Happy Birthday Mia Farrow

When she was nine, she was rushed to the hospital after the disease struck, so she wouldnt infect her six siblings. She said in an Observer interview that the illness marked the end of my childhood ... [and] left me with embryonic survival skills.

Farrow has raised 14 children through her various relationships, 10 of them adopted, and has 4 grandchildren. Most famously, of course, theres the girl she adopted with Andre Previn, Soon-Yi. Woody Allens affair with the young woman and his famous declaration that The heart wants what it wants would later lead to a lot of strife.

They had twins together and adopted several children, including Soon-Yi. And Previns ex-wife, Dory Previn, made Farrow the subject of a song: Beware of Young Girls.

Allen made Farrow (even more) famous when he cast her in a series of his films, including A Midsummer Nights Sex Comedy, The Purple Rose of Cairo, and Hannah and Her Sisters. Later, when he took up with her adopted daughter, they battled out custody arrangements in court. Their biological daughter even accused Allen of molesting her, though those investigating concluded that wasnt true.

She told EW he felt free to use autobiography as inspiration. The film Hannah and Her Sisters was [shot in] my apartment, with my kids and my mom. My kitchen was a hot set. My cat never recovered,'' she said. Later, she sat on her bed watching the movie... and saw the same bed and television on film.

Apart from her multiple adoptions, shes worked as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, partly inspired by her own fight with polio. And, more recently, shes been involved in the Dream for Darfur movement. Thats led her to make some dramatic public statements, like offering to trade places with an imprisoned ideologue and accusing Spielberg of acting like a Nazi (for his seeming support of the Chinese government involvement in Sudan).

Despite her waifish beauty, Farrow told Esquire, I've not been dainty about experiencing life. I've absolutely plunged in. I should be fatter, really, because I eat so much. Her favorite food is dark chocolate.

Well, you must have at least 12 children, many sleepless nights, preferably a lot of trauma she told The Observer. Lately, shes been filming Dark Horse, which comes out later this year and also features Christopher Walken.