Michelle Monaghan

Relative newcomer Michelle Monaghan has proven over the past seven years she is comfortable with a wide range of acting styles and within a wide range of genres. To that end, she has appeared in some of the biggest blockbuster successes of the past decade such as Mission: Impossible III and The Bourne Supremacy.

Michelle Lynn Monaghan was born March 23, 1976 in Winthrop, Iowa. Her mother, Sharon, was a day care worker, while her father, Bob, was a factory worker and farmer. She is one of three children. Monaghan pursued her secondary education in Chicago, where she focused her studies on journalism. Her movie star good looks, however, did not go unnoticed. During this time, she began modeling, and she was successful enough to complete tours of the United States, Asia, and Europe.

Monaghan made her onscreen debut in 2000 with the television series Young Americans with cast regulars Kate Bosworth, Mark Famiglietti, Ian Somerhalder, and others. She also served a one-episode stint on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit opposite Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay.

She eventually broke into film with the mildly received Perfume in 2001. It featured Morena Baccarin, Kylie Bax, and Angela Bettis. She won a far more substantial role in a far better received film when took part in 2002’s Unfaithful starring Diane Lane, Richard Gere, and Olivier Martinez.

She also won her first major recurring spot on a television series in this same year, playing Kimberly Woods on Boston Public. Created by David E Kelley, the show featured cast regulars Loretta Devine, Michael Rapaport, Jeri Ryan, Sharon Leal, and a slew of other talented actors.

 By 2003, Monaghan was becoming a recognizable face, aided by roles in films such as It Runs in the Family with acting greats Michael Douglas and Kirk Douglas. She alternated between critically acclaimed works such as Winter Solstice and blockbuster hits like The Bourne Supremacy with Matt Damon, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, and Joan Allen.

Beginning to pull some credible weight, Monaghan was able to win significant airtime in films such as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which managed to win both the critics and the audiences. The all star cast was led by Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, and Shannyn Sossamon.

Continuing on an impressive streak of hits, Monaghan acted in Mr. & Mrs. Smith with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, North Country with Charlize Theron and Sean Bean, and capped it off with Mission: Impossible III with leads Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Ving Rhames.

Most recently, she can be seen in the Ben Affleck feature film directorial debut Gone Baby Gone. The film is fronted by leads Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris. She is also the object of Ben Stiller’s affection in the new comedy The Heartbreak Kid opposite Jerry Stiller and Malin Akerman.

Showing no signs of slowing down, she has three films in various stages of production.

In her personal life, she married Australian graphic designer Pete White in August of 2005. They are currently together and have no children.