Michelle Johnson

Michelle Johnson is the classic Hollywood story: discovered young and propelled to stardom. Barely out of high school, she was snared by director Stanley Donen, who saw a photo of the young aspiring model in a magazine and offered her a major part in his upcoming movie. That film, the sex comedy "Blame it on Rio" (1984)--most notable for being Demi Moore's breakthrough--was a hit.

Thanks to its success and to Johnson's striking good looks, she was able to win numerous roles over the next decade or so. Among these were small parts in two Ron Howard ventures: the culture-clash comedy "Gung Ho" (1986) and the epic "Far and Away" (1992), a saga about Irish immigrants in America in the 19th century.

In that same year, she had another small role as an aide in the immodestly budgeted Robert Zemeckis fantasy "Death Becomes Her" (1992); following that, she appeared in a raft of lesser films. Johnson managed to get steadier work in TV, doing guest spots on shows such as "The Love Boat" (1984) and "Melrose Place" (1992), and the occasional TV movie like "Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills" (1994).