Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson had a lot on her shoulders when she began work on what would become her breakthrough role in Cameron Crowe's rock drama 'Almost Famous'. The part of band muse Penny Lane belonged to rising star Sarah Polley, but after she dropped out Hudson took over after famously begging Crowe to let her read for the role. The radiant 20 year-old had to fill Polley's shoes, prepare for unavoidable comparisons to her famous mother Goldie Hawn, and literally carry Crowe's epic film due to the enormous importance of her supporting role. As millions of fans keeping an eye on the gorgeous actress know already, Hudson delivered in a big way.

Hudson was born on April 19, 1979 in Los Angeles to Hawn and father Bill Hudson. Her parents divorced when she was still a child, and Hawn and her long-time partner Kurt Russell subsequently raised Hudson and her brother. Hudson describes herself as a 'Jew-Bu', having been raised Jewish while also practicing elements of Buddhism. After graduating from the Crossroads School in 1997 (a performing arts high school in Santa Monica), Hudson decided to immediately begin acting. She first appeared in two 1998 indies, 'Ricochet River' and 'Desert Blue', the latter of which also starred Christina Ricci and Casey Affleck. The charming '200 Cigarettes' and the teen thriller 'Gossip' followed in 2000, in addition to the British romantic comedy 'About Adam', which gave Hudson the opportunity to show just how adorable she could be on screen.

'Almost Famous' made her a star, earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and proving that she had incredible talent on top of her naturally stunning screen presence. Hudson next appeared in Robert Altman's 'Dr. T and the Women' and famously turned down Kirsten Dunst's role in 2002's 'Spider-Man', deciding instead to work on the unfortunate historical dud 'The Four Feathers' with acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur. That film's failure had little effect on her career, however, as in 2003 she starred in the blockbuster romantic comedy 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' with Matthew McConaughey, 'Alex & Emma' with Luke Wilson, and the amusing 'Le Divorce' alongside the stunning Naomi Watts. Her most recent work is the hit horror flick 'The Skeleton Key', and 2006 will see her in the comedy 'You, Me and Dupree' with Matt Dillon and Owen Wilson.