New Hollywood 2011

Uma Karuna Thurman was born April 29, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, and had an eccentric, multicultural upbringing. Her mother, Nena, is a half-Swedish, half-German former psychotherapist, while her father, Robert A.F. Thurman, is a Tibetan Buddhist monk and a University of Columbia professor. Uma was named after a Hindu deity that is the "bestower of blessings."

As a teenager, Uma did not fit in. As if her name wasn't different enough, she was lanky and awkward as a child. Her long nose, which today only adds a unique touch to her beautiful face, was part of her misery. Rather than taking part in the typical all-American extracurricular activities, Uma Thurman had better things to do: act.

After receiving a standing ovation while involved in an elementary school theater production, Uma Thurman caught the acting bug and knew this was what she wanted to do with her life. She packed up, and like most aspiring models and actors, she headed for New York -- she didn't even stick around long enough to become a high school graduate.

While in New York, Uma Thurman was forced to work odd jobs, including washing dishes and modeling -- a more glamorous day job. It didn't take long for Uma to trade in her dishwashing gloves for scripts, as she landed her first feature film role in 1988's Johnny Be Good. Uma Thurman was on the verge of beginning her career and was about to take on a string of sexual film roles.

After Johnny Be Good, which was nothing to write to Boston about, Uma Thurman was cast in Kiss Daddy Goodnight and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, which raised eyebrows and garnered her critical praise. But it was after her role in 1988's Dangerous Liaisons that her image became erotic. Choosing to become more than just a passing fad, Uma Thurman left for England; however, many offers for movie roles were waiting for her back in America, and she eventually returned. Her role in 1990's Henry & June showcased her with sexuality streaming out of her pores; it didn't help that she portrayed a bisexual in the film.

Although she starred in popular movies such as Final Analysis, Jennifer 8, Mad Dog and Glory, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, it was her role as the offbeat, cocaine-junkie Mia Wallace in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction that garnered her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. With a departure from alternative, more dramatic films to the commercial comedies Beautiful Girls and The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Uma proved that she can also provide some laughs.

Next up for the beautiful actress were roles in the sci-fi films Gattaca and Batman & Robin, as well as her starring role as Emma Peele in the adaptation of The Avengers, which tanked at the box office.

Uma Thurman went on a brief hiatus to marry Gattaca costar Ethan Hawke and to welcome their first baby, Maya Ray, into the world. They later had another child, but their marriage ended in 2004. Uma Thurman had previously been married to actor Gary Oldman, and her dating record includes Timothy Hutton and Robert De Niro.

After a role in Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown in 1999, Uma Thurman returned to her former modeling days as a spokesperson for Lancôme. One of Empire magazine's 100 Sexiest Stars in film history, she has modeled for Louis Vuitton as well.

In 2003 and 2004, Uma Thurman played the leading role of cold-blooded kung fu villain Beatrix Kiddo in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies, which she cowrote with Quentin during the shooting of Pulp Fiction. Thus, Uma Thurman had expanded her talents to not only acting and modeling, but writing and producing films as well.

In 2006, Uma Thurman explored her comedic abilities alongside Luke Wilson and Anna Faris in My Super Ex Girlfriend. Her character used super powers to make her ex-boyfriend's life a living hell.

Uma Thurman took a bit of a break from the spotlight in 2007 to return in 2008 with a vengeance. She had roles in the flicks The Life Before Her Eyes, My Zinc Bed and Eloise in Paris, as well as acted and directed The Accidental Husband.