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Crystal McCrary Anthony, 36

Author, Lawyer, Executive Producer for Film and TV

While she was a young associate in entertainment law at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, Crystal McCrary Anthony had an unfinished novel stashed in her desk drawer. She'd work on it late at night or on weekends, never showing it to anybody. "There are 10 lawyers in my family. I always knew law was an option," says Ms. McCrary Anthony. "But being a writer? I wasn't so sure."

So she represented authors and playwrights in their contract negotiations, secretly thinking she'd rather be a client. In 1997, she finally quit law to become a full-time writer. Her first novel, Homecourt Advantage--about the wives and girlfriends of NBA stars--became a New York Times best seller. She'd had a bird's-eye view of the subject, since she was married to basketball player Greg Anthony.

After her divorce, the mother of two shifted into high gear, landing appearances on CNN, Court TV and Fox News Channel as a legal analyst during high-profile NBA adultery cases.

"I knew I wanted to go from author to on-air personality to movie producer," Ms. McCrary Anthony says. "You need to diversify."

She parlayed the success of her second best seller, Gotham Diaries, into guest-hosting appearances on The View, and she could be up for a larger role in that gabfest. Ms. McCrary Anthony has also produced programming for Black Entertainment Television, as well as an independent film, Dirty Laundry, that addresses homosexuality in Southern black culture.

"She's a baby mogul in training, no doubt about it," says Nathan Hale Williams, president of production company In-Hale Entertainment and Ms. McCrary Anthony's producing partner.

Ms. McCrary Anthony unabashedly admits that she hopes to have her own talk show one day. "It's all in the master plan," she says.

- Hilary Potkewitz

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