Crush object: Colin Firth, actor.

- He set many a heart to racing as the dashing Mr. Darcy in the acclaimed mini-series version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

- Prior to that, he made his film debut as Tommy Judd in Another Country; he had previously starred as Guy Bennett in the award-winning London production of the play on which the film was based. Other early films include A Month in the Country, Apartment Zero, Valmont (as the title character) and Circle of Friends.

- His performance in Pride and Prejudice inspired author Helen Fielding to reference it in her best-seller, Bridget Jones's Diary. Things got interesting when Firth himself was cast as the character Mark Darcy in the film version of the novel, a role he recreated in the sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

- Other films include The English Patient, A Thousand Acres, Shakespeare in Love, The Importance of Being Earnest, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Love Actually, Nanny McPhee and The Last Legion.

- This has been a busy year for the actor; he has starred in Then She Found Me (available on DVDtomorrow), When Did You Last See Your Father? and Mamma Mia! He's not slowing down either; his upcoming films include The Accidental Husband, Robert Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol, Dorian Gray, Easy Virtue and the Coen brothers' remake of Gambit.