Calista Flockhart

Actress who suddenly entered the celebrity spotlight with her portrayal of the title character in Ally McBeal (1997–2002), an insecure but effective lawyer, a role that became a sensation and a touchstone for popular debate about modern femininity. Ironically, Flockhart had resisted television roles for years, laboring in relative obscurity on Broadway before her eye-opening turn as the bride-to-be in The Birdcage (1996).