Annabeth Gish

Biography: A juvenile player who successfully transitioned to adult roles, Gish was still in her teens when she beat out hundreds of actresses for the lead role in 1986's Desert Bloom. Following a quick succession of big-screen roles, Gish took time off to attend Duke University studying English and women's studies. After appearing in supporting roles in a number of indie films and TV-movies in the '90s, Gish got a big career boost — and met her husband, fight coordinator Wade Allen — when she signed on to the last season of The X Files. A recurring part on The West Wing as the first daughter led to becoming a series regular as a local politician's troubled wife on the Showtime series Brotherhood.