High Stiles 

Name and occupation: Julia Stiles, actress

Age: 17

Soon to join a long list of Lolitas in: Michael Steinberg's suburban thriller, Wicked, in which she plays a coquettish adolescent whose mother is mysteriously murdered.

Why Stiles -- unlike most teen starlets -- has no laundry-detergent commercials in her closet: "When I would audition for commercials, I was always criticized because I wasn't energetic or bubbly enough. I have this New York City guard about me. I could never be, like, 'Oh, yea, Tide!'"

On her current high-school malaise: "High-school is like a minimum-security institution for me; I'm itching to get out. I try to enjoy the moment, but it's hard when the moment is in pre-calculus."

Why you may not recognize Stiles until the credits roll: "I always loved how people like John Voight and Laurence Olivier shocked you every time they came on-screen. They were so different each time. That's what I hope to do with acting -- be the chameleon and not get stuck in a type."