Nichola Burley

Blonde English bombshell Nichola Burley studied at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in her hometown of Leeds before director Dominic Savage jumpstarted her career with a role in his 2005 drama "Love + Hate." Small roles in dramatic series "Ghost Squad" and "Shameless" followed, but Burley wasn't recognized as an actress until playing Zoe in the made-for-TV social commentary piece "Born Equal," also directed by Savage. To prepare for the role, she met with runaway English teens and developed a deeper understanding of their lifestyles. The film also gave her the opportunity to work with international stars Colin Firth and Robert Carlyle, two of the biggest-named costars of her career to date. In 2006, she landed a significant and recurring role as Cathy McAleer in two seasons of "Drop Dead Gorgeous," a dramedy analyzing the world of professional modeling. Alongside "Britain's Got Talent" winner George Sampson, Burley starred in the 2010 teen flick "StreetDance3D," a role that required her to learn unique street dancing styles in only six weeks. In 2011, she joined a cast of relative unknowns in Andrea Arnold's provocative adaptation of "Wuthering Heights," playing the role of Isabella Linton. Along with more TV work, she made her stage debut in a West Yorkshire Playhouse production of "Bollywood Jane," in which she played the leading role and proved that she could transition from film to the theater with ease.