Bonnie Hunt

Born: 22nd September 1964
Where: Chicago, Illinois

The writer and actress is probably best known for her scene-stealing performances in Beethoven and Jerry Maguire.

The sixth of seven children, Hunt began pursuing her acting career while working as a cancer nurse at Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago.

As writer and performer, she co-founded the Chicago improvisational troupe An Impulsive Thing before joining the Second City improvisational group.

Hunt appeared in several of their productions, including Bright Lights, Night Baseball, Jean Paul Sartre and Ringo, and How Green Were My Values.

After making her feature debut as the waitress who spills toothpicks before a calculating Dustin Hoffman in the Oscar-winning Rain Man, she moved to LA.

There she turned down three offers from Saturday Night Live while working to get her own show on the air.

Hunt's first leading role cast her opposite a Saint Bernard in Beethoven, returning to this role again a year later for the sequel, Beethoven's 2nd.

Her friendship with talk show host David Letterman led to her becoming the first woman to create, write, co-executive produce (with Letterman) and star in her own short-lived series, The Building.

Again with Letterman's backing, she created and produced the Bonnie Hunt Show/Bonnie, on which she played a Chicago TV station reporter.

Each episode combined scripted and improvisational material, including a man-in-the-street report by Hunt, but died after one series despite good reviews.

In 1995, she played Sarah Whittle in Jumanji and appeared opposite Tom Cruise in the box office hit Jerry Maguire.

Subsequent appearances included Kissing A Fool, Random Hearts, The Green Mile and Return to Me.

Recent work includes the part of Steve Martin's wife in the comedy Cheaper By The Dozen.