Paz de la Huerta

Dark-haired, quietly sensual actress Paz de la Huerta grew up with a single mother in Manhattan, attending the prestigious St. Ann school in Brooklyn and spending her summers in Spain with her father. In late adolescence, de la Huerta both established herself as one of the world's most sought-after runway and print models and started landing small roles in Hollywood features — per her turn as a good-natured but troubled abortionist's patient (in The Cider House Rules [1999]), or (on a much different note) a conniving maid who seduces her rich employer's houseguest (in Griffin Dunne's Fierce People [2006]). The actress graduated to lead status with a powerhouse role as a manipulative, scheming country girl in the 2005 drama Steal Me, and appeared in the following year's "politically themed" slasher picture The Tripper (2007). Meanwhile, de la Huerta also co-authored scripts on the side.

by Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide