Shannyn Sossamon

A striking brunette who got her big break after being spotted DJing at a Gwyneth Paltrow birthday bash, Shannyn Sossamon made her feature debut in the modernized period piece "A Knight's Tale" (2001), playing a medieval princess who catches the eye of Heath Ledger's battling squire. With the talk of her seemingly celebratory beginnings almost stealing the thunder away from her solid acting turn, her true story wasn't as glamorous as it at first seemed. Hailing from Reno, Nevada, Sossamon moved to California in pursuit of a career in dance, but soon started working as a disc jockey. When a friend landed the Paltrow gig and needed to borrow her turntables, she came along to spin during the DJ's breaks and her effortless charisma caught the eye of a casting director. Following her fairy tale-like discovery and subsequent female lead role, the exotically beautiful but girl-next-door unaffected Sossamon was featured in many a magazine, but was careful to avoid the media saturation trap that has ruined the careers of many a starlet.

In 2002, "Forty Days and Forty Nights" was released, pairing the up and comer with fellow young Hollywood hotshot Josh Hartnett in a role that the actress hoped would prove her success in "A Knight's Tale" wasn't a fluke. Later that year, she co-starred with James Van Der Beek in the feature adaptation of "Rules of Attraction", a 1980s-set adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' best-selling novel. She rejoined her "A Knight's Tale" director Helgeland and co-stars Ledger and Mark Addy for the secret sect thriller "The Order" (2003), playing Mara, a troubled artist with a turbulent past who tests a priest's (Ledger) devotion to his vows. She then appeared in "Undiscovered" (2005) co-starring Pell James, Ashlee Simpson and Kip Pardue. Thanks to poor reviews and limited advertising, the insipid romantic drama about wannabe singers guided by random fate and superficial ambitions remained true to its name by failing to crack seven figures in wide release opening weekend