Rosario Dawson

Born: May 9 1979
Where: New York, USA

Dawson landed her first film role in Larry Clark's controversial Kids after being discovered by the director while hanging out near her East Village home.

The unseasoned performer played Ruby in the film, a free-speaking sexually promiscuous teen who gets tested for HIV after engaging in extensive risky behavior.

The daughter of a singer and a construction worker, Dawson once had aspirations of becoming a marine biologist.

However, she made the most of her opportunity with Kids and landed her next major role as Lala in Spike Lee's He Got Game.

In 1999, Dawson teamed up with Prince for his timely re-release of his 1980s hit 1999, featuring the actress in an introductory voiceover.

She followed that up with the New York City high school hostage drama Light It Up, playing a brainy, cool-headed student.

She played flaky party girl Lana in the disappointing romantic comedy Down to You and then landed the co-starring role in Edward Burns' Sidewalks of New York.

She was also cast as Valerie in the live-action adaptation of Josie and the Pussycats and appeared in the summer sequel hit Men In Black II.

In 2002 she replaced Halle Berry as the female lead of the futuristic comedy The Adventures of Pluto Nash and ended the year co-starring in Spike Lee's crime drama 25th Hour.

She played The Rock's love interest in the action comedy Welcome To The Jungle and also starred in This Girl's Life with James Woods.

In 2004, she starred as the wife of Colin Farrell's Alexander in Oliver Stone's critically-slated biopic.

Recent work includes the role of hooker Gail in Robert Rodriguez's digital film noir Sin City.