Michelle Monaghan

The gorgeous 'Mission: Impossible 3' star Michelle Monaghan was born on March 23, 1976 in the small town of Winthrop, Iowa. The stunning actress appeared in school plays as a youth, but didn't attempt an acting career until after studying journalism in Chicago and doing some modeling in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Monaghan guest-starred in a few TV shows, including 'Young Americans' in 2000 and 'Law & Order: SVU' in 2001 before a small role in the Richard Gere thriller 'Unfaithful' in 2002. Her breakthrough came with a recurring guest role on 'Boston Public' in 2003 and a part in 'It Runs in the Family', a comedy starring most of the famous Douglas family. Since then she has appeared with Matt Damon in 'The Bourne Supremacy' and in the blockbuster Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie action-comedy 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'.

Monaghan's first starring role came in late 2005 with 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang', playing the female lead opposite Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. in the well-reviewed crime film. Around the same time she appeared in 'North Country', in which she gave an impressive and emotional performance against heavy-hitters Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand. Her first foray into big-budget stardom was the Tom Cruise blockbuster 'Mission: Impossible 3', and she will soon appear in the Ben Affleck-directed thriller 'Gone, Baby, Gone'. Monaghan's credits prove that she's on the rise, and the talented, beautiful actress seems ready to prove that she isn't your average starlet.