Name: Claire Forlani
Date of Birth: July 1 1972
Birth Place: Twickenham Middlesex, England, UK
Height: 5' 7''
Nationality: British
Education: London's Arts Educational School
Claim to fame: as Susan Parrish in Meet Joe Black (1998)
Occupation: Actress, dancer

She walked off the set of Deep Rising (or was “let go,” depending upon the source) after disagreeing with the director – a seeming foolhardy stand for anything but a big-name actor. Yet Claire Forlani went on to such blockbusters as Meet Joe Black and Mystery Men (while Deep Rising sunk), and now has a reputation for artistic integrity that hasn’t hurt a bit.

Forlani started off on the right foot, so to speak, studying dance and performance at The Arts Educational School in her native England, and earning roles as a dancer in European theatre productions of The Nutcracker and Orpheus in the Underworld. In 1991, the 19-year-old was cast in the British television series Press Gang, and later, in Shrinks. Her big screen debut, in Gypsy Eyes/CIA Trackdown/Pickpocket (1992), came with some real-life danger – this multi-named picture was filmed in war-torn Croatia.

The young actor and her parents (her exotic good looks come from an English mother and Italian father) moved to the United States in 1993, and Forlani was almost immediately cast in the very American television mini-series JFK: Reckless Youth. 1994 brought a quality TV half hour in The Gift, and in the next year came another chance to put on a very convincing American accent for Mallrats.

It was after perfectly acting a very small role in The Rock (1996) that Forlani was “noticed” and offered bigger and better parts. Basquiat, Garage Sale, and The Last Time I Committed Suicide came before the Deep Rising incident, and Meet Joe Black (1998), Basil (1998), Mystery Men (1999), and Boys and Girls (2000) followed.

Off-screen, besides enjoying that reputation for integrity, Forlani hit Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, and Bikini magazine covers, and was listed amongst eOnline’s 1998 “Sizzlin’ Sixteen.” Her web shrines, though not numerous, are touchingly devoted to “the most talented and beautiful actress in the world.” Eager industry media has dotted her past with romantic links to Hollywood-heavyweight co-stars John Cusak and Brad Pitt. Meanwhile the self-declared unattached actor goes about the business of acting, and has a string of films to keep her busy. Elements, Into My Heart, Anti-Trust, Magicians, and Johnny Domino are all upcoming.

No, walking off for artistic integrity doesn’t hurt at all – but only if you’ve got the talent to pull it off.