Nicollette Sheridan

A willowy blonde with a knack for playing beautiful, predatory women of means, Nicollette Sheridan was a film and television actress who gained her greatest fame on primetime soaps and dramas like "Knots Landing" (CBS, 1979-1993) and "Desperate Housewives" (ABC, 2004-12). She made her initial splash as the object of John Cusack's desire in "The Sure Thing" (1984) before segueing into her first memorable vamp, Paige Matheson, on "Knots" She struggled to regain her footing on TV after the show ended in 1993, but found her second stride as the more comical, if equally carnivorous Edie Britt on "Housewives." Though the show brought her newfound fame and a Golden Globe nomination, her tenure there ended in rancor in 2009 with allegations of abuse at the hands of its creator, Marc Cherry. Sheridan's ability to spoof her own image, as well as generate headline-grabbing news, made her among the most entertaining personalities on television for nearly three decades.