Courtney Thorne-Smith

Though she made her professional debut on the big screen, actress Courtney Thorne-Smith made her career on television starring in a number of popular long-running series that turned her into a household name. After breaking in to the business with roles in forgettable movies like "Revenge of the Nerds II" (1987) and "Summer School" (1987) as well as the touching coming-of-age film "Lucas" (1986), Thorne-Smith was catapulted to superstardom as one of the standouts on the wildly popular primetime soap, "Melrose Place" (Fox, 1992-99), where she did battle with Heather Locklear while romancing Andrew Shue. But instead of being typecast as a blonde vixen, Thorne-Smith displayed her charm and wit on the quirky dramedy, "Ally McBeal" (Fox, 1997-2002), though she allegedly left due to behind-the-scenes turmoil in 2000. She jumped right into a straight sitcom with her next hit series, "According to Jim" (ABC, 2001-09), where she played the smart and sophisticated wife to Jim Belushi's buffoonish oaf. After eight seasons on the series, Thorne-Smith moved on to more guest starring appearances and a recurring role on "Two and a Half Men" (CBS, 2003-15), a testament to both her talent and ability to delight fans for over 20 years.