Born in Ely, Minnesota and raised in Boulder, Colorado it would seem natural for Jessica Biel to play the classic girl next door roles. However, this star, who began her career in teen model prints after being discovered at the 1994 IMTA Convention, has struggled to break out of the confines of the 'good girl' persona. Her breakthrough came when she was cast in Aaron Spelling's WB production, "7th Heaven" (1996) as Mary Camden. Although she gained considerable attention for her work on the show, she became increasingly frustrated with her role, blaming her saintly image for the loss of a leading role in American Beauty (1999) to Thora Birch. Feeling her character in the series was limiting her film career, despite a role in the acclaimed drama Ulee's Gold (1997), Biel attempted to get out of her contract. When the producers refused, Biel turned to Gear Magazine where she posed nude; the controversial cover and photo spread resulted in her being fired from the television series. Unfortunately, Biel's film career did not take off as quickly as she had hoped and she frequently appears as a guest on "7th Heaven" (1996).