Gemma Arterton

BIOGRAPHY

The brown-eyed brunette Gemma Arterton grew up in the English county of Kent, along with her sister, Hannah, and their parents. Mom was a cleaner and dad a welder, but Gemma Arterton's parents encouraged their children to pursue their artistic sides. Hannah tried singing, but Gemma Arterton stumbled onto acting.

As a teenager, she studied the craft with the Masquerade and Miskin theater companies, appearing in productions like The Massacre of Civitella and Guiding Star. A 2004 award for Best Supporting Actress helped Gemma Arterton earn a grant that helped her gain acceptance to the acclaimed Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Once there, Gemma Arterton appeared in plays like An Ideal Husband as well as specialized in the study of accents and specialized stage combat.

Gemma Arterton's Royal Academy stint earned her an audition in Capturing Mary, a 2007 made-for-television film starring Academy Award winner Maggie Smith. Gemma Arterton won the role and, upon her RADA graduation, she auditioned for St. Trinian's, beating out Sienna Miller and winning a role as a schoolgirl opposite Brit sensations Rupert Everett and Colin Firth. This proved to be Gemma Arterton's much needed big break and, as a result, she earned roles in the 2008 films Rock 'n Rolla and 3 and Out.

Gemma Arterton was already grateful for the help of her agent, Sally Long-Innes, but her next audition was for Bond 22, a movie costarring Long-Innes’ most recognizable client, Daniel Craig. Gemma Arterton won the part against 1,500 other women, and she was poised for the international stardom that arrived with the film's release.

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Uma Thurman

BIOGRAPHY

Uma Karuna Thurman was born April 29, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, and had an eccentric, multicultural upbringing. Her mother, Nena, is a half-Swedish, half-German former psychotherapist, while her father, Robert A.F. Thurman, is a Tibetan Buddhist monk and a University of Columbia professor. Uma was named after a Hindu deity that is the "bestower of blessings."

As a teenager, Uma did not fit in. As if her name wasn't different enough, she was lanky and awkward as a child. Her long nose, which today only adds a unique touch to her beautiful face, was part of her misery. Rather than taking part in the typical all-American extracurricular activities, Uma Thurman had better things to do: act.

UMA THURMAN MOVES TO NEW YORK
After receiving a standing ovation while involved in an elementary school theater production, Uma Thurman caught the acting bug and knew this was what she wanted to do with her life. She packed up, and like most aspiring models and actors, she headed for New York -- she didn't even stick around long enough to become a high school graduate.

While in New York, Uma Thurman was forced to work odd jobs, including washing dishes and modeling -- a more glamorous day job. It didn't take long for Uma to trade in her dishwashing gloves for scripts, as she landed her first feature film role in 1988's Johnny Be Good. Uma Thurman was on the verge of beginning her career and was about to take on a string of sexual film roles.

UMA THURMAN IN PULP FICTION
After Johnny Be Good, which was nothing to write to Boston about, Uma Thurman was cast in Kiss Daddy Goodnight and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, which raised eyebrows and garnered her critical praise. But it was after her role in 1988's Dangerous Liaisons that her image became erotic.

Choosing to become more than just a passing fad, Uma Thurman left for England; however, many offers for movie roles were waiting for her back in America, and she eventually returned. Her role in 1990's Henry & June showcased her with sexuality streaming out of her pores; it didn't help that she portrayed a bisexual in the film.

Although she starred in popular movies such as Final Analysis, Jennifer 8, Mad Dog and Glory, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, it was her role as the offbeat, cocaine-junkie Mia Wallace in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction that garnered her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. With a departure from alternative, more dramatic films to the commercial comedies Beautiful Girls and The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Uma proved that she can also provide some laughs.

Next up for the beautiful actress were roles in the sci-fi films Gattaca and Batman & Robin, as well as her starring role as Emma Peele in the adaptation of The Avengers, which tanked at the box office.

UMA THURMAN IN KILL BILL
Uma Thurman went on a brief hiatus to marry Gattaca costar Ethan Hawke and to welcome their first baby, Maya Ray, into the world. They later had another child, but their marriage ended in 2004. Uma Thurman had previously been married to actor Gary Oldman, and her dating record includes Timothy Hutton and Robert De Niro.

After a role in Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown in 1999, Uma Thurman returned to her former modeling days as a spokesperson for Lancôme. One of Empire magazine's 100 Sexiest Stars in film history, she has modeled for Louis Vuitton as well.

In 2003 and 2004, Uma Thurman played the leading role of cold-blooded kung fu villain Beatrix Kiddo in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies, which she cowrote with Quentin during the shooting of Pulp Fiction. Thus, Uma Thurman had expanded her talents to not only acting and modeling, but writing and producing films as well.

UMA THURMAN IN MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND AND ELOISE IN PARIS
In 2006, Uma Thurman explored her comedic abilities alongside Luke Wilson and Anna Faris in My Super Ex Girlfriend. Her character used super powers to make her ex-boyfriend's life a living hell.

Uma Thurman took a bit of a break from the spotlight in 2007 to return in 2008 with a vengeance. She had roles in the flicks The Life Before Her Eyes, My Zinc Bed and Eloise in Paris, as well as acted and directed The Accidental Husband.

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Charlize Theron

BIOGRAPHY

Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, South Africa, on August 7, 1975. Her father Charles worked on the family's road construction business, which mother Gerda took over after Charles' death in 1991. Charlize Theron experienced tragedy early on in her life when her mother shot her father in self-defense after he threatened to kill her and Charlize in a drunken state.

Since the farm they lived on had no means of entertainment (no television or movies), Charlize Theron used her passion for dancing (specifically ballet) and her imagination to stay entertained. After dancing in Johannesburg, she began modeling in Milan, Italy by the time she was 16.

CHARLIZE THERON WORKS AS MODEL
But modeling was not fulfilling enough for Charlize Theron, who wanted to return to her original passion -- dance -- after only a year as a model. While modeling gave her the opportunity to travel, she decided to stay in New York after a modeling shoot in order to study ballet at the Joffrey Ballet School in the Big Apple.

Unfortunately, Charlize Theron suffered a knee injury that ended her ballet career. Jobless and broke, she headed for the West Coast with her mother's support. In 1994, her luck changed when she made a scene at a Los Angeles bank after a teller refused to cash her check and a talent scout noticed her.

CHARLIZE THERON IN THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE
John Crosby (who also discovered model-turned-actress Rene Russo) encouraged Charlize Theron to try her hand at acting. It didn't take much convincing, since she was currently unemployed. With no money to pay for a coach to perfect her English accent, Charlize Theron set out to lose her South African accent (her mother tongue is Afrikaans) by singing along to popular music and watching American television shows.

Unfortunately for us -- but fortunately for her career -- Charlize Theron was not cast as the lead stripper in the disastrous movie Showgirls. But she finally landed her first "real" role, as Helga Svelgen in 1996's 2 Days in The Valley. She also appeared in 1996's That Thing You Do!, directed by Tom Hanks, and still voices her appreciation to Tom Hanks for giving her that break. Charlize Theron then appeared in 1997's Trial and Error costarring Michael Richards, and had a supporting role in The Devil's Advocate starring Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino.

CHARLIZE THERON IN CIDER HOUSE RULES
After a role in Woody Allen's Celebrity as a supermodel, the long-legged beauty starred in the Disney film Mighty Joe Young (both in 1998). 1999 was a big year for Charlize Theron, with a string of heftier roles; she costarred with Johnny Depp in The Astronaut's Wife and had a supporting role in the Academy Award-winning film, The Cider House Rules. She even made time to pose for Playboy's May 1999 issue.

Reindeer Games with Ben Affleck was next, followed by The Yards and Men of Honor (all in 2000). She was also seen in the golf flick The Legend of Bagger Vance, with Matt Damon and Will Smith.

CHARLIZE THERON'S ITALIAN JOB
In 2001, Charlize Theron reunited with Keanu Reeves for the schmaltzy Sweet November (she apparently turned down the lead female role in Pearl Harbor for the role), and had a small part as a madam in 15 Minutes. After a role in Woody Allen's The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) and the thriller Trapped (2002), Charlize Theron showed off her driving skills in the summer 2003 hit The Italian Job, with Mark Wahlberg and Edward Norton.

CHARLIZE THERON WINS OSCAR FOR MONSTER AND MAKES TOP 99
With a Best Actress Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Oscar for her role in the biopic Monster (portraying serial killer Aileen Wuornos in 2003) in which she was forced to flex her acting muscles and completely alter her appearance, Charlize Theron is clearly one of the most talented and beautiful actresses of her generation... what else would you expect from AskMen.com's Most Desirable Woman in 2003's Top 99 list?

In 2004, Charlize Theron added Head in the Clouds (costarring Penelope Cruz) and the HBO movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers to her resume. She also starred as the title role in Aeon Flux and in Class Action, both of which were released in 2005.

CHARLIZE THERON MAKES ASKMEN.COM'S TOP 99
After a brief hiatus, Charlize Theron had roles in two flicks in 2007: In The Valley Of Elah and Battle in Seattle. She also received huge recognition for something beyond Charlize Theron's control... her stunning beauty. In October 2007, Esquire magazine named her The Sexiest Woman Alive in its annual issue. She also ranked No. 24 on AskMen.com's Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2007.

CHARLIZE THERON IN SLEEPWALKING
Charlize Theron appeared in the 2008 drama Sleepwalking. In fact, she was very busy that year, with two other flicks to put on her resume: Hancock and The Road.

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Maggie Gyllenhaal

BIOGRAPHY

Maggie Gyllenhaal (pronounced jill-un-holl, it means "Golden Hall" in Swedish) was born on November 16, 1977, in New York City's Lower East Side. Maggie hails from a Hollywood family -- her younger brother Jake Gyllenhaal has starred in movies like The Day After Tomorrow and Brokeback Mountain. Maggie's mother, Naomi Foner, is a writer and producer famous for her Running on Empty screenplay; and her father, Stephen Gyllenhaal, is a film director known for his work on TV shows like Wasteland and The $treet.

maggie gyllenhaal in dangerous woman
Maggie Gyllenhaal acquired the acting bug early on. As a child, she would perform at family events along with her brother, Jake. Fortunately for her, the Gyllenhaal family moved to Los Angeles while Maggie was still very young. Never one to follow trends, Maggie's days at the posh L.A. prep school Harvard-Westlake were rebellious, as she dyed her hair and took to wearing thrift-store clothing in order to buck the "prep school" scene.

Maggie Gyllenhaal began appearing in low-budget films (often directed by her father and/or written by her mother) like Waterland (1992) and A Dangerous Woman (1993) while in her teens.

After high school, Maggie returned to New York City to attend Columbia University where she earned her B.A. in English literature and Eastern religion. She complemented her education with studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

maggie gyllenhaal in donnie darko
Both Maggie Gyllenhaal and her brother Jake admit to a sibling rivalry throughout their careers, wanting to outdo each other's fame with some friendly competition. Though younger, Jake was involved in box-office blockbusters such as City Slickers (1991) earlier than Maggie.

Though she and her brother both appeared -- as brother and sister, no less -- in 2001's cult hit Donnie Darko, it was Jake who got the juicier role as the title character.

maggie gyllenhaal in secretary
Maggie Gyllenhaal finally experienced her breakthrough moment with the 2002 release of Secretary. It was the role that put her face, body and acting skills on Hollywood's radar. Playing a troubled woman with a predilection for sadomasochism, Maggie received a lot of public acclaim and several awards, including the National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

Immediately afterward, Maggie was inundated with offers to play similar roles but she turned them down, not wanting to become typecast.

maggie gyllenhaal in monster house
Still, Maggie Gyllenhaal's career took off and she appeared in successive hits, like 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002), Adaptation (2002), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), and Mona Lisa Smile (2003).

In 2006, she acted alongside Nicolas Cage in The World Trade Center and she worked with Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman in Stranger Than Fiction. She appeared in Monster House that year as well.

2006 also marked the year that Maggie Gyllenhaal became a mom; she and her fiance, actor Peter Sarsgaard, welcomed their daughter, Ramona, into the world in October of that year.

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Whitney Houston

BIOGRAPHY

For a while there, it seemed Whitney Houston was like Midas on HGH; everything she touched turned to gold or platinum. But like that mythical character, Whitney’s power eventually overwhelmed her and nearly destroyed her life. Bad news for her, but fun, juicy news for celebrity bloggers.

Things started off decently. Whitney was born into a poor area of Newark, New Jersey, but was surrounded by loving family who took great pride in their faith and their gospel. With Grammy award-winning gospel singer Cissy as her mother, Dionne Warwick as her cousin and Aretha Franklin as her godmother, Whitney certainly had the pedigree to make it as a singer. And when the diminutive little starlet let loose in church, anyone within earshot (basically within five square blocks) knew she had the pipes to do it, too.

WHITNEY HOUSTON SIGNS HER FIRST CONTRACT
Her mother may have opened a lot of doors for her, but it was Whitney’s undeniable star power that garnered her a worldwide contract from Elektra Records. She had dabbled in modeling and sang in a few nightclubs, but when the legendary president of that aforementioned record label, Clive Davis, saw Whitney Houston perform at a New York club, he knew she had something special. She signed on the dotted line and was appearing on The Merv Griffin Show in no time.

Whitney Houston's self-titled debut album was released in 1985 and produced three No. 1 hits, including “Saving All My Love For You” and “How Will I Know?” Combine that with MTV’s emerging influence and Whitney’s camera-friendly look, and you’ve got one big debut. It seemed the sky was the limit for this diva-in-training, but there were dark, crack-colored clouds on the horizon.

WHITNEY HOUSTON CARRER TAKES OFF
The next decade was a blur of platinum albums, No. 1 hits and backstage meltdowns for Whitney Houston. Not quite happy with dominating pop music, Ms. Houston dabbled in acting, appearing in Waiting to Exhale and The Bodyguard. A phenomenal singing career, A-list status in Hollywood -- it seemed like the only way Whitney Houston could possibly derail her career was to marry a deadbeat loser and become addicted to drugs.

WHITNEY HOUSTON MARRIES BOBBY BROWN
They had dated for years, but when Whitney finally took the plunge with former New Edition star Bobby Brown, her inner circle clucked, tutted and generally disagreed, but love is blind. At first, her meteoric rise continued unabated, then our girl started showing up late to interviews, missing performances and dropping weight faster than a bulimic counselor at a Fat Camp.

Whispers of a drug problem began, but since she was raking in millions for everyone attached to her, no one spoke out against Whitney. Recipe for disaster, anyone?

WHITNEY HOUSTON HITS ROCK BOTTOM
Whitney Houston’s PR spin doctors successfully managed to deflect drug accusations until Whitney appeared on a prime time television special with Diane Sawyer in 2002. Doing her journalistic duty, Sawyer pressed Houston on the rumors. Much to the chagrin of her handlers, Whitney spouted off pseudo-denials using tactful language like “crack is wack” and “crack is a ghetto drug.” Had YouTube existed back then, the clip would have been a viral smash. Even then, it was replayed nonstop for days, and Whitney’s tarnished image was further sullied.

WHITNEY HOUSTON ONLY HAS ONE WAY TO GO
The next few years saw Whitney Houston mail it in with greatest hit albums, Christmas albums and one tabloid encounter after another. She was in real trouble of falling completely off the radar. The pop culture-consuming public is always willing to give celebrities second, third -- heck, even eighth chances, and Whitney’s handlers were putting together a plan to revive her career. Step one of Whitney Houston’s rise from the ashes was to shed herself of Bobby Brown.

WHITNEY HOUSTON'S COMEBACK
Step two was to get Whitney back where she belonged. Clive Davis took the frail singer back under his wing and ushered her back into the studio in 2007. That record-setting team clearly meant business this time, because they have been recording ever since. On August 31, 2009, the album, I Look to You, was released. Whitney is also booked on Oprah in mid-September, her first TV interview since that infamous “crack is wack” fiasco. It should be the final piece of her comeback puzzle, unless she jumps up and down on Oprah’s couch and confesses her love for the pipe.

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Katy Mixon

BIOGRAPHY

Katy Mixon grew up in Pensacola, Florida in a family of six siblings. In an entertaining ode to her future role in Four Christmases, Katy Mixon's family once experienced a good old fashioned Christmas disaster. It came in the form of a wreath that formed a close bond with some nearby candles, quickly filling the Mixon household with smoke and flames. While the wreath didn't survive the incident, everyone else did.

Though she had the Florida sun and surf at her doorstep, Katy Mixon took off for Pittsburgh after high school. Her reasoning was the pursuit of acting, which began with extensive training at the city's Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Katy Mixon's looks and Southern hospitality immediately made her unique, as did her spirited delivery of a Shakespearean monologue from As You Like It -- a performance that showed a natural flair for comedy. Katy Mixon's love of Shakespeare carried over into a stint at the 2000 Utah Shakespearean Festival and after her time at Carnegie was up, she packed her bags for Los Angeles in 2003.

KATY MIXON STARS IN THE QUIET AND MY NAME IS EARL
Two years after her arrival in the City of Angels, Katy Mixon made her professional acting debut as the jealous and outspoken best pal of Elisha Cuthbert in the 2005 thriller, The Quiet. She quickly followed it up with small roles in the culture clash romantic comedy Blind Dating (featuring Chris Pine of Star Trek) and the undead-themed Zombie Prom, which won Best Short Film from the Palm Beach International Film Festival.

In 2007, Katy Mixon tried the small screen on for size, beginning with 2007's Reinventing the Wheelers, about a lawyer's adventures in the Deep South. The show's pilot was not picked up and a similar fate besieged the 2008 series Small Town News. Better luck would come for Katy Mixon on My Name Is Earl, where she enjoyed a memorable guest appearance as Sheila, a stuntman's girlfriend who once maintained a torrid affair with star Jason Lee.

KATY MIXON STARS CHRISTMASES AND JOINS THE CAST OF EASTBOUND & DOWN

For her next major role, Katy Mixon looked for inspiration in her Southern background, specifically from her neighbors on the hick side of the tracks. The white-trash research was necessary to play Susan, the pregnant companion of rough-and-tumble cage fighter Jon Favreau in the 2008 winter hit, Four Christmases. From there, Katy Mixon took on a pair of supporting roles in the Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck thriller State of Play and The Informers, a multi-character mosaic featuring Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Basinger that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Katy Mixon's next project would also become her most popular one. She joined forces with Tropic Thunder and Pineapple Express character actor of the moment Danny McBride for the HBO series, Eastbound & Down. Produced by Will Ferrell, the show featured Katy Mixon as April Buchanan, the sweet teacher and former girlfriend of washed-up ballplayer Kenny Powers (McBride). Unlike her other short-lived television ventures, Eastbound & Down survived its first season and was renewed for a second one. She followed it up with a supporting role in the Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper comedy, All About Steve.

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