Teri Hatcher

A star of television and feature films, Teri Hatcher also holds the distinction of being the woman whose photographs were most frequently downloaded from the Internet in the late '90s. With her brunette hair, beautiful brown eyes, mischievous smile, and petite but curvaceous figure, it isn't difficult to imagine why. While Hatcher could probably thrive for years as a virtual pinup, there is more to her than drop-dead gorgeous looks. The daughter of a physicist and a computer programmer, she initially studied math and engineering at a San Francisco area community college before the acting bug bit. She later enrolled at the American Conservatory Theatre. At age 20, she was a cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers. Hatcher made her television debut in 1985, playing Amy, one of the singing/dancing Mermaids on the revived anthology series Love Boat. Shortly thereafter, she became a regular on the action-adventure series MacGyver and more guest-starring roles on other shows followed. She made her feature film debut co-starring in the Hollywood satire The Big Picture (1989). Subsequent film appearances include a small but memorable turn as Sylvester Stallone's kid sister in Tango and Cash (1989). However, while Hatcher's career as a supporting actress was puttering along nicely, she did not become a bona fide star until 1993, after she was selected to star opposite Dean Cain in the television series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, an attempt at a more sophisticated look at Superman and Lois Lane. The show developed a loyal following and remained popular until Lois and Superman married in early 1997. The ratings dropped dramatically and the show was cancelled. Syndicated repeats, however, continued airing on cable television. Hatcher is also still in demand as a guest star and has appeared on a variety of programs, including a memorable episode of Seinfeld that focused on whether or not her perfect bosom was real or silicone (it's real). With the success of Lois and Clark, Hatcher's film career picked up and she subsequently appeared in films ranging from the thriller Heaven's Prisoners (1996) to the James Bond adventure Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). - Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide