Kristin Kreuk

Canadian actress Kristin Kreuk rose from relative obscurity to capture the attention of teenage fans, particularly of the male variety, as Superman's first girlfriend Lana Lang on the popular action-drama "Smallville" (The WB, 2001-2011). Prior to her turn on the series, Kreuk had limited screen exposure, save for a regular role on a Canadian drama, but "Smallville" vaulted her to the epicenter of young American viewership. Her feisty but vulnerable performance as Lana certainly helped to make her popular with that demographic, and she remained with the series for most of its network run before departing during its eighth season to try her hand at other roles. Kreuk met with sporadic success in such ventures as "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li" (2009) prior to finding her next opportunity as a series star on the oft-adapted "Beauty and the Beast" (CW, 2012-16), which infused the supernatural romance with elements of a police procedural. A fan favorite on the teen-oriented CW network and an ongoing spokesperson deal with Neutrogena served as assurance that Kreuk would remain on the forefront of young Hollywood talent for some time to come.