Alice Braga

Often portraying women running for their lives onscreen, Alice Braga infused her characterizations with the guts, drive, and intelligence to overcome such dire situations. The Brazilian-born actress captivated audiences as one of the last human beings - along with Will Smith - left on Earth in the post-apocalyptic thriller "I Am Legend" (2007). Braga's acting resume also included provocative independent dramas, but her charisma and ability to effectively portray survivors worked best in the science fiction genre. She co-starred with Jude Law in the action thriller "Repo Men" and filled Arnold Schwarzenegger's combat boots in 2010's "Predators," a film that established Braga as one of the most sought after action stars - male or female - of her time.

Alice (pronounced Ah-LEESE) Braga Moraes was born on April 15, 1983 in Sao Paulo, Brazil to an acting family. Both her mother, Ana Braga, and aunt, Sonia Braga, were actresses who often took the future star with them to film studios and sets. The young Braga began her own career performing in school productions and commercials before pursuing roles on television and in feature films when she was a teenager. She made her onscreen debut in the short film "Trampolim" (1998). Braga took a few years off from acting to concentrate on her studies, but returned with a critically acclaimed role in 2002's "Cidade de Deus" ("City of God"). Braga played the lovely and seductive Angelica, the main character's longtime friend and love interest who encourages him to leave his criminal life behind. The role earned the star a Best Supporting Actress nomination from the Cinema Brazil Grand Prize, while the film received multiple nominations at the 2004 Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.

Braga made her English-language debut in 2006 opposite Brendan Fraser, Mos Def and Catalina Sandino Moreno in "Journey to the End of the Night." Set in the actress' hometown of Sao Paulo, the film explored the city's dark and deadly underground sex industry. "Journey to the End of the Night" premiered at the 5th Annual Tribeca Film Festival in New York. In 2007, Braga moved up the ranks of Hollywood with a featured role in the sci-fi blockbuster, "I Am Legend." The film, based on Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, starred A-list actor Smith as Lt. Col. Robert Neville, a New York virologist who is immune to a man-made virus that turns the Earth's population into zombies. Braga played a woman also immune to the virus and who is instrumental to Neville's mission to wipe out the vicious zombie population. The film's post-apocalyptic theme, special effects, and Smith's star power helped "I Am Legend" gross over $585 million worldwide.

The hardworking actress returned to her independent film roots with 2009's "Crossing Over," a character-driven drama that dealt with the struggles of illegal immigrants. Braga played Mireya Sanchez, one of the immigrants who end up dead near the U.S./Mexico border. In 2010, she co-starred with Law and Forest Whitaker in "Repo Men," another sci-fi thriller where Braga played a woman who was the recipient of multiple artificial organs. Even though it had an intriguing premise and two very likeable leading men, critics panned the film and audiences failed give it any love. That same year, Braga starred in "Predators" as a Special Forces sniper hunted by merciless killer aliens on a jungle planet. The film was a sequel to the action-packed Schwarzenegger vehicle "Predator" and the cult favorite, "Predator 2" (1990).