Krysten Ritter

A striking model-turned-actress, Krysten Ritter was a featured extra in the Julia Roberts drama "Mona Lisa Smile" (2003) but achieved more notice for playing poor little rich girl Gia Goodman on "Veronica Mars" (UPN, 2004-06; The CW, 2006-07). After recurring on "Gilmore Girls" (The WB, 2000-06; The CW, 2006-07) and "'Til Death" (Fox, 2006-2010), Ritter essayed a string of quirky, sharp-tongued best friends in "27 Dresses" (2008), "What Happens in Vegas" (2008), "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (2009) and "She's Out of My League" (2010).

On the small screen, she dazzled critics and showcased her range as the increasingly desperate and dangerous Jane, girlfriend to Jesse (Aaron Paul) on "Breaking Bad" (AMC, 2008-2013). Chosen by Amy Heckerling to star opposite Alicia Silverstone as the glamorous bloodsuckers of "Vamps" (2012), Ritter landed her first starring TV role in "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" (ABC, 2012-13), playing the titular Chloe, an offbeat con artist who inspires fear, lust and admiration in everyone whom she scams.

The smart, strange series served as a valentine to the actress' one-of-a-kind talent, and she received near-unanimous praise for her performance, but poor ratings led to a brief run. However, she finally landed her long-deserved mainstream breakthrough as the title character on the Marvel series "Jessica Jones" (Netflix 2015- ). An instantly recognizable beauty and enormous talent, Krysten Ritter seemed positioned to continue her meteoric rise up the Hollywood ladder.

Born Dec. 16, 1981 in Bloomsburg, PA, Krysten Alyce Ritter grew up on a farm before she was discovered at the age of 15 at a local shopping mall.

While still a high school student, she began modeling, signing with Elite Model Management and then Wilhelmina Models. At age 18, she moved to New York City to pursue modeling full time, branching out into print ads and commercials, starting with a Dr. Pepper clip.

Her sharp sense of humor and effervescence helped her stand out amidst the other models, which proved a perfect transition into acting, making her first screen appearance with an uncredited bit as a model in the Ashley Judd/Hugh Jackman romantic comedy "Someone Like You" (2001). After a few additional small roles, she ascended to a new professional level by playing an art history student just outside the main circle of students (Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ginnifer Goodwin) under the tutelage of Julia Roberts in "Mona Lisa Smile" (2003). She went on to book guest spots on "Law & Order" (NBC, 1990-2010), "Tanner on Tanner" (Sundance Channel, 2004) and "One Life to Live" (ABC, 1968-2012) before recurring on "Veronica Mars" (UPN, 2004-06;
The CW, 2006-07) as Gia Goodman, the spiky, troubled daughter of "Mayor of Neptune" Woody Goodman (Steve Guttenberg).

Ritter continued to land even higher profile recurring roles, including Rory's weirdly winsome friend Lucy on "Gilmore Girls" (The WB, 2000-06; The CW, 2006-07) and a brief turn as eldest daughter Allison on "'Til Death" (Fox, 2006-2010).

She left the latter series to film a trio of colorfully quirky supporting roles - as a Goth bride in "27 Dresses" (2008), Cameron Diaz's pal in "What Happens in Vegas" (2008) and Isla Fisher's bestie in "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (2009). She was cast in the proposed 1980s-set "Valley Girls" spin-off of "Gossip Girl" (The CW, 2007-13), but the project never came together and instead served as an episode of the series.

After appearing in the Jon Heder web series "Woke Up Dead," she again did big-screen BFF duty as Alice Eve's friend in the low-key charmer "She's Out of My League" (2010), but earned her best reviews up until that time for a recurring role on the critically acclaimed series "Breaking Bad" (AMC, 2008-2013) as Jane Margolis, a recovering addict who falls in love with Jesse (Aaron Paul), the ne'er-do-well protégé and pseudo-son of Walter White (Bryan Cranston).

Ritter's harrowing portrayal of a manipulative yet vulnerable woman who relapses into drug addiction, bringing her boyfriend with her, revealed the actress' enormous range. The character's shocking death - while Cranston's White watches without helping - became one of the show's most powerful and memorable sequences.

She was a series regular on the suicide-survivors dramedy "Gravity" (Starz, 2010) and played a saleswoman in the long-delayed Kenneth Lonergan flick "Margaret" (2011). Proving yet again she was more than a pretty face, she co-wrote and starred in "L!fe Happens" (2011) and was handpicked by Amy Heckerling to star opposite Alicia Silverstone in "Vamps" (2012), a vampire comedy with a twist.

Her profile was raised even higher as the star of the critically-acclaimed but low-rated sitcom "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" (ABC, 2012-13). Playing Chloe, the ultimate big city con artist, Ritter struck comedic sparks with her small-town roommate June (Dreama Walker) and her equally off-kilter best friend, James Van Der Beek, who played himself. Delivering a hilarious, magnetic performance, Ritter masterfully stole the show, but the show's quirky tone led to disappointing ratings.

Following supporting roles in indie romantic comedy "Listen Up Philip" (2014) and Tim Burton's "Big Eyes" (2014), Ritter finally landed her mainstream breakthrough as the star of "Jessica Jones" (Netflix 2015- ), playing the Marvel Cinematic Universe character, a former superhero turned down and out private investigator.

By Jonathan Riggs