Chosen the 6th in a poll conducted by In Touch Weekly magazine of Hollywood's Hottest Redheads (September 2007).

Penned a book for children, "Freckleface Strawberry," which is based on her own childhood experience and released on September 19, 2007.

Was named Best Actress at the 1994 BSFC Awards then at LAFCA Awards, NBR Awards, SDFCS Awards, and Seattle Film Critics Awards in 2002.

Voted the No. 5 Best Dressed Female in a poll conducted by American publication Life & Style in December 2006.

Was nominated in the category of Choice Movie Scary Scene at Teen Choice Awards in 2005 for her performance in "The Forgotten" (2004).

Was named Best Foreign Actress ( Mejor Actriz Extranjera) at the 2004 Sant Jordi Awards.

Was bestowed the Best Actress title at the BFCA Awards, CFCA Awards, DFWFCA Awards, FFCC Awards, KCFCC Awards, OFCS Awards, SEFCA Awards, VFCC Awards, and Berlin International Film Festival in 2003.

Was honored an award by Toronto Film Critics Association in 2002 for winning the Best Performance, Female category through her role in "Far from Heaven" (2002).

Shared the MTV Movie Awards' nomination of Best Kiss category with Anthony Hopkins in 2001 for their performances in "Hannibal" (2001).

Was terrified by the presence of a herd of cows when filming "Hannibal" (2001).

Received the coveted Piper-Heidsieck Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.

Spent several days at the FBI training facility in Quantico, Virginia in her preparation to play Clarice Starling in "Hannibal" (2001), learning the correct procedures for cuffing suspects, handling guns and even running.

Was one of 50 Most Beautiful of the year 2001 and 2003 according to People Magazine.

Beat Helen Hunt, Gillian Anderson, and Cate Blanchett to obtain the role of FBI agent Clarice Starling in "Hannibal" (2001).

Got nominated in both categories of Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in Leading and Supporting Role at Screen Actors Guild Awards for 2 times that were in 2000 and 2003.

Acquired the BAFTA Awards' nomination for the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 2000 and that in a Supporting Role by 2003.

Has garnered two ALFS Awards for being the Actress of the Year at the 2000 and 2004 London Critics Circle Film Awards.

Was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama at Golden Globe Awards held in 2000 and 2003.

Earned the Best Actress nomination at the 2000 CFCA Awards, the 2004 Empire Film Awards, and also from Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films in 2002 and 2005.

Has been the Academy Awards nominee for 4 times; one was for Best Actress in a Supporting Role category by 1998, the other was in a Leading Role category in 2000, and the rest were for both categories in 2003.

Was the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards nominee for Favorite Actress - Sci-Fi category in 1998 and Favorite Supporting Actress - Drama in 2000.

Received a Screen Actor Guild Awards' nomination for the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role category through her role in "Boogie Nights" (1997) by year 1998.

Has collected 6 Satellite Awards' nominations which she got each in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2005, then two in 2003. She won one at the 1998 event.

Obtained a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture category in 1998 through her role in "Boogie Nights" (1997).

Was included in Entertainment Weekly's The 25 Greatest Actresses of the '90s list by 1998.

Got nominated for the category of Best Supporting Actress from Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films in 1997 and at the 1998 Chlotrudis Awards, the 1998 and 2000 OFCS Awards, also the 2000 and 2003 CFCA Awards.

Was cast as Dr. Sarah Harding in "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (1997) without going through any audition process after Steven Spielberg got impressed of her three-minutes performance in "The Fugitive" (1993).

Won the Best Supporting Actress category at 1997 LAFCA Awards, the 1998 FFCC Awards, the 1998 NFSC Awards, the 1999 NBR Awards, and the 2000 DFWFCA Awards.

Was in the line for the role of Kate McQueen in "Fair Game" (1995), but it later went to Cindy Crawford.

Dropped 10 pounds of her weight to make a convincing portrayal of a housewife suffering from an immune disorder in "Safe" (1995).

Was the Best Actress nominee at Chlotrudis Awards in 1995, 1996, 2000, and 2003. She acquired the title in the latter event.

Went through a 37-hours labor to deliver her son, Caleb, who later was born a day after her 37th birthday.

Purchased the film rights for her brother's book entitled "Raveling."

Had to change her birth name when registered at the Actor's Guild for every variation of her name had been taken. She then used the combination of her first two names and took her father's middle name as her surname.

Her favorite colors are green and black.

Is a good friend of Ellen Barkin.

Considered "Body of Evidence" (1993) as her least favorite film of her work.

Had worked as a part-time waitress in Boston before starting her acting career.

Is allergic to sugar and once had been rushed to doctors when she accidentally poisoned herself with it during the filming of "Far from Heaven" (2002).

Her favorite movie stars are Sean Penn and Naomi Watts.

Likes eating chocolate.

Is a member and devoted pro-choice advocate of Planned Parenthood.

Shares birthday with Daryl Hannah and Brendan Fraser.

Her favorite music artists include Norah Jones, R.E.M., Eric Clapton, Diana Krall, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, Madonna, and Michael Jackson.

Reads every scripts that have been offered to her.

Is a left-handed person.

Appeared naked from the waist down in Robert Altman's "Short Cuts" (1993).