In 1989, Ryan's winsome ways were showcased to best advantage in her very first leading role, in Rob Reiner's definitive late-eighties romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally . . ., which demolished box-office barriers, thanks in no small part to Ryan's now-famous simulated-orgasm scene. The sudden cinematic sensation had found her stock-in-trade characterization: the slightly befuddled, occasionally daft, endlessly adorable, and always endearing comic-romantic heroine. article continued below...

Julianne Moore was born Julie Anne Smith in Fort Brag, Fayetteville, N.C. on December 30th, 1960. Her mother was a psychiatric social worker and her father a military judge. Needless to say being an army brat Julianne moved almost constantly, almost 23 times before she settled. It was at the Boston University where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

From there she headed off to New York, where she appeared in a number of late-'80's off-Broadway plays. She then branched out into television with a short-term part on the soap opera "The Edge of Night" which lead to a 3 year stint on "As The World Turns," for which she earned a daytime Emmy.

Following a few made for T.V. movies, Julianne made her first leap to the big screen with 1990's "Tales from the Darkside: The Movie." She kept winning better and more powerful roles as time went on, including a small but memorable role as Harrison Ford's colleague in "The Fugitive." In fact her small role made such an impression on Steven Spielberg that he cast her in the "Jurassic Park" sequel "The Lost World" without an audition.

Another director, Paul Thomas Anderson, had Moore in mind when he wrote the role of drug-addicted porn star Amber Waves in "Boogie Nights." The actress took the news with a bit of apprehension saying "It really scared me. The last thing you want to do is read a script about pornography from a 26-year-old you've never met." Despite her misgivings about the role, Moore read the script and was won over. The decision proved a wise one and she received an Oscar nomination for her astounding performance.

Moore Started 1998 by playing a sinister seductress in the Coen Brothers' mistaken-identity farce "The Big Lebowski," and ended with a subtle performance in Gus Van Sant's remake of "Psycho."

1999 had Moore as buisy as an actress can be. She began the year with stellar performances in "Cookies Fortune," and "An Ideal Husband." And continued with an outstanding performance in "The End of the Affair," for which she garnered an Oscar nomination. She then teamed with Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly for "Magnolia."

Not bad for an Army brat who recalls, "In grade school, I was a complete geek. You know, there's always the kid who's too short, the kid who wears glasses, the kid who's not athletic. Well, I was all three."

• Son, Cal (b. 4 December 1997). Father is Bart Freundlich.
• Her father was a judge in the Army's Judge Advocate General Corps and her mother was a psychiatric social worker.
• Graduated from Boston University's School of the Arts.
• (Nov 1999) Moved into $900,000 3-bdrm loft in Greenwich Village.
• Worked briefly as part-time waitress in Boston, MA.
• Is a staunch pro-choice advocate and an active member of Planned Parenthood.
• Born Julie Anne Smith, she had to change her name when she registered with the Actor's Guild as every variation of her name seemed to be taken. She then combined her first two names and assumed her father's middle name as her surname.
• Lived in Juneau, Alaska for about a year and a half and attended school there from 1971-1972.
• Was considered for the lead role of Kate McQueen in Fair Game (1995). The part eventually went to Cindy Crawford.
• Is left-handed.
• (3 April 2000) Engaged to Bart Freundlich
• After Jodie Foster turned down the chance to reprise her Oscar-winning role of Clarice Starling in Hannibal (2001), several actresses were considered for the part - Moore triumphed over such contenders as Helen Hunt, Gillian Anderson and Cate Blanchett.
• In order to convincingly portray the role of a housewife suffering from an immune disorder in Safe (1995), she lost 10 pounds off of her already petite frame.
• She reads every script she receives.