Trivia: 2003 brought Carson Kressley his watershed moment: such was the year that the once-obscure fashion designer -- employed as an independent stylist for the Gotham-based Polo Ralph Lauren -- auditioned to star as a regular on the Bravo series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. An Allentown, PA, native and a graduate of Pennsylvania's Gettysburg College (with degrees in finance and art), Kressley was soon tapped to work for Lauren as an assistant to many of the company's top-tiered executives, then auditioned among several dozen candidates to star on the reality series, which featured himself and a cadre of other witty homosexual men offering advice to straight men on how best to improve their homes, apparel, and various other areas of lifestyle to qualify as truly chic (or "metrosexual," as the program typically put it). Kressley remained with the series for numerous seasons, and he and his co-stars soon graduated to the level of national celebrities, dubbed "The Fab Five."Kressley expanded into other arenas by authoring the 2004 tome Off the Cuff: The Essential Style Guide for Men and the Women Who Love Them and the children's allegory You're Different and That's Super (2005). He next hosted the Lifetime reality series How to Look Good Naked, which involved putting women on the air who felt unhappy about their bodies, and then instilling them with confidence and a positive, enthusiastic outlook (sans the use of plastic surgery or other "artificial" enhancements). In 2008, Kressley hosted the CW reality series Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants, a televised competition that found several mother-daughter teams going head-to-head with one another in an elaborate beauty pageant. As the years progressed, Kressley would remain a fixture in reality television, appearing on shows like Dancing with the Stars.

Trivia: Modern queen of the burlesque Dita Von Teese was born Heather Renee Sweet in Michigan in 1972. Raised on classic movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Von Teese developed a fascination with the old-fashioned style from an early age. After the family moved to California, Von Teese became even more immersed in film culture, and eventually studied costume design in college, preparing for a career in styling period films.Von Teese began working at a local strip club when she was 18, but was disappointed by the lack of style and creativity shown by most of the dancers. She began developing a modern burlesque show, which would prove to be increasingly popular. By the mid-'90s, Von Teese was a celebrity in her own niche, spearheading a resurgence in burlesque dancing and pin-up style. She became a recognizable media personality, modeling for designers like Vivienne Westwood and Jean-Paul Gaultier, and appearing in a small selection of films, like The Death of Salvador Dali and The Boom Boom Room. In 2005, Von Teese married rocker Marilyn Manson; the two divorced in 2007.

Trivia: Fusing tall, dark, and handsome with exaggerated femininity, the 6'7" celebrity drag queen RuPaul was born in San Diego, CA, as RuPaul Andre Charles. He attended Northside School for the Performing Arts but dropped out to get his GED and work for his brother-in-law's car lot. His first television appearance was in 1982 on the public access show "The American Music Show" as the leader of "RuPaul and the Uhauls." In the late '80s he and electroclash pioneer Larry Tee moved to N.Y.C. to hang out in dance clubs and make records. When he perfected his "black hooker drag" look, RuPaul was voted the Queen of Manhattan on the party scene and appeared in the B-52's music video for "Love Shack." During this time, he released his debut album on the Funtone label and continued his recording career on Tommy Boy Records. In 1994, he made his feature film debut in Spike Lee's Crooklyn as a woman with an amazing blonde afro. The next year saw lots of cameos in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, Smoke, Blue in the Face, and Wigstock: The Movie. He started getting actual roles with the TV movie A Mother's Prayer, the comedy Red Ribbon Blues, and both Brady Bunch movies. In 1996, he began hosting the dance-music morning show on WKTU with Seduction vocalist Michelle Visage. Soon, VH1 took notice and gave him his own series, the celebrity talk show and variety program The RuPaul Show. In the late '90s, he started appearing as a man under his full name RuPaul Charles. He played camp counselor Mike in But I'm a Cheerleader, Stockard Channing's friend Jimmy in the Lifetime movie The Truth About Jane, and guest-hosted the PBS series In the Life. He also briefly appeared in the crime comedy Who Is Cletis Tout? and narrated the documentary The Eyes of Tammy Faye. In 2003, he began filming Rob Howard's Skin Walker. He went on to host the reality TV show RuPaul's Drag Race.

Trivia: Stunningly beautiful Cuban-born actress Maria Conchita Alonso emigrated with her family to Caracas, Venezuela when she was five years old; there she appeared in films and commercials while still a child. At age 14 she won the title of Miss Teenager of the World. Four years later, she became Miss Venezuela, going on to combine a successful modeling career with acting and making TV commercials; eventually, she starred in four Venezuelan films and appeared in ten Spanish-language soap operas. She moved to the United States in 1982, going on to make her English-speaking film debut in Abel Ferrara's Fear City (1984); though only a small part in a large cast, this led to a supporting role as Robin Williams's girl friend in Moscow Hudson (1986), which moved her up in the film world to the status of a co-star. In addition to finding steady work in films such as Running Man (1987), House of the Spirits (1993), Caught (1995), Alonso is also a Grammy-nominated singer who has become a top-selling artist in South America. In 1995, while filming Caught, Alonso became the first South American woman to star on Broadway when she won the role of Aurora/Spider Woman in Kiss of the Spider Woman. She continued to work steadily for the next fifteen years playing lead parts in a variety of films ranging from Catherine's Grove The Code Conspiracy, and Chasing Papi, as well as finding work on various television shows including Kingpin.

Trivia: Made small-screen debut in 1973 on parents' musical-variety program, the Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. Has been an activist in the LGBT community since 1995. Authored first book, Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming-Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, & Their Families, in 1999.

Trivia: A songstress possessing a remarkable eight-octave vocal range who in the early '90s excelled to become one of the top female vocalists of the decade, Mariah Carey's rocky transition from musician to actress played a key role in fueling a much-publicized nervous breakdown in late 2001. And though her turn in Glitter (2001) may have not been quite the crossover success the aspiring actress had hoped for, as a remarkably talented vocalist Carey continues to maintain her supportive fan base as a result of her dynamic voice and exceptional songwriting abilities. Born the daughter of a former opera singer and vocal coach in Long Island, NY, in 1970, and named after the song "They Call the Wind Maria" from the popular Lerner and Loewe musical Paint Your Wagon (1969), Carey began singing at the age of four, and writing her own songs by the time she was attending Oldfield Middle School. Moving to New York to pursue a career as a vocalist a day after her graduation from Greenlawn's Harborfields High School, the ambitious singer soon teamed with keyboardist Ben Margulies and landed a job as a backup singer for Brenda K. Starr. Aided by Starr in ensuring her demo tape found its way into the hands of Columbia Records head Tommy Matola (the man whom Carey would later wed and eventually divorce) at a party, Carey was soon signed to the label and with the release of her massively successful eponymous debut in 1990, achieved overnight success. With strong follow-up efforts establishing Carey as one of the premier vocalists of the decade (she had a number one single each year of the 1990s, her songs spending more time at the Billboard top spot than any recording artist in history) it was only a matter of time before the established singer attempted to expand her career. After making her big-screen debut with a supporting turn in The Bachelor in 1999, Carey set her sights on a personal project for her first starring role. However, after suffering a physical and emotional breakdown months before the release of her big-screen debut in Glitter, Carey's "lambs" (her slang term for her loyal fans) rallied to her side in support upon the release of numerous scathing reviews. Inspired by such musical dramas as Fame (1980) and Purple Rain (1984), the semi-autobiographical retro tale of a young singer rising to fame despite the odds stacked against her was dismissed as cliché and laughably bad, with reviews specifically targeting the vulnerable singer's sub-par performance and the films unintentionally campy tone. Public appearances in which her behavior grew increasingly bizarre coupled with distressing messages on her website and fan phone line underscored the onetime pop diva's increasing mental collapse, making her admission into a Connecticut mental hospital seem almost inevitable to all who bore witness to her multiple public meltdowns. Following the failure of the accompanying album of the same name, Virgin Records bought out her 100-million-dollar contract for a mere 28 million dollars, and it appeared as if the one-time megastar had reached her nadir. Her career would see a boost along with her personal life, however, when she married pop star and TV personality Nick Cannon in 2008, later giving birth to twins.In 2009, she returned to acting in Precious, directed by Lee Daniels, playing a social worker in an unglamorous, dressed-down role. She later reunited with Daniels in 2013 to play a supporting role in The Butler. IN 2015, Carey made her directorial debut with the TV movie A Christmas Melody, in which she also co-starred.

Trivia: Worked as a dancer early in her career, appearing on Club MTV. Featured in the music videos for "The Party Starts Now!" by Manitoba's Wild Kingdom and "Back to the Grill Again" by MC Serch. Posed several times for Playboy Magazine in the 1990s. Appeared in a public service announcement to spread awareness about Irritable Bowel Syndrome in 2000.

Trivia: Best known for her television work, Marg Helgenberger started acting in college theatrical productions while studying speech at Northwestern University. A native of Omaha, NE, where she was born on November 16, 1958, Helgenberger moved to New York after graduating from college and landed a role as a tough young policewoman on the soap opera Ryan's Hope. During her four-year tenure on the show, she also maintained her ties with the theater through her involvement with TADA, the Children's Theater Company.Following a move to Southern California, Helgenberger began guest starring on such television series as Matlock, thirtysomething, and HBO's Tales From the Crypt. She co-starred on the short-lived series Shell Game (1987) before getting her big break with the role of K.C., a tough prostitute, on the distinguished drama China Beach in 1988. Helgenberger's role won her two Emmy nominations and one win in 1990. Following the series' demise in 1991, Helgenberger returned to television guest-star status on ER, where she had a four-episode-long recurring role, and in the miniseries The Tommyknockers.A presence on the big screen since 1989, when she made her feature-film debut in Steven Spielberg's romantic fantasy Always, Helgenberger has played a wide variety of roles in films ranging from Species (1995) to the moody The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997) to Steven Soderbergh's widely acclaimed Erin Brockovich (2000). Helgenberger would continue to appear in films like In Good Company and Mr. Brooks, and found particular success with the starring role of Catherine Willows on the long running proceedural CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Trivia: Sang backup with her famous siblings in the Jackson 5 before releasing a solo album—the fifth family member to do so—though the 1980 self-titled effort achieved only modest success. Was estranged from her family from the late-1980s to the mid-1990s, a period marked by several pictorials and a video for Playboy magazine, accusations of physical abuse against her father, a stint as a spokesperson for a psychic hotline and public pronouncements that charges of pedophilia against her brother Michael were true. Reconciliation with her family and divorce from Gordon in 1997 were described in 2011 memoir, Starting Over, which shares the title of her comeback album released on the same day.

Trivia: Universally known as one of the sexiest women in Hollywood, Scarlett Johansson has actually been acting professionally since the age of eight. A native of New York City, where she was born on November 22, 1984, Johansson was raised -- along with her twin brother -- as the youngest of four children, and she developed an interest in acting at the age of three. After enrolling in classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute for Young People, she made her stage debut opposite Ethan Hawke in the off-Broadway production of Sophistry. Her film debut followed in 1994, when she had a supporting role in North, and she subsequently appeared in the little-seen Just Cause (1995) and If Lucy Fell (1996). Johansson had her first significant screen breakthrough with her role as one of two orphaned teenaged sisters in Manny & Lo (1996), a coming-of-age drama directed by Lisa Krueger. Johansson, who shared the screen with Aleksa Palladino and Mary Kay Place, earned an Independent Spirit Award Best Actress nomination for her work in the film, and she soon found herself being tapped by Robert Redford to star as Kristin Scott Thomas' daughter in The Horse Whisperer (1998). Although the film met with a very mixed reception, Johansson was widely praised for her portrayal of a girl who loses her leg and her best friend in a horrific accident.In 2000, the actress signed on to play one of the heroines (alongside Thora Birch) of Terry Zwigoff's screen adaptation of Ghost World, Daniel Clowes' celebrated comic about the adventures of two teen girls grappling with post-high school life. That same year, she starred in American Rhapsody, in which she portrayed a young girl who escapes communist Hungary in the 1950s and travels to the U.S.Though she would take a brief detour into camp with the 2002 giant spider fiasco Eight Legged Freaks, the respect Johansson had gained in the film industry as a result of her previous dramatic roles found the young actress in high demand among indie directors while quickly catching the eye of the Hollywood elite. With Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation, Johansson's touching performance as a young girl who strikes a tentative friendship with a washed-up American actor (memorably portrayed by Bill Murray) left no doubts regarding her dramatic skills, and although a Best Actress Oscar nomination eluded her, she received a boatload of nods from critics' groups and the Golden Globes. The rising starlet was soon cast in the lead of such subsequent films as The Girl with the Pearl Earring (2003) and The Perfect Score (2003).After sticking to form in 2004 with roles in In Good Company and A Love Song for Bobby Long, Johansson took her first stab at a lead role in a big budget Hollywood flick, starring opposite Ewan MacGregor in Michael Bay's futuristic actioner The Island. While the picture was panned by critics and avoided by audiences, it did nothing to slow the young star down. She closed out the year by receiving virtually unanimous praise for her performance in Woody Allen's Match Point.She immediately reteamed with Allen, who was full of praise for the young actress after their first collaboration, for the supernatural comedy/murder mystery Scoop in 2006. Johansson would spend the next several years enjoying her status as an A-list actress, appearing in a wide range of projects, like The Nanny Diaries and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. In 2012, she joined The Avengers as Natasha Romanoff, playing the character in several more films in the series.

Trivia: Best known as the husky-voiced, no-nonsense Lt. Sally Solomon on the hit NBC fantasy sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001) -- a role she played, opposite heavyweights John Lithgow and Jane Curtin, for the entire six-year run of the series -- fair-haired Kristen Johnson parlayed her success from that effort into a handful of A-list cinematic releases, beginning in 1999. After 3rd Rock wrapped in spring 2001, Johnston's movie activity crescendoed dramatically, and she became ever-present as a character player in the supporting casts of Hollywood feature films.Born January 20, 1967, in Washington, D.C., Johnston moved with her family to Wisconsin and attended high school in suburban Milwaukee, where prescient classmates voted her "Biggest Ham" and "Most Likely to be a Celebrity." Unusually tall for her age (6 ft. at age 13), with a booming, authoritative voice and an outsized personality, Johnston stood out from the crowd and reportedly struggled with self-doubt as a result; she later termed her height "incredibly distressing." The aspiring actress learned self-acceptance early on, however, as she attended NYU and studied drama there. For almost ten years, Johnston struggled as an up-and-coming actress, holding down assorted jobs and working on Broadway and off-Broadway productions, until an NBC executive noticed her and was instrumental in enlisting her as Sally on 3rd Rock. Johnston doubled this up with a 1998 guest appearance as herself on The Larry Sanders Show, then debuted cinematically the following summer as Ivana Humpalot in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999). Johnston ascended to higher billing as Wilma Slaghoople, the wife of Fred Flintstone (a role she inherited from Elizabeth Perkins) in the family-friendly, effects-heavy Stone Age comedy The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000).Although 3rd Rock from the Sun, as indicated, ended its original network run in mid-2001, Johnston took a couple of years off, resurfacing in 2003 with a guest appearance on the shortlived courtroom seriocomedy Queens Supreme (produced by Julia Roberts). Johnston followed this up with several additional big-screen turns over the next few years. These included a supporting role in William Tannen's all-star showbiz satire Nobody Knows Anything (2003); the part of Fran -- an envious friend of newly involved Caroleen Feeney -- in Hal Salwen's quirky indie romantic comedy Duane Incarnate; a brief supporting turn as Coach Divers in Paul Dinello's big-screen prequel to the wild television comedy series Strangers with Candy (2005); and Rhonda in Marc Lawrence's romantic comedy Music and Lyrics (2007), co-starring Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant. Appearances on The New Adventures of Old Christine and Ugly Betty followed, and in 2009 Johnston began teaching acting classes at New York University. Two years later, she documented her struggles with addiction in her memoir Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster.In addition to Johnston's film work, she acts in theatrical productions. Several of Johnston's higher-profiled stage productions include the Scott Elliott-directed revival of Clare Boothe Luce's play The Women (2001, alongside Rue McClanahan, Cynthia Nixon, and Jennifer Coolidge); the Mark Brokaw-directed 2004 production of Paula Vogel's one-act play The Baltimore Waltz (as Anna); and the 2006 John Crowley-directed production of John Kolvenbach's Love Song (as Joan).

Trivia: An imposing figure of both TV and the stage, 4'11" actor Leslie Jordan's physical stature belies his talent. Garnering massive acclaim for his portrayal of Brother Boy in the Broadway production of Sordid Lives, Jordan would go on to reprise the role for a film adaptation of the play. This led to a successful onscreen career as a character actor, making numerous guest appearances over the years on shows like Boston Legal, Ugly Betty, and Will & Grace. In 2008, he took on the role of Brother Boy once again, as Sordid Lives was adapted into a TV series for the Logo network.

Trivia: Worked as an editor for Marie Claire magazine. Hosted a show on Q2, a part of QVC. Cowrote Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body with Stacy London in 2005. Wrote Freakin' Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better Than Everyone Else in 2008. Wrote a weekly style column for the Chicago Tribune in 2007. Was a spokesman for Macy's retail stores. Has a clothing line on QVC.

Trivia: Actor and singer Adam Lambert began his career on the stage, appearing in the Los Angeles production of the musical Wicked and alongside Val Kilmer in The Ten Commandments before auditioning for the eighth season of American Idol, eventually making it to the top two, but ultimately losing out to talented rival Kris Allen.

Trivia: While working at Paramount Studio in 1961, he was discovered by legendary costume designer Edith Head. In 1967, he and longtime companion Ray Aghayan shared the first Emmy awarded for costume design, for the TV-movie Alice Through the Looking Glass. Was costume designer for the entire 11-year run of The Carol Burnett Show. Designed the curtain dress ("I saw it in the window and couldn't resist") worn by Carol Burnett on her variety series' memorable Gone With the Wind spoof, "Went With the Wind." Inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2002. Has designed dresses for collector edition Barbie dolls, and in 2009 did the 50th Anniversary Legacy Barbie. Designed costumes for singer Pink's 2009 "Funhouse" tour. Is the subject of Frank DeCaro's 2001 book Unmistakably Mackie. His design drawings for a number of Las Vegas productions are viewable at the UNLV Libraries Digital Collections.

Trivia: Philadelphia native Eve Jihan Jeffers started out as part of a five-girl singing group before getting her big break in the world of rap, when she moved out to L.A. to meet Dr. Dre. Briefly signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath label, she recorded a demo tape including a song that made it to the Bulworth soundtrack. Calling herself Eve of Destruction, she then met DMX and joined Ruff Ryders Records, becoming the only female rapper on the label. Using the simple name Eve, she released two solo rap albums -- Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryder's First Lady... and Scorpion -- before making her first film appearance in a brief role as J.J. in XXX, a spy thriller whose title song she also composed. After releasing her third album, Eve-olution, she then appeared in the urban comedy Barbershop (starring Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer) as Terri, the only female member of a south-side Chicago barbershop. Eve reprised her Barbershop role for its sequel in 2004, and was praised for her turn as the suspicious co-worker of a former child molester in The Woodsman the same year. The actress/singer dropped off the movie scene for several years in order to pursue her musical career and other ventures, then came back with a bang for a supporting role in Whip It, a comedy drama following an ex-pageant queen's experiences on a roller derby team. She also appeared on several episodes of Glee, Fox's hit television series following the oftentimes musical adventures of a high school glee club.

Trivia: Neil Patrick Harris made his first splash playing a 16-year-old doctor in the Steven Bochco television series Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989-1993). Following the series' demise, the young adult actor laid low for a few years, appearing in films like Starship Troopers and Shakespeare's Sister. Harris second act would come in 2004, however, when he played a hilariously insane, fictionalized version of himself for the stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Harris would follow this up with a starring role on the hugely popular, left of center sitcom How I Met Your Mother, playing beloved rake and ladies' man Barney.In addition to his film and television career, Harris has also had a successful career on-stage. In 1997, he wowed California audiences playing the lead in the popular off-Broadway musical Rent.

Trivia: Pennsylvania native Gillian Jacobs learned her trade at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, where she competed in the Public's Shakespeare Monologue Contest. She subsequently studied at Juilliard, and began her professional career a few years later, with a role on the series The Book of Daniel. Though the show didn't last, Jacobs was soon busy with new projects, like 2007's Blackbird and 2008's Choke. Then, following an appearance on the series Royal Pains in 2009, Jacobs joined the cast of the comedy series Community, and signed on to appear in a number of films including Watching TV with the Red Chinese and The Box. In 2012 she had a small part in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.

Trivia: Hofstra-educated singer/actress Lainie Kazan became a celebrity by indirection. In 1964, Kazan was engaged to understudy Barbra Streisand in the Broadway production of Funny Girl; the disappointed boos and catcalls that often greeted Kazan when she subbed for Streisand were generally dissipated by the standing ovations she'd receive at performance's end. In 1966, Kazan was hired for her first weekly-TV stint on The Dean Martin Summer Show, exhibiting a keen sense of comic timing in the presence of such funsters as Dom DeLuise and Rowan & Martin. A firmly established nightclub star by 1980, Kazan made her official screen bow in 1980's One From the Heart (her actual screen debut in an obscure 1968 film was passed over in the studio publicity). In 1982, she essayed her most memorable screen role, as the brash, blunt Brooklynite Bella Carroca in My Favorite Year; she would repeat this role many years later in the Broadway musical version of that film. She had a memorable turn in the weepie Beaches, and appeared in a variety of projects including Honeymoon in Vegas and Love Is All There Is. Kazan had the biggest movie success of her career at the beginning of the 21st century when she was one of the leads in the indie smash My Big Fat Greek Wedding, setting in motion a career resurgence that included the short-lived TV spinoff of that movie as well as Gigli, Red Riding Hood, and the Adam Sandler movie You Don't Mess With the Zohan. Kazan's series-TV assignments included the role of Rita in the 1986 Robby Benson detective series Tough Cookies, the "best friend" part of Claire Steiner in the Fox Network Patty Duke sitcom Karen's Song, and recurring appearances in the hospital drama St. Elsewhere. Few of these appearances, however were of the zany calibre of Kazan's outrageous portrayal of an Italian-accented fairy godmother in Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre's version of "Pinocchio." Still a top attraction on the supper-club circuit, Lainie Kazan has opened two cabarets bearing her name in New York and Los Angeles.