Trivia: From busking to blockbusters to small-screen crime drama, worldly actress Jill Hennessey has proven herself as an actress with talent to spare. As easy as it may be to see only her dark beauty, don't mistake the multilingual Hennessey as a one trick pony; she's also established herself as a successful restaurateur and a talented musician. Hennessey was born three minutes after her identical twin sister, Jacqueline, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in November of 1969. Her parents divorced when she was only a young girl, and her grandmother played a large part in raising her and her sister. It was during this time that young Hennessey took up cooking in order to help care for her family, and her passion for food would eventually lead her to open Hennessey's Tavern in Northvale, NJ, after establishing herself as an actress. Hennessey moved to New York following her graduation from Ontario's Grand River Collegiate, and for a time, she busked in the N.Y.C. subway, singing and playing the guitar for money. Though her career in entertainment may not have taken off quickly, it was only a matter of time before she found success. In 1988, both Hennessey and her sister got their first breaks with small roles in director David Cronenberg's acclaimed chiller Dead Ringers. In the following few years, she would repeatedly turn up on the small screen in Friday the 13th: The Series and The Hitchhiker. A three-year stint on television's popular Law & Order as ADA Claire Kincaid gained the rising starlet much exposure, and indie credit came with a supporting role in director Mary Harron's I Shot Andy Warhol. After roles in A Smile Like Yours and Most Wanted made 1997 a memorable year for her, Hennessey took the lead opposite pop star-turned-actor Jon Bon Jovi in the 1998 drama Row Your Boat. Subsequent films such as Komodo may have done little to advance Hennessey's career as a serious thespian, but she expanded into writing and directing with her all-star comedy The Acting Class in 2000. With more roles coming her way every day, Hennessey took on the daunting task of portraying none other that Jackie Kennedy in the 2001 miniseries Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot. Later that year she took the lead role in the small-screen drama Crossing Jordan, and it seemed as if she had finally arrived when the show proved to be a success, running for six years.Hennessy would wpend the next several years appearing in a number or projects, like the horse racing series Luck.

Trivia: Born February 7, 1955, intense character actor Miguel Ferrer specialized in playing villains, and brought to each role an unpredictable energy. Working steadily on television and in feature films, Southern California-born and raised, Ferrer was the eldest of five children and is the son of famed actor José Ferrer and jazz artist Rosemary Clooney. Inspired by watching Little Ricky banging away on drums during the I Love Lucy show and by Beatles percussionist Ringo Starr, Ferrer first aspired to become a professional drummer and for a few years worked as a studio musician. Acting credits came by way of small television and feature film roles. He debuted on television guest starring as a drummer on the NBC series Sunshine (1975). His first real break in movies came when he was cast in Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi actioner Robocop (1986). The tall, rangy actor subsequently appeared in films such as Revenge (1987) and Point of No Return (1991). Back on television, he gave a memorable performance as an emotionally volatile FBI pathologist in David Lynch's cult series Twin Peaks. Ferrer also starred as a Louisiana cop in Broken Badges. Other television credits include a guest-starring role on the NBC medical drama E.R., a supporting role in the telemovies Shannon's Deal and Brave New World, and a regular role on the comedy Lateline. In 2002, Ferrar appeared alongside Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, and Benicio Del Toro in filmmaker Steven Soderbergh's Academy award-winning drama Traffic, and worked in John Sayles' Sunshine state during the same year. Ferrer took on the role of Colonel Garrett in the 2004 update of The Manchurian Candidate, and lent his voice to episodes of the Cartoon Network favorites Robot Chicken (2006) and American Dad! (2007). The actor continued to work in television over the next couple of years, making appearances in NBC's update of the Bionic Woman series, and took on the part of LAPD Lt. Felix Valdez for The Protector, a made-for-television police procedural drama. He also had a recurring role as NCIS assistant director Owen Granger in NCIS: Los Angeles. Ferrer was diagnosed with cancer during his run on NCIS, but chose to stay on the show and work through his illness. He died in 2017, at age 61.

Trivia: Like Henry Thomas and a few others of the same generation, Jerry O'Connell proves that second acts are far from impossible for Hollywood actors who began their careers as children. O'Connell first gained recognition among film fans as "that fat kid from Stand By Me," when he starred in the 1986 Rob Reiner film at the age of eleven - then experienced a massive physical transformation. Several years and many lost pounds later, O'Connell emerged as a tall, handsome screen lothario, a development that provoked substantial commentary from both film critics and any number of lay viewers.Born in New York City on February 17, 1974, O'Connell enrolled in acting classes at the age of six. He obtained his first professional assignments acting in commercials when he was ten, and a year later made his film debut in the critically acclaimed Stand By Me. Though somewhat overshadowed by the presence of teen idol co-stars River Phoenix and Corey Feldman, O'Connell still managed to win a place in the coming-of-age pantheon. After Stand By Me, he appeared in the memorable syndicated television series My Secret Identity (as a high schooler with superpowers) and enrolled at Manhattan's Professional Children's School. Following his graduation, he attended New York University, where he attained a B.A. in Film and Television in 1995. While still an NYU student, O'Connell appeared in the eminently forgettable Jason Priestley vehicle Calendar Girl (1993).After his college graduation, O'Connell began to pursue thesping full-time. He soon landed a starring role on the sci-fi series Sliders, which, despite low ratings, had a very loyal viewership. In 1996, the actor's popularity grew beyond the confines of television when he starred in both Joe's Apartment and Jerry Maguire. The latter film was a particular success, and O'Connell began to land steady film assignments once again. Next up was the slasher movie Scream 2 (1997), in which he played Neve Campbell's boyfriend. After an uncredited role in the Jennifer Love Hewitt vehicle Can't Hardly Wait (1998), O'Connell returned to television to star as a young Vietnam War soldier in the miniseries The '60s in 1999. That same year, he starred as a neanderthal-like jock in Body Shots, a film about the search for love and/or a lay amongst a group of Los Angeles twentysomethings.At this point, if O'Connell still carried a full resume, he often seemed to alternate between respectable A-list material - such as the disappointing but ambitious Brian De Palma sci-fi'er Mission to Mars (2000) and the generally pleasant family comedy Yours, Mine and Ours (2005) - and ridiculous studio dreck, such as the misogynistic sex comedy Tomcats (2001) and the awful 2002 "family" picture Kangaroo Jack (where the actor co-starred alongside a wisecracking CG-animated marsupial). In fall 2007, O'Connell trekked back to the small screen for one of the three lead roles in the sitcom Carpoolers - about a cadre of male buddies who share rides to and from work each day. O'Connell would spend the next few years appearing in movies like Obsessed and Piranha, in addition to successful TV runs like Do Not Disturb and The Defenders.O'Connell married supermodel and actress Rebecca Romijn in 2007. The two have two children.

Trivia: A native of Cleveland, OH, actress Kathryn Hahn received her first taste of show business in the late '80s, when the then-teenager scored a live-action role opposite several puppets on the locally produced children's program Hickory Hideout. Hahn formally studied acting at the Yale School of Drama, and just prior to her final year of 2000-2001 (in mid-summer stock), the performer caught the attention of an NBC casting recruiter, who tapped her for a regular role on the prime-time drama Crossing Jordan; she played amiable grief counselor Lily Lebowski for the full run of the series (2001-2007).Meanwhile, film roles began pouring in right and left, beginning with visible turns as Kate Hudson's health editor roommate in the hit romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), and as a barmaid with more than a passing crush on Topher Grace in Robert Luketic's gentle romantic comedy Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004). Hahn subsequently commenced a long series of assignments for Hollywood's highest-profiled directors and producers, including bit parts in the Judd Apatow-Adam McKay farce Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) and Nancy Meyers' romantic comedy The Holiday (2006), and a small supporting role in the Robert Shaye-directed fantasy The Last Mimzy (2007). After her Crossing Jordan role ended with the series' cancellation in 2007, Hahn was able to work more freely in other venues, which became apparent with her output in 2008. She took on another cinematic supporting turn in the Will Ferrell-John C. Reilly comedy Step Brothers and starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the period suburban drama Revolutionary Road. That same year, Hahn made her Broadway debut in the Tony award-winning play Boeing-Boeing. Over the next serveral years, Hahn would remain an active force on screen, appearing in fukns kuje The Dictator and Our Idiot Brother, as well as on shows like Parks and Recreation and Girls. Throughout her various assignments, Hahn drew high praise for her comedic ability, which netted occasional comparisons to Carol Burnett.

Trivia: After attending Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Michigan, Tovah Feldshuh studied acting with Uta Hagen and Jacques LeCoq. Feldshuh made her professional debut at the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Cyrano de Bergerac; it was in this selfsame play that she made her Broadway bow in 1973. The following year, she was honored with the Theatre World Award for her starring appearance in Yentl. She later worked with the American Shakespeare Festival, starred in such Broadway productions as Sarava (1978) and Lend Me a Tenor (1989), and toured in her own one-woman show. Feldshuh inaugurated her film career in 1973 on a less-than-prestigious note with Scream, Pretty Peggy. Though the quality of her films improved over the next 20 years, she is held in higher esteem for her TV appearances. Feldshuh has been seen as Katharine Hepburn in the made-for-TV biopic The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977) and as Helena Slomova in the blockbuster miniseries Holocaust (1978); she also appeared as a regular on the ABC daytimer Ryan's Hope and as prison psychiatrist Dr. Deena Hertz in the prime-time weekly Mariah (1987). In addition to her acting accomplishments, Tovah Feldshuh has been active in numerous Jewish civic and charitable causes; for these and other selfless efforts, she has been honored with the Israeli Government Friendship Award and the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award.

Trivia: A native of rural Humboldt, IA, character actor Christian Clemenson left his home state when a scholarship that he netted as part of his paperboy route afforded him the opportunity to attend the prestigious Phillips Academy preparatory school in Andover, MA. That experience imparted Clemenson with a deep-seated love of theatrics, and he spent his Iowan summers during college acting in local stage productions. The upstart subsequently attended Harvard as an undergraduate and Yale Drama School as a grad student, then moved to Los Angeles in the mid-'80s, where he accepted a long series of bit parts and supporting roles in A-list features, typically cast as nebbishy professional types. Early films in which Clemenson appeared included Heartburn (1986), Legal Eagles (1986), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), and Broadcast News (1987).Beginning in the late '90s, Clemenson began placing a stronger emphasis on television work, with guest roles in series including Ally McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The West Wing, and NYPD Blue. He received critical kudos for his portrayal of ill-fated executive Thomas E. Burnett Jr., a victim of the September 11th terrorist attacks, in Paul Greengrass' feature United 93 (2006), then joined William Shatner, Candice Bergen, and James Spader of David E. Kelley's offbeat seriocomedy Boston Legal in a recurring capacity during the show's second season; on the program, Clemenson played Jerry "Hands" Espenson, a troubled lawyer plagued by Asperger's Syndrome. He went on to win Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2006 for that role, and continued to appear on the show, later attaining regular status and staying with the series until it folded in 2009. Clemenson would continue to appear regularly on screen as the years went on, appearing on shows like CSI: Miami and Harry's Law.

Trivia: Had some acting experience as a child, but decided to commit to the profession full-time after seeing American Beauty (1999) at 14. Before landing his breakout role on Big Love in 2006, had a guest spot on an episode of Everwood, which starred his brother Gregory. Mother is a piano and voice coach; father is a movie producer. Plays guitar and keyboards and sings with the band his Orchestra, as well as a side project with actor Ashton Lunceford called Alaskan Summer. his Orchestra's music has been featured in the ABC Family sitcom Roommates, Planet Green's Alter Eco, Lifetime's Rita Rocks and in an antipiracy public-service announcement by the American Association of Independent Music.

Trivia: Sporting a clean-cut, all-American look, Los Angeles-born actor Michael Welch entered the limelight well before his teens and balanced feature and television work with about equal weight. Early small screen projects included guest appearances and recurring roles on series such as Frasier (as a young version of David Hyde Pierce's Niles), Veronica's Closet, and Touched by an Angel, while Welch's feature work invariably emphasized teen-oriented material and often found him cast as a young heartthrob. These big screen endeavors included the teen slasher movie All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006), the gore-soaked shocker Day of the Dead (2007), the family-friendly political comedy Choose Connor (2007), and the gothic vampire outing Twilight (2008). Welch also starred as Luke Girardi on the offbeat fantasy series Joan of Arcadia (2003-5).

Trivia: Model-turned-actress Leslie Bibb grew up in Virginia, well outside the realm of showbusiness, with plans to tackle a legal career. She embarked on the road to celebrity, however (and achieved an incredible break), in 1990, when the then-16-year-old's mother submitted Leslie's photograph to a nationwide model search that Oprah Winfrey mounted; the judges ferreted Bibb out of more than 6,000 candidates and handed her a succession of print and runway assignments around the globe. After extensive dramatic training, the young woman moved to Los Angeles and ascended to stardom via a regular role as high-school princess Brooke McQueen on the WB series Popular. She doubled it up with movie roles in such feature outings as See Spot Run (2001), Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006), and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006, as Will Ferrell's gold-digging wife), as well as a recurring parts on ER (2002-2003), as Erin Harkins, and Crossing Jordan, as Tallulah "Lu" Simmons (2005-2007). In 2007, Bibb signed on to play the female lead in Ryuhei Kitamura's serial killer-themed horror saga The Midnight Meat Train (2008).In 2008 she landed one of her most high-profile parts opposite Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man, and she would return for that film's sequel two years later. She also landed parts in the comedy Confessions of a Shopaholic and the thriller Law Abiding Citizen. She returned to comedy in 2011 with parts in the Kevin James vehicle Zookeeper, and the low-budget indie laugher A Good Old Fashioned Orgy.