Michelle Monaghan

Born: March 23 1976
Where: Winthrop, Iowa, USA

The former model made her big screen breakthrough as femme fatale Harmony Faith Lane in the noirish comedy Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.

The career-making role came after minor appearances in the likes of Unfaithful and Mr & Mrs Smith (her role in Constantine ended on the cutting room floor).

The daughter of a farmer, she grew up in a rural community and went on to study journalism at college in Chicago.

However, she gave it up for modelling and moved from Chicago to New York where she worked on campaigns including Secret deodorant.

She made her TV debut in 2000 in Young Americans and went on to enjoy a recurring role in the series Boston Public.

Her big screen debut came in 2001 in the drama Perfume and she went on to star alongside Richard Gere and Diane Lane in the thriller Unfaithful.

Subsequent appearances included the family dramas It Runs In the Family and Winter Solstice with Anthony LaPaglia.

In 2004, she was cast in a small role in the superior thriller The Bourne Supremacy and also featured in deleted scenes in Keanu Reeves' Constantine.

The following year, she again enjoyed a small role in Mr & Mrs Smith with Brad Pitt and Anjelina Jolie.

However, it was Shane Black's directorial debut Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang that she first secured a major role opposite Robert Downey Jr.

In 2005, she starred alongside Charlize Theron in the social drama North Country and played Julia in the thriller Mission: Impossible III.

The Farrelly Brothers cast her opposite Ben Stiller in the rom-com The Heartbreak Kid and she stayed with the style for 2008's Made of Honor.