Beyoncé Knowles

Born: September 1981
Where: Houston, Texas, USA

The one-time Star Search contestant has launched a fully blown film career after fronting mega selling pop group Destiny's Child with her three high school friends.

Descended from French-speaking Creoles from Louisiana, she studied dance as a child and was a soloist in the school choir.

She formed the quartet Girl's Tyme with LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland and LeToya Luckett and they entered the Star Search competition.

When they lost, Knowles' father quit his six-figure salaries job at Xerox to manage the group.

After studying at Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston she formed Destiny's Child with Rowland and Michelle Williams.

They toured as opening act for TLC and their debut album went platinum followed by the successes The Writing's on the Wall and Survivor.

She made her acting debut as Carmen Brown in Carmen: A Hip Hopera - a musical drama about an aspiring actress who seems to get into trouble wherever she goes.

Her performance then landed her a major part as Foxy Cleopatra in 2002's Austin Powers in Goldmember, a movie for which she also recorded Work It Out for the soundtrack.

Knowles then appeared in the Jonathan Lynn comedy-musical Fighting Temptations with Cuba Gooding Jr and Wanda Williams.

In 2005, the single Crazy In Love became a million seller and was featured on the soundtrack of Bridger Jones: The Edge of Reason.

In 2006, she starred opposite Steve Martin in the remake of the Peter Sellers comedy classic The Pink Panther.