Gwyneth Paltrow

The daughter of actress Blythe Danner and the late TV producer Bruce Paltrow, this lithe and lovely lady is as well known for her tabloid-friendly romances as her acting. Paltrow started out in a variety of supporting movie roles in the early '90s and got her first dose of fame when she started dating her Se7en costar Brad Pitt. The high-profile couple was the epitome of new Hollywood glamour, but the relationship ended in 1997 shortly before Paltrow's career took off. In 1998 she appeared in four diverse films: the English time-tripping drama Sliding Doors, the thriller A Perfect Murder, the overwrought melodrama Hush, and the delightful romantic dramedy Shakespeare in Love, in which Paltrow played the Bard's muse with an impeccable British accent. Not only did she earn an Oscar for that role, she found love with costar Ben Affleck and solidified her position as American cinema's No. 1 young actress. However, a series of events — including her breakup from Affleck, a succession of weak films (Bounce, Duets, Shallow Hal) and her burgeoning interest in stage work — diminished her luster. But she never strayed far from the public eye, due to her 2003 marriage to Coldplay front man Chris Martin, their oddly named progeny and a number of critically lauded performances in high-minded films (Sylvia, Proof).