Jessica Biel’s big break came when she landed the role of Mary Camden on the television series 7th Heaven in 1996. As the eldest daughter of Eric and Annie Camden, she had a string of boyfriends starting from Wilson West and ending up with Carlos Rivera. In 2000, Biel felt that her saintly image on the family drama hindered her from landing controversial film roles. Given her frustration, she posed topless in a layout of Gear magazine, hoping that her pose would get her out of the 7th Heaven contract, which she did. Unfortunately, she regretted her decision and returned to the series during its fifth season. She continued on for a few episodes until its seventh season in 2003 and finally returned during the show’s supposed finale in May 2006.

After her first departure on 7th Heaven, Biel accepted projects inclined to teens and young adults such as Summer Catch, The Rules of Attraction and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. She landed the role of Abigail Whistler in Blade: Trinity and Lieutenant Kara Wade in Stealth. After relatively mediocre movie reviews, her film career flourished when she became part of The Illusionist, which generated good reviews and profits. Most recently, she starred in the war-drama Home of the Brave as Vanessa Price and in the science fiction thriller Next as Liz.

Biel has just finished shooting her new movie entitled I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, in which she portrays the character Hester Worsley. Scheduled for release on July 20, 2007, the comedy is about two straight firefighters pretending to be a gay couple in order to get domestic partner benefits. Next year, the 25-year old actress is set to star in the romantic comedy A Woman of No Importance and in the drama film Powder Blue.

-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist


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