Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is a Leo with the self-assurance that comes naturally to so many with the Sun in this powerful fire sign. After meeting him for the first time, well-known director Neil Jordan said Jonathan "comes into the casting session with alarming certainty." This sense of confidence belies the extremely difficult upbringing of the handsome young actor who was born July 27, 1977 in Dublin, Ireland. His father parted from the family when Jonathan was three years old, leaving his mother alone to care for him and his three brothers. The situation became so bad that the future film star spent some time in an orphanage. The independent teenager quit school at 16, was discovered by a talent agent, appeared in a soup ad, and eventually wound up in film. Although Jonathan never took an acting class, he's risen to become a star on both sides of the Atlantic.

Uranus, the planet of rebellion and surprises, was in a powerful 90-degree square to Jonathan's Leo Sun when he was born. Sudden separation from his father, symbolized by the Sun, is one expression of this intense pattern. Jonathan was born with a heart condition so life-threatening that he was hastily baptized out of fear he might die before the ritual could be performed. Leo is associated with the heart.

The Moon is perhaps the Sun's equal in astrological terms, defining emotions, habit patterns and needs. Jonathan's is in Sagittarius, another fire sign that underscores his unbeatable life force and spirit of adventure. Fire signs generally prefer to learn by doing rather than with formal instruction. He once said, "I've never gone to acting school and I never will, so I'm learning about the business from the people who are in the business. It doesn't seem like I work at all. And the unknown is always exciting." This independence, spontaneity and taste for discovery fit both his Sun-Uranus square and Moon in Sagittarius perfectly.

It's been said that acting is really about reacting. An intense double fire sign like Jonathan's projects charisma, but knowing how to listen and respond is perhaps even more important in his profession. Venus -- the planet of love and pleasure -- was in communicative and curious Gemini when he was born, as were expansive Jupiter and active Mars. There's a natural ability to adapt to a variety of roles when the sign of the Twins is so prominent in an actor's chart. Jonathan won't have to worry much about being type-cast in light of the versatility these planets provide. And with astrology's traditional planets of good fortune -- Venus and Jupiter -- in close conjunction with one another, he's unlikely to be wanting for work any time soon. When the fiery passion of Leo and Sagittarius are matched with the lightness and agility of three planets in Gemini, the public will certainly not lose interest in this talented and charming young star.

About the Author
Jeff Jawer is the co-author of Barnes & Noble's "Your Astrology Guide 2006." A professional astrologer since 1973, his articles have appeared in astrology journals and magazines and websites around the world. He holds a B.A. in The History and Science of Astrology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and teaches and lectures both in the U.S. and abroad.