A gregarious actor with a smile that lights up the screen, Cuba Gooding, Jr. experienced the highs and lows of show business growing up as the son of his famous singer father. As he explained to the Los Angeles Times on January 5, 1997: "We lived in a big house and had chauffeurs, we'd go backstage at the concerts and then in the fifth grade . . . bang! Rock bottom." When his parents divorced, he moved with his mother, brother and sister out of the limelight and began facing financial hardships, which included stretches of being evicted and living in a car, as well as time on the welfare rolls. While the family was staying in a cheap motel in suburban Orange County, Gooding befriended future personal assistant Shawn Suttles and production company partner Derek Broes, and the three perfected their breakdancing moves, christening themselves the Majestic Vision Breakdancers.

Like many of her fellow models, sultry Angie Harmon made the transition to acting landing the leading role of private detective Ryan McBride on the syndicated series "Baywatch Nights" (1995-97). The only child of models, the Dallas-born beauty actually began her career as a newborn, appearing in a hospital-made film "How to Give Your Baby a Bath". As she matured, Harmon continued to work as a local model moving to a national stage at age 15 when she was named the winner of Seventeenmagazine's cover model contest.