Renee Zellweger
Born: 25th April 1969
Where: Katy, Texas
The Oscar winning star is a household name thanks to her ebullient portrayal of Bridget Jones in Richard Curtis' comedy about the Chardonnay-swigging, chain-smoking London thirty-something.
Zellwegger - whose inauspicious early appearance in Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is now a distant memory - went on to raise her profile with an Oscar-nominated role as Roxie Hart in Chicago.
Born of a Norwegian nurse and Swiss engineer, she first got the theatre bug while acting at high school (where she was also a cheerleader).
After graduating from the University of Texas, she considered her acting career was best served by staying in the Lone Star state rather than heading to Hollywood.
She auditioned for roles around Houston where she managed to grab parts in such films as 1994's Reality Bites and an uncredited role in Richard Linklater's Dazed & Confused.
She then appeared in abysmal sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, where she met Matthew McConaughey and joined him in the movie Love and a .45.
This earned her enough critical praise to send her to LA, where she landed her big break beating actresses such as Cameron Diaz and Winona Ryder to a part in Jerry Maguire.
Director Cameron Crowe had seen her in Whole Wide World and decided to cast her as Dorothy Boyd opposite Tom Cruise.
Her next high-profile role was opposite Meryl Streep in the tear-jerker One True Thing and she also landed a Golden Globe for Neil LaBute's superb comedy Nurse Betty.
Next she appeared opposite her soon-to-be on/off fiance Jim Carrey in Me, Myself & Irene. The relationship ended up a definite off.
In 2001, the elfin star was chosen to fill the role of English slacker Bridget in Bridget Jones's Diary, opposite Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.
Further success came her way in 2002 when she starred as the fiercely competitive dancer Roxie Hart in Chicago opposite Catherine Zeta Jones.
The role won her a Golden Globe Award for best actress in a musical or comedy as well as both BAFTA and Oscar nominations.
Recent work has included the foster care drama White Oleander with Michelle Pfeiffer and the romantic comedy Down With Love with Ewan McGregor and David Hyde Pierce.
She also starred as the earthy Ruby Thewes alongside Nicole Kidman in Anthony Minghella's Cold Mountain, for which a second Oscar nomination and first Best Actress award was procured.
In 2004, she reprised her old role in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, as well as voicing a lovestruck Angelfish in Dreamworks animation, Shark Tale.
Recent work includes the role of Russell Crowe's wife in Ron Howard's poorly-received boxing biopic Cinderella Man.
