Heroes and Stars of Ladder 49

Called Hollywood's next big star, 32-year-old Australian Jacinda Barrett is the breakout actress of the year. After being named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People," Jacinda got her break in the movies.

The producer didn't know when he cast her, that Jacinda's father was a firefighter for 33 years.

"We spent time with the families in Baltimore," says Jacinda, "and pretty soon I realized there were a lot of similarities between American firefighters and my parents. So, I went to my mother and father and asked them to write histories of their early years of marriage and my father's early years as a firefighter. For me, it was great."