Bridget Moynahan

A statuesque brunette of Irish descent, Bridget Moynahan first turned heads as Mr. Big's fresh-faced wife Natasha on "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004), before landing roles in some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters. Unfortunately, when she was unexpectedly cast in the real-life role of jilted girlfriend of NFL heartthrob Tom Brady, Moynahan found her professional résumé overshadowed by cheap tabloid gossip.

A natural beauty, she began her career as a model, appearing in a number of fashion magazines before making the transition to acting. Following her debut on "Sex and the City" Moynahan found herself dancing on a bar in "Coyote Ugly" (2000), before moving on to a series of high-profile but unchallenging roles - usually as the girlfriend/fiancée/wife of the film's lead - in vehicles like "Serendipity" (2001), "The Sum of All Fears" (2002) and "Lord of War" (2005). With the news that football hero Brady had left her for supermodel Gisele Bundchen, followed by the revelation that the now single actress was pregnant with Brady's child, Moynahan found herself struggling to maintain a private life and a professional career in the midst of media firestorm.

Although the press continued to feed on the scandal whenever the opportunity arose, Moynahan gradually began to refocus on her work again, with respectable turns in films like "Ramona and Beezus" (2010), as a cast member on the police procedural "Blue Bloods" (CBS, 2010- ), and a starring role in the apocalyptic science fiction action adventure "Battle: Los Angeles" (2011). Despite the efforts of some to pigeonhole her as "just another pretty face" or "the jilted girlfriend," Moynahan continually challenged herself as she moved forward in both her personal and professional life.

Born Kathryn Bridget Moynahan on Sept. 21, 1972 (some sources say 1970) in Binghamton, NY, Moynahan grew up in Longmeadow, MA. Her father, Brad Moynahan, was an administrator at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Moynahan was the middle child of three, including two brothers, Andy and Sean.

A tomboy and avid soccer player growing up, Moynahan was also captain of her high school basketball team. Upon graduating from Longmeadow High School, Moynahan decided to move to New York to pursue modeling and acting before continuing on to college. A stunning beauty with a toned physique, Moynahan quickly landed work as a model appearing in Vogue, Elle, New Woman and Shape, as well as landing the cover of Glamour magazine.

Realizing that the lucrative career also had a limited lifespan, Moynahan looked to branch out by studying acting at the Caymichael Patten Studio in New York. Making her television debut in 1999 on the popular series "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004), Moynahan portrayed Natasha, the twenty-something beauty whom Mr. Big (Chris Noth) marries after giving Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) the runaround for years. Although cast as Carrie's competition - a role that provided little sympathy from fans of the show - Moynahan's irresistible appeal and likability shone through, making even the most die-hard Carrie fans begrudgingly give her a modicum of leeway.

Her brief recurring role on the high-profile series was enough to get her noticed by casting directors and Moynahan's acting career was off and running. Supporting roles in several small productions quickly lined up following her appearance on "Sex and the City." Among them the restaurant comedy "In the Weeds" (2000), the poetic fantasy "Trifling with Fate" (2000), and the romantic comedy "Whipped" (2000), starring Amanda Peet.

But it was as the fire-breathing bartender, Rachel, in the estrogen-fueled, flash-in-the-pan "Coyote Ugly" (2000) that brought Moynahan to moviegoers' attention. After taking on the thankless role of John Cusack's soon-to-be-former fiancée in the schmaltzy romantic comedy "Serendipity" (2001), Moynahan played yet another fiancée opposite Ben Affleck's CIA agent Jack Ryan in the big screen adaptation of the Tom Clancy thriller "The Sum of All Fears" (2002). Seemingly cast via a process of free-association, she was promoted to portraying a CIA agent-in-training in "The Recruit" (2003), starring alongside Colin Farrell and Al Pacino.

The big screen adaptation of the classic science fiction story collection by Isaac Asimov "I, Robot" (2004) had little in common with its source material, save for the title, although it did incorporate the character of Dr. Susan Calvin, a "robopsychologist," played by Moynahan, opposite Will Smith. In the political thriller "Lord of War" (2005), Moynahan was again essentially cast as little more than arm-candy, playing the unsuspecting wife of unrepentant arms dealer Nicholas Cage. The parts were not getting any more nuanced, as Moynahan next appeared as another traumatized wife in the barely-seen thriller "Unknown" (2006), starring Jim Caviezel and Greg Kinnear.

While Moynahan's acting career might not have been progressing as she may have liked, late in 2006 her personal life was unexpectedly thrown into chaos under the harsh glare of the media spotlight. Since 2004, the actress had been dating Tom Brady, arguably the best quarterback in the NFL at the time, and unquestionably one of the hunkiest athletes to toss the pigskin since "Broadway" Joe Namath in the 1970s.

By all outward appearances, the beautiful Moynahan was living a fairy tale existence - that was until Brady unceremoniously left her for Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who had, herself, recently split with longtime love Leonard DiCaprio. At the time, Moynahan was three months pregnant with Brady's child. It was all tabloid fodder of the worst kind, with Brady and Bundchen unrepentantly cavorting in public before his and Moynahan's son, John, had even been born.

For her part, Moynahan did her best to remain above the fray, providing little to no commentary to the press, but for years afterward the embarrassing episode would continue to be dredged up anytime she, Brady, or Bundchen were mentioned in the media. Allowing for little opportunity to hide from public scrutiny, the premiere of Moynahan's new television drama, the J.J. Abrams-produced "Six Degrees" (ABC, 2006-07), coincided almost precisely with the scandal. Based on the concept of "six degrees of separation," the series followed the lives of several seemingly unrelated characters in New York whose paths would eventually intersect.

Although the concept sounded intriguing, the show was not, resulting in cancellation after a mere eight episodes. Pushing forward, Moynahan appeared in the indie romantic comedy "Gray Matters" (2007) alongside Heather Graham and Tom Cavanagh, as a sister and brother so alike that they both end up falling for the same girl, played by Moynahan. Early the following year she co-starred with Tim Robbins in the black comedy "Noise" (2008), as the concerned wife of a man moved to vandalism by the constant sonic pollution in his Manhattan neighborhood.

There was also a recurring role in 2008 on the exceedingly didactic "Eli Stone" (ABC, 2007-09), as Ashley, a brief love interest of the show's messianic titular hero. Back in theaters, Moynahan next appeared as Dorothy Quimby, the loving - and above all else, patient - mother of Ramona and Beezus, in the film adaptation of author Beverly Cleary's beloved series of children's novels "Ramona and Beezus" (2010). The endearing family comedy was well received by both critics and fans of the books, and provided Moynahan with one of the strongest characters of her career.

Moynahan soon returned to television as a regular on the police drama "Blue Bloods" (CBS, 2010- ), as NYC Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan-Boyle, daughter of Tom Selleck's Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, the patriarch of a family with a long history in the police department. Despite the rigors of starring in a weekly series, Moynahan also found time to appear in the alien invasion blockbuster "Battle: Los Angeles" (2011), with Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez.