Hollywood is a city that thrives on new faces and fresh, young talent, and Megan Fox is an example of both. Only 23 years old, she has graduated from bit parts in other star's films to headlining and holding her own in an exciting blockbuster series with an up and coming leading man, Shia LeBeouf.

But Megan is more of a down to earth star than the glamour girl she portrays on the red carpet. Twenty-three years ago, she was born in a small, Tennessee town, in a typical American family, complete with a mom, dad and an older sister. After falling in love with the film version of The Wizard of Oz at a young age, Megan convinced her parents that she wanted to be in the entertainment industry, so she was placed in stage and dance classes.

Yet, she did not live the charmed life of a privileged child actress. Raised in a home with a strict mother and stepfather, Megan attended a private Christian school. There, she also ventured into extracurricular activities such as swim team and cheerleading. However, she admitted to the New York Times' Lynn Hirschberg that cheering was not her strong suit, but she signed up because she was often grounded and school activities were a way to get out of the house to get "fresh air."

As a young teenager, she began exploring the modeling world, though she was shorter than most runway models. After deciding that modeling was not her chosen career course, Megan Fox and her mother decided to move to California to see if she would be able to break into movies. Though she did not meet with instant success, Megan received enough work to encourage her to keep pressing on with her goals.

She considers her first big break to be cast as the part of a villainous teen opposite the Olsen twins in a movie called Holiday in the Sun. She also was fortunate to be cast in a television drama called Ocean Avenue that ran for 122 episodes.

Later, she was cast on the television series Hope & Faith, co-starring with Kelly Ripa and Faith Ford. Though Hope & Faith didn't last long, it was during this phase of her career that Megan met the much older and former Beverly Hills 90120 star, Brian Austin Green, whom she dated and later became engaged to.

Though she and Green ended their engagement, in an interview with Elle Magazine in June of 2009, Megan talks about being attracted to men who are older than her, saying, "Boys in their twenties are a waste of time...I feel like I have a better shot with someone in his thirties."

Her first true big break was being cast as the female lead in Micheal Bay's Transformers, where she was cast into the public eye as the new It-Girl that everyone wanted to know more about.

In the years since being cast in Transformers, Megan has been featured on the covers of various magazines, including Elle, Maxim and Rolling Stone. She has also won numerous fan-favorite awards and polls based on her beauty and looks.

Though some critics suggest she's just a new piece of Hollywood eye candy, Megan Fox wants to be around for the long haul, and her determination will likely help her reach this new goal.

Quoted Sources: New York Times Screen Test Video Interview; November 2009 Elle Magazine, June 2009