Uma Thurman

“The Producers� star Uma Thurman as a child was known as an ugly duckling but can now thumb her sexy nose at any jerk who ever teased her. Uma is Portuguese for “one� and Polynesian for “kiss,� but it is also the name of a Hindu goddess. Her father chose the name; he is a renowned scholar of Buddhism and eastern religions.

Uma was terrific as Cecile de Volanges in “Dangerous Liasons� and she left the screen smoking in the NC-17-rated “Henry and June,� yet her launch into Oscar-space came with “Pulp Fiction.� Dave Letterman made the most idiotic joke ever told at an Oscars ceremony based on her name and was never again asked to host.

She was married to Gary Oldman for two years and Ethan Hawke for six. She gained amazing wisdom, and has said: “It is better to be in a relationship with somebody who cheats on you than with somebody who doesn’t flush the toilet.�