Trivia: Born in a small town just outside of Chicago, IL, performer Keke Palmer initially gravitated to singing as a young child, but soon landed a memorable screen role as the niece of Queen Latifah in the urban comedy Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004). Palmer turned to acting given the success of this first assignment; its positive reception prompted the budding actress' family to relocate to Southern California and doubtless helped open the doors that led to Palmer's first lead portrayal. She played Akeelah, the 11-year-old daughter of a single parent who ascends through the ranks of spelling bee competitions, in the sleeper hit Akeelah and the Bee (2006). Palmer subsequently teamed up with director Tyler Perry twice, first with a role in his comedy Madea's Family Reunion, then with a guest spot on his series Tyler Perry's House of Payne, and landed the lead role in the teen movie musical Jump In! (2007), a made-for-television picture about two adolescents who compete against one another in a rope-skipping competition.

Trivia: Grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey.Was an accomplished gymnast in high school, ranked among the best in the country.Stopped wearing her hijab due to bullying after 9/11.Dropped out of college, where she was studying marine biology, in her last semester.Has collaborated with artists like Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj and Maroon 5.Her debut studio album Ctrl (2017) was nominated for five Grammy Awards.

Trivia: American leading and supporting actress Vanessa Bell Calloway got her first major break playing Imani Izzi in Eddie Murphy's Coming to America (1988), one year after she had made her film debut. The winner of an NAACP Image Award, Calloway has also appeared in numerous other films, including voicing a character in the animated film Bebe's Kids (1992), What's Love Got to Do With It? (1993), and Crimson Tide (1995). Her television credits include a recurring role as Yvonne Caldwell on the daily serial All My Children, during the 1984-1985 season and in 1987.

Trivia: Decided that he wanted to become a comedian at the age of 11. Was not professionally trained and considers Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor his biggest influences. At the age of 19, began his stand-up career by self-promoting and performing at The Lion's Den in Chicago. Worked as the house emcee at Jokes and Notes comedy club in Chicago. Performed at the NBC Diversity Showcase in Los Angeles and Aspen Showcase in New York. Launched The Lil Rel Company in 2009. In 2012, was named by Variety magazine as one of the Top 10 Comics to Watch.

Trivia: An outrageous comedian who clearly pulls from such influences as Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor -- but somehow ups the irreverence quotient many times over -- standup comic-turned-actor Katt Williams built a career vulgarly riffing on such subjects as Michael Jackson, middle-American evangelism, the incarceration of Martha Stewart, and the ironies of race in America (a favorite topic that found him making fervent use of incendiary epithets), to name only a few touchstones -- all of which gave him a widespread and loyal following, particularly among young African-American males. Born in Cincinnati, OH, but raised in nearby Dayton, Williams grew up as the child of politically and socially active parents and received outstanding grades and a slew of academic honors in school. In his late teens, he moved to San Francisco and temporarily joined the Nation of Islam, meanwhile honing a standup act at local nightclubs. Favorite venues that hosted Williams in the late '90s included the Hollywood Park Casino, The Icehouse and The Improv; he also became a staple on BET's standup programs. In 2002, Williams accepted one of his first screen assignments with a small role (as Money Mike) in Marcus Raboy's Friday After Next. Five years later, Williams finally had the opportunity to team up onscreen with longtime idol Eddie Murphy, who cast him as Lord Have Mercy in the farce Norbit (2007). That same year, Williams appeared in a minor capacity in the gag-laden Epic Movie and displayed a more sober side in the family-oriented Christmas drama The Perfect Holiday. Meanwhile, the comic continually headlined standup performance films via such cable outlets as Comedy Central and HBO.

Trivia: Was named after the character Maude from the movie Harold and Maude (1971).Her scenes in her father's film The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) didn't make the final cut.Played the daughter of her real-life mother's character in three movies directed by her father: Knocked Up (2007), Funny People (2009) and This Is 40 (2012).In 2012, was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 list.Time magazine named her Twitter account one of the Best Twitter Feeds of 2013.Has written articles for the entertainment and lifestyle website Hello Giggles.

Trivia: Attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts from the fourth to the 10th grade. Hosted her own show called Cincinnati Youth Times while in high school. While attending Howard University, she co-hosted BET's Teen Summit talk show from 1998 to 2000. Started her career as a stand up comedian, performing at clubs in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. Is also a singer and a performed with a group called Assorted Flavors in 2008. In 2014, she wrote and produced her first film, an independent short called A Super Secret.

Trivia: Actor Amin Joseph initially made his mark with supporting roles in horror- oriented productions that included the low-budget shocker Nightmare (2005), the hip-hop-themed psychological horror piece Rapturious (2006), and the Frank Darabont-directed supernatural chiller Stephen King's The Mist (2007).

Trivia: Parents emigrated from Puerto Rico to New York City. Acted in his first play at the age of 12. Ran the New York Marathon in 2000. Widely recognized for his role as Jorge in 2004's Meet the Fockers. Is a supporter of Art of Elysium and the Point Foundation, as well as other organizations that promote the arts in public schools.