Brooke Elliott

Actress Brooke Elliott began her career on the Broadway stage, yet it was on television where she truly made her mark. The theater-trained star first showcased her versatile skills on the Great White Way, appearing in productions of "Wicked" (2003) and "The Pirate Queen" (2006) before taking on her breakout-acting role on the Lifetime comedy series "Drop Dead Diva" (2009-14). Elliott starred as a plus-sized attorney whose body has been inhabited by the soul of a stick-thin model. The show focused on the main character's struggle between inner beauty and physical appearance, but it was Elliott who brought the role to life with her innate talent and charisma, while inadvertently serving as an inspiration to millions of viewers.

Brooke Elliott was born on Nov. 16, 1974 in Fridley, MN to Robert Elliott, a City Manager, and his wife Kathleen. The future star's family moved to Riverview, MI during her junior year of high school. Elliott graduated in 1993 from Gabriel Richard Catholic High School in Riverview and, five years later, received her bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theatre performance from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Elliott made her onscreen acting debut with a cameo in the romantic comedy feature "What Women Want" (2000). Elliott appeared as a woman in the park in the film that starred Mel Gibson as a chauvinist advertising executive who acquires the mysterious ability to "hear" women's inner thoughts. Following her minor film role, Elliott soon landed on the Broadway stage, appearing in some of the most talked-about musicals of all time including "Taboo" (2002), "The Pirate Queen" and "Wicked," in which she played the villainous headmistress Madame Morrible.

Elliott made her first television acting appearance in an episode of the short-lived courtroom drama "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" (NBC, 2005-06). She did not act on the small screen again until 2009, when she was cast to star on Lifetime's fantasy-comedy series "Drop Dead Diva," which creator Josh Berman reportedly described as a cross between the identity-switching movies "Freaky Friday" (1976) and "Heaven Can Wait" (1978). Elliott played Jane Bingum, a self-obsessed, blonde model who dies in a car accident and comes back to life as a straight-talking, overweight, brunette lawyer. The show dealt with controversial topics such as body image and inner beauty, yet told with freshly humorous plot lines and the irresistible charm of its lead star. "Drop Dead Diva" also starred Margaret Cho as Jane's loyal assistant and Ben Feldman as her guardian angel, as well as a roster of celebrities who either guest-starred or appeared in recurring roles including Paula Abdul, Ricki Lake and Rosie O'Donnell. Elliott's "Diva" turn as the lovable lawyer earned her mainstream success and even a 2009 Satellite Award nomination for Best Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical.