Beautiful Actress Hollywood - Katie Holmes

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Katie Holmes - Katie Holmes was fresh out of a wholesome Midwestern high school existence when she became an overnight sensation in the WB's anchor teen drama "Dawson's Creek" (1998-2003). Her real life naiveté and lack of pretension lent a quality of realism to the smartly scripted small town chronicle, which was a much-needed shift away from the previous wave of TV high schools populated by wealthy, Southern California fashionistas. Down-to-earth Holmes and her naturalistic acting style were an integral factor in the success and six year-run of "Dawson's Creek," but the actress's transition to the big screen was not so seamless. Her young adult horror fare was forgettable and her limited acting range showed itself in uneven attempts at indie dramas and broad comedies. While searching for a suitable post-Dawson acting niche, Holmes was the subject of more press than ever in her career, due to a whirlwind romance and marriage to Tom Cruise, an unlikely suitor 16 years her senior and already under fire from the press for excessive Scientology proselytizing.

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Katie Holmes - Katie Holmes was born on Dec. 18, 1978 - two months prematurely - and spent her early weeks in the hospital's intensive care unit. She was raised in a suburb of Toledo, OH, as the youngest of five children to lawyer, Martin, and homemaker, Kathy, who recalled in interviews that Holmes was an unusually headstrong and determined toddler. Growing up Catholic, Holmes attended parochial schools, where she was an excellent student, a cheerleader, and participated in school plays. Naturally athletic, she played sports with her family and earned extra money mowing lawns in the neighborhood.

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Katie Holmes - When the accomplished - and very tall - teen was just 14, she began taking classes at a local modeling school, eventually receiving an invite to attend a talent and modeling convention in New York, where she was promptly signed by a talent agent. Not long afterwards, Holmes was flown to Los Angeles, CA to read for a part in Ang Lee's 1970s dysfunctional family portrait "The Ice Storm" (1997). Surprisingly, the green actress landed her first supporting screen role as the girl-next-door love interest of Tobey Maguire's teen character. Holmes made the most of her debut, proving a compelling and natural screen performer.

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Katie Holmes - Encouraged by her out-of-the-gate success, Holmes and her mother took some time out from her senior year of high school to travel to L.A. for "pilot season," joining the ranks of ambitious actors who set up camp at local hotels for several months during the busiest television casting period of the year. Nothing panned out during her stay, but once home, she got word that film director Kevin Williamson was casting for a new nighttime teen drama called "Dawson's Creek" on the fledgling WB network. She sent in a homemade audition video and was met with an offer to read for the show's creator, but the young actress' homespun values almost caused her to miss her big break. The audition was scheduled for the same day she was to debut as Lola in her high school production of "Damn Yankees" and Holmes politely declined, citing her commitment to fellow castmates. Casting agents wisely rescheduled and Holmes won the role on the ensemble drama about a group of teens in a small New England town, playing another girl-next-door, J y Potter, love interest of the sensitive, movie-obsessed title character.

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Katie Holmes - As Potter, Holmes played the injured innocent - sweet, but with an edge, her trademark sideways smile befitting the weary - but - bravely optimistic child of an imprisoned father and dead mother, with an overworked sister for a guardian. Her naturalistic acting style, along with her fresh-faced brunette beauty made her a new favorite among young audiences who were tired of the overly processed "90210" teen role models. In real life, this role model had been accepted to Columbia University, but deferred for several semesters before dropping the idea of college altogether. But "Dawson's Creek" was continually renewed by the network and the ambitious Holmes spent her annual hiatus exploring new types of roles on the big screen.

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Katie Holmes - Her appealing performance in the disappointing thriller "Disturbing Behavior" (1998) could not elevate the film above its uninspired predictability, and while Williamson's "Teaching Mrs. Tingle" (1999) showcased Holmes' glowing presence, it was apparent that it was high time the 20-year-old moved past the teen scream genre. A move in that direction Holmes portrayed a supermarket checkout girl caught up in a drug-related hostage situation in Doug Liman's well-reviewed comic actioner, "Go" (1999). But in an acclaimed adaptation of Michael Chabon's academia-set drama "Wonder Boys" (2000), Holmes shone in her few moments onscreen, as a flirtatious student of a middle-aged writing professor (Michael Douglas).

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Katie Holmes - Keeping up an effort to play against her established "Dawson's Creek" persona, she appeared in Sam Raimi's thriller "The Gift" (2000), as a bitchy, man-eating Southern beauty who is brutally murdered, essaying a grown-up nude scene, designed more to put the character of sweet-faced J y behind her than to titillate. She landed her first leading feature role with the dark psychological drama, "Abandon" (2002), but Holmes' performance was overshadowed by the more intriguing and believable supporting performance by Zo y Deschanel. The following year, she made a solid appearance in J l Schumacher's well-received real-time thriller "The Phone Booth," playing the spunky actress girlfriend of philanderer Colin Farrell. Further laying the groundwork for a post-Dawson career as the series entered its last season, Holmes gave her strongest and most surprising performance yet in "Pieces of April" (2003), as a headstrong young woman trying to reconcile with her dying mother.

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Katie Holmes - Off-screen, the admired actress was also tackling a new adult life, that year announcing her engagement to "American Pie" hottie, Chris Klein, an actor who also shared her down-to-earth, Midwestern sensibilities. The couple was never a red carpet fixture, instead preferring to stay in and watch movies and cook dinner. Holmes followed up with the critically skewered rom-com "First Daughter" (2004), playing an independent-minded Presidential offspring who falls for the Secret Service agent assigned to protect her while she attends college. Holmes got her introductory shot at an action blockbuster when she was cast opposite Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne's childhood friend and love interest in "Batman Begins" (2005). Dismally miscast, Holmes received a Razzie Award for her portrayal of Rachel Dawes, an incorruptible Gotham City district attorney. She fared better with her role as a reporter of questionable integrity in the indie corporate satire "Thank You For Smoking" (2005).

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Katie Holmes - But casting a much bigger shadow that year than either of her recent screen appearances was the announcement that she and A-list superstar Tom Cruise were suddenly dating, mere months after Holmes and Klein had called off their engagement. The unlikely duo - 16 years apart in age and physically awkward together in public - were devoured by the gossip blogs, who speculated that the relationship was a publicity stunt timed to coincide with blockbuster movie releases from each star. But, to the surprise of many - despite the newness of the relationship, Holmes dove right in, adopting Cruise's management team and taking courses in his controversial religion, Scientology seemingly off the bat.