Jean Smart

Born: September 13 1959
Where: Seattle, Washington, USA

The actress is probably best known to British audiences for her role as Frasier Crane's caustic ex-girlfriend Lorna in the hit series Frasier.

The daughter of a teacher and housewife, she is one of four siblings and was diagnosed with diabetes as a teenager.

After originally intending to become a veterinarian surgeon she became interested in acting at high school and went on to study drama at the University of Washington.

She made her big screen debut in the largely unseen 1979 drama Gangsters and went onto work in TV movies (she played Marlene Dietrich in the TV biopic Piaf).

In 1984, she appeared in the Goldie Hawn comedy vehicle Protocol and worked on TV movies before attracting attention for the US series Designing Women.

Smart switched styles to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos - later to be portrayed by Charlize Theron in Monster - in the TV movie Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story.

In 1995, she starred in the Brady Bunch Movie and subsequent appearances included The Odd Couple II with Jack Lemmon and Walther Matthau.

Smart starred with Stephen Rea in the romantic drama Guinevere in 1999 and also featured in the family comedy Snow Day and Disney's The Kid with Bruce Willis.

She also began her run in Frasier and also had supporting roles in Sweet Home Alabama alongside Reese Witherspoon and the Steve Martin comedy Bringing Down The House.

In 2004, Smart struck artistic gold with parts in the critically acclaimed comedies I Heart Huckabees and Garden State.