Diane Kruger

A multilingual, German-born actress who balanced film careers in France and Hollywood, Diane Kruger was unknown in the United States when she beat out A-listers Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman for the role of reluctant queen Helen of Troy in the blockbuster epic, "Troy" (2004). From launching a thousand ships with her face, this former model stayed in the realm of highly active films, including the popular thriller "Wicker Park" (2004) and the "National Treasure" adventure film franchise (2004, 2007), starring Nicolas Cage. While those films were high-profile blockbusters, Kruger's supporting roles were relatively underwritten and only her foreign-made titles offered the actress room to really develop a three-dimensional lead character. But in "Inglourious Basterds" (2009), Quentin Tarantino's World War II tale of revenge, Kruger's significant role as a double agent and German movie star finely showcased the actress' untapped capacity for tough, conniving intelligence, and proved to international audiences that there was much to explore underneath her ethereal beauty. Kruger followed up that international breakthrough with a starring role in crime drama "The Bridge" (FX 2013-14) and a starring role opposite Bryan Cranston in drug war thriller "The Infiltrator" (2016).