Felicity Huffman

The energetic Huffman began her career off-Broadway with the prestigious Atlantic Theater Company, cofounded by playwright David Mamet and actor William H. Macy. Both men ended up playing important roles in Huffman's life. Mamet cast her in her first film (1988's Things Change) and Macy became her husband and frequent collaborator. In the '90s the versatile actress worked consistently (if somewhat anonymously) in dramas and comedies on stage and screen, notably the cult sitcom Sports Night. But in 2004 she became a household name playing a high-strung mom on Desperate Housewives and won an Emmy for her efforts. The very next year, Huffman proved that she was also a formidable film talent with her turn as a pre-op transsexual in the indie hit Transamerica, which earned her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nod.