Jessica Biel

Born: March 1982
Where: Ely, Minnesota, USA

The ex-teen model is carving out a career in feisty action roles including the remake of the Texas Chainaw Massacre and a vampire hunter in Blade: Trinity.

Named in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful list, she had her big break with Aaron Spelling's 7th Heaven TV series.

But she became increasingly frustrated with her role, blaming her saintly image for the loss of a leading role in American Beauty to Thora Birch.

Feeling her character in the series was limiting her film career, despite a role in the acclaimed drama Ulee's Gold in 1997, Biel attempted to get out of her contract.

When the producers refused, Biel turned to Gear Magazine where she posed nude; the controversial cover and photo spread resulted in her being fired from the television series.

Unfortunately, Biel's film career did not take off as quickly as she had hoped and she frequently appears as a guest on 7th Heaven.

However, her persistence paid off and she landed roles in Disney's I'll Be Home For Christmas and Roger Avary's adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel Rules of Attraction.

In 2003, she starred in the ill-advised remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and David R Ellis's enjoyable thriller Cellular with Kim Basinger.

She played vampire hunter Abigail Whistler alongside Wesley Snipes in 2004's Blade: Trinity and starred alongside Jamie Foxx in the aerial action thriller Stealth.