Katrina Kaif

Katrina Kaif was born on July 16, 1984, in Hong Kong. She was one of eight girls born in Hong Kong to her Caucasian mother and Indian father. Her childhood was split between Hawaii and London, and it was in the former that she began her modeling career at age 14. After moving to London, she continued modeling, and eventually landed a role in her first film Boom.


KATRINA KAIF APPEARS IN BOOM
Boom did not perform well at the box office, but still managed to get Katrina Kaif recognized as an up-and-coming star. After again relocating, this time to Mumbai, she instantly got steady work as both a model and an actress. She’s appeared in Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam films, and has been working exhaustively in both language and dance lessons to expand her repertoire as an Indian actress.

Katrina Kaif has four movies prepared for release in 2009: Rave Party, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, De Dhana Dhan, and Rajneeti.

Liv Tyler

Liv Tyler was born July 1, 1977, in Portland, Maine. Her unique first name came about after her mother, model and former rock groupie Bebe Buell, saw Liv Ullmann on the cover of a TV Guide the week Liv was born. As for the roots of her last name, Liv always believed that her father was musician Todd Rundgren, with whom her mother had a long-term relationship, as he helped raise her.

Although her birth certificate stated that Rundgren was indeed her father, a 10-year-old Liv became suspicious after meeting Aerosmith's Steven Tyler at a Rundgren concert, and even more suspicious after seeing Steven Tyler's daughter Mia Tyler, who could have passed for Liv's twin, at an Aerosmith concert.

Liv confronted her mother about the topic, and her mother told her the truth: Steven Tyler was her father (Liv was the product of an eight-month relationship between Tyler and Buell).

LIV TYLER IN AEROSMITH'S CRAZY VIDEO
Liv Tyler made her biological father's name her own at the age of 12, and two years later, mother and daughter headed to New York. While Liv Tyler grew into a statuesque, blue-eyed beauty (she had her father's unmistakable pouty, Mick Jagger-like lips), she claims she was chubby and awkward while growing up.

Family friend Paulina Porizkova saw the beauty in Liv Tyler (as does everyone today), and encouraged her to start modeling. Liv Tyler did, and she soon appeared in magazines such as Seventeen, YM and Mirabella.

However, modeling eventually became boring, and Liv Tyler wanted to start acting. She was offered a part in the 1994 film Silent Fall, which came and went quietly, and she was also cast as Callie in 1995's Heavy. Liv Tyler also starred in the 1995 bomb Empire Records, which was set in a record store, but she did attract attention while costarring with Alicia Silverstone in dad's video for Crazy.

LIV TYLER IN STEALING BEAUTY AND ARMAGEDDON
Finally in 1996, Liv Tyler landed the lead role of Lucy in Bernardo Bertolucci's exquisite film about a teen in search of finding her father and losing her virginity, Stealing Beauty. Although the film was not a moneymaker, it did raise eyebrows in film circles, especially at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.

After a starring role in Tom Hanks' film That Thing You Do!, Liv Tyler was cast in 1997's Inventing the Abbotts. She costarred with Joaquin Phoenix in Inventing the Abbots, and the pair embarked a two-year romantic relationship.

After a tiny role in U Turn and an uncredited role in Can't Hardly Wait, Liv Tyler starred as Bruce Willis' daughter in the summer blow-up hit Armageddon, which opened on her birthday.

In 1999, Liv Tyler rounded out a stellar cast in Cookie's Fortune, appeared in Plunkett & Macleane, costarred with Ralph Fiennes in Onegin, and appeared as herself in the documentary Franky Goes to Hollywood.

LIV TYLER IN LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY
Liv Tyler starred in the female star-studded Dr. T and the Women (along with fellow celebrity progeny Kate Hudson), and was next seen in the comedy One Night at McCool's, as the scheming Jewel Valentine.

Next up for Liv Tyler was the first installment of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, in which she played Arwen Undomiel. She was recast in the second the third installments of the trilogy: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Ring.
In 2003, Liv Tyler married her boyfriend of three years, British rocker Royston Langdon from the group Spacehog, in a small ceremony in Barbados. She was also named the spokesmodel for Givenchy.
Jersey Girl (2004) and Lonesome Jim (2005) with Casey Affleck were the two projects that followed for Liv Tyler. Also in 2004, Liv Tyler gave birth to her first child, a baby boy named Milo William Langdon.

LIV TYLER IN THE INCREDIBLE HULK
In 2006, Liv Tyler had a brief hiatus from acting, only to return in 2007 with Reign Over Me, costarring Adam Sandler, Jada Pinkett Smith and Saffron Burrows. so lifestyle..

Katherine Heigl

Katherine Heigl was born November 24, 1978, in Washington D.C., to parents Paul and Nancy. Raised in New Canaan, Connecticut, along with her two older brothers and older sister, Katherine Heigl's time in the spotlight began when she started modeling.

KATHERINE HEIGL IS A MODEL
Once Wilhelmina, a modeling agency, got hold of photos of a then 9-year-old Katherine Heigl, it didn't take long for her to get modeling jobs. She appeared in magazine ads and a Sears catalogue, and made her television debut with a role in a Cheerios commercial.
Modeling paved the way to acting for Katherine Heigl, as it did for young actresses such as Rachael Leigh Cook and Mena Suvari. By the age of 12, she could be seen on the silver screen in the 1992 film That Night, making her feature film debut.

KATHERINE HEIGL IN MY FATHER THE HERO
After a role in Steven Soderbergh's King of the Hill, Katherine Heigl appeared as Gerard Depardieu's daughter in the 1994 remake of the French film My Father the Hero. Her role as the beautiful teen having to bear with her father's strict rules was not a stretch for the actress; apparently, she was not allowed to date until she was 16.
Venturing into the action genre, next up for Katherine Heigl was the film Under Siege 2: Dark Territory as Steven Seagal's niece.
She only pursued a full-time acting career after graduating from New Canaan High School, where she balanced acting and modeling with the hectic life of a student. With appearances in Seventeen magazine, as well as film and television roles under her belt, Katherine Heigl moved to the hub of acting to further her career.

KATHERINE HEIGL IN THE TEMPEST
Once in L.A., Katherine Heigl starred in independent films such as Prince Valiant, Stand-Ins (as Rita Hayworth's stand-in) and the Disney feature Wish Upon a Star. After a role in the 1998 Bride of Chucky, the latest installment of the Chucky slasher series, and the film Bug Buster, Katherine Heigl starred opposite Peter Fonda in the made-for-TV film The Tempest.

KATHERINE HEIGL IN ROSWELL
Katherine Heigl started making herself comfortable on television, becoming a regular on the 1999 short-lived drama Roswell -- a former hit alien series on the WB network. She actually auditioned for the three female lead roles before winning the role of Isabel, the "alien on earth" character she portrays on the show.
While working on Roswell, Katherine Heigl made time to take on two film projects, with roles in 100 Girls and Valentine.

KATHERINE HEIGL IN THE RINGER
In the spring of 2001, Katherine Heigl appeared in NBC's TV movie Ground Zero, but it was shelved by the network for two years and eventually broadcast in 2003. Also in 2005, Katherine Heigl was cast opposite Johnny Knoxville in The Ringer, a Farrelly brothers comedy. Soon after, she was cast as Isabella Linton in the MTV modern adaptation of Emily Bront's classic novel Wuthering Heights.

KATHERINE HEIGL IN GREY'S ANATOMY
Katherine Heigl biggest break has come in the form of the hit series Grey's Anatomy where she can be seen every week as Dr. Isobel Stevens. With all the good press and accolades the show received, it was obvious Katherine Heigl's star was on the rise.

Cara Wakelin

Cara Hain Wakelin was born on February 8, 1977, in Melbourne, Australia. Since the day she was born, Cara has had it tough, which turned her into a survivor. She was part of a quadruplet pregnancy, but only Cara and her fraternal twin, Bain, survived the troubled birth. Cara never met her Australian father and was raised by her mother in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Further tension came when Cara's mother married, then divorced; Cara's family was always short of money and moved as many as 15 times in 10 years.

Even by the time she began attending high school at the Etobicoke School of the Arts, Cara was still struggling. She was very shy and introverted, even though she showed artistic promise and was quite athletic. She felt more at home with animals than with people during her adolescence, and Cara had a menagerie of pets at home.

Cara Wakelin answers play..boy's call
Nevertheless, Cara was determined to get an education, feeling that it was the only way she could make it. She enrolled in McMaster University, in the nearby city of Hamilton, Ontario, where she studied philosophy and sociology. During her last year of study, Cara was flipping through an ex-boyfriend's Play..boy magazine and discovered that Play..boy was on tour searching for a millennium Play..mate. Thinking it might be a good way to pay off her large student loan, Cara decided to audition when the Play..boy bus came to Toronto in 1998.

Cara's mother was hugely supportive, and even went along with Cara when she auditioned for Play..boy. Cara recalled that her mother kept her from chickening out: "'You've come this far,' she told me, 'so you obviously wanted to do it in the first place. Why back out now? You'll regret it for the rest of your life.'" Sure enough, the experience was a positive one, and within a few months, an excited Cara was invited to Chicago for a test shoot.

Cara Wakelin becomes canada's play..mate
Cara was selected as Play..boy's Miss November 1999. Hugh Hefner had rejected Cara's first centerfold because there were too many peanuts on the floor of her set (it was in a roadside bar), but decided to put Cara on the cover of the Canadian edition of Play..boy in a hockey jersey. It was only the second time Hef had put a current play..mate on the cover, and the edition sold out within two weeks. Cara became a celebrity in Canada overnight.

Cara continued to work as a Play..boy model and traveled throughout America, Russia, Japan, and even Chile; most recently, she graced the cover of the 2005 Play..boy Swimsuit Calendar (Play..boy 's first). She's been in commercials and ads for Sears, Ford, Coca-Cola, Miller, and Budweiser. Cara has also tried her hand at acting, taking roles in Death to Smoochy (2002) and TV's Relic Hunter. Cara currently divides her time between Los Angeles and Toronto.

Cheryl Cole

Cheryl Ann Tweedy has spent nearly her entire life in the limelight. Born June 30, 1983, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Cheryl began her modeling career at the tender age of 6 when she won the prestigious World Star of Future Modeling competition. And she didn’t stop there. In the years that followed, she was named “Best Looking Girl of Newcastle,” “Most Attractive Girl” at the Metro Square, and she starred in a string of popular commercials seen throughout the British Isles.

“Chezza,” as she’s known in the media, won another competition of sorts, at the age of 16, when she beat out thousands of other young women to earn a place at the Royal Ballet Summer School in London. Despite her success as a dancer, Cheryl’s true love was singing and she longed for the opportunity to show off her dazzling vocal prowess.

CHERYL TWEEDY ON POPSTARS
Luckily, she was given a chance to do just that in 2002, when ITV1 held an open audition for its new reality show, Popstars: The Rivals. “I was working as a waitress at the time,” Cheryl recalls. “I saw Popstars would be about two new bands, so I just thought I’d give an audition a go.”

CHERYL TWEEDY JOINS GIRLS ALOUD
And it’s a good thing she did. Cheryl’s multitalented skill set blew away the show’s producers. “When I got through all the heats I started to think I could go all the way,” she recalls. And indeed she did. Chezza was the first contestant chosen for the newly formed group Girls Aloud. Joining her in the band were Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts, and Sarah Harding.

The girls easily defeated their male counterparts on Popstars thanks to the huge success of their debut single, “Sound of the Underground.” In fact, the song proved to be so popular that it stayed at the No. 1 spot on the charts for an incredible four weeks.

Encouraged by the song’s success, Girls Aloud headed into the studio once again to record their debut album, Sound of the Underground. Released on May 26, 2003, the disc sold over 320,000 copies worldwide thanks to the hit songs “Girls Allowed” and “Life Got Cold.”

CHERYL TWEEDY’S ASSAULT CHARGES
Unfortunately, Cheryl made news for all the wrong reasons later that year when she was convicted of assaulting a toilet attendant at a nightclub in Guilford. Although she was cleared of all charges of racially aggravated assault, Cheryl was found guilty of occasioning actual bodily harm and was sentenced to 120 hours of community service. According to Cheryl, the incident brought her “down to earth.” She says: “It made me realize just how lucky I was to lead the life I do."

GIRLS ALOUD RELEASES CHEMISTRY
Cheryl put the episode behind her, and she and Girls Aloud switched their focus to recording What Will the Neighbours Say? Released on November 24, 2004, the ambitious sophomore effort debuted at No. 6 on the UK album charts and later achieved platinum certification. Just as importantly, the disc received a mountain of critical praise from publications like The Guardian, which hailed it as being "funny, clever, immediate," and "richly inventive."

Following a successful live tour, the girls headed back into the studio to record their third album. Released on December 5, 2005, Chemistry was a critically praised album, with respected media outlets like The Guardian, NME and Top of the Pops, which included it on its best of year-end album charts. The disc was also equally popular with the group’s loyal fans who made Chemistry Girls Aloud’s third consecutive platinum-selling record.

Girls Aloud hit the charts again in September 2006, with the release of their first greatest hits compilation, The Sound of Girls Aloud. The album debuted at No. 1 on the UK charts, and went on to sell an impressive 84,000 copies in its first week. After the album's success, the girls went out on tour, hitting 15 spots across the UK to sing to adoring fans.

And the music doesn't stop there. Cheryl Tweedy and Girls Aloud followed up in August 2007, with their fourth studio album, Tangled Up that saw the hits "Sexy! No, No, No..." and "Call the Shots," which became their 17th hit and reached No. 3 on the UK charts.

CHERYL TWEEDY MARRIES ASHLEY COLE
Cheryl also made headlines of a personal sort in 2006 when she married English footballer Ashley Cole in a lavish ceremony on July 15. The wedding was financed by OK! magazine, which paid the star couple £1,000,000 to publish pictures of the event. “It went very well,” Cheryl says. “I thought something would go wrong on the day, but all went smoothly and it was a great time. Everyone seemed to have fun after too.”

CHERYL TWEEDY FACES MARRIAGE TURMOIL
In 2008, The Sun newspaper reported that Cheryl Tweedy's husband Ashley had been sleeping with several women during their marriage, including 22-year-old hairdresser Aimee Walton, who sold her story to the paper. In the months to follow, Cheryl was spotted several times out in public without her wedding ring.

CHERYL TWEEDY JOINS THE X FACTOR
In June 2008, Cheryl Cole replaced Sharon Osborne as a judge on the reality TV show The X Factor. Her arrival on one the UK's biggest TV shows wasn't met with universal joy, however, as reports of confrontation between Cheryl Tweedy (Cole) and fellow judge Dannii Minogue began to surface.

GIRLS ALOUD SET TO RELEASE OUT OF CONTROL
2009 is shaping up to be quite a big year for Cheryl Tweedy and the lovely ladies of Girls Aloud. After confirming rumors that they're set to release a brand new album entitled Out of Control, which contains the hit singles "The Loving Kind" and "The Promise."

Along with a new album set to hit the shelves, Girls Aloud and Cheryl Tweedy also performed at the 2009 Brit Awards and brought home the award for Best British Single for "The Promise."

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

The oldest of three, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley can credit her close-knit family for instilling both the organic virtues and healthy values that would later help her look good and keep her out of trouble (for the most part) as a professional model. Thanks to a farm on the family property, homegrown vegetables were regular staples on the dinner table, and the supportive nature of her family gave Rosie Huntington-Whiteley a positive and realistic outlook on life.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's personality was so grounded, in fact, that while she had a childhood interest in fashion, she never believed herself to be good looking enough to make it. Instead, she imagined herself dressing models as a designer, but fate (who must have an eye for models) had different plans for her. In 2003, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was attending Tavistock College when she sought work as a dispatcher at Profile, a London modeling agency. A Profile agent thought she might be better off as a model instead.

ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY MODELS FOR VICTORIA'S SECRET
Life as a model was an adjustment for Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. She had to contend with older (and cattier) women around her and the rigorous work schedule. Most of her first year at Profile was spent doing local assignments, which gave her time to adjust. In 2004, she signed with the internationally recognized Women Management and promptly appeared in a pair of magazine editorials, for ELLEgirl and Teen Vogue, soon afterward. From there, she was off to New York for her first runway shows in the Big Apple and a big payday as part of Tommy Hilfiger's fall campaign. By the spring of 2005, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley had also appeared on four magazine covers (Wallpaper, L'Officiel, Italian D, Japanese Vogue) and was living her dream, even if it meant that organic food would sometimes be difficult to come by.

ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY AND KANYE WEST
The lingerie experts at Victoria's Secret contacted Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in 2005 to join them for a catalog shoot. She accepted, and as a result of stripping down to her underwear, she found herself on the Victoria's Secret runway a year later alongside Adriana Lima and Gisele Bundchen. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's association with Victoria's Secret would prove to be long-lasting and lucrative -- always good in our books -- and the company would choose her as a spokesmodel for its college-targeted PINK line. Simultaneously, she continued to jump between ad campaigns (DKNY, BCGB Max Azria), catalog work (Macy's, Bloomingdale's) and magazine editorials (New York, Elle, Harper's & Queen). She also joined the music video culture with an appearance in the Kanye West/Pharrell Williams collaboration, "Number One."

ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY MODELS FOR BURBERRY AND POSES FOR VOGUE
With her traffic-stopping figure being broadcast around the world through ads and magazines, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was now a true star in the making with a solid industry reputation for being efficient and reliable. Naturally, it was the perfect time for a scandal. Just months after being signed on as the face of Burberry, the very same A-list fashion house that once hired a young Kate Moss, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley drew an unfavorable comparison to Moss (for drugs) when a picture was published of her holding a bong pipe with fellow models Jennifer Pugh and Aleksandra Rastovic. Though the picture was several years old, the allegations were damaging and rumors quickly surfaced that Rosie Huntington-Whiteley would be released from her Burberry contract. Her ads for the company's Autumn 2008 campaign went through as scheduled, but her fate with Burberry remains up in the air.

In November of 2008, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley found herself in yet another high-profile picture with two models, but this time it would prove to be completely beneficial to her career. She snagged the cover of the UK edition of Vogue, sharing the page with beauties Eden Clark and Jourdan Dunn. As the cover was a lot more flattering than the bong picture, it put Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's career back on the fast track, and she would close the year by participating in the Victoria's Secret fashion exposé before winning top honors as Model of the Year at the 2009 Elle Style Awards and becoming an official Victoria's Secret Angel in November of 2009. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley will build on her momentum with her sexiest gig yet, a photo shoot for the 2010 installment of the racy (and wildly popular) Pirelli calendar.

Alessandra Ambrosio

Alessandra Ambrosio was born April 11, 1981, in Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The eldest of two daughters, she entered the world of modeling at the age of 14 when she won the Elite Look of the Year Contest. Her victory in the prestigious event led to a number of lucrative offers and, within a year, she was selected to appear in the Millennium GUESS campaign along with fellow Brazilian model Ana Beatriz Barros.

The high-profile campaign transformed Alessandra Ambrosio into an overnight sensation, and the world’s biggest designers were soon lining up for the opportunity to have her model their clothing. Alessandra happily complied and, in 2000, she walked the catwalks for a veritable who’s who of fashion illuminati, including Christian Lacroix, Christian Dior, Nanette Lepore, Oscar de la Renta, Vivienne Tam, and Vivienne Westwood, among many others.

ALESSANDRA AMBROSIO IS A VICTORIA’S SECRET ANGEL
It was during that year that Alessandra Ambrosio also made her first appearance on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. She has been associated with the glamorous pageant ever since, and, in 2004, she was selected as the first spokesmodel for the brand’s immensely popular PINK line.

Alessandra Ambrosio’s famous face has since been splashed across the covers of Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar, and she has appeared in high-profile advertisements for a wide assortment of brands, including GAP, Gucci, Hummer, Macy's, Manos del Uruguay, and Armani Exchange.

Scarlett Johansson

Born in New York City, on November 22, 1984, Scarlett Johansson is the youngest of four siblings -- she has an older brother and sister, as well as a twin brother. As might be expected of an acting prodigy, Scarlett had an unusually early interest in performing: She wanted to be an actress since age 3, and was acting professionally when she was only 8 years old. After taking classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute for Young People, Scarlett Johansson made her stage debut in the early 1990s in the off-Broadway production of Sophistry, alongside Ethan Hawke.

Scarlett Johansson's first film role came in 1994's North, starring Elijah Wood, another child star survivor. The following year she played Sean Connery's daughter in the thriller Just Cause, and then in 1996 she appeared in If Lucy Fell and Manny & Lo. For the latter film, Scarlett Johansson was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress in 1997. That year she added Fall and Home Alone 3 to her burgeoning list of credits as well.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON STARS IN THE HORSE WHISPERER
In 1998, Scarlett Johansson's career reached new heights. Cast as Grace MacLean, a young girl who suffers a tragic equestrian accident in The Horse Whisperer, Scarlett Johansson was generally acknowledged as the most promising part of an otherwise unenthusiastically received film. The 13-year-old actress picked up a Hollywood Reporter Young Star Award for her work. Ironically, Scarlett Johansson was given an "introducing..." credit in The Horse Whisperer, even though she already had a half-dozen movies under her belt by then.

Building on the momentum of The Horse Whisperer, Scarlett Johansson appeared in My Brother the Pig (1999), and then costarred with Thora Birch in Terry Zwigoff's adaptation of the teen-angst comic book Ghost World in 2000.

The next year Scarlett Johansson turned heads once again with a provocative role in the Coen brothers' The Man Who Wasn't There. Also in 2001, Scarlett starred in An American Rhapsody, a Hungarian film about a girl who escapes from behind the iron curtain in the 1950s. Such serious fare was offset in 2002, with Scarlett Johansson's turn in the B-monster movie Eight Legged Freaks.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON STARS IN LOST IN TRANSLATION
2003 would prove to be Scarlett Johansson's most successful year yet. She starred in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation as a young girl staying in Japan who befriends a washed-up American actor, played by Bill Murray. Scarlett followed up Lost in Translation with Girl with a Pearl Earring in which she played the title role: a struggling servant girl who becomes drawn into the world of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. Both roles landed Scarlett Johansson Best Actress Golden Globe nominations in 2004, as well as a Best Actress BAFTA Award (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) for Lost in Translation.

With the 2004 teen comedy The Perfect Score, Scarlett Johansson demonstrated once more that she can take on lighter fare as well as serious roles.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON IN THE PRESTIGE
In 2005, Scarlett Johansson appeared in two flicks: Woody Allen's Match Point and The Island. She also endorsed the Calvin Klein perfume "Eternity Moment."

The following year she was named the face of L'Oreal and also had roles in The Black Dahlia and The Prestige alongside Christian Bale. If that weren't enough, Scarlett was the leading lady in Bob Dylan's music video "When the Deal Goes Down."

SCARLETT JOHANSSON IS NAMED NO. 6 IN 2008 AND 2009 TOP 99
In 2007, Scarlett Johansson played Annie Braddock in The Nanny Diaries. Her 2008 projects included The Spirit, The Other Boleyn Girl and Vicky Cristina Barcelona (that costars Penelope Cruz, with whom she shared an on-screen kiss).

Very few women in Hollywood have the allure and sexiness of Scarlett Johansson. Not only can she look hot in an array of hairstyles and ensembles, but she can really act, too. This is precisely why AskMen.com readers voted her No. 6 in the Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2008 and again in 2009.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON ENGAGED TO RYAN REYNOLDS
In 2008, Scarlett Johansson got engaged to her actor boyfriend Ryan Reynolds. By September of 2008, the couple married in Tofino, Canada.

In 2009, Scarlett starred in He's Just Not That Into You, alongside Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore and, Ben Affleck. Up next, Scarlett Johansson is set to star in the Jon Favreau-directed Iron Man 2 (2010), opposite industry heavyweights like Gwyneth Paltrow, Mickey Rourke, Robert Downey Jr., and Samuel L. Jackson.

Elisha Cuthbert

Elisha Ann Cuthbert was born on November 30, 1982, in Calgary, Alberta. As a child, Elisha’s cherubic looks made her a natural candidate for modeling, and it wasn’t long before she was posing in advertisements for various children’s clothing lines. Elisha, who grew up in Montreal, subsequently began to express an interest in acting; in 1996, she made her professional debut on the popular Canadian anthology series Are You Afraid of the Dark? Elisha Cuthbert’s bubbly demeanor and natural on-camera style made her an ideal fit for the role of host on the show Popular Mechanics for Kids, where she worked side-by-side with fellow up-and-coming performers like Jay Baruchel and Vanessa Lengies.

ELISHA CUTHBERT DEBUTS IN DANCING ON THE MOON
Elisha Cuthbert’s stint on Popular Mechanics for Kids increased her profile among Canadian viewers exponentially, and it also made it a lot easier for her to get her foot in the door at auditions. In 1997, Elisha made her first movie appearance with a supporting role in the Canadian film Dancing on the Moon -- which she followed up with a series of appearances in obscure efforts, including the 1998 family fantasy Nico the Unicorn (which also starred Kevin Zegers). Elisha Cuthbert’s status as a familiar-yet-unknown face changed dramatically in 2001 when she took on the role of a compulsive teen gambler in the well-regarded made-for-Canadian-television movie Lucky Girl (for which she won Canada’s equivalent of an Emmy).

ELISHA CUTHBERT ON 24
That same year, Elisha Cuthbert successfully auditioned for a prominent role on a new FOX drama entitled 24 in which she was to play the daughter of Kiefer Sutherland’s harried government agent. The show, which became an instant smash hit, transformed Elisha into a sex symbol virtually overnight, and while some fans occasionally grew tired of her character’s useless antics, there’s simply no denying that 24 catapulted Elisha Cuthbert to A-list status. In 2003, Elisha appeared in two high-profile Hollywood films -- Love Actually and Old School -- and it became clear to those around her that she was a star in the making.

ELISHA CUTHBERT IN THE GIRL NEXT DOOR
Elisha Cuthbert’s burgeoning popularity manifested itself in 2004 when she landed her first starring role in a major Hollywood motion picture. The Girl Next Door, which featured Elisha as a porn star who strikes up a friendship with a shy high schooler, served as an appropriate launching pad for Elisha’s cinematic career, and she even managed to garner a pair of MTV Movie Awards for her work in the film. After leaving 24 in 2004, Elisha Cuthbert worked steadily in movies like 2005’s House of Wax and 2007’s Captivity.

Jessica Szohr

Jessica Karen Szohr was born March 31, 1985, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A natural beauty with mesmerizing blue eyes, she was discovered at the age of 16 while working at a Kohl’s department store. Her distinctive appearance made her a valuable commodity, and she soon began appearing in ads for a number of prominent national brands including Crate and Barrel, Mountain Dew, Sears, Quaker Oats, Jockey, Jansport, and Claire’s Boutique.

JESSICA SZOHR MOVES TO L.A.
It soon became clear that Jessica Szohr had more options than most of her fellow classmates, and she was eventually forced to decide between acting and academics. “In my senior year of high school, my parents sat me down and asked if I really wanted to go to college, or was I just doing it for them,” she recalls. “So with their blessing, I decided to go out to Los Angeles for pilot season.”

JESSICA SZOHR MAKES HER ACTING DEBUT
It proved to be a savvy decision and within a matter of weeks, Jessica Szohr landed a plum guest-starring role alongside Damon Wayans on My Wife and Kids. She also made her big screen debut later that year in Uncle Nino, a heartfelt family film starring Golden Globe nominees Joe Mantegna and Anne Archer.

Jessica Szohr continued to build her resume over the next two years with roles in a number of hit sitcoms including What I like About You featuring Amanda Bynes, Joan of Arcadia starring Amber Tamblyn and That’s So Raven with Raven Symone.    

JESSICA SZOHR JOINS THE CAST OF WHAT ABOUT BRIAN
After several years of guest-starring roles and supporting parts, Jessica Szohr finally received her big break in 2007 when she was given a substantial recurring role in What About Brian. The heartwarming ensemble show gave her career the boost it sorely needed, and she soon benefited with additional parts on CSI: Miami and in the direct-to-DVD movie, Somebody Help Me, starring Grammy-nominated performer Omarion.

JESSICA SZOHR JOINS THE CAST OF GOSSIP GIRL
Jessica Szohr’s solid performances in those projects resonated with the producers of Gossip Girl, and they invited her to join the show’s cast on a part-time basis in October of 2007. “I was super nervous,” she admits. “I’d seen the pilot, so joining the show four episodes in was like being the new kid at school.” Luckily, her nerves soon calmed and, after a month and a half, Jessica Szohr was invited to join the cast as a series regular. Gossip Girl has since become the CW’s marquee program, having won six Teen Choice Awards in 2008 alone.

“J. Zo,” as she’s known to friends, loves being on the show, but she admits that it’s taken her a while to get accustomed to Gossip Girl’s immense popularity. “It’s very interesting,” she says. “You don’t realize that aside from acting, there is this whole other side. Photo shoots, interviews -- it gets a little complicated.”

JESSICA SZOHR APPEARS IN FIRED UP
In addition to starring in Gossip Girl, Jessica Szohr also recently appeared on the big screen in Fired Up. While we know cheerleading comedies aren't necessarily your bag, this one is surprisingly funny. What?

January Jones

January Jones was born January 5, 1978, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The eldest of three sisters, she attended Roosevelt High School where she balanced her studies with a part-time job at Dairy Queen. “I loved my after-school job at the Dairy Queen, though I’m sworn to secrecy about their recipes,” she says. “I’d whip up my own concoctions, like mixing ice cream with their slushy, which is now called a Misty Freeze. I did that before it was even on their menu.”

JANUARY JONES BEGINS MODELING
January Jones also found gainful employment as model and she eventually moved to New York City at the age of 18 to further her career. It proved to be a savvy decision, and before long she was appearing in high-profile ads for Abercrombie & Fitch and Clearasil. She also participated in a particularly precarious photo shoot in Paris that nearly ended her career. “I was in lingerie on a trampoline and had to jump into the air and do weird poses for eight hours,” she recalls. “The constant jumping made my legs start to buckle. And no one on the shoot spoke English, or at least they pretended they didn’t. I was so angry.”

JANUARY JONES IN FULL FRONTAL
The experience made her think twice about her choice of professions, and January Jones eventually transitioned into acting, making her big-screen debut in 1999 in All the Rage, an award-winning independent film starring Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels and Gary Sinise. A succession of small roles soon followed in The Glass House, starring Diane Lane, Bandits featuring Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton and the controversial Steven Soderbergh project, Full Frontal.

JANUARY JONES STARS IN AMERICAN WEDDING
January Jones truly came into her own in 2003 thanks to substantial roles in Anger Management, starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, Love Actually, featuring Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson and American Wedding in which she played Alyson Hannigan’s younger sister. “I feel as though my career really hit its high point when I was cast as a supporting actress in American Wedding,” she says. “I thought the script had a lot of depth and intelligence, and it really just jumped off the page.” January Jones especially enjoyed working with the film’s talented ensemble cast. “They were great to me. They were very supportive and helped me out,” she says. “They were just like brothers. And Alyson [Hannigan] was awesome to work with. She gave me everything I needed.”

JANUARY JONES STARS IN WE ARE MARSHALL
American Wedding helped secure her reputation as a star on the rise, and January Jones benefited with a pair of plum parts in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada alongside Tommy Lee Jones, and in the moving sports film We Are Marshall as the loyal wife of grief-stricken football coach Red Dawson. “The story was so good,” she says.

JANUARY JONES JOINS THE CAST OF MAD MEN, IS NO. 98 ON 2009 TOP 99
January Jones stepped away from the big screen in 2007 to join the cast of Mad Men, an original AMC series about one of New York’s most prestigious ad agencies. The program, in two seasons, won six Emmy Awards and a pair of Golden Globes. “It's a very fun series to shoot,” she says. “Never having done a series before, I was pleasantly surprised how similar to movies it was. I wasn't too rushed creatively and was a very safe environment to act in. I am blessed with amazing colleagues and beautiful writing.”

Kate Winslet

Kate Elizabeth Winslet was born October 5, 1975, in Reading, England. With acting deep-rooted into her genes, it was no wonder that Kate herself would also turn to the dramatic arts.
Her grandparents, Oliver and Linda Bridges, founded and operated the Reading Repertory theater; father Roger Winslet and mom Sally were both actors; uncle Robert Bridges appeared in the original West End production of Oliver!; and both her sisters Beth and Anna are actors. Her younger brother Joss is probably the only Winslet who did not enter the family business.

KATE WINSLET IN A KID IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT
Kate Winslet made her debut at age 11, when she costarred with the "Honey Monster" in a commercial for a children's breakfast. After acting lessons and a graduation from a performing arts high school, Kate Winslet took to the stage in productions of Adrian Mole and Peter Pan.

Kate Winslet then took the television route, with appearances on sitcoms, most notably a recurring role on the British comedy, Get Back. Kate went from a rather dark role in the 1994 film Heavenly Creatures (as a teen involved in a murder), to the more children-oriented A Kid in King Arthur's Court, where she starred as Princess Sarah.

KATE WINSLET IN SENSE & SENSIBILITY
The British actress' career was about to rise after Kate Winslet was cast as Marianne Dashwood in the adaptation of Jane Austen's period piece, Sense and Sensibility, sharing the screen with Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant.

The film's producers and director, Ang Lee, knew that Kate was the one for the part during her audition, and to underscore that decision, she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Kate Winslet may have lost the Oscar, but she did win the Screen Actors Guild for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, and a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Supporting Actress Award, both for Sense and Sensibility.

As even more evidence that Kate Winslet was a natural in a corset, she next starred in two more period pieces in 1996: Jude (based on the novel Jude the Obscure), and Hamlet (the one with Kenneth Branagh), where she starred as the tragic Ophelia.

KATE WINSLET IN TITANIC
In 1997, Kate Winslet plunged into the icy waters and made movie history as the heroine of James Cameron's mega-movie Titanic. Her role as Rose DeWitt Bukater not only made her the envy of teenage girls worldwide (for getting to share breathing space with Leonardo DiCaprio), but it also marked her transition from artsy, independent films, to commercial blockbuster flicks. She received another Oscar nod, this time in the Best Supporting Actress category, making her the youngest actress to receive two Oscar nominations.

However, Kate chose the road less traveled by supposedly refusing the lead roles in Shakespeare in Love (Gwyneth sure owes her a big thank-you) and Anna and the King, in order to star in two more alternative, independent films: Hideous Kinky (1998) and Holy Smoke (1999).

2000 saw Kate in yet another period piece: the critically acclaimed Quills. She then appeared in Enigma (2001), Iris (2001), The Life of David Gale (2003), and was heard in the animated feature Flushed Away (2006), with Hugh Jackman.

Delving into children-oriented films isn't a bad idea, since Kate Winslet is also mother to Mia (her daughter with ex-husband Jim Threapleton) and Joe (her son with husband Sam Mendes).

KATE WINSLET'S OSCAR NODS
Oscar sure does like Kate. She holds the record for being the youngest actor to receive four Academy Award nominations, all by the age of 29. She was nominated for an Academy Award for the third time in 2002, as Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Iris. And her fourth Oscar nod in 2005 was for Best Actress for her work in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). Some might even argue that Kate was robbed of a nomination for her stellar performance as a widowed mother of four boys in 2004's Finding Neverland.

Kate is no stranger to award nominations, however. By 2005, she had already been nominated for four Golden Globe awards, and in 2007, she received a fifth for her role in the critically acclaimed Little Children.

KATE WINSLET WINS GOLDEN GLOBES AND GETS HER OSCAR
At the 2009 Golden Globes, Kate Winslet took home two awards: one for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama for her work in Revolutionary Road and one for Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for her work in The Reader. At the 2009 Academy Awards, Winslet finally took home her very own little gold statue for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in The Reader.

Carmen Garcia

Carmen Garcia Born July 16, 1977, in Havana, Cuba, and raised in Miami, Florida, Carmen Garcia spent much of her youth struggling with an eating disorder. “My desire to gain weight was always prominent but I just couldn't work up a normal appetite in my growing years,” she recalls. “Not to mention the fact that I've always had a fast metabolism and I've always been the hyperactive type.”

Carmen Garcia tried extreme measures to add weight to her skinny frame, but nothing she did seemed to work. “In high school, I began to eat a lot junk food and still no weight gain!” she says. “The years rolled by and finally I began to see a little gain but it was not muscle gain. It was flab!”

That’s when Carmen Garcia decided to take control of her body and she joined a local gym where bodybuilders and trainers took the time to teach her how to shape her physique. Carmen took their lessons to heart and she soon began pumping iron and even became a certified aerobics instructor. “That's how my body transformed itself,” she explains.

CARMEN GARCIA IN PLANET MUSCLE
However, it wasn’t until she moved to Los Angeles to become a private personal trainer that Carmen Garcia considered plunging headfirst into the competitive world of modeling. “I picked up an issue of Bob Kennedy's Oxygen magazine and the cover model really inspired me!” she recalls. “I had realized that you don't have to be super young and super thin to start a modeling career.” That inspiration led Carmen Garcia to find an agent and she soon began appearing in a number of prestigious magazines such as Just Swimsuits, Musclemag International, American Curves, Planet Muscle, Muscular Development, Hot Boats, Low Rider, and Iron Man Magazine, among others.

CARMEN GARCIA ON SEX WARS
Carmen Garcia’s dazzling print work led to a number of other opportunities and she was featured on television shows such as Club Industry, Sex Wars and Jack and the Girls, as well as in a handful of music videos like the Sugar Ray hit “When It’s Over.”

CARMEN GARCIA THE PERSONAL TRAINER
Carmen Garcia is a working fitness and swimwear model as well as a personal trainer who helps others achieve their fitness goals. “It took me years to finally gain lean muscle in all the right places and getting to know my body,” she says.

Carmen Garcia has been actively participating in the health and fitness field for the past 10 years as a certified trainer and lifestyle fitness consultant. She is certified by the U.S. Personal Trainer's Association (USPTA), CPR Certified, a USPTA student examiner, and also an IDEA-fit member. Carmen Garcia understands the benefits of healthy living and working out and so has dedicated herself to promoting a healthy lifestyle to those around her and helping her clients achieve their goals.

Bollywood's Beauty Icon of the Decade

    'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness.'

Englishpoet John Keats isn't far from the truth while reflecting on the meritsof genuine allure. While he may not have had Bollywood in mind whilecarving his thoughts in poetry, they do apply universally.

Comingto the world of showbiz, an actress is not just about great looks butalso the way she carries herself to create an unforgettable impressionon everyone who comes in contact. And that's what makes her an icon.

We asked you,dear readers, to vote for your choice of Beauty Icon of the Decade inHindi films. The results are out and here's a look at the ones who madeit:

1.Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

'She's the fairest of them all.'

Frankly,was there any doubt? Almost every second person on the message boardvoted for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Unanimously, a bona fide beauty ofthis decade and quite effortlessly one of the most splendid faces toadorn the Indian screens, ever.

LikeMeryl Streep's wealth of talent, so much has been said and writtenabout the lady's legendary looks that it's impossible to avoid a clicheor two. Like her wistful blue-green eyes, pixie nose, surreal smile,elegant manners, the list is endless.

Image: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

     Next

'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness.'
Englishpoet John Keats isn't far from the truth while reflecting on the meritsof genuine allure. While he may not have had Bollywood in mind whilecarving his thoughts in poetry, they do apply universally.
Comingto the world of showbiz, an actress is not just about great looks butalso the way she carries herself to create an unforgettable impressionon everyone who comes in contact. And that's what makes her an icon.
We asked you,dear readers, to vote for your choice of Beauty Icon of the Decade inHindi films. The results are out and here's a look at the ones who madeit:
1.Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
'She's the fairest of them all.'
Frankly,was there any doubt? Almost every second person on the message boardvoted for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Unanimously, a bona fide beauty ofthis decade and quite effortlessly one of the most splendid faces toadorn the Indian screens, ever.
LikeMeryl Streep's wealth of talent, so much has been said and writtenabout the lady's legendary looks that it's impossible to avoid a clicheor two. Like her wistful blue-green eyes, pixie nose, surreal smile,elegant manners, the list is endless.

Image: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

     Next

At the beginning of this decade, practically no one had heard of Katrina Kaif. At its end, she's Bollywood's reigning queen.

Through sheer determination and some good luck, the luminous lass from London took Bollywood by surprise.

Alooker by all means, Katrina's doe-eyed cuteness-glossy pout combo,despite her reserved, careful disposition, makes her the quintessentialhot 'n' sweet beauty.

Image: Katrina Kaif

     Next

'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness.'
Englishpoet John Keats isn't far from the truth while reflecting on the meritsof genuine allure. While he may not have had Bollywood in mind whilecarving his thoughts in poetry, they do apply universally.
Comingto the world of showbiz, an actress is not just about great looks butalso the way she carries herself to create an unforgettable impressionon everyone who comes in contact. And that's what makes her an icon.
We asked you,dear readers, to vote for your choice of Beauty Icon of the Decade inHindi films. The results are out and here's a look at the ones who madeit:
1.Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
'She's the fairest of them all.'
Frankly,was there any doubt? Almost every second person on the message boardvoted for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Unanimously, a bona fide beauty ofthis decade and quite effortlessly one of the most splendid faces toadorn the Indian screens, ever.
LikeMeryl Streep's wealth of talent, so much has been said and writtenabout the lady's legendary looks that it's impossible to avoid a clicheor two. Like her wistful blue-green eyes, pixie nose, surreal smile,elegant manners, the list is endless.

Image: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

     Next

Prev     Next

At the beginning of this decade, practically no one had heard of Katrina Kaif. At its end, she's Bollywood's reigning queen.
Through sheer determination and some good luck, the luminous lass from London took Bollywood by surprise.
Alooker by all means, Katrina's doe-eyed cuteness-glossy pout combo,despite her reserved, careful disposition, makes her the quintessentialhot 'n' sweet beauty.

Image: Katrina Kaif

Prev     Next

Is it the cognac hue in her eyes? The lilting chime in her laughter? The unmistakable glow in her demeanour? Kajol is exquisite.

Right from her dud of a debut, Bekhudi to the recently aired promo of My Name is Khan, her sensational presence is undeniable.

Everyone loves and relates to the sometimes fun, sometimes serious but consistently individualistic characters she plays.

Neverthe kind to project herself as eye-candy, Kajol's various attempts toconceal her loveliness in shoddy clothing and sloppy styling hasn'tprevented us from adoring her timeless grace.

Image: Kajol

     Next

'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness.'
Englishpoet John Keats isn't far from the truth while reflecting on the meritsof genuine allure. While he may not have had Bollywood in mind whilecarving his thoughts in poetry, they do apply universally.
Comingto the world of showbiz, an actress is not just about great looks butalso the way she carries herself to create an unforgettable impressionon everyone who comes in contact. And that's what makes her an icon.
We asked you,dear readers, to vote for your choice of Beauty Icon of the Decade inHindi films. The results are out and here's a look at the ones who madeit:
1.Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
'She's the fairest of them all.'
Frankly,was there any doubt? Almost every second person on the message boardvoted for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Unanimously, a bona fide beauty ofthis decade and quite effortlessly one of the most splendid faces toadorn the Indian screens, ever.
LikeMeryl Streep's wealth of talent, so much has been said and writtenabout the lady's legendary looks that it's impossible to avoid a clicheor two. Like her wistful blue-green eyes, pixie nose, surreal smile,elegant manners, the list is endless.

Image: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

     Next

Prev     Next

At the beginning of this decade, practically no one had heard of Katrina Kaif. At its end, she's Bollywood's reigning queen.
Through sheer determination and some good luck, the luminous lass from London took Bollywood by surprise.
Alooker by all means, Katrina's doe-eyed cuteness-glossy pout combo,despite her reserved, careful disposition, makes her the quintessentialhot 'n' sweet beauty.

Image: Katrina Kaif

Prev     Next

Prev     Next

Is it the cognac hue in her eyes? The lilting chime in her laughter? The unmistakable glow in her demeanour? Kajol is exquisite.
Right from her dud of a debut, Bekhudi to the recently aired promo of My Name is Khan, her sensational presence is undeniable.
Everyone loves and relates to the sometimes fun, sometimes serious but consistently individualistic characters she plays.
Neverthe kind to project herself as eye-candy, Kajol's various attempts toconceal her loveliness in shoddy clothing and sloppy styling hasn'tprevented us from adoring her timeless grace.

Image: Kajol

Prev     Next

Trustme, it's not the short dresses or the cool cat canter. There's more toPriyanka Chopra than her sassy style and trendy bearings.

The spirit in her eyes and challenge in her tone is what adds character to all the fluff she endorses or slips into.

Beautiful, modern and ultra-sexy -- Priyanka is all-out feminine yet not frail, independent but not stiff.

Image: Priyanka Chopra

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     Next

'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness.'
Englishpoet John Keats isn't far from the truth while reflecting on the meritsof genuine allure. While he may not have had Bollywood in mind whilecarving his thoughts in poetry, they do apply universally.
Comingto the world of showbiz, an actress is not just about great looks butalso the way she carries herself to create an unforgettable impressionon everyone who comes in contact. And that's what makes her an icon.
We asked you,dear readers, to vote for your choice of Beauty Icon of the Decade inHindi films. The results are out and here's a look at the ones who madeit:
1.Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
'She's the fairest of them all.'
Frankly,was there any doubt? Almost every second person on the message boardvoted for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Unanimously, a bona fide beauty ofthis decade and quite effortlessly one of the most splendid faces toadorn the Indian screens, ever.
LikeMeryl Streep's wealth of talent, so much has been said and writtenabout the lady's legendary looks that it's impossible to avoid a clicheor two. Like her wistful blue-green eyes, pixie nose, surreal smile,elegant manners, the list is endless.

Image: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

     Next

Prev     Next

At the beginning of this decade, practically no one had heard of Katrina Kaif. At its end, she's Bollywood's reigning queen.
Through sheer determination and some good luck, the luminous lass from London took Bollywood by surprise.
Alooker by all means, Katrina's doe-eyed cuteness-glossy pout combo,despite her reserved, careful disposition, makes her the quintessentialhot 'n' sweet beauty.

Image: Katrina Kaif

Prev     Next

Prev     Next

Is it the cognac hue in her eyes? The lilting chime in her laughter? The unmistakable glow in her demeanour? Kajol is exquisite.
Right from her dud of a debut, Bekhudi to the recently aired promo of My Name is Khan, her sensational presence is undeniable.
Everyone loves and relates to the sometimes fun, sometimes serious but consistently individualistic characters she plays.
Neverthe kind to project herself as eye-candy, Kajol's various attempts toconceal her loveliness in shoddy clothing and sloppy styling hasn'tprevented us from adoring her timeless grace.

Image: Kajol

Prev     Next

Prev     Next

Trustme, it's not the short dresses or the cool cat canter. There's more toPriyanka Chopra than her sassy style and trendy bearings.
The spirit in her eyes and challenge in her tone is what adds character to all the fluff she endorses or slips into.
Beautiful, modern and ultra-sexy -- Priyanka is all-out feminine yet not frail, independent but not stiff.

Image: Priyanka Chopra

Prev     Next

It's a tie between a former beauty queen and the current toasts of Bollywood.

Sure,Sushmita Sen won the Miss Universe pageant in 1994 but her gorgeouspersona isn't on a superficial level alone. What makes Sush soappealing is her dazzling eloquence, enigmatic aura and unconventionallifestyle.

At 34, she issingly raising her two adopted daughters -- Renee and Alisah. While hercareer might not have reached the heights one expected it to, there'sno denying her magnetic presence or the warmth in her beauty.

Thoughthey made their entry only recently in this decade, Sonam Kapoor andDeepika Padukone have already won enough admirers to make it to thislist. And that is saying a lot.

WhileAnil Kapoor's daughter began her career as an assistant to directorSanjay Leela Bhansali who later mentored her as the leading lady of Saawariya, Deepika Padukone sparkled the ramp scene before catching Farah Khan's eye.

Froman overweight teen to a delicate diva with a confident voice and edgyfashion sense, Sonam is a potential role model for a lot of younggirls. While Deepika's comely perfection and a marvelously fit bodymakes everyone scream 'wow.'

Image: Sushmita Sen, Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone

'3 Idiots' highest grossing Bollywood movie

MUMBAI - Aamir Khan's latest film, "3 Idiots," has become thehighest grossing Bollywood movie of all time, with strong showings athome and abroad raising hopes for further cross-over hits for Indianfilms.

The leading actor-producer-director wrote on his blog that boxoffice takings for the coming-of-age comedy had already surpassed thosefor his 2008 hit "Ghajini," which was the previous record holder.

"In less than 10 days 3i has overtaken the ENTIRE business ofGHAJINI!!!! India, Overseas, everywhere!!! And is still going strong,"Khan wrote Monday, describing himself as "fully overwhelmed and totallyhumbled."

India's Business Standard newspaper said Tuesday that "3 Idiots" hadtaken 2.4 billion rupees ($51 million) from the domestic andinternational market since opening on December 25. "Ghajini" took 2.25billion rupees.

Meanwhile www.hollywood.comand Deadline Hollywood, which both track box office takings in theUnited States, said "3 Idiots" has so far made 4.8 million dollarsafter opening in nearly 120 US theaters.

No Bollywood film has crossed the $4-million threshold before.

The film's success has given Bollywood a boost, after adisappointing 2009 marked by a damaging producers' boycott of multiplexcinemas in a row over box office takings, swine flu fears and a stringof big budget flops.

The Business Standard said "3 Idiots" has so far made more moneythan Bollywood's entire ticket receipts in November, which included thehit "Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani" (An Amazing Story Of Strange Love).

Indian box office takings are lower than in Hollywood because of lower ticket prices.

Film critics and industry analysts attributed the success of "3Idiots" not just to Khan's star quality, but also high productionvalues, a sustained marketing campaign and the story's wide appeal.

A public row about how much the film was based on Chetan Bhagat'sbest-seller "Five Point Someone," and a lack of other big-namereleases, may also have helped.

"It's a very well-made film with a message and with a big star. Itbrings back memories of people's experience of the education system inIndia," Taran Adarsh, from bollywoodhungama.com, said of the film'soverseas success.

"If you still have family here I think you identify with it all the more," he told AFP.

Mayank Shekhar, national cultural editor at The Hindustan Timesnewspaper, said the same expatriate Indian "IT crowd" who bought "FivePoint Someone" appear to have flocked to US cinemas, boosting audiences.

"What's equally important is that it's not a preachy film. It's byitself a complete comedy, which is what most mainstream audiences gofor," he said.

A well-constructed combination of a leading star, well-placedsong-and-dance routines and a message gave it "all the elements of aBollywood blockbuster," he added.

US film studios have been eyeing India's popular Hindi-language filmindustry for several years, hoping to tap in to an expanding2.3-billion-dollar market.

Hopes are high that Shahrukh Khan's upcoming film "My Name Is Khan" will match or even eclipse the success of "3 Idiots."

Fox Searchlight, which promoted the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire," and other Fox units are handling distribution.

Adarsh said the overseas market is becoming increasingly important for Bollywood.

"The domestic market has traditionally been measured in rupees.Today it's dollars, pounds, dirham, euros and various othercurrencies," he said.

"It's not just the Indian diaspora. It's people in Pakistan,Bangladesh, the Middle East. The success of '3 Idiots' is just the tipof the iceberg."

Girls in bikinis on motorcycles wallpaper