Trivia: Moved to Sydney, Australia, after college. Started acting and modeling while working as an engineer and building inspector for a consulting agency. Landed his first TV role on the Australian series All Saints before ascending to the big screen as an archangel in the supernatural thriller Gabriel (2007). Was still working his day job as an engineer when he got the lead role in the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Died at the age of 39 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Trivia: Suffered from asthma as a child. Studied business in Ireland as an exchange student. Took over the title role on the Starz series Spartacus after the original lead, Andy Whitfield, was diagnosed with cancer. Was working for a theater chain in Melbourne, Australia, as a movie booker at the time he was cast in Spartacus. Lost a significant amount of weight for a film role prior to joining the cast of Spartacus, and was put on a vigorous workout regimen to regain the lost pounds and muscle definition.

Trivia: Is of Maori descent. Born in New Zealand, but grew up in Australia. Mother and brother Stephen died within a month of each other in 1985, due to two separate car accidents. Took classical dance lessons as a teen. Made his TV debut on the Aussie drama Paradise Beach. Has appeared alongside Lucy Lawless on the syndicated action-adventure series Xena: Warrior Princess and the Starz historical drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Big-screen roles include the horror hit 30 Days of Night (2007) and action movies The Marine (2006) and The Condemned (2007).

Trivia: Was born with a rare heart condition, and has a pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat. First film role was in 2005's Small Claims: White Wedding. Has had several recurring on TV shows, including Leo Coombes on McLeod's Daughters in 2006 and Gavin Johnson on Home and Away in 2008. Rose to fame in 2010 playing Agron on Spartacus: Blood and Sand; reprised the role in 2012 for Spartacus: Vengeance and in 2013 for Spartacus: War of the Damned. Relocated to Los Angeles in 2013 to further his acting career.

Trivia: Worked as a mini-cab driver in London. Dropped out of drama school to travel and become a painter. Starred opposite his brother, Jason Merrells, in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of The Comedy of Errors in 2007. Lost nearly 20 pounds before filming his role as Marcus Crassus in the STARZ series Spartacus.

Trivia: First job was a telemarketer for a wine company. In 2006, made his acting debut in the Australian drama series Blue Water High. Returned to his alma mater in 2008 at Screenwise Film & TV School to teach an acting course. Won a Logie Award for Most Popular Actor in 2009 for his role on Home and Away. Nearly turned down the role of Julius Caesar in the STARZ series Spartacus: War of the Damned due to feeling intimidated playing the iconic Roman general.

Trivia: Quit the hit New Zealand TV show Go Girls after the second season in order to film The Cabin in the Woods (2012). She later returned to the series. Appeared in The Beauty Book in 2010, with proceeds from the book going to several different cancer foundations. Ran the Auckland Marathon in 2011. Appeared in Maxim in May 2012. Lived below the poverty line for a week to raise awareness for the P3 Foundation of New Zealand.

Trivia: With his gaunt handsomeness and infectious Scottish burr, John Hannah made a memorable impression on audiences on both sides of the Atlantic in his role as Simon Callow's lover in Four Weddings and a Funeral. The popularity of his portrayal was a significant feat for the actor, who, prior to the picture, had only appeared in one small film and numerous television shows in the United Kingdom.Born in 1962 in East Kilbride, a small town near Glasgow, Hannah worked as an electrician for four years before getting into acting. After training at a Glasgow drama school, the actor headed to London to find work. After his 1990 debut in a generally unheard of film called Harbour Beat, Hannah found work on television. After his breakthrough role in 1994's Four Weddings, he was able to do more film work, appearing the following year in three films, Madagascar Skin, The Final Cut, and The Innocent Sleep. After work in a few forgettable pictures and the title role on the British TV series McCallum, Hannah got his next significant role in Peter Howitt's 1998 romantic comedy Sliding Doors. The film was a relative success and Hannah netted praise for his work as Gwyneth Paltrow's love interest. The film paved the way for him to appear in his first Hollywood blockbuster, The Mummy (1999), in which he was cast against type as a ne'er do well English fop. Despite rotten reviews, the film scored massively at the box office, helping to ensure further work for the talented, versatile actor. Over the next several years, Hannah would remain active as an actor, appearing on shows like MDs, New Street Law, Spartacus, Vengeance, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, and Damages.

Trivia: Best known for her role as the fearsome Xena: Warrior Princess in the long-running series of the same name, athletic worldly beauty Lucy Lawless didn't achieve the fame in her native New Zealand that flooded her in the U.S. until much later in her career, due to the fact that the wildly popular adventure series didn't air there until long after it was a staple of American television.Born into water at her home in Mount Albert, Aukland, New Zealand, in 1968 to the mayor of that city, Lawless began acting early and frequently appeared in school plays in her youth. A active child of diverse interests and with many siblings, Lawless went on to study German, French, and Italian at Aukland University for a year before traveling through Europe with boyfriend and eventual first husband Garth. They worked odd jobs to finance their trip and eventually ending up in Australia. Working in a gold-mining camp in Kalgoorlie to finance the final leg of their journey, the couple was married in Australia in 1988 and soon returned home to bear a daughter.Crowned Mrs. New Zealand the following year, the busy new mother got her first acting experience in Funny Business, a popular TV comedy troupe. Studying acting in Vancouver, Canada, at the William Davis Center for Actors Study, Lawless soon landed small roles in films (The End of Golden Weather [1991]) and television (For the Love of Mike [1991]), with her next regular job as of co-host on television's Air New Zealand Holiday. After appearing in The Rainbow Warrior in 1992, Lawless landed the role that would propel her to stardom and become her calling card into the new millennium. Initially appearing in the role of Lysia in Hercules and the Amazon Women, Lawless went on to appear as Xena in three episodes of Hercules before spinning off into her own series in 1995. It was a physically demanding adventure series in which the sporty actress performed many of her own stunts; Lawless ironically broke her pelvis after falling off of a horse while preparing to make a grand entrance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in 1996. After a quick recovery, Lawless made her Broadway debut as Rizzo in Grease the following year. Her first marriage dissolved, Lawless was remarried to Xena producer Rob Tapert in October 1999, two years before the final episode of Xena. Lawless woudl continue to act on the small screen over the next several years, appearing on Tarzan, Battlestar Galactica, Spartacus, and No Ordinary Family.

Trivia: Born in Ghana as a member of the Ashanti tribe, but raised in England. Worked as an engineer before turning to acting full-time. Made his big-screen debut in the 2000 supernatural thriller Bless the Child. Subsequently appeared in a number of big-budget action and sci-fi films, including Tears of the Sun (2003), 300 (2007) and Avatar (2009). Went through a three-week boot camp to prepare for his role as a gladiator trainer on the Starz historical drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Has practiced martial arts since the age of 6.

Trivia: Her father, Cezary Skubiszewski, is a successful film composer. Grew up in the countryside of Victoria in Australia, but her family later moved to the city of Melbourne for her father's career. Played the role of Olivia in a production of the Shakespeare play Twelfth Night at the Siren Theatre in Sydney. Counts the Australian actors Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish and Cate Blanchett among her inspirations.

Trivia: Although born in Fiji, he grew up in New Zealand. Got his big break when he was cast in the '80s New Zealand TV series Gloss. Has worked on many fantasy productions, including: Xena: Warrior Princess, Legend of the Seeker, in which he played the villain Darken Rahl, and the movie Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. Came to international attention with the role of elf Haldir in the first two Lord of the Rings movies; also voiced the part of Gothmog in the final Lord of the Rings movie.

Trivia: His mother enrolled him in art classes when he was a child. Played semi-pro soccer in leagues in Lebanon and Kuwait. Studied acting at New York City's Terry Schreiber Actors Studio and the Larry Moss Studio in Los Angeles. Appeared in several off-Broadway productions. Was originally slated to appear in only three episodes of the TV series Crash, but he impressed the producers with his work and became a series regular for the entire first season.

Trivia: Named after a character in the 1966 TV series of Tarzan. Made his TV debut in All Saints in 2008. Stepped in, with 24 hours' notice, to play the role of Andrey in Cry Havoc!'s production of Chekhov's Three Sisters in 2010. Breakthrough role was in 2010, as Varros in Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Cast as Jack McClane, the son of Bruce Willis's character, in A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), following a global, months-long casting search. Took Russian language classes before filming A Good Day to Die Hard, set in Russia.

Trivia: Was a member of the Kilgore College Rangerettes dance team, with which she performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Spotted by a Los Angeles talent scout while acting in Dallas-area community-theater productions. Made her TV debut in a 2003 episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. First major big-screen role came in 2008, with the Martin Lawrence comedy Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins.

Trivia: Was drawn to acting early in life and appeared in numerous school plays. Started modeling in New Zealand and landed jobs in commercials, while also working as an IT recruitment consultant. Big break came in 2009 when she landed a lead role on the comedy series Diplomatic Immunity. First U.S. role came in 2010 when she starred as Naevia on Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Is an environmental and animal rights activist. Is fluent in Afrikaans.