Hollywood Crush › Evolution Of

She's played a haughty human-alien hybrid, a plucky lingerie-model-turned-surgical-intern and an accidentally impregnanted television producer, and with today's release of "One for the Money," Katherine Heigl can add "Jerseylicious bounty hunter" to her eclectic resume. The actress stars in the big-screen adaptation of Janet Evanovich's romantic thriller, playing heroine Stephanie Plum, an out-of-work unmentionables saleswoman who takes a job as a recovery agent to make ends meet. (We're also betting she finds a bit of love along the way...) As Katherine returns to the big screen slinging a pistol and downing the Garden State's entire ration of Tastykakes, let's take a look back at her career.

Born November 24, 1978, in Washington, D.C., Katherine started out as a child model before making her film debut in the 1992 romance "That Night," starring Juliette Lewis, C. Thomas Howell and a young Eliza Dushku. Katherine played a character named...Kathryn. She went on to make a splash in her first starring role alongside French actor Gerard Depardieu in the 1994 comedy "My Father the Hero," playing a vacationing teenager who tries to impress her summer fling by telling him that her dad is really her lover. We did that all the time in high school!

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Tags Grey's Anatomy, Katherine Heigl, One For The Money, Photos

Selena Gomez might currently be making headlines because she is Miss Justin Bieber, but the 19-year-old triple-threat is a certified starlet in her own right. She's a Disney Channel icon, a platinum-selling musical artist and a box-office queen, and she's done it all before the age of 20. Selena's next big gig is co-hosting the MTV Video Music Awards pre-show this Sunday, so we figured now is as good a time as any to look back at Selena's evolution into an A-list teen star.

Born in Grand Prairie, Texas, on July 22, 1992, Selena was inspired to go into acting by her mother, stage actress Mandy Teefey. She got her big start on television at age seven when she played Gianna on "Barney & Friends," and then transitioned to film thanks to small roles in "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over" and "Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire." After two years in Hollywood, Selena was discovered by the Disney Channel during a nationwide scouting, and she quickly became a part of a new generation of Disney stars.

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Tags 13 Reasons Why, Justin Bieber, Monte Carlo, Photo, Ramona and Beezus, Selena Gomez, Selena Gomez & The Scene, Video Music Awards, Video Music Awards 2011, VMAs, Wizards Of Waverly Place

"One Day," the bittersweet love saga hitting theaters on Friday, which is based on David Nicholls' charming international best-seller, follows two friends (played by Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess) over the span of 20 years. So it's fitting that for the past decade we have been following Anne and her ever-evolving career and personal life, something we'll continue to do for the next 10 years and beyond. Having a diverse resume that—at just 28 years old—already includes indies, family fare, rom-coms, big-budget action flicks and sweeping dramas , the Oscar-nominated actress has become one of the defining stars of our generation. As we look forward to the release of "One Day" and her upcoming projects (hello, "Dark Knight Rises"!) let's look back at the evolution of Anne Hathaway.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 12, 1982, Anne is the middle child of a lawyer, her father Gerald, and an actress, her mother Kathleen. While Anne grew up performing on the stage, her big break wouldn't come from the theater, but rather the big screen. "The Princess Diaries," a charming live-action Disney movie about a teen who discovers she's actually an heiress to a throne, marked Anne's second time appearing in a movie, but it catapulted her to instant fame. Her sweet, funny performance as the dowdy girl-turned-princess Mia Thermopolis won over critics and moviegoers alike. She may have already been 18 when the flick, which grossed $108 million at the box office (and spawned the sequel "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"), was released in 2001, but her star was just being born.

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Tags Alice in Wonderland, Anne Hathaway, Bride Wars, Brokeback Mountain, Dark Knight Rises, Evolution Of, Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Franco, Jim Sturgess, Love And Other Drugs, Meryl Streep, One Day, Oscars 2011, Photo, Photos, Rachel Getting Married, Rio, Steve Carell, The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries, The Simpsons, Valentine's Day

Well before he had "Friends With Benefits," schooled a "Bad Teacher" or spent too much time on "The Social Network," Justin Timberlake was just another pop star trying to make it big in Hollywood. But thanks to a healthy sense of humor and a dedicated fan base (a sexy pair of abs don't hurt either!), Justin is one of Hollywood's young elite that we love to like.

The transition from musician to actor—and, notably, not back to musician yet—was a decade-long process, all leading up to next week's "Friends With Benefits," the first movie where he can claim full leading-man rights. Since he's such a pretty face to look at, we're going to take you on a journey back in time and explore the evolution of Justin Timberlake.

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Tags Alpha Dog, Friends With Benefits, In Time, Justin Timberlake, Photo, The Social Network

Robert Pattinson may be the main attraction in the period drama "Water for Elephants" (in theaters today), but his leading lady Reese Witherspoon has owned Hollywood's center stage for years. Giving a wide array of performances (it's rare to find someone who is as equally great at comedy as she is at drama), Reese has all but taken the silver screen by storm. Now the New Orleans-born beauty will be adding another impressive turn to her continually evolving resume. Let's look back at how Reese came to be one of today's biggest stars.

Born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon on March 22, 1976, no one would have suspected this Southern belle would become an actress. After all, both of her parents worked in the medical field (her father John was a physician and her mother Betty a pediatric nurse). Still, Reese caught the acting bug early. At the age of 14 she she landed her first role, the lead in a coming-of-age drama called "The Man in the Moon."

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Tags Cruel Intentions, Election, Friends, Jim Toth, Legally Blonde, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Ryan Phillippe, Walk the Line, Water for Elephants

When it comes to universally beloved actresses who have made brilliant career moves, 29-year-old Natalie Portman seems to top the list. Over the course of just one year, she's starred in a film ("Black Swan") that earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture and is sure to earn her an Oscar nod as well, will make her return to romantic comedies in this week's "No Strings Attached," and will appear in a comedic action-adventure fantasy flick ("Your Highness") that already has all her male fans drooling over her bare bottom. Oh, did we forget to mention she's also engaged and pregnant?

Natalie's career choices have been near-perfection since she landed her first major acting role at the age of 13. Though she took a bit of a hiatus from the biz to attend college (Harvard, no less), the starlet managed to come back even better than before. She's one of the most respected young actress out there, so we're taking a look back at how Natalie's pulled off such an impressive career (all before 30!).

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Tags Benjamin Millepied, Black Swan, Natalie Portman, No Strings Attached, Photo, Your Highness

The "Harry Potter" film series has catapulted its young stars from unknowns to global superstars over the past decade, and none of its actors have felt the change quite so much as Emma Watson. From auditioning at age 9 with no professional acting experience to being one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood at age 20, Emma has blossomed into one of the most beloved and respected young British actresses around.

The penultimate film in the "Harry Potter" franchise, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," hits theaters on Friday, and fans will get a chance to see the Emma they've known and loved on the big screen once again. But with her new pixie haircut and Brown University education, Emma has already started to evolve off-screen into someone entirely new.

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Tags Emma Watson, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, People Tree

When the new comedy "Morning Glory" premieres this week, we'll be looking forward to watching Canadian-born beauty Rachel McAdams hold her own onscreen against the veteran talents of Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford. A less-seasoned star might be intimidated! But while Rachel's career was late-breaking at first, her exuberant performances and diverse roles over the past six years have made her one of the most coveted actresses in Hollywood. How did she make it so big, so fast? Let's take a look.

Rachel was born in London, Ontario, Canada in 1978. But unlike many other major stars, acting wasn't the family business—so instead of getting an early start in showbiz, Rachel took up competitive figure skating at age four. She didn't get a taste of drama until her teens, when an interest in acting led her to join a summer theater camp and professors recognized that they had a true talent on their hands.

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Tags Josh Lucas, Mean Girls, Michael Sheen, Photo, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Sherlock Holmes, The Notebook

Last night brought the troubling news that Demi Lovato has left her tour with the Jonas Brothers and entered medical treatment for "emotional and physical issues"—and with new info circulating that the star's problems stem from a painful past, everyone's wondering whether they missed the early signs of trouble. Does Demi's history reveal hints of darkness, despair and an abrupt exit from the public eye? Let's find out, with a look back at her life so far.

Demi (whose commonly-known name is actually short for "Demetria") was born on August 20, 1992, in Dallas, Texas. The child of a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader mom and a recording artist dad, she already had performing in her blood—the musically gifted girl started playing the piano at age seven and got an early start in showbiz as a cast member on "Barney and Friends." (Fun fact: Demi appeared on the show alongside Selena Gomez, who became her bestie.)

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Tags Camp Rock, Demi Lovato, Joe Jonas, Jonas Brothers, Photo, Sonny With A Chance

Despite the fact "Eat Pray Love" hasn't gotten the most love from critics, the overwhelming consensus is that Julia Roberts carries her weight in the film. And that seems to be what keeps audiences coming back for more.

Over the past 22 years, be it in "Pretty Woman," the "Oceans" trilogy, "Charlotte's Web" or "Erin Brockovich," Julia and has always been one of America's leading sweethearts (maybe that's why they gave her a lead in that movie?).

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Tags Americas Sweethearts, Brad Pitt, Closer, duplicity, Eat Pray Love, Evolution Of, Julia Roberts, Photo, Pretty Woman, Valentine's Day