Jessica Biel was born on March 3, 1982, in Ely, Minnesota, but grew up in Boulder, Colorado, after her family relocated to the rocky state.

Before being discovered, Jessica took her acting abilities to the stage. Since she was 9 years old, she was starring in regional theater productions of Beauty and the Beast, The Invisible People, Annie, and The Sound of Music.

Jessica Biel played Mary Camden on the WB's 7th Heaven from 1996 to 2001. Hoping to change her innocent image, she caused a controversy by posing topless for the March 2000 issue of Gear magazine. The versatile actress has also appeared in a number of movies, including the dark The Rules of Attraction (2002), the spine-tingling The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), the adventurous Blade: Trinity (2004), and the suspenseful Next (2007). She also let her funny side show in the comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry (2007). She also appeared in the movie Nailed (2007), as well as Powder Blue and A Woman Of No Importance in 2008.

A regular girl who loved to sing, dance, in-line skate, and mountain bike, Jessica Biel was first discovered while competing at the International Modeling and Talent Association's Los Angeles Convention in 1994. Her participation in the conference led to her being awarded a scholarship to the Young Actors Space, an acting society in Los Angeles.

The hazel-eyed beauty hit it big in 1996 when she was cast as Mary Camden in the WB's successful family drama 7th Heaven. While playing one of seven siblings on the Aaron Spelling-produced show, Jessica Biel also proved to moviegoers that she could steal the spotlight on the silver screen. In 1997, she starred with Peter Fonda in Ulee's Gold -- which garnered attention at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals -- and her role as the rebellious teen made critics take notice.

One year later, she starred opposite teen Jonathan Taylor Thomas in I'll Be Home for Christmas.
....

Jessica Biel (born March 3, 1982) is an American actress and former fashion model, perhaps best known for appearing in several Hollywood films such as Summer Catch, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Illusionist, as well as for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven.

Conroe) and Jonathan Edward Biel, an Biel was born in Ely, Minnesota, the daughter of Kimberly "Kim" (néeentrepreneur. Biel, who has a younger brother, Justin, grew up in Boulder, Colorado, where her family had moved when she was very young. She is of Choctaw, German, French, and English descent.

Biel initially trained to become a vocalist with the hope of performing in musical theater and appeared in several musicals at an early age including The Sound of Music, Annie, Beauty and the Beast and Anything Goes. It was not until Biel attended the International Modeling and Talent Association Convention in Los Angeles in 1994 when her career started to take off as a fashion model.

Biel's first big break came when at 14 years old she landed the role of Mary Camden on the WB TV Series 7th Heaven. The family drama from Aaron Spelling and Brenda Hampton became the most popular series on the fledgling network. Jessica's film career also began at age 15 when she played alongside Peter Fonda in his Golden Globe winning performance in Ulee's Gold (1997). Aside from acting, Jessica became a spokesmodel for L'Oréal cosmetics in 2002.

In 2000, Biel posed topless in a layout of Gear magazine, although she did not actually appear frontally nude. It was nonetheless controversial because she was only 17 at the time of the shoot. Her frustration and fear about being typecast was one of the reasons that led to her decision. She blamed her saintly image on 7th Heaven for limiting her film career, including losing a lead role in American Beauty, which eventually went to Thora Birch. Jessica also hoped that by posing she would get out of her 7th Heaven contract, which she accomplished. She later said she regretted posing for the magazine and regards it as a learning experience. Jessica returned to 7th Heaven full time for the 2001—2002 season and then focused her attention on her movie career and has made minimal TV appearances since then. In 2002, she also had a role in the film The Rules of Attraction based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis.

..........................................