Born on November 11, 1964, in Freeport, Illinois,Calista Flockhart -- whose first name means "most beautiful" in Greek -- was raised as the daughter of a schoolteacher mother and a Krafts Food executive father. Because of her father's job, the family moved frequently, spending time in Iowa, Minnesota, and New York before settling in New Jersey. Flockhart, whose mother sparked her interest in theatre by taking her to theatre productions during high school, studied drama as a student at Rutgers University. After graduating, she headed to Manhattan to begin her professional stage career.

After enduring years of relative poverty and sustained obscurity, the actress got her big break when she was chosen to play Laura in the 1994 Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie. Her portrayal won her both a Theatre World Award and the attention of Hollywood casting agents, and that same year she made her film debut with a bit part in Quiz Show -- and had a more substantial role in Getting In, a black comedy directed by a then-unknown Doug Liman. In 1996, Flockhart moved into slightly more mainstream territory when she appeared as the fiancée of Robin Williams' son in The Birdcage; more recognition came her way the following year when she earned strong reviews for her performance as Natasha in a production of Chekov's The Three Sisters.

1997 proved to be a watershed year for Flockhart; in addition to rave stage reviews and a substantial role in the Kevin Bacon vehicle Telling Lies in America, she was cast as the star of Ally McBeal. The show turned out to be a sleeper hit, and Flockhart's titular Boston lawyer became an instantly recognizable name in the pop cultural lexicon. The actress' heightened exposure was reflected both in numerous magazine articles about her and in her star billing in Michael Hoffman's 1998 adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which included Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, and Christian Bale amongst its other illustrious cast members