A Zing of Beauty Is a Joy Forever

NBC presents Miss USA 2006 on Friday. "Tiara Girls" preems on MTV this Wednesday. These young women are competing for more than just scholarships and accolades. They are auditioning for Hollywood jobs.

Sure, these ladies tour the talk show circuit, score guest cameos and play on game shows. Some might even appear in Playboy. But many of these queens go on to much bigger things.

• Kelly Hu, winner of the 3rd annual Miss Teen USA Pageant in 1985, appeared in "Nash Bridges" and "Martial Law" before making a name for herself in The Scorpion King and X2.
• Diane Sawyer — yes, that Diane Sawyer — won the 6th annual Junior Miss Pageant in 1963. Look where she is now.

If your friend wants to take this path to TV stardom, should she become Miss America or Miss USA? Decisions. Decisions.

Let's put these pageants to the test. Here is a list of pageant winners that regularly appeared on TV series. Looks like Miss USA is the clear winner these days.

• Miss America (79th Annual winner crowned on 1/21/2006)
  
  
  • 19th Annual (winner: Bess Myerson; New York, NY): "The Big Payoff," "The Name's the Same" & "Candid Camera"
    
  • 28th Annual (winner: Lee Meriwether; San Francisco, CA): "Match Game PM," "The Clear Horizon," "The Young Marrieds," "The New Andy Griffith Show," "The Munsters Today" & "All My Children"
    
  • 32nd Annual (winner: Mary Ann Mobley; Brandon, MS): "Be Our Guest," "General Hospital," "Diff'rent Strokes" & "Home Show"
    
  • 44th Annual (winner: Phyllis Ann George; Denton, TX): "Morning"
    
  • 46th Annual (winner: Terry Anne Meeuwsen; De Pere, WI): "USam" & "700 Club"
    
  • 49th Annual (winner: Tawny Elaine Little (nee Godin); Saratoga Springs, NY): News anchor for KABC, KCAL, and KCOP in Los Angeles
    
  • 57th Annual (winner: Vanessa L. Williams; Milwood, NY): "Style World" & "South Beach"
    
  • 62nd Annual (winner: Gretchen Carlson; Anoka, MN): "Fox News Live" & "The Early Show"
    
  • 66th Annual (winner: Leanza Cornett; Jacksonville, FL): host of "Entertainment Tonight," "Ordinary/Extraordinary," "New Attitudes" & "Tricks of the Trade"
  
  
• Miss USA (55th Annual winner to be crowned on 4/21/2006)
  
  • 1st Annual (winner: Jackie Loughery; Brooklyn, NY): "Seven at Eleven," "Earn Your Vacation," "Mr. District Attorney" & "Judge Roy Bean"
    
  • 7th Annual (winner: Eurlyne Howell; Bossier City; LA): "Bourbon Street Beat"
    
  • 19th Annual (winner: Debbie Shelton; Norfolk, VA): "Dallas"
    
  • 24th Annual (winner: Summer Bartholomew; Merced, CA): "Sale of the Century"
    
  • 29th Annual (winner: Shawn Weatherly; Sumter, SC): "Shaping Up," "JJ Starbuck," "Baywatch" & "Jack's Place"
    
  • 34th Annual (winner: Laura Martinez-Harring; El Paso, TX): "General Hospital," "Empire," "California" & "Sunset Beach"
    
  • 37th Annual (winner: Courtney Gibbs; Fort Worth, TX): "All My Children"
    
  • 42nd Annual (winner: Kenya Moore; Detroit, MI): "Nubian Goddess"
    
  • 45th Annual (winner: Ali Landry; Breux Bridge, LA): "Sunset Beach," "America's Greatest Pets," "farmclub.com," "Spy TV," "Full Frontal Fashion," "Eve"
    
  • 47th Annual (winner: Shawnae Jebbia; Boston; MA): "Co-ed Training"
    
  • 49th Annual (winner: Lynnette Cole; Columbia, TN): "Source: All Access"
    
  • 50th Annual (winner: Kandace Krueger; Austin, TX): "Hollywood Red Carpet"
    
  • 51st Annual (winner: Shauntay Hinton; Washington D.C.): "Current TV"
    
  • 52nd Annual (winner: Susie Castillo; Lawrence, MA): "The Swan"
    
  • 53rd Annual (winner: Shandi Finnessey; Florissant, MO): "Lingo"

data sources:
• trivialTV database for winners;
  
• pageant.com news archives for TV tidbits;
  
• person search on imdb.com