The Short List
Jennifer Garner
While landing a guest spot on a hit television series would be a welcome event for most up-and-coming actresses, Jennifer Garner's brief run on Felicity proved especially fortunate for her --
Justin Timberlake
Notorious for spearheading the "teen pop revolution" of the mid to late '90s, alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and others (and the inheritor of superstardom from male
Eddie Murphy
The son of a Brooklyn policeman who died when he was eight, African-American comedy superstar Eddie Murphy was raised in the comfortable middle-class community of Hempstead, NY, by his mother and stepfather. A natural-born class clown, he was
Sienna Miller
With a mother who ran London's famed Lee Strasberg drama school -- and being the sort of knockout blonde beauty adored by the cameras -- it was not surprising that Sienna Miller eventually
Will Smith
Given his formidable success in numerous arenas of the entertainment industry, the multi-talented Will Smith qualifies as an original "Renaissance man." Although Smith initially gained infamy
Dakota Fanning
Kicking off an impressive career in front of the camera at the tender age of five, it was a mere three years later that actress Dakota Fanning would become the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Screen Actor's Guild Award for her role
Matthew McConaughey
With a rangy handsomeness that makes him look as if he would be equally comfortable branding cattle, Matthew McConaughey found fame shortly after making his screen debut in Richard
Beyoncé Knowles
Primarily known as the most popular R&B singer of the late '90s and 2000s, Beyoncé Knowles has come to be known simply as Beyoncé. Only a few years after establishing herself in the popular
Jennifer Hudson
A source of perpetual inspiration to millions of young hopefuls, African-American pop diva-turned-actress Jennifer Hudson proved -- with glorious bravado -- that the most gifted and determined young talents can bounce back from a painful and
Leonardo DiCaprio
As the blond, blue-eyed icon for millions of teenage girls and more than a few boys everywhere, Leonardo DiCaprio emerged from relative television obscurity to become perhaps the hottest under-30 actor of the 1990s. After leading roles in
Kal Penn
Kal Penn qualifies as one of the very few Indian-American actors of Gujarati heritage working in Hollywood. He was born Kalpen Suresh Modi on April 23, 1977, in Montclair, NJ, to an engineer
Penélope Cruz
One of Spain's foremost leading ladies of the 1990s, Penélope Cruz has managed to make her mark with international audiences as well. Born in Madrid on April 28, 1974, Cruz was one of three
Daniel Craig
British actor Daniel Craig became known to audiences the world over when he was revealed as the new James Bond, slated to cement his role as the suave spy in 2006's Casino Royale. His status as
Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel rose to fame as the wholesome preacher's daughter on the WB television show 7th Heaven, then gained greater notoriety for trying to get herself kicked off the show via a risqué photo spread in the men's magazine Gear. Making such statements as, "Mary Camden is dead," the 17-year-old
Sacha Baron Cohen
Best known for his character Ali G, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen was born in London in 1971 to a Welsh father and an Israeli mother. He first assumed the role on Channel 4's The Eleven O'Clock Show in 1999, embarrassing himself as well as
Jessica Simpson
From contemporary Christian starlet to mainstream MTV darling, singer-turned-actress Jessica Simpson has seen her popularity spread like a firestorm following the success of her 1999 major-label debut, Sweet Kisses. In the years that followed,
