Radha Mitchell

Born: 1st January 1973
Where: Melbourne, Australia

The actress's mesmerising performance in High Art kickstarted a career which has taken in sci-fi (Pitch Black), action (Man on Fire) and drama (Neverland).

She also played the leading role in Woody Allen's comedic return to form Melinda and Melinda.

Mitchell grew up in a bohemian Melbourne family - her mother ran a clothes shop and would take her on buying trips to India, an the experience the youngster describes as "very unusual".

She began her acting career while still at school in the Australian television series Sugar and Spice.

She next appeared on Australian television as Catherine O'Brien in Neighbours ("incredibly boring...I think everyone should be subjected to it") and on New Zealand television in the miniseries The Chosen.

The actress first attracted attention in America with High Art, Lisa Cholodenko's much acclaimed 1998 romantic drama featuring Mitchell as a lesbian.

Subsequent roles included the family drama Everything Put Together and the sci-fi thriller Pitch Black (which also launched the career of Vin Diesel).

Several inconsequential appearances followed before her breakout role as Colin Farrell's wife in the frantic, real-time action thriller Phone Booth.

Mitchell then proved her worth as a leading actress when gave two separate performances of the same character in Allen's Melinda & Melinda.

(Allen called her mobile phone - Mitchell was convinced it was a practical joke.)

In 2004, she starred in the Tony Scott thriller Man on Fire with Denzel Washington and played the part of Mary Barrie opposite Johnny Depp in Neverland.

Recent work includes the supernatural thriller Silent Hill with Sean Bean.