Alicia Silverstone

Biography
Name : Alicia Silverstone
Birthday : October 4, 1976
Birthplace : San Francisco, CA, USA
Height : 5' 7 Eye Color : Emerald Green
Religion : Jewish
Father : Monty, a real estate investor & financial consultant
Mother : Didi, a former airline stewardess
Brother : David
Sister : Kezi Silverstone
Junior High School : Crocker Middle School
High School : San Mateo High School - Beverly Hills High School
Alicia Silverstone Detailed Biography She was born on October 4,1976, in San Francisco, California to parents of English decent. Her mom, Didi was a former airline stewardess and her dad Monty, a real estate Investor. Alicia attended San Mateo High School in San Mateo, California, where the movie ''Dangerous Minds'' was filmed. At the age of 6, Alicia received a series of modeling jobs. Soon thereafter, she appeared in a Domino's Pizza television commercial and then, who could forget her guest appearance as Kevin's (Fred Savage) dream girl on ''The Wonder Years''?
Alicia landed her first movie, ''The Crush,'' at the age of 15. She starred as the man-hungry Adrian Forrester opposite Cary Elwes, and won ''Best Villain'' and ''Breakthrough Performance'' at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards. During the filming, she found an injured dog on the side of the road. Since then, animal-lover Alicia contributes a portion of her movie earnings to an animal foundation.

Pussycat Dolls Biography

Pussycat Dolls Biography :



"Inside every woman is a Pussycat Doll," says Robin Antin, the innovator behind the singing-and-dancing ensemble that has risen from underground cool to major label hot. "It's about female empowerment, about being confident with who you are. It's about singing and dancing in front of a mirror by yourself and having fun."

With their debut album, PCD, set for release by A&M Records on September 13, 2005 (led by the #1 smash "Don't Cha," a duet with Busta Rhymes and produced by Cee-Lo), The Pussycat Dolls go beyond being extraordinarily beautiful. With tremendous voices, and after working with today's top songwriters and producers (including Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas, Timbaland, Rich Harrison, Sean Garrett and Ron Fair), The Pussycat Dolls are ready to stamp their mark on music and on attitudes.


"To me, a Pussycat Doll is fearless but also vulnerable," says lead singer Nicole Scherzinger. "We're strong but we like to play too. The line in 'Don't Cha'--'don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me'--is meant to be empowering. The Pussycat Dolls are not about just being hot but also about saying something with real feeling."



From triple-threat Scherzinger, to Jessica Sutta, the one-time captain of the Miami Heat dance troupe; from Carmit Bachar, the "La Vida Loca" girl on Ricky Martin's world tour, to Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt, two of the most talented young dancers in Hollywood, and Melody Thornton, a young powerhouse singer, these Pussycat Dolls represent the next step for the group whose Sunset Strip performances became the hippest ticket in Hollywood.

The Pussycat Dolls were born in a tiny dance studio in the L.A. garage of actress Christina Applegate, with whom Antin was rooming in the early '90s. Antin had appeared in commercials, and did choreography for music videos for the likes of Smash Mouth, The Offspring and No Doubt. "But I wanted to do something creative and different," she says.

So Antin invited over a few girlfriends who were also tour/music video dancers and they began to play around with her own choreography, a style endowed with the spirit of famed choreographer Bob Fosse ("Sweet Charity," "Cabaret") but also music from Led Zeppelin to punk rock, Siouxsie and The Banshees to Bjork, and fashion as well. Meanwhile Applegate suggested they perform at the Sunset Strip's renowned Viper Room. Owner Johnny Depp saw them rehearse and reportedly said, "This is why I opened a club." The Pussycat Dolls, which have seen many members in its evolving lineup since debuting in 1995, became the Thursday night opening act for the next six years.

A turning point came in 2000 when No Doubt's Gwen Stefani came to a show and said she'd love to do a guest spot, not just to dance but to sing. So did Christina Aguilera. In 2002 it was time to take the show to a bigger venue and so The Pussycat Dolls moved to The Roxy. For two shows a week, for seven weeks, the place was sold out. Other guest performers included Brittany Murphy, Charlize Theron, Nikka Costa, Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson. All of them appeared without pay, just for the fun of it, including emcee Applegate.

That same year, Antin joined forces with Jimmy Iovine, Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M, who in turn brought in A&M President Ron Fair to executive produce the project and help take the concept to a higher level.

Their "We Went As Far As We Felt Like Going" was heard in 2004's Shark Tale, their cover of the standard "Sway" (helmed by Fair, also producer for Aguilera and the Black Eyed Peas, among others) was heard in 2004's Shall We Dance? The Pussycat Dolls were also seen in 2003's Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and Pink's "Trouble" video as well as 2005's Be Cool. Scherzinger was featured with Will Smith on "If U Can't Dance (Slide)" on his 2005 Lost And Found album.

Today, there is a Pussycat Dolls line of makeup from Stila and The Pussycat Dolls Lounge opened in April 2005 inside Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, featuring a different roster of performers. The future may hold a line of clothing, lingerie, perfume, videogames, TV and movie projects, and other lounges.

Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Scherzinger is what entertainment industry executives call "a triple threat." This free-spirited artist is not just another pretty face; she can sing, act, AND dance. In a business that has been criticized for placing more emphasis on "image" than "ability" she shatters stereotypes with her blend of exotic beauty, charisma, and undeniable talent.

Scherzinger, who is of Hawaiian-Russian-Filipino descent, knew from a young age that she was destined to become an entertainer; performing is in her blood. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a child she watched her family of entertainers perform Polynesian shows featuring her mother as the lead hula dancer and her grandmother, Tutu, as the singer. At the age of six her family relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. Transitioning from island life was a new challenge for Nicole. "It was difficult at first because I didn't look like everyone else", she recalls, feeling at times like the ugly duckling.

Growing up, Nicole attended performing arts junior and senior high schools. At 14 her first professional play was at the prestigious Actors Theatre of Louisville. While attending Wright State University in Dayton, OH, she majored in theatre and minored in dance, garnering such lead roles as Velma Kelly in "Chicago" and Julie LaVerne in "Show Boat", supporting herself with local modeling jobs.

Nicole then learned the rock band Days Of The New was looking for a female vocalist. Soon after hearing the demos she recorded with lead singer, Travis Meeks, the band's producer Scott Litt called her out to L.A., where she recorded their second album and set out on the road to tour with them.

After touring she returned home to work on her own music. However auditions for WB's talent series "Popstars" had her driving to Chicago, joining an audition line at five a.m. but would soon pay off. Eden's Crush, the girl group that resulted from "Popstars," was a sensation. Its 2001 self-titled debut album went Top 10 and the single "Get Over Yourself" went to #1 on Billboard's singles chart. In its year-plus together, the band toured with N*Sync and Jessica Simpson.

After Eden's Crush, Nicole explored opportunities in the acting world. Back in LA, she landed acting roles in feature films such as "Chasing Papi" and guest-starred in television series such as "My Wife and Kids."

It wasn't long until she heard that The Pussycat Dolls were looking for singers and she landed the coveted spot for PCD. "The Pussycat Dolls have no boundaries," says Scherzinger, who also wrote on the soon to be released album. "We continue to stretch and find ourselves in every performance. We do what is truthful for each of us." While it is obvious she has everything it takes to be a career artist, it is Nicole Scherzinger's unbridled passion to express herself musically that intrigues and inspires her growing legion of fans.

Carmit Bachar

Carmit Bachar, the fire-hot redhead, is as talented as she is beautiful. Her mother is of Dutch/Indonesian descent and her father is Israeli. Being a native of Los Angeles and coming from a family of entertainers has led her down the path of working with some of the most successful artists in music: No Doubt, Beyonce, P. Diddy, Macy Gray and Janet Jackson to name a few. She has numerous feature film and commercial credits - her "bon-bon" was most recognized as Ricky Martin's La Vida Loca girl! Carmit is one of the most respected dancers and choreographers in the business.

Not to be limited to just one genre, she attended Hamilton Academy of Music, in order to hone her sultry voice and piano chops. She was also a rhythmic gymnastics national team member and placed 5th at the '92 Olympic Trials.

Carmit has been putting her heart and soul into the Dolls since the underground movement began. "Individual personality makes this group sassy," she says, which is where her nickname 'Foxy' comes from. "You have to be comfortable in your skin and exude confidence."

Born with a cleft lip/palate, Carmit's success has given her the desire to give back to children. She is in the process of founding a non-profit organization, Smile With Me, for the community of cleft children in Los Angeles. Carmit believes in limitless possibility and having overcome her own obstacles, she feels compelled to instill passion and creativity wherever she goes. With her inspirational personality, powerful presence and determination, she is sharing that light with one child at a time.

This Doll's enthusiasm, drive and discipline give her the momentum to succeed in this fast paced world.

Ashley Roberts

Phoenix native Roberts started dancing when she was three, singing when she was nine. Her father was a drummer turned car dealer who had played for The Mamas & The Papas; her mother was a Pilates instructor. Four years ago, just out of high school, she headed for L.A. During previous summers she had come to the West Coast to study modern dance. This time, she was in L.A. for good. Since then she's hooked commercials and appeared in a Counting Crows video. Within six months, she was also a Pussycat Doll. "I honestly didn't know about them but the word of mouth among dancers was awesome."

Noting that when she sings she has a Marilyn Monroe-type voice, she says her onstage character is "flirtatious but innocent. She's a fun free spirit. I guess I'm 'the blonde' in the group but," she adds with a smile, "it ain't natural."

Jessica Sutta

When she tore the ACL in both knees as a teenager while on stage, Jessica Sutta's dream of being a prima ballerina ended. But her dreams of being a dancer were just beginning.

Born and raised in Miami, of Irish-Russian-Polish, Catholic-Jewish heritage, she went to the New World School of the Arts at age 14 to study dance. After being injured, she switched to theater, but told herself that she'd dance again. And she did, dancing in the Miami Heat troupe and being named captain her final year, 2001. As an actress, she was featured as a pill-poppin' Gothic teenager in the drama series "Ocean Ave.," shot in South Florida for audiences from Sweden to South Africa, and in the film Bully directed by Larry Clark.

In 2002, she moved to L.A. and three months later met Antin. "She's sweet, always positive, and very sensitive," says Antin, "but on stage she turns it on."

With her pale skin and dark hair, Sutta's persona echoes a Bettie Page pin-up. From the moment she joined The Pussycat Dolls, she says, "this is where I always wanted to be. I thought The Pussycat Dolls were genius. I am so blessed to be a part of this group."

Melody Thornton

Melody Thornton was a rising young star in hometown Phoenix, singing backup for local artists and performing the National Anthem for the Arizona Diamondbacks while attending college. Her Mexican maternal grandmother had been a singer for mariachi bands; her African-American paternal grandfather was a blues guitarist and her mother was a Mexican folklore dancer. Being the only Latina and African-American in The Pussycat Dolls means a great deal to her. "I think a lot of the audience can relate to me," she says, "and that adds to the Dolls."

The first time she saw The Pussycat Dolls was on Christina Aguilera's "MTV Diary." "I loved the concept." She recorded the show and played it back over and over. Studying that tape paid off. Melody was welcomed aboard in December 2003.

Kimberly Wyatt

Down-home Southern girl Kimberly Wyatt also happens to be, according to Antin, "the sexiest dancer I have ever seen in my life." Says Wyatt, "I'm a lot shyer than most of the girls, but my personality onstage is full-out. I really go for it."

Born in Warrensburg, MO, a tiny farm town near the Ozarks, her father is a trucker and her mother goes on the road with him. Having danced since she was seven, by the time Wyatt was 14 she was earning scholarships to study in New York each summer, from the Joffrey Ballet to the Broadway Dance Center. Graduating high school at 17, she promptly flew to Las Vegas to audition for cruise ship and casino shows. Landing a revue on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas, then the largest cruise ship in the world, she was able to visit most of Southern Europe.

In 2001, she moved to L.A., despite an offer from the Hubbard St. Dance Co. in Chicago. "All I knew was that L.A. is where dancers got jobs and L.A. was the dot MapQuest led to. My parents thought, 'Oh my God, what is she going to turn into out there?'"

In 2003, Antin was the choreographer for a video for Nick Lachey's solo album when she met Wyatt. Antin asked her that night to join The Pussycat Dolls. "I had only seen a poster for them," Wyatt recalls. "I remember falling in love with the girls. Not many acts let you be sexy and still be about girl power."

"Small town Middle America is different from the coasts," she says, "and all the girls come from big cities. I have a different perspective. They love my stories about towns where the fancy clothing store is Wal-Mart." -Interscope Geffen A&M

Founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995, the Pussycat Dolls began as a burlesque dance revue based in Los Angeles, spawned a second revue in Las Vegas, grew into an A-list phenomena with a revolving cast of guest celebrities, and eventually became a recording act with a number one dance hit. It wasn't long after launching its revue that the troupe began attracting actresses and models who wanted to become a Pussycat Doll for a night. Christina Aguilera, Pamela Anderson, Kelly Osbourne, Pink, Britney Spears, Carmen Electra, and Gwen Stefani are just some of the names that donned lingerie and pin-up costumes and joined the Dolls for their flirtatious shows. An appearance in the 2003 film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle was followed by numerous television appearances, most with Carmen Electra. Capitalizing on the nationwide attention and the addition of former Eden's Crush member Nicole Scherzinger as lead singer, the single "Don't Cha" with special guest Busta Rhymes appeared at the beginning of 2005 and climbed to number two on the pop chart, number one on the dance chart. With help from the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am and producer Timbaland, the Pussycat Dolls recorded their full-length debut. The A&M label released PCD, a Top Ten hit, in the summer of 2005. David Jeffries, All Music Guide.
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Jessica Simpson

Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American pop music singer who rose to fame during the late-1990s. In the following decade, she starred with her then-husband Nick Lachey, in the MTV reality show Newlyweds, released her own line of Dessert Beauty and Dessert Treat beauty products and started a career as an actress while continuing her music career.
Early life and beginning Simpson was born in Abilene, Texas and raised in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. She is the daughter of Joe Truett Simpson (a former Baptist youth minister) and Tina Ann Drew (a former Sunday School teacher). She has a younger sister, Ashlee, who launched her own music career in mid-2004. Simpson started singing at the age of twelve as a part of her Baptist church choir. At the same age, she made anunsuccessful application for TheNew Mickey Mouse Club, which starred

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fellow pop singers Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake,among other future stars.
Simpson attended J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas. She was discovered singing at a church camp by a head of a small contemporary Christian record label and recorded an album over the next three years; however, the label folded before the record could be released. She dropped out in her senior year in order to tour and promote her demo album, which was funded by her grandmother, Joyce (thus the reason for the name of her 2004 holiday album, Rejoyce: The Christmas Album); she later earned her GED. During this time, she toured with the Christian Youth Conference circuit performing with Kirk Franklin, God’s Property and CeCe Winans. She and her father sold copies of the album after her performances.
Tommy Mottola of Columbia Records obtained a copy of the album and, thinking she had potential as a pop singer, signed her as such. Christian influences can still be found in much of her music.

1999–2002: Pop music beginnings
Sweet Kisses

In late 1999, Simpson released her debut album Sweet Kisses, which reached a peak of number twenty-five on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and also made the top forty of the UK charts. The album proved to be a success, selling two million copies in the U.S. Her first single, the platinum-selling “I Wanna Love You Forever,” reached the top five of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and the top ten in Canada and the UK. Her second single, a duet with then-boyfriend Nick Lachey of boy band 98 Degrees, “Where You Are”, was a modest radio hit. The last single from the album, “I Think I’m in Love with You”, was a top forty hit in the U.S. and a top twenty hit in Canada and the UK. In 2000, Simpson won two Teen Choice Awards for Choice Breakout Artist and Love Song of the Year (”Where You Are”). In 2000, Simpson appeared on the 98 Degrees video My Everything.



Irresistible

Released during the summer of 2001, Simpson’s second effort Irresistible reached the top ten of the Billboard 200 and top twenty of the Canadian album chart. Despite this improvement over her debut, the album’s sales were less than satisfactory; to-date, it has only managed to be certified gold in the U.S. for selling 500,000 copies. The title track lead single, “Irresistible”, reached the top twenty in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, as well as the top forty in Australia. A follow-up single entitled “A Little Bit” was also released, but failed to achieve substantial success. In 2002, Columbia Records released a EP remix album titled This Is the Remix containing electro-dance remixes of Simpson’s biggest hits.

2003–present: Marriage and career development
On October 26, 2002, Simpson married Nick Lachey. She famously announced that she remained a virgin until her wedding night, making Lachey the only man she had been with intimately. During the summer of 2003, Simpson and Lachey’s reality show Newlyweds began airing on MTV. Although Simpson was moderately famous before the series began, the show is considered the crowning glory of her career.

Throughout the run of four seasons she seemed to epitomize the stereotypical dumb blonde, notably when she asked Lachey whether the Chicken of the Sea tuna she was eating was chicken or fish.

She also indicated that she believed that buffalo wings were made from actual buffalo. Her apparent ignorance helped turn the show into a huge hit, making the average rating for each episode about 1.4 million viewers. (The gaffe was also a running joke in a Pizza Hut commercial, where she was shown to be annoyed at having her intelligence mocked again.) When introduced to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Simpson responded: “You’ve done a nice job decorating the White House”. It has been suggested that her apparent ignorance is simply an act she has parlayed into various commercial, television and film endorsements.

Banking on the success of her new popularity, she appeared on a variety show with Lachey on the ABC called the Nick and Jessica Variety Hour in 2004. A pilot for a sitcom on ABC was also planned, but was rejected by network executives in May 2004. During that summer, Simpson won three Teen Choice Awards for Female Fashion Icon, Hottie Female, and Female Reality/Variety TV Star for Newlyweds. In 2005, the series won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show and wrapped shortly after.

Simpson’s third album, In This Skin, was released during the summer of 2003 to coincide with the premiere of Newlyweds. Though initially the album was not a huge success, it rebounded on the charts when a special collector’s edition was released in the spring of 2004. It subsequently reached a peak of number two on the Billboard 200 and the top forty of the UK charts, due largely to the success of Newlyweds. The album eventually proved to be her most commercially successful, selling almost three million copies in the U.S.; it also yielded arguably her most successful single to-date, “With You”.

Simpson released a holiday album in late 2004 entitled ReJoyce: The Christmas Album, which sold moderately. During the summer of 2005, Simpson made her first major film appearance as Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard. The film debuted at number one on the U.S. box-office chart, grossing more than thirty million USD. One of the songs from the film’s soundtrack, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”, was sung by Simpson. The track won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Song from a Movie in early 2006. Her performance however, was lambasted by film critics, and she was nominated for worst supporting actress in the Razzie Awards; Simpson’s sister Ashlee was also nominated for her role in the film Undiscovered.

In November 2005, after months of speculation, Simpson and her husband Nick Lachey officially announced that they had split. Simpson filed for divorce on December 16, 2005, citing “irreconcilable differences”. She has asked the courts not to grant Lachey spousal support. The couple’s divorce has been highly publicized worldwide. Lachey is reportedly trying to take half of the couples’ joint worth.

The couple sold their Calabasas mansion to Malcolm in the Middle star, Justin Berfield for an undisclosed amount.

Simpson’s next album, Public affair, was released August 29 2006 with Epic Records, ending her ties with co-owned Columbia Records. She has also finished filming her second movie Employee of the Month, with Dane Cook, in New Mexico She launched a shoe collection that was set to be released in major department stores across the U.S. from February 2006.

A Public Affair

Her next single “Public Affair” hit radios at the end of June 2006.

Jessica is also set to further her movie career in 2 big screen productions this year. Firstly, she beat out Brittany Murphy to the role of “Emily Benjamin” is “Major Movie Star” aswell as stating she is also “on-board” as Pam Ewing in the big screen adaptation of Dallas (Co-Starring with Jennifer Lopez, Lindsay Lohan & John Travolta) set to go into production in late 2006.

Public image
At the beginning of her career, Jessica gained public attention when she proclaimed she was saving herself till marriage. Her music videos at the time also displayed an innocent look with very few sexual innuendos, which garnered many praise from religious groups and conservative fans. Fans were overjoyed when she finally married Nick Lachey, and kept her virgin status till honeymoon night, in contrast to other pop princesses at the time such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

Jessica Simpson currently is the official celebrity spokesperson for Operation Smile, a charity group that provides free reconstructive surgery for children with facial deformities. She recently sat in on an operation in Kenya to show her support, as well as supporting Operation Smile on Capitol Hill. She has also appeared as a spokesperson for the acne treatment Proactiv Solution

Her public image as a naive or ignorant person of low intelligence, fueled by her behavior on Newlyweds (which included questioning whether Chicken of the Sea tuna fish was chicken or fish, or refusing to eat buffalo wings because, as she stated, she did not eat buffalo), became fodder for ridicule and satire. In 2006 singer P!nk released a song called “Stupid Girls” which directly mocked Simpson; in particular a line, “Maybe if I act like that/flippin’ my blonde hair back/push out my bra like that” is delivered spoken-word in a fashion that emulates a spoken word section of Simpsons “Walking” cover. In the music video P!nk also mocks the music video for “Walking”. However, her mother claimed in an edition of Vanity Fair magazine that she has a 160 IQ.

Simpson also brought attention to herself on March 16, 2006, when she declined an invitation by President George W. Bush to appear at a Republican fundraiser to represent Operation Smile, because that group is non-partisan, and because Simpson preferred to keep her political views private. The decision was seen as a “snub” by some, such as GOP leader John Boehner.

Niki taylor

Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Miami on March 5, 1975, Niki Taylor was always extremely close to sisters Joelle and Krissy, and parents Ken and Barbera.

An aspiring marine biologist, Niki's career plans took a different route after her mother sent photos of the then 13-year old beauty to a Florida modeling agency. An agency signed her, and it didn't take long for Niki's beautiful face to appear on the pages of French catalogues and magazines such as Seventeen, when she was thirteen years old.

The hazel-eyed, statuesque beauty broke several records in her freshman days as a model. Niki became the youngest model ever to sign a multi-million dollar contract, when she became a L'Oreal spokesperson and Cover Girl's newest face at age 17. Niki also holds the title of the youngest person to appear on the cover of the high fashion magazine Vogue.

By the time Niki taylor was 16 years of age, she had made her first million. She has appeared in over 160 magazines, including: Allure, Cosmopolitan, the American, Thai and Italian editions of Elle, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, Mademoiselle, the Australian, Italian, British, and American editions of Marie Claire, Sassy, Shape, not to mention Yahoo Internet Life.

Niki has modeled for companies such as Gap, Lee Riveted, Liz Claiborne, Nokia, Zum Zum, and the ever-so-popular Victoria's Secret, whose advertising campaign helped solidify the modeling careers of fellow models Stephanie Seymour, Helena Christensen, Tyra Banks, and Laetitia Casta.

Kate Hudson

Kate Garry Hudson was born April 19, 1979, in Los Angeles, California. The golden-locked dimpled beauty is the daughter of Oscar winning and lovable actress Goldie Hawn, and singer comedian Bill Hudson, of The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show fame.

A couple of months after Kate's birth, Bill and Goldie divorced, and the estranged father has been out of his two children's (Kate and older brother Oliver) lives ever since. In 1983, Goldie met actor Kurt Russell, who has lived with the family for the past 18 years, and is considered by Kate to be her "Pa."

Taking after her mother's passion, Kate wanted to act since she was a young girl. But despite her strong desire for drama, her parents originally wanted her to take another career path. The progeny finally got her first taste in front of the camera as a stand-in for the 7-year-old actress playing Goldie's daughter in the 1986 film, Wildcats.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron was born in South Africa in a small "dorp" named Benoni. She grew up as the only child on her family's farm. Learned the some of her 28 languages from staff on this family farm. Her parents also owned a road construction business at the same time. At the age of 6, Charlize took up ballet and began to think of going professional. She would soon take her dancing ability to higher levels, going professional in the town of Johannesburg.

At 13, in Johannesburg, her parents enrolled her in a boarding school. At a young age, Charlize lost her Father. This left her mother, Gerda, in charge of the family's road-construction business. At the age of 16 she took an offer to begin modelling in Milan, Italy, offered after winning a local modeling contest. This, however, lasted for only a year when she grew tired of being seen as "somebody beautiful who should not say a word." On the last day of a modelling shoot in Manhattan, New York, she decided she would not return to Italy. (Her U.S. citizenship is still pending). She decided to return to her first love -- ballet. She began dancing with the Joffrey school in New York. After completing such popular shows as the Nutcracker Suite and Swan Lake, she suffered a knee injury that ended her ballet dancing career at the young age of 18.

Jessica Simpson

Reports suggesting Jessica Simpson – who spent Thanksgiving weekend in Texas with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo – received lip injections this past week are false, her rep says.

“Jessica did not have anything done to her lips,” her rep says. “She tried Restylane some time ago and did not like the way that it looked or felt, so she has not had anything done since.”

[Restylane is described by the manufacturer as a Swedish-made injectable gel that adds fullness to the skin and corrects facial wrinkles]

Speculation fueled this week after photographs surfaced of Simpson in Los Angeles sporting what some perceived were fuller lips.