nigmatic actress Angelina Jolie isn't about to explain herself to anybody. Then again, she doesn't have to. The Emmy nominated, Golden Globe and Oscar winning actress is perfectly happy letting people wonder what she's really like.

  Jolie's reputation for being unconventional is not exactly unwarranted. Her unabashed display of affection with her brother at last year's Academy Awards provided weeks of comic fodder for late-night comedians and led many to
wonder just how close they were (speculations Jolie found inappropriate and hurtful). Additionally, her gothic ensemble that evening along with her admitted fascination with mortuary science and collection of knives only adds to Jolie's "Morticia"-like image.

  Then there are the tattoos - on her upper forearm, the Tennessee Williams quote, "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages," and another of a dragon on her upper right arm. Others include a large black cross, two American Indian symbols, another dragon (on her waist), the letter "H" (which she got when she was dating actor Timothy Hutton but now claims is in honor of her brother, James Haven), and the latest addition, "Billy Bob", a nod to her husband of nearly a year, actor/director Billy Bob Thornton.

  The two eccentric actors met during the filming of Pushing Tin but didn't become romantically involved until a mere six weeks before their Las Vegas elopement last April. An elopement that no doubt stunned Thornton's previous fiancée, actress Laura Dern, who didn't even know that she and Thornton had broken up until she heard about his nuptials on the news. Despite their whirlwind courtship, Jolie and Thornton say they are deeply and passionately in love and dismiss those who predict their marriage won't last. At press time, the happy couple was rumored to be planning a more traditional ceremony to renew their vows at the $4 million Beverly Hills home they purchased from former Guns & Roses guitarist, Slash.

  Somewhat jaded by the public's fascination with her personal life, Jolie insists she's a lot more boring than most people think. Born in 1975 to Oscar winning actor Jon Voight and model Marcheline Bertran, Jolie chose to drop her last name (Jolie is her middle name) so as not to be cast in her father's shadow. Jolie studied acting at New York University and the prestigious Lee Strasberg Institute. Her smoldering good looks and enviable pout helped her land appearances in music videos for The Rolling Stones, Meatloaf and Lenny Kravitz. Small film roles in Foxfire and Hackers soon followed.

  But it was with her performance in the 1997 TV movie Wallace, for which she earned a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, that Jolie made her mark in Hollywood.

  A year later, Jolie's critically acclaimed turn in the tragic true story of the life of the drug addicted, AIDS infected model in HBO's Gia earned her a second Golden Globe, an Emmy nomination, a Screen Actors Guild Award and credibility as a serious actress. Last year her portrayal of a mercurial mental patient in Girl, Interrupted earned Jolie yet a third Golden Globe and the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Later this year Jolie will bring CD-ROM heroine Lara Croft to life in the highly anticipated live-action version of Tomb Raider.

  This month the sultry actress heats up a chilly February box office with sizzling love scenes opposite Latin heartthrob Antonio Banderas in Original Sin. An erotic thriller about a Cuban businessman and his mysterious mail-order bride, Original Sin reportedly contained scenes so racy that writer/director Michael Cristofer was informed by the ratings board that he'd need to do some major re-editing to secure an "R" rather than an NC-17 rating. Cristofer complied, but in spite of the cuts the chemistry between Banderas and Jolie is said to be hot enough to melt the celluloid right off the screen.

  At least 50 percent of the explosive equation is due to Jolie's sexy co-star Banderas who, like Jolie, has had his share of career achievements as well as a not so private personal life in the past few years. Born in Málaga, Spain and a veteran actor in his native country, Banderas had over two dozen Spanish language films to his credit before making a cameo appearance as the unwitting object of Madonna's affection in 1991's Truth or Dare.

  A year later Banderas' role as a Cuban trumpeter in Mambo Kings earned him critical praise and widespread recognition in the United States. Being cast in the role was a huge break for Banderas, who at the time was not only unknown to American audiences but also didn't speak a word of English. After landing
the part, Banderas had to learn his lines phonetically and enrolled in a crash course at the Berlitz School. Though Mambo Kings achieved only moderate success, Banderas' standout performance and undeniable presence caught the attention of Hollywood casting directors.

  The following year he found himself starring as the gay lover of Tom Hank's character in the critically acclaimed and Oscar winning Philadelphia. Hanks even made a complimentary reference to Banderas' sex appeal when accepting the Golden Globe for Best Actor, "To be in love with Antonio Banderas, I am the envy of men and women all over the world," said Hanks.

  Though Banderas had previously played gay roles in Spanish films, in Hollywood it was seen as a calculated risk for the actor, who was told it might prevent him from landing romantic and/or macho roles in the future. Thankfully, those predictions were wrong and the very masculine Banderas went on to star in such films as House of Spirits, Interview with the Vampire, Desperado, the testosterone infused action flick Assassins with Sylvester Stallone, Evita and, of course, The Mask of Zorro.

  Ironically had it not been for a foot injury at the age of 14, Banderas might have become a professional soccer player. Sidelined by the injury he decided to enroll in drama classes where he soon discovered his love for acting. Banderas went on to train at the School of Dramatic Arts in Málaga and formed a traveling theater company that toured throughout Spain on street corners and in small towns.

  His perseverance paid off and Banderas eventually landed a coveted spot with the National Theatre Company of Spain. It was there that he was discovered by innovative film director Pedro Almodóvar, who cast him in several of his movies including Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down.

  In 1999, Banderas made the transition from acting to directing with Crazy in Alabama starring his wife, actress Melanie Griffith. The couple met in 1995 when they co-starred in the black comedy Two Much. The movie tanked, but their romance blossomed, although not without scandal.

  At the time Griffith was married for the second time to Don Johnson and Banderas to his wife of eight years. Griffith and Banderas divorced their respective spouses and married each other in 1996. The couple - who have fiercely battled tabloid reports of a troubled marriage as well as Griffith's recent rehabilitation for an addiction to prescription drugs - claims to be very happy and very much in love. They have one daughter together, Estella del Carmen. Griffith has two children from previous marriages to Don Johnson and Steven Bauer. Together they also operate their own production company, Green Moon Productions, and are planning a release of their first film, Jane, later this year.

  In addition to his steamy scenes in Original Sin audiences can soon look forward to seeing Banderas in a variety of upcoming roles including The Body, a religious thriller co-starring Olivia Williams, an appearance in the family action/comedy Spy Kids, and a co-starring role in the beleaguered bio-pic based on the life of Mexican artist Frida Kaho, with Salma Hayek in the title role.

- Amy Ferguson