girl in the world". Bündchen has been on the covers of many top fashion magazines including W, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Allure, international editions of Vogue, as well as style and lifestyle publications such as i-D, The Face, Arena, Citizen K, Flair, GQ, Esquire and Marie Claire. She has also been featured in the Pirelli calendar 2001 and 2006 as well as in broader market publications such as Time, Vanity Fair, Forbes, Newsweek, Veja, totaling more than 500 magazine covers throughout the world.

Bündchen consistently works with acclaimed photographers such as Mario Testino, Steven Meisel, Nick Knight, Mert and Marcus, Rankin, Annie Leibovitz, Karl Lagerfeld, Peter Lindbergh, David LaChapelle, Mario Sorrenti and Patrick Demarchelier, among others, and renowned directors such as Jean Baptiste Mondino and Bruno Aveillan.

Claudia Schiffer said: "Supermodels, like we once were, don't exist any more." and reckoned that Gisele Bündchen was the only one close to earning the supermodel title.

Adriana Francesca Lima

Mini Biography

Adriana Francesca Lima was born on June 12, 1981 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. At the tender age of 13, Adriana entered the Ford Supermodel of the World Contest, where her unique beauty, derived from her Native-Brazilian, African-Brazilian, Portuguese, French, and Caribbean heritage, won her second place. Moving to New York at age 16, Adriana joined the Elite Model Management and further pursued her modeling career, landing a campaign for the fashion designer Anna Molinari's clothing line. However, it was her appearance in several Guess? campaigns that gained her the recognition that catapulted her to her status as one of the world's top fashion models. Since then, she has appeared in campaigns for Anna Sui Jeans, Bebe, Gasoline, Mossimo, Victoria's Secret, BCBG, Keds, and XOXO, and has appeared on the covers of magazines such as Vogue and Marie Claire. She consistently appears in the hyped Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows, gaining recognition as one of the Victoria's Secret's Perfect 10. In her spare time, Adriana dedicates her services to help orphans in her native Brazil. She has appeared in the Italian TIM mobile Commercials.

Lima is of African, Native South American and Swiss descent. She was born in the northeastern coastal town of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil on June 12, 1981. Her father, from whom she was estranged for most of her life, is Nelson Torres. Her mother, Maria da Graça Lima, was a social worker who gave birth to Lima at the age of 18. Lima revealed that her father walked out on her family when she was six months old, but has been making recent attempts to reconcile. In late 2007, Lima revealed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that although she is her mother's only child, she has two half brothers, aged 7 and 11, from her father's second marriage. Coming from a poor family, Lima's first travel was on a plane at the age of 15. She was raised mainly by her mother and grandmother

Three years later, Lima moved to New York City and signed with Elite Model Management. After acquiring representation, Lima's modeling portfolio began to expand by leaps and bounds, and she appeared in numerous international editions of Vogue and Marie Claire. As for fashion shows, she has walked the catwalks for big-name designers such as Vera Wang, Christian Lacroix, Emanuel Ungaro, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, Ralph Lauren and Valentino, among others. Lima then became a GUESS? girl appearing on GUESS?' Fall 2000 ad campaign. She also appeared in the book A second decade of Guess? Images.

In 2001, Lima starred in BMW short film The Follow alongside actors Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen and Forest Whitaker. The film was directed by Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-Wai.

Lima continued to build upon her portfolio, doing more print work for Maybelline, as well as bebe, Mossimo, Armani, Bulgari, De Beers, FCUK, Intimissimi, Keds, Swatch, Versace, and BCBG. She also appeared on the covers and in the editorials of other fashion magazines such as Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Vogue, GQ, Marie Claire, Arena, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, and many more. Her April 2006 GQ cover was the highest-selling issue that magazine for the year. She also appeared in the 2005 Pirelli Calendar and became the face of Italy's cell phone carrier, Telecom Italia Mobile, a move that earned her the nickname, "the Catherine Zeta-Jones of Italy.

Since her rise to fame, Lima is often cited by popular media as one of the world's sexiest women. She ranked 7th on FHM 100 Sexiest Women 2007 and was chosen as one of People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World, in May 2007, along with her fellow Angels. On June 13, 2007, she was awarded as "Hottest Girl on the Planet" at the first Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards but the category was not mentioned in the actual show. Lima was also voted on the Maxim Hot 100 2007 as number 53. She was voted as the Most Desirable Woman in 2005 by visitors of the men's lifestyle website, Askmen.com (she was placed 4th in 2006, also 4th in 2007 and 10th in 2008).

Christina Maria Aguilera / Christina Aguilera

Mini Biography

Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in Staten Island, New York. Her parents divorced when she was young and she lived with her mother, although they moved around quite a bit. Christina's goal almost since birth was to be a singer, and at age 12 she was invited to audition for "MMC" (1989). She wound up getting the part and stayed there for a few years, until the show ended. In 1999 she had her breakthrough hit, "Genie in a Bottle". Since then she's made millions of fans, sold millions of records and has won many awards, including a Grammy for best new female artist. She has even made a Latin album and will be working on a second one. A Christmas album has also been released.

Christina Aguilera is a bilingual singer mixed with Irish and Ecuadorian roots. Her self titled debut album went 10x platinum. She has received many honors including 6 Grammy Nominations and one win for Best New Artist. 2 MTV Video Music Awards, a Radio Music Awards, 2 VH1 Awards, and a Teen Choice Award with Lil'Kim, Mya and Pink and the smash hit "Lady Maramalade". She was on "MMC" (1989) with Nsync's Justin Timberlake and J.C. Chasez, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. Her musical influences included Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson.

Birth Name
Christina Maria Aguilera

Nickname
Chrissy
X-Tina
Baby Jane
Candy

As a child, Aguilera aspired to be a singer. She was known locally as "the little girl with the big voice," singing in local talent shows and competitions. According to VH1's Driven, whenever competitors learned they would be up against her in any given week, they would immediately withdraw, prompting insiders to claim it was "like sending a lamb to the slaughter." Her peers soon became jealous of her and would frequently subject her to ridicule, ostracism, and, in one gym class, attempted assault. Acts of vandalism around her house included the slashing of the tires on the family car. Eventually, the family relocated to another suburb in the Pittsburgh area (this time, Wexford) and took to secrecy about Aguilera's talent lest another backlash occur.

On March 15, 1990, she appeared on Star Search singing Etta James' "A Sunday Kind of Love", but lost the competition. Soon after losing on Star Search, she returned home and appeared on Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV's Wake Up with Larry Richert to perform the same song. People remarked that the then ten-year-old "sounded 20."

Throughout her youth in Pittsburgh, Aguilera sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey, Pittsburgh Steelers football and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games. Her first major role in entertainment came in 1993 when she joined the Disney Channel's variety show The New Mickey Mouse Club. Her co-stars included Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, and Keri Russell, the show lasted another year until its cancellation. According to the documentary Driven, Aguilera's co-stars called her "the Diva". One of her most notable performances was of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing".

At the age of fourteen, Aguilera recorded her first song, "All I Wanna Do", a hit duet with Japanese singer Keizo Nakanishi. In 1997, she represented the United States at the "Golden Stag" International Festival with a two-song set.

On October 29, 2002, after much delay, Aguilera's second full-length English album, Stripped, was released, selling more than 330,000 copies in the first week and peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200. Unlike previous work, the album showcased Aguilera's raunchier side. The majority of Stripped was co-written by Aguilera (who had recently signed a global music publishing contract with BMG Music Publishing), and was influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including rhythm and blues, gospel, soul, balladry, pop rock, and hip hop. The majority of the album was produced by Scott Storch and singer-songwriter Linda Perry who produced her more personal records.

Rockwilder and singer Alicia Keys also contributed a track each. Upon initial release, the album was very well-received by critics, although Aguilera's vocals were overlooked as she began to cultivate a more sexually provocative image.After the release of the album, she took part in photoshoots for magazines, many of these photographs featured her nude or semi-nude. Her cover for Rolling Stone, featured the singer only wearing boots and a well-placed electric guitar. It was during this time Aguilera referred to herself as "Xtina", even getting a tattoo of her nickname on the back of her neck and several piercings.

Initially, the raunchy image had a negative effect on Aguilera in the U.S., especially after the release of her controversial "Dirrty" music video. She denied that this change was a matter of publicity, claiming that the image better reflected her true personality than did the image she cultivated back in 1999. While the video for "Dirrty" became very popular on MTV, it disappointed on the U.S. singles chart. However, the single was a hit worldwide, reaching number one in the UK and Ireland. The album reached the top five on the U.K., U.S. and Canadian album charts, though it was initially considered a "sophomore slump".

The second single, "Beautiful" received critical praise, the classically influenced ballad reached number one in several countries and peaked at #2 in the US. "Beautiful" earned Aguilera the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Three more singles ("Fighter", "Can't Hold Us Down" featuring Lil' Kim, "The Voice Within") were released in the following two years and were hits that helped the album stay on the charts for the next two years. Stripped stayed on the U.S. and UK album charts well into 2004, and went on to be certified four-times platinum in the U.S. with over 9 million copies sold worldwide. It appeared at number ten on Billboard's year-end album chart. Kelly Clarkson's second single "Miss Independent" was co-written by Aguilera, having been half-finished for Stripped.

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Mini Biography

Jennifer Love Hewitt got her first name from her older brother Todd Daniel Hewitt (b. November 8, 1970), who picked the name after a little blonde girl he then had a crush on. Her mother selected her middle name, Love, which she goes by offstage from her best friend at college. Her mother, Pat, is a speech pathologist and her father, Danny, is a medical technician. Her parents separated when she was six months old. Born in Waco, Texas, she was raised by her mother in Harker Heights, Texas. She made her official performing debut at age 3 where she sang at a livestock show. At age 5, she was taking tap, jazz, and ballet lessons which led her to joining the Texas Show Team, which toured the Soviet Union and Europe. At age 10, the family moved to L.A. with the encouragement of talent scouts, while Todd stayed behind to finish high school in Texas. Jennifer quickly found commercial work and a role on Disney's "Kids Incorporated" (1984) in 1984. She went through a series of television flops before finally hitting it big on "Party of Five" (1994) in 1995.

Hewitt was born in Waco, Texas, the daughter of Patricia Mae (née Shipp), a speech-language pathologist, and Herbert Daniel Hewitt, a medical technician.Hewitt grew up in Nolanville, Texas; after the divorce of her parents, Hewitt and her only sibling, Todd Hewitt, were brought up by her mother. Her first name was given to her by her brother, after a girl he was fond of as a youngster, while her middle name, "Love", was given to her by her mother after her best friend in college.

As a young girl, Hewitt was attracted to music, which led to her first encounters with the entertainment industry. At the age of three, she sang "The Greatest Love of All" at a livestock show. Just a year after that, at a restaurant-dance hall, she entertained an audience with her version of "Help Me Make It Through the Night". By the time she was five, Hewitt already had tap dancing and ballet in her portfolio. At nine, she became a member of the Texas Show Team (which also toured in the Soviet Union). At the age of ten, at the suggestion of talent scouts and winning the title of Texas Our Little Miss Talent Winner, she moved to Los Angeles, California, with her mother to pursue a career in both acting and singing.

In 1993, she played Pierce Brosnan's daughter in a pilot for NBC called Running Wilde, which featured Brosnan as a reporter for Auto World magazine whose stories cover his own wild auto adventures. However, the series wasn't picked up and the pilot never aired. Hewitt later had roles in several short-lived television series, such as Fox's Shaky Ground (1992–1993), ABC's The Byrds of Paradise (1994), and McKenna (1994–1995), and finally became a young star after landing the role of Sarah Reeves on the popular Fox Television show Party of Five (1995–1999). She assumed the role of Sarah after joining that show during its second season and continued it on the short-lived Party of Five spin-off, Time of Your Life (1999), which she also co-produced. The show was cancelled after only half a season.

Hewitt made her film debut in the independent film Munchie (1992). She became a film star after a lead role in the horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), which enjoyed great box-office success (125,000,000 U.S. dollars worldwide). The film made Hewitt and her co-stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Ryan Phillippe, and Sarah Michelle Gellar some of the most popular young stars in the USA. She also appeared in the sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), which, though ultimately not as successful as the first film, took in more money on its opening weekend. Other notable film roles have included the high-school comedy Can't Hardly Wait (1998) and a starring role with Sigourney Weaver in the romantic comedy Heartbreakers (2001).

In 2000, Hewitt appeared in The Audrey Hepburn Story. That same year, she was the "most popular actress on television" due to her Q-rating (a measurement of a celebrity's popularity) of thirty-seven. For that reason, Nokia chose her to become its spokesperson, because of her "fresh image", and her being "a symbol of youthfulness and wholesomeness".

In 2001, she appeared in the music video for the Enrique Iglesias song, "Hero", as the singer's love interest.

Hewitt wrote I'm Gonna Love You for the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame II because, although she was a well-known singer at the time, her character Madellaine was the only character who didn't sing in the movie. The song won an award for Best Song on DVD Awards.

Since September 2005, Hewitt has starred in the television series Ghost Whisperer. In Australia, Ghost Whisperer has been popular since its introduction; in the United States, the show averages 9–11 million viewers for each new episode. Hewitt has also auditioned for many roles. She was asked to play "Juliet" in Romeo + Juliet, but the director felt she wasn't modern looking. The role went to Claire Danes. She also had to give up the role of "Darlene" in Brokedown Palace because of scheduling conflicts. Hewitt also auditioned for the role of "Elektra" in Daredevil.

Gemma Louise Atkinson

Gemma Louise Atkinson (born 16 November 1984 in Bury, Greater Manchester) is an English actress, television personality and glamour and lingerie model. She recently appeared as a contestant on the ITV reality TV series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and is recognisable as one of the most prominent celebrity glamour models in the UK.

Atkinson played Goldie Lookin Chain's love interest in the music video for the single R'n'B and featured on the cover of the CD single release. She has appeared as a contestant on Reality TV series such Celebrity Weakest Link (with Marcus Patric) in December 2006, ITV1's Soapstar Superstar, reaching the last four stage, and Celebrity Masterchef.

In September 2007, Atkinson did a 5km charity run for Breast Cancer awareness. In October 2007, Atkinson played herself in an episode of the Channel 4 pilot series Comedy Showcase: Plus one.

In November 2007, she appeared on ITV1 in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, in Australia, coming fifth in the competition..
On 15/16 March 2008 Gemma co-presented the Play.com Live gamers expo at Wembley stadium with Virgin Radio presenter Iain Lee.

In 2008, Atkinson will star in the British independent film Boogie Woogie alongside Heather Graham.According to press reports, Atkinson is also planning to launch a music career.

She embarked upon a 228 km walk along the Great Wall of China in April 2008 as part of a charity event organised by Olivia Newton-John's breast cancer awareness charity where she will be joined by various celebrities and cancer survivors. She was joined on her section of the walk by celebrities Marcus Patric and Ant and Dec amongst others. The walk was intended to symbolize the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery. Information about the walk can be found here.

Gemma visited The Home and Garden Show at Chester Racecourse, on June 5, 2008, to unveil the room she designed with furniture store owner Arighi Bianchi which would be suitable for teenagers in conjunction with Teenage Cancer Trust charity. Her room design later won first prize and she collected a trophy for her efforts.

It was created in association with Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), the Home and Garden Show's official charity, and the design will now be incorporated into the TCT unit at Christie Hospital, Manchester. Gemma has also been asked to become a full ambassador for the TCT charity.

In December 2008 Gemma is scheduled to appear in Peter Pan at the Manchester Opera House. She will take the title role alongside John Thomson who will play Captain Hook.

In early 2006, Atkinson underwent breast enlargement surgery, which took her bra size to a 34E. She said in an interview that she lost weight due to a fitness regime and her bust size declined. The surgery then gave them the original shape they once were.

Since launching her parallel career as a glamour model, Atkinson has appeared in provocative photoshoots in lingerie and swimwear, including non-nude topless shots, for men's magazines such as Arena, FHM, Loaded, Maxim, Zoo Weekly and Nuts. In October 2006, she appeared in three of the aforementioned magazines in one month, becoming one of the most prolific celebrity glamour models in the UK. In November 2006, it was announced by Zoo Weekly that Atkinson had agreed to lend her name to their regular "sex and relationships column". She has also released 2 very successful calendars, in 2006 and 2007. Like the previous year, her 2009 calendar was also shot in Thailand and is set to be released in November 2008.

Since 2006, she has appeared in FHM's 100 Sexiest List, debuting at number 32 in 2006; following her appearance on the cover of FHM, she moved up to 23 in 2007; and in 2008, she rose again to number 18.

In May 2007, Atkinson was announced as the "glamourous new face" of the British Grand Prix and the official "mascot" of the "hi-octane" championship at Silverstone on July 8. She was the face of the 2007 Tour de France. In early 2007 she was elected to be the new face of the Lingerie chain La Senza.

In October 2007, Atkinson was elected the new face of Ultimo's D-G range. She opened Ultimo stores within Debenham branches in London, Belfast and Glasgow.

Biography for Beyoncé Knowles

Date of Birth, 4 September 1981, Houston, Texas, USA
Birth Name Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
Nickname
JuJu
Mothe
Bee
Height
5' 6¼" (1.68 m)

Mini Biography

Beyoncé's father, Matthew Knowles, manages Destiny's Child. Her mother, Tina Knowles, designs their glittering costumes. Solange Knowles, her sister (they're about 5 years apart), has released her debut album. She dances with her big sister during DC-3 concerts.

She and her group were discovered by Whitney Houston. One of her favorite songs is "Lovefool" by The Cardigans. Her favorite item of clothing is a pair of path work metallic boots. She writes & produces many of the group's songs, including smash hits "Jumpin Jumpin", "Bootylicious", "Nasty Girl", "Independent Women", "Happy Face" and "Apple Pie a la mode".

Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Mathew Knowles, a successful record manager, and Tina Beyincé, a costume designer and hair stylist. Knowles's father is African American and her mother is of Creole (African-American, Native American, and French) descent. Knowles was baptized after her mother's maiden name, as a tribute to her mother and to prevent the name from becoming obsolete, since only a few of the Beyincé males carry the name. Her maternal grandparents, Lumis Albert Beyincé and Agnéz Deréon, were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles. She is the older sister of Solange Knowles, a singer-songwriter and actress.

Knowles was schooled at St. Mary's Elementary School in Texas, where she enrolled in dance classes, including ballet and jazz. Her talent was discovered when her dance instructor began humming a song and she finished it, hitting the high-pitched notes. Although Beyoncé was a shy girl, her interest in music and performing began unexpectedly after joining in a school talent show. Once she had a moment on the stage, she overcame her shyness and wanted to become a singer and performer.By age seven, Knowles had entered her first talent show, singing John Lennon's "Imagine". She won the contest and was honored with standing ovation.

Taken from a passage in the Book of Isaiah, the group changed its name to Destiny's Child in 1993. Together, they performed in local events and, after four years on the road, the group was signed to Columbia Records in late 1997. That same year, Destiny's Child recorded their major label debut song, "Killing Time", for the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black.

The following year, the group released its self-titled debut album, scoring their first major hit "No, No, No". That album established the group as a viable act in the music industry, amassing moderate sales and won the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for "Best R&B/Soul Single" for "No, No, No", "Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year" and "Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist". However, the group rose to bona fide stardom after releasing their multi-platinum sophomore album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group’s most widely-known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, Jumpin' Jumpin'", and "Say My Name", which became their most-successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B Song at the 2001 Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than seven million copies, essentially becoming their breakthrough album.

In 2002, Knowles co-starred in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember, playing Foxxy Cleopatra opposite Mike Myers. The movie topped the box office, gaining $73.1 million on its first weekend.Knowles recorded her first solo single, "Work It Out", for the film's soundtrack. The following year, Knowles starred opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the comedy film The Fighting Temptations, and recorded "Fighting Temptation", alongside female rappers Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, and Free for its soundtrack.

That same year, Knowles was the featured vocalist on her boyfriend Jay-Z's hit single "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" She also recorded a version of 50 Cent's "In Da Club" and released it in March 2003. Luther Vandross and Knowles remade the duet "The Closer I Get to You", which was originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway in 1977. Their version won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals the following year, and Vandross' "Dance with My Father", which also features Knowles, won for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.