There was a moment in "Big" (1988), when you realised that Tom Hanks was going to be a huge star. It was when he and his boss accidentally step onto a giant, floor-bound keyboard and proceed to tap their way through "Chopsticks". That mixture of comedy and whimsy became the stuff of legends and Hanks was on the way to his first Oscar nomination.

As well as a charismatic star, the sequence required a director with deft comic timing to succeed, something that Penny Marshall had - and still has - in spades.

In fact, the 58-year-old director who was born Carole Marscharelli in the Bronx in 1942, stumbled into directing by way of an incredibly successful TV acting career. Born into an illustrious showbiz family, which includes producer father Tony and producer/director/actor brother Garry, she hit the big time in the 70s with two massive sitcoms. First there was a supporting role in "The Odd Couple" and then a lead as one half of "Laverne and Shirley" a hit US show that also starred Michael McKean from "This Is Spinal Tap".

Eventually, as sitcom alumni often do, she began directing episodes and before long, she had found her niche. She soon got her break into features with the Whoopi Goldberg-starrer "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1986).

Though ostensibly a comedy director, she yanked the heartstrings of the Academy with "Awakenings" (1990), but was back to what she did best with "A League Of Their Own" (1992) - a stirring and witty historical account of America's all-girl professional baseball league.

Finding time to get married twice (once to Rob Reiner) and subsequently divorced, Marshall's career dipped somewhat with "The Preacher's Wife" (1996), while also suffering what was thought to be a heart attack.

Nonetheless, she remains one of Hollywood's most powerful female directors. She is currently lensing nostalgic comedy "Riding In Cars With Boys", starring actress du jour Drew Barrymore.