Nazanin Boniadi — Crush of the Day

Despite appearing in a number of high profile movies and TV shows over the past few years, Nazanin Boniadi has mostly avoided the spotlight – until now.

The Tehran born actress was the Church of Scientology’s top choice to become Tom Cruise’s romantic partner in 2004, according to a recent Vanity Fair cover story. The article, which has been deemed “hogwash” by the church, states that the Church of Scientology allegedly “auditioned” women to pair up with Cruise before he married Katie Holmes. Boniadi, who was said to be the lead contender to become Mrs. Jerry Maguire, may have escaped a fate involving alien worship, talking to ashtrays, and hanging out with Jon Travolta. Scientology, folks – it’s weird.

So who is this hot mystery woman who may have escaped Cruise’s tiny clutches? Boniadi was born during the Iranian revolution in Tehran, and she’s an official spokesperson for Amnesty International. She may also be the only woman to ever win awards for her medical research and appear on ‘General Hospital.’ Yeah, really. Before becoming an actress, Boniadi studied at UC Irvine and received recognitions for her cancer and heart transplant research.

The 32-year-old has appeared in a number of popular TV shows, including ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ ’24,’ ‘CSI,’ and ‘Suits.’ You may have also seen her in ‘Iron Man’ and ‘The Next three Days’ with Russell Crowe. She’s set to star in an upcoming romantic comedy called ‘Shirin in Love,’ and no, she’s never co-starred with Tom Cruise.