Maria Shriver

As a member of the famous Kennedy family, Maria Shriver seemed destined to enter the political arena from birth. But her early aversion for a political life coupled with a passion for journalism led Shriver down a different path - one that eventually led to exactly where she was reluctant to be - in the public spotlight. After graduating Georgetown University, she began working as a reporter and writer for a local news station in Philadelphia, which soon led to producing the news in nearby Baltimore. Eventually, she found her way to CBS, where she became a correspondent on the evening news. Jumping over to NBC, Shriver was propelled to celebrity when she became a host of a variety of news specials like "Cutting Edge with Maria Shriver" (NBC, 1990) and "First Person with Maria Shriver," as well as the weekend anchor of the nightly news. But her famous and unlikely marriage to actor/bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger led to a life in politics when the action star became the governor of California in the recall election of Gray Davis in 2003. As a life-long Democrat married to a Republican governor, Shriver was thrust into public service while being forced out of her hosting duties by NBC in early 2004 for a conflict of interest. Despite giving up her journalism career to become First Lady of California, Shriver used her office to champion women's causes and Alzheimer's research, assuring fans and admirers that she was able to be an effective advocate in her latest role.