It's a most excellent outcome for Keanu Reeves: The "Matrix" actor doesn't owe a dime to the paparazzo who sued him.

While some music sensations plunge into movies with fanfare, Courtney Love was as hot as hot could be on the music scene, but decided not to take the spotlighted route of Madonna and Whitney Houston, instead easing her way into the medium with independent pictures. After a handful of small roles, the lead singer of the group Hole found herself in the spotlight when Milos Forman cast her as Althea Leasure in the biopic "The People vs. Larry Flynt" (1996).

While some music sensations plunge into movies with fanfare, Courtney Love was as hot as hot could be on the music scene, but decided not to take the spotlighted route of Madonna and Whitney Houston, instead easing her way into the medium with independent pictures. After a handful of small roles, the lead singer of the group Hole found herself in the spotlight when Milos Forman cast her as Althea Leasure in the biopic "The People vs. Larry Flynt" (1996).

A statuesque Danish beauty, Connie Nielsen has lent her considerable talents to parts that have cast her as everything from Satan's spawn to an astronaut to an emperor's daughter. Regardless of the role or the quality of the script, she has managed to transcend the limitations and delivered memorable full-bodied performances. Raised in a small coastal village in Denmark, Nielsen became enamored with movies at a young age through weekly visits at the local movie theater. She was encouraged to pursue a theatrical career by her actress-writer mother, alongside whom she made her stage acting debut at age 15. Three years later, Nielsen moved to Paris to pursue a career and she further studied her craft in such far-flung locations as South Africa, NYC and Rome. Fluent in several languages, she easily found work in films produced in Italy and France and caught a break with the American made-for-cable movie "Voyage" (USA Network, 1993).

 Actor Chris Klein made his professional debut in the satirical high school-set comedy "Election" (1999). Filmed in director Alexander Payne's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, Klein was discovered when Payne visited his high school on a locations scout. After an audition, the young actor was cast as Paul Metzler, a sweet, naïve and popular sidelined athlete who is persuaded by his teacher (Matthew Broderick) to run against the overachieving Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) for class president. Playing the least malevolent character in the film, Klein offered a portrayal that was likened by many critics to Keanu Reeves' charming early performances. Brown-haired, tall, and athletic in build, the actor again played a likable jock in that summer's surprisingly sensitive teen sex comedy "American Pie". This time he portrayed Oz, a lacrosse player who, in an attempt to impress girls, seeks to prove he is more than a mindless sports hero by joining a choir.

 South African actress Charlize Theron made Oscar and Golden Globe-worthy impressions with heavy-hitting dramatic roles which often saw her struggling to survive oppressive environments. Theron’s own experiences surviving the strife of an unstable childhood home gave her a strong perspective, as did the strong-willed independence that inspired her to head to Europe and begin a professional modeling career while she was still a teenager. But if the 5’10” blonde was misdiagnosed as merely an actress-turned-model for her early supporting roles, that persona was shattered with a pair of Oscar-nominated starring performances in “Monster” (2003) and “North Country” (2005); both portraits of two women who came to deal with second-class citizen status in very different ways.

 Striking Canadian import Carrie-Anne Moss, a dark-haired, alabaster skinned beauty, journeyed to Europe to pursue a modeling career, but instead landed on American television, fulfilling a lifelong goal of working as a professional actress. Despite always wanting to be an actress, nothing prepared Moss for becoming a cultural icon when she landed the career-defining role of Trinity, the cool, leather-clad, sunglasses-wearing heroine from the futuristic sci-fi phenomenon, “The Matrix” (1999). So great was the film’s impact on the cultural zeitgeist that Moss become more unrecognizable withoutsunglasses than with. Labeled by media and geek fandom as an action chick—a term she wholeheartedly embraced—Moss was wise in not letting the role define her career and instead balanced her resume with more feminine roles in low-budget indies.

Keanu Reeves may have pulled off some daredevil stunts on-screen with a speeding bus, but a judge ruled Monday that his driving didn't warrant assault and battery claims by a photographer.

Perhaps no actress had a faster ride to the top than Cameron Diaz, who was launched into stardom with “The Mask” (1994), her first-ever onscreen performance. Though originally slated for a minor role, Diaz won over the movie’s producers with her unique charm and looks, and took on the lead actress role with verve.