Carly Pope

Canadian actress Carly Pope got an early start with TV-movie work before landing the plum starring role of Sam, a high school student existing on the outskirts of the "in" clique whose mother falls in love with the father of her rival, cheerleader Brooke (Leslie Bibb), on The WB series "Popular" (1999-2001). The striking, dark-haired player performed well in the role, capably evincing the character's adolescent unease while also displaying her intelligence and perceptive humor, particularly in Sam's capacities as an honest and unflinching reporter for the school newspaper. While the series did not receive rousing critical acclaim, it generated a good deal of buzz, captured a core youth audience and landed Pope on the pages of many a teen fashion magazine, making her a most recognizable property.