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"You've got to love this business. You have to be able to take rejection." Jessica Biel was probably the least surprising movie star in the world. Blessed with stunning good looks and an affinity for performing, Biel landed the Young Artist Award in 1997 for her work on Ulee's Gold. Shortly thereafter, Biel was anchoring one of the biggest horror reboots of the era, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

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Now, more than 25 years into her career, Biel continues to be one of the hardest working actors in all of Hollywood. With several starring television roles on the menu, as well as notable cameos in productions like BoJack Horseman, Biel doesn't look like she is ready to see her star fade any time soon. 

Born and Raised in Minnesota

Jessica Biel was born on March 3, 1982, in Ely, Minnesota. Her parents were Kimberly and Jonathan Biel. Kimberly worked as both a homemaker and a 'spiritual healer'. Jonathan Biel worked for General Electric while also operating as a business consultant. Biel comes from Hungarian-Jewish ancestry thanks to her paternal grandfather. Biel also has German, English, French, and Scandinavian ancestry. Biel has one brother, Justin, who runs his own eco-friendly accessory line titled BARE.

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Biel was born in Minnesota, but she was raised all over the country. Thanks to her family's work, Biel would end up living in Connecticut, Texas, and Illinois. Eventually, Biel's family would settle down in Boulder, CO. While in Colorado, Biel would begin to train as a gymnast while also showcasing her skills as a soccer player.  After graduating from high school, Biel would attend Tufts University which was located in Medford, MA.

Throughout her childhood, no matter where her family lived, she would train her skills as a vocalist. Biel began modeling at the age of seven, and she would be performing in musicals by the age of nine. By the time that she was 11, Biel was gaining representation throughout the country. Before Biel was even out of high school, she had landed roles in It's a Digital World (1994), Ulee's Gold (1997), and I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998).

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Finding Fame on Television

While Biel had made a few small appearances in films like It's a Digital World and Ulee's Gold, she would gain star status for her breakthrough work on the television series, 7th Heaven (1996). Biel would play Mary Camden, the eldest daughter on the show. Biel would stay on the show for a full ten years, appearing in 134 total episodes.

As Biel grew her stardom on 7th Heaven, she began to branch out into larger, darker roles. Biel would land the starring role in the 2003 horror reboot, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Thanks to the gritty nature of the film, Biel was able to showcase a side of herself that 7th Heaven had not allowed. Biel quickly became Hollywood's it-girl and soon she would be receiving stacks of scripts for a variety of different productions.

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While The Texas Chainsaw Massacre struggled critically, it still did well at the box office. As a result, Biel would get the opportunity to star in the comic book film Blade: Trinity (2004) alongside Wesley Snipes and Ryan Reynolds. The film bombed but Biel was the very least of the problems in the film. Biel would get starring roles in films like Cellular (2004), Stealth (2005), and The Illusionist (2006) to round out a torrid three-year span.  It was The Illusionist which helped to put Biel firmly in the fold as a legitimate dramatic actor.

Now established as a Hollywood veteran, Biel would begin to turn toward more comedic roles. She would star in the Adam Sandler-Kevin James comedy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) before landing a voice-over ole in the animated film, Planet 51 (2009). Biel would garner her most favorable reviews in years for her performance alongside Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas in Easy Virtue (2009). Biel played a young woman who marries a young British man on a whim before introducing him to her less-than-agreeable parents.

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Biel would once again find herself in the sphere of blockbuster success after landing starring roles in The A-Team (2010), The Tall Man (2012), and Total Recall (2012). All three films struggled at the box office, though The A-Team has since gained a cult following.  It was in 2012 that Biel made headlines around the world for her marriage to superstar singer and actor, Justin Timberlake. Biel and Timberlake had actually begun dating in 2007, but they waited until 2011 to get engaged and 2012 to tie the knot in Fasano, Italy. Together, Biel and Timberlake have a son.

Following her momentous 2012, Biel would slowly scale back her workload. She wouldn't get a high profile role until 2017 when she starred as Cora Tannetti in The Sinner. The series followed a seemingly even-keeled mother who, when provoked, explodes into violence. Biel would end up earning a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the series. Shortly thereafter, Biel would earn a recurring role in the hit Netflix series, BoJack Horseman (2016) as a parodied version of her real-life celebrity. Most recently, Biel has landed a leading role in a new television series titled Limetown. Limetown revolves around Lia Haddock, a journalist for a radio network. Haddock quickly becomes engulfed by a massive mystery that includes more than 300 people going missing at a neuroscience facility.

Jessica Biel is a public advocate for a variety of different causes. Biel is proudly gluten and dairy-free. She also routinely practices yoga and guided meditation. Perhaps controversially, Biel is also a vocal anti-vaccination activist. She worked with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in order to lobby against vaccination exceptions unless directed by a medical professional. As far as charities go, Biel supports the United Nations Foundation. Biel has also worked with WomanCare Global in order to provide access to sexual education to girls around the world.