Michelle Monaghan

Date of birth: March 23, 1976
Astrological Zodiac sign: Aries
Age: 37

Michelle Lynn Monaghan is an American actress.

Monaghan was born in Winthrop, Iowa, the daughter of Sharon, who runs a day care center out of the family's home, and Bob Monaghan, who worked in a factory and was also a part time farmer. She has two older brothers, Bob and John and her family frequently fostered and adopted children. She graduated from East Buchanan High School Class of 1994, where she was the class president and acted in a few plays. After graduation, she moved to Chicago to study journalism at Columbia College Chicago. Between studying, she did some modeling in the United States and around the world with stints in Europe (Milan) and Asia (Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong.) She left college with one semester left to move to New York to pursue modeling and acting full-time.

Monaghan became interested in acting and eventually received a few minor parts in episodes of a few television series, such as Young Americans (in which she appeared twice) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, both in 2001. Monaghan made her big screen debut in 2001 with the small role of Henrietta in the movie Perfume. This was followed up by another small role in Unfaithful in 2002. Meanwhile, she continued her modelling career and eventually expanded her résumé by doing commercials for products such as Stayfree deodorant in 2001 and Secret Sheer dry in 2002.

Monaghan had a big break in 2002 when she co-starred on the television series Boston Public in the role of Kimberly Woods. After guest starring for a season on the television series, Monaghan turned back to the silver screen. She appeared in It Runs in the Family in 2003, Winter Solstice in 2004 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in 2005, in which she did her first and only on-screen nude scene opposite co-star Robert Downey, Jr. She is also known for having scenes deleted from both Constantine and Syriana. Her audition tape from Constantine landed her an audition for Mission Impossible III and within twenty minutes she had the role of Julia opposite co-star Tom Cruise.

In 2007, she starred in the remake of The Heartbreak Kid with Ben Stiller as Miranda, the role originated by Cybill Shepherd. She also starred in Gone Baby Gone as the main female protagonist Angie Gennaro opposite Casey Affleck. The film was directed by Ben Affleck. In 2008, she will star alongside Patrick Dempsey as Hannah in Made of Honor. She is currently filming Eagle Eye in which she will star opposite Shia LaBeouf as a single mother framed as a terrorist.

She married Australian graphic artist Peter White in August 2005 after the couple met at a party five years previous. They currently live together in New York City.

See also:  Actress,  American,  Columbia College Chicago