Bryce Dallas Howard was conceived in Dallas, Texas - the source of her middle name - and was born in LA, California on the 2nd of March, 1981.

Her parents Ron Howard (Oscar-winning Director/Actor) and Cheryl Howard (writer) raised her and her three siblings away from Hollywood in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Later she attended Byram Hills High School in New York and graduated in 1999. From there she studied at New York University`s Tisch School of Arts for 3 years, and graduated in 2003.

Her breakout role came when she was cast without an audition in "The Village" (2004) when the director M. Night Shyamalan saw her in a Broadway Show, "As You Like It". In 2005 she replaced Nicole Kidman in "Manderlay". In 2006 she played the lead in "Lady in the Water", working with M. Night Shyamalan again.

That year she married Seth Gabel, who she had dated for five years and had met at New York University.

Last year she was cast as Gwen Stacy in "Spiderman 3", Peter Parker`s love interest. She had to dye her hair platinum blonde for the role to look like the comic book character.

In February 2007, she gave birth to a baby boy and named him Theodore because it means "Gift from God."

This year she will portray Fisher Willow in "The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond" with Chris Evans.

She also got behind the camera to direct a short film "Orchids" which she co-wrote, starring Alfred Molina.

Bryce is good friends with Kirsten Dunst, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal.