Liesel Matthews

Heiress to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, Liesel Matthews didn't need to get into acting to make money. But her natural talent led to her being cast in several excellent films. She was named after Liesel Von Trapp from "The Sound Of Music," and her family regularly ranks near the top of Forbes magazine's America's Richest Families list--not only do they own Hyatt, but also the Royal Caribbean cruise line and other major businesses. In 1995, she was cast in Alfonso Cuarón's "A Little Princess," for which she won raves for her portrayal of a young girl forced to become a servant at a boarding school after her father dies during World War I. She went on to a smaller role in 1997's "Air Force One," as one of the First Family taken hostage aboard the airliner. That was her last major role, as she left acting to found Young Ambassadors for Opportunity, a nonprofit that works to provide microfinance loans to struggling countries. In 2002, she sued her father and several of her cousins, alleging that they siphoned money from her trust fund without her knowledge, and was awarded $280 million in cash. It's not surprising that she's found other things to do besides being in movies.