Jessica Simpson

It seems that the Mickey Mouse Club finally failed in its uncanny ability to find and hire future pop stars when it passed over Jessica Simpson's audition tape. No matter. Without having to don the ears or participate in a roll call of names including Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and roughly a third of all popular boy bands, Simpson managed to tug the ear of preteens before winning over the rest of America with her endearingly airheaded "performance" on Newlyweds, the reality TV hit that chronicled her marriage to former 98 Degrees member Nick Lachey. Life in the limelight apparently didn't suit America's sweethearts, however, and the marriage ended in 2005. Simpson went on to be linked romantically to both John Mayer and Tony Romo, and she has enjoyed modest success in film. Along the way, she also put out 2006's bubblegum-riffic A Public Affair and then made the rather surprising switch to country for 2008's Do You Know.