It has been her physical assets -- her gorgeous face, soulfully sweet blue eyes, and tight body -- that have, so far, brought Mia the most renown. Photo spreads and interviews in Razor, Maxim, Gear, FHM, and Stuff in the past five years have put her on (or at least close to) the tips of guys' tongues.
And the fact that many of her roles have been sexual in nature -- even if they're often unconventional or twisted -- helps get our minds moving in the right direction.
If it can be considered an accomplishment, Kirshner might soon become the next "Most Downloaded Woman on the Internet" -- well, at least she deserves to be. Despite all her exposure though, she's still not exactly a household name. But her magazine spreads have revealed Mia as every bit the vision she has incarnated time and again since her breakout role nearly 10 years ago as a teen stripper in Exotica.
And men across the continent picked their jaws up off the cinema floor during her red-hot appearance in 2001's Not Another Teen Movie, in which she played a schoolgirl with bisexual tendencies (spoofing Sarah Michelle Gellar's role in Cruel Intentions).
Kirshner has made a career of playing opportunistic temptresses, as in Cadillac Girls, Saturn and Century Hotel. And her sex appeal has only been enhanced by the dubious sexuality of many of her characters. She played bisexual naughty girls in New Best Friend (2002) and several episodes of TV's 24, and will be seduced to the lesbian side in the new Showtime drama, The L Word, debuting in January 2004.
She has worked with many greats of the movie industry, and with her talent and beauty, she could jump to the A-list if she chooses more commercial projects.
Born in Toronto on January 25, 1976, Mia Kirshner was raised in Canada's largest city by her Bulgarian-born mother, Etti, an English teacher, and her German-born father, Sheldon, a journalist for The Canadian Jewish News. Her initial interest in following in her father's line of work was redirected toward acting after watching Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.
Kirshner's first onscreen appearance came as an extra in The Freshman (1990), starring Matthew Broderick and Marlon Brando, an experience that she found quite grueling. Undeterred, she appeared that same year on the small screen for a full season of Dracula: The Series, and racked up several other Canadian and American television credits before segueing into film.
From the beginning, Kirshner's dark beauty led her toward roles ranging from disturbed to diabolically enticing. After portraying a rebellious teenager intent on seducing her mother's boyfriend in Cadillac Girls (1993), two provocative roles under Canadian directors established her reputation: the dominatrix in Denys Arcand's Love & Human Remains (1993), and the youthful stripper with a surprising past in Atom Egoyan's highly-lauded Exotica (1994).
Although her onscreen career was underway, she continued her education by attending Montreal's McGill University to study 19th Century Russian Literature with a minor in film. All the while, the modest actress kept her film career to herself and avoided answering questions about her future.
But the ravishing thespian's work in Exotica attracted the attention of American casting agents, who promptly got her supporting roles in Murder in the First and the Southern coming-of-age tale, The Grass Harp (both 1995). She subsequently won a lead role in The Crow: City of Angels (1996), in which she took advantage of her Goth looks to portray a tattoo artist sporting an angel-wing tattoo across her back that drove male viewers loco.
When Kirshner showed up for her Mad City audition in 1996, she was late, underdressed and unprepared to meet the movie's stars, Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta. She became nervous, stretching a hole in her jeans and talking incessantly, but unable to look anyone in the eye. Luckily, her shyness was a blessing: she was reading for the part of a nervous and eager TV reporter, and everyone in the room thought she was talking to them in character.
Since Mad City (1997), Kirshner has had the luxury of taking the time to pick and choose her projects. She continued to appear in both lead and supporting roles in such independent and/or small features as Saturn (1999), a drama that cast her as a hedonistic girlfriend, as well as Out of the Cold (1999), Cowboys and Angels (2000) and Century Hotel (2001). Keeping busy well into the new millennium, Kirshner appeared as a bomb-toting hijacker in the first season of the real-time television series 24, as well as Not Another Teen Movie (both 2001), a parody of the recent wave of high school-themed films and also starring Lacey Chabert and Jaime Pressly.
Though she hasn't received the levels of Lil' Kim or Aaliyah, Mya has become a mini-sexpot that isn't afraid to show a little flesh tone to prove that she's moved beyond an innocent teenager. Though she's very sexy, we think it might be a little out of character for someone with such a sweet voice.
Though her recent song "Case Of The Ex", was a succesful hit, and "Ghetto Supastar" put her on the map, Mya hasn't even come close to the kind of success fellow teeny boppers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera had. In fact, during the height of her "Supastar" fame, she faded from public view missing out on a golden opportunity.
Mya Marie Harrison was born October 10, 1979, in Washington, D.C, and is the daughter of an African-American father and Italian mother. Her father performed in R&B bands, and must have passed his musical tendency to young Mya. Although she always knew that she would work in the music industry, she started out as a dancer.
Her love of dance shone through when a 2-year-old Mya danced in the pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. She began to take dance lessons soon after, specializing mostly in ballet, jazz and tap. While she lost interest in dance at the age of 8, she still showed passion for music with violin lessons in the fourth grade.
Mya took a brief hiatus from dance, but she returned to her hobby in 1992, piqued by her watching videos of herself dancing. She them studied tapes of Savion Glover, known for his work in the Broadway sensation Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk. With the help of Glover's tapes and practice on Mya's part, she eventually joined the group T.W.A. (Tappers With Attitude).
Mya then headed for New York to study with Glover himself, at the legendary Dance Theater of Harlem. Thanks to her fantastic ability to improvise, not to mention the fact that Glover was impressed with her tapping talent, Glover gave Mya a solo spot at a Kennedy Center performance. Almost giving back what she learned from the incomparable Savion Glover, Mya has been teaching children dance ever since the age of 14.
But it was when Mya's father heard her sing that he became dedicated to helping her pursue a career as a singer. Under his guidance, Mya recorded some demo tapes and perfected her vocals. He brought her demo tapes to a club where he was performing, where as luck would have it, the President and CEO of University Music, Haqq Islam was present.
Islam came to the Harrison residence to see if Mya's voice was as good in person as it was in her demos, and after a living room audition, where Mya performed songs from En Vogue, she was signed to a record deal. Thanks to a strict upbringing emphasizing the importance of education, Mya had already finished high school by the time she had a record contract.
The budding starlet intended on studying speech communications at the University of Maryland, but the intense schedule associated with working on a debut album were too stringent and Mya opted to focus on her true passions. So, she ventured into communication of another sort; singing to millions of fans.
Mya's self-entitled debut album was released in 1998, and featured collaborations with such R&B hard hitters as Babyface, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott and Dru Hill. The critically acclaimed album went platinum and spawned hits such as "It's All About Me" (a duet with Sisqo) and "Movin' On".
While her album was becoming a commercial success, Mya's collaboration with Pras and Ol' Dirty Bastard for "Ghetto Supastar" (off the Bulworth soundtrack) and her work with Blackstreet for "Take Me There" (off the Rugrats soundtrack) only spread her fame and success even thicker. Mya also contributed a track to the Life soundtrack.
Mya's latest release, Fear of Flying, includes the producing efforts of Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis, and features the collaborations of She'kspere & Kandi and Soulshock & Karlin. The album, which also highlights Mya's songwriting abilities, emphasizes her professional and personal growth, but still may not differentiate her from fellow R&B young divas such as Aaliyah, Brandy or Monica.
Known for her moves, voice and presence while performing on her popular tours, Mya also lent her vocals on the Lilith Fair, sharing the bill with artists such as Jewel, Lisa Loeb, and Sarah McLachlan. With her eye on producing, Mya also designs clothes, is a former spokesperson for Bongo jeans, and is involved in the Secret to Self Esteem program, focusing on teen issues.
It’s hard to envision Monica Bellucci without instantly conjuring naughty thoughts, and there’s little doubt that she deserves all the salacious sentiments that have been hurled her way over the years. It’s also worth noting that unlike a lot of her contemporaries, Monica Bellucci has only become more attractive and alluring as time has passed.
A textbook example of the whole MILF phenomenon, Monica Bellucci has managed to retain her hourglass figure without the assistance of plastic surgery (as far as we can tell). It’s no surprise to note, then, that Monica Bellucci has become a staple of AskMen.com's Top 99 list over the years, having peaked in 2002 with a ranking of No. 1. She also ranked No. 18 in 2007, No. 22 in 2008 and No. 18 again in 2009.
Monica Anna Maria Bellucci was born on September 30, 1964, in Perugia, Italy. The daughter of a painter and a businessman, Monica grew up with dreams of becoming a lawyer -- though it eventually became clear that her calling lay in the arts. After kicking off her modeling career at the age of 16, Monica Bellucci remained determined to pursue a career in law, and she even used her modeling money to pay for her post-secondary education. Yet there came a point at which Monica Bellucci was powerless to resist the allure of the fashion industry, and she devoted herself full-time to modeling.
In 1988, Monica Bellucci signed with the prestigious Elite Model Management agency and moved to Milan where she began establishing herself as one of the most naturally talented and flat-out gorgeous up-and-coming models on the scene. Though her burgeoning fame ensured that she had little downtime, Monica Bellucci nevertheless decided to give acting a try and she made her debut in a 1990 made-for-Italian-TV movie. She spent the next several years taking on small roles in obscure films, and Monica Bellucci found herself developing a real affinity for the world of performance.
Monica Bellucci’s hard work and perseverance paid off in 1992 when she successfully auditioned for a part in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, in which she starred opposite such luminaries as Winona Ryder, Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins as one of Dracula’s three brides. Monica Bellucci worked steadily throughout much of the 1990s, appearing in a whole host of critically acclaimed foreign movies (including ‘96’s L’Appartement, which was eventually remade as the Josh Hartnett/Diane Kruger flick Wicker Park).
Though Monica Bellucci had already established herself as a bona fide star in Europe, she remained virtually unknown in North America -- something that changed dramatically with the emergence of the new century. She kicked off 2000 with a star-making performance in the drama Malena, which went on to receive Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. It was also around that time that Monica Bellucci married fellow actor and frequent costar Vincent Cassel, and in 2004, she gave birth to her daughter Deva.
After well-regarded turns in 2001’s Brotherhood of the Wolf and 2002’s Irreversible, Monica Bellucci reteamed with her Dracula costar Keanu Reeves with a stint as Persephone in 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. The following year proved to be even more fruitful for Monica Bellucci, as she appeared opposite Jim Caviezel in Mel Gibson’s extremely controversial The Passion of the Christ. Monica Bellucci took on a role alongside Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti in the ultra-violent and purposefully ridiculous action flick Shoot ‘Em Up.
Though Monica Bellucci is in her mid-40s, there’s little doubt that she remains one of the sexiest and alluring actresses working today. Her raw sensuality is unparalleled, and it’s certainly not difficult to see why she continues to outshine her younger and far more famous contemporaries.
In 2008, Monica Bellucci proved that she was still brimming with sex appeal as she ranked at No. 22 on AskMen.com's Top 99 list of Most Desirable Women and then moved up in the ranks in 2009, coming in at No. 18.
2010 is Bellucci’s most prominent year to date in English-language films, with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, opposite Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel; The Whistleblower, opposite Rachel Weisz; and Joel Schumacher’s 1:30 Train. Did we mention that she’s 45?
"It doesn't mean anything, beauty. I mean, if I see a beautiful man, maybe I am surprised for three seconds, but then if I speak with him and he's completely stupid, I don't see his beauty anymore."
- Monica Bellucci
"Sexy" is a term that seems embarrassingly inadequate when describing Joanna. Simply put: The 5'7" stunner has the kind of body that, in the words of Philip Marlowe, "could make a bishop kick a hole through a stained glass window." Part of it is her perfect 32-24-32 measurements, but that's only the start. Joanna's true appeal comes from her alluring gaze and her unshakable confidence.
As natural as Joanna's look may appear, it's actually the result of hours of hard work and dedication. In addition to eating well she's also a regular at her local gym. "I go at least three or four times a week and take hour classes like kick boxing, step class, core training, yoga, and Pilates," she says. "I like classes that not only work all your body parts, but are fun. I also love to take my dogs hiking."
Joanna is quickly becoming one of the world's most recognizable supermodels. Over the past five years, the Chicago-bred beauty has appeared on the covers of magazines such as Play..boy., FHM, Personal, Inside Sport, Stuff, Steppin' Out, Teeze, TV Media, Maxim, Men's Fitness, Esquire, Fitness Rx, Trump World, and GQ.
She has also appeared in high-profile campaigns for Mario Magro, Skechers, Izod, Le Coup, Physicians Formula, Frederick's of Hollywood, Venus Swimwear, and Ed Hardy Swimwear. Along the way, she has been voted the sexiest woman in the world by astute magazine readers from Austria to the U.S.
As an actress, Joanna has appeared in roles on hit television shows such as Las Vegas, Son of the Beach and The Man Show, and she had a small role in Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes. She also makes appearances in the 2006 films Ripple Effect, Skinner Box, The Dog Problem, and 2009’s Six Days in Paradise, which also stars Michael Madsen and the late David Carradine.
Joanna Krupa was born April 23, 1981, in Warsaw, Poland. The daughter of prominent hotelier Steven Krupa, she and her family moved to Chicago's Westside -- a huge Polish community -- when she was only 5 years old. "I grew up with the Polish food and even went to a Polish school for six years," she recalls. "We followed our Polish traditions."
In addition to keeping in touch with her roots, Joanna also followed her showbiz aspirations, keeping busy with ballet and tap dancing classes. Following high school, Joanna enrolled at a local community college in nearby Lombard, Illinois. Despite her best intentions, she didn't stay there long. "I was miserable," she now admits in retrospect. "I wasn't that into school, because I always knew I wanted to go to work." Deciding higher education wasn't for her, Joanna left for the bright lights of L.A. to pursue a career in modeling.
Joanna's move proved to be an immediate success as she quickly began to build her portfolio with a number of high-profile modeling assignments. "The jobs started coming in and I got the right people around me," she says modestly. Lucrative contracts for brands such as Skechers, Izod and Le Coup soon followed as Joanna continued to assert herself on the scene. "I worked my butt off," she admits. She also showed it off -- repeatedly.
"The first time I did a sexy photo shoot, I was nervous that all the girls in America would hate me for it and think I was letting them down," she says. "It's really nice when a woman comes up to me and says, 'Oh, I loved your picture in such and such.'"
Joanna's modeling work naturally led to film and television opportunities and, in 2000, she starred in an episode of the Baywatch parody, Son of the Beach. Additional appearances on The X Show and a small cameo in Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes followed in 2001.
In 2002, Joanna continued her transition to TV by accepting a year-long recurring role as a Juggy Dancer on Comedy Central's The Man Show. "I knew it wasn't me," she admits, "but they didn't make me feel degraded so it was actually kind of fun. I dressed up in costumes and danced around to music. But every job and every experience helps you get something else and has a reason. Even though it was stupid, it gave me a little bit of recognition."
That recognition and additional television experience helped Joanna to advance to the semi-finals of Star Search's spokesmodel competition in 2003. As exciting as her showing may have been, it also proved to be somewhat disorienting. "That period when I first left Star Search was hard," she says. "I remember having to do a photoshoot with a really famous photographer and I didn't know if I was coming or going. Part of me still felt like a really young girl."
Nonetheless, that "young girl" was now jetting around the world and appearing on magazine covers with increasing regularity. Joanna became a familiar face to readers of publications like FHM, Stuff, Men's Fitness, Trump World, and many more.
Joanna built on her Star Search success in 2004 with an appearance in the hit television series Las Vegas, as well as a starring role in the David Carradine action film Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon. "At first I was scared to do a major role," she admits, "but the scariest part was when I found out they were giving me a lead role! It gave me more confidence in my acting ability because I got good feedback and was comfortable with the role."
