Diane Kruger was born Diane Heidkrueger in Algermissen, near Hildesheim, Germany, on July 15, 1976, and raised there with her younger brother, Stefan. As a child, Diane wanted to become a ballerina, so she traveled to London where she studied with the Royal Ballet. Unfortunately, an injury ruined her career before it could really begin, and Diane turned to modeling instead. In 1992, Diane was a finalist in Elite's Look of the Year competition, at the age of 15. Returning to her native Germany, Diane became a successful model there and in Paris, in the mid-1990s. But since a fashion career is short-lived even for the best of models, Diane was wisely planning to make a change. Kruger decided to pursue acting. At the suggestion of celebrated French director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element), Diane relocated to Paris for good. She even married a French actor and director, Guillaume Canet (who butted heads with Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach), in September 2001.
