Trivia: Grew up in Alexandria, Virginia.Grew up with two younger sisters in a bilingual household, speaks English and Mandarin Chinese.Before becoming an actor, wanted to attend Law School and work in politics.Was homecoming king and student body president.Was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity in college.Married wife Xun Zhou on stage after a charity event in China.On October 2014, became the first male to appear on the cover of Vogue China.

Trivia: Though Charisma Carpenter refers to her first name as an "absolute curse" (it was derived from an ill-conceived Avon perfume line), it certainly hasn't proved detrimental to her career. Born in Las Vegas, NV, Carpenter had exhibited an interest in the performing arts by the age of five, when she began studying classical ballet. Though her family moved to Mexico in 1985, the fast-paced, entertainment-laden Las Vegas atmosphere had already had a profound effect on a then 15-year-old Charisma -- so much so that she embarked on an hour-long, daily commute to San Diego, where she attended the prestigious School of the Performing Arts.Carpenter had somewhat drastically changed her career plans after her graduation, when she moved to San Diego and took on a series of odd jobs, ranging from a video clerk to a member of the San Diego Chargers' cheerleading squad, in hopes of funding a college education. The non-aspiring actress was hoping to become an English teacher. To the eventual delight of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans nationwide, however, this wasn't to be. While waiting tables on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, Carpenter was discovered by a commercial agent who promptly recommended she continue attending acting school. Her penchant for show business piqued once again, Carpenter decided to test her chops at the reputable Playhouse West, where she spent 18 months honing her skills. While there, Carpenter appeared in series of commercials, though her first true television role wouldn't occur until much later, in 1995, when she made a guest appearance on Baywatch.Seven long years after dedicating herself to acting, Carpenter managed to land a starring role on prime-time soap guru Aaron Spelling's Malibu Shores opposite Keri Russell. The show, however, was short-lived, and Carpenter was once again left with no solid job of which to speak, despite sporadic appearances on Boy Meets World and Pacific Blue. In 1997, Carpenter's agent found the then very much aspiring actress two separate auditions for a role the same show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a teen-oriented horror comedy series based on 1992's much less successful movie of the same name. One of the auditions was for Buffy, the intrepid vampire slayer, while the other was for Cordelia Chase, snooty high school student extraordinaire. As fate would have it, Sarah Michelle Gellar would win the part of Buffy, while Carpenter would ignite many an Internet fan site as Cordelia. So popular was her role that in 1999, when the Buffy spin-off Angel was launched, Carpenter was able to continue and expand the role.Though the series couldn't last forever, Carpenter continued to act after its cancellation. In 2004, she starred in What Boys Like, a sex comedy directed by Lawrence Gay, and played a reoccurring role in NBC's short-lived Alicia Silverstone vehicle Miss Match. Carpenter remained active the mid-2000s, and continued to find success playing characters with some sort of supernatural ability (as indicated by her appearances on the television shows Charmed and Supernatural). The actress played the girlfriend of a mercenary (Jason Statham) in 2010's The Expendables, and reprised the role for The Expendables 2 (2012). Off screen, Carpenter enjoys a variety of outdoor activities -- rock climbing, horseback riding, biking, and rollerblading, to name a few -- and spending time with her son.

Trivia: Actor Greg Germann is probably best known as attorney Richard Fish -- the tactless, neurotic litigator who went head-to-head with Ally McBeal in law school, but soon does an about face and hires her, on that character's eponymous Fox comedy drama. Actually, that role only represented the tail end of a long ascent to stardom for the gifted actor. Germann trained as a dramatist at an early age by performing in local stage productions in his childhood home of Golden, CO. In the early '80s, Germann moved to New York City and attended auditions before film producers tapped him for supporting roles in pictures ranging from the eminently forgettable (the 1986 Whoopee Boys) to the outstanding (the 1991 Once Around, the 1994 Imaginary Crimes). Germann found his greatest success, however, in television; after landing regular roles on two short-lived programs, the legal drama Sweet Justice and the sitcom Ned and Stacey (1995), the actor caught the eye of McBeal mastermind David E. Kelley. Kelley praised Germann as an actor so versatile that he could seemingly do anything; unsurprisingly, the role, like the series, lasted five seasons.Germann followed Ally McBeal up with supporting parts in a series of mostly forgettable films, including the direct-to-video Sandlot 2 (2005) and crazylove (2005), before returning to form with a prime role in the Will Ferrell racing comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006). Germann then landed a regular role as a mentally disturbed diet guru in the decidedly quirky (and short-lived) comedy drama series In Case of Emergency (2007). He also delivered an extraordinary performance as a quiet, compassionate counselor in Monty Lapica's big-screen debut, Self-Medicated (2005). Germann appeared in Quarantine (2008) director John E. Dowdle revamp of [REC] Paco Plaza's Spanish-language horror film [REC], and starred in The Santa Incident, a family-friendly comedy film following a pair of siblings charged with helping Santa back to the North Pole, in 2010. In 2011 he co-starred in the drama Fly Away, and worked with Salma Hayek and Kevin James in the 2012 action comedy Here Comes the Boom.

Trivia: Participated in beauty pageants as a child. Her idols growing up included Judy Garland and Natalie Wood. Graduated from high school a year early, with honors. Said if she hadn't become an actress and singer, she would have become a math teacher. Won several national vocal competitions, including the L.A. Philharmonic's Award-Vocal/Opera. Appeared in Grease on Broadway in 1996. Won the role of Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald on Passions after reading three times for the part in 1999. Cowrote the song "Kiss Me," which she performed on Passions in 2000. Has worked with her husband, Justin Hartley, several times: They were costars on Passions and she guest starred on his series Smallville in 2010.

Trivia: Ever since his film debut in director Michael Mann's 1981 crime drama Thief, actor William L. Petersen (born February 21st, 1953) has carved a successful niche for himself in the realm of crime-oriented television and film. Audiences were quick to warm to the actor thanks to his everyman appearance and ability to elicit sympathy by portraying authority figures whose rank rarely surpassed their humanity, and in the following decades, Petersen would hone this persona to a fine point in such efforts as Mann's 1986 thriller Manhunter and, much later, the popular CBS crime series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. It was while studying on a football scholarship at Idaho State University that the Evanston, IL, native first discovered his love for the stage, and though the popular jock initially signed up for drama classes as a means of boosting his grade point average, his love for the stage soon surpassed his grip on the gridiron. A post-graduate move to Spain found Petersen studying Shakespearean acting, with a subsequent return to the States leading the burgeoning actor to Chicago. In addition to an association with the famed Steppenwolf Theater, Petersen and several of his peers co-founded Chicago's Remains Theater Ensemble in 1980. The next year, a small supporting role in Mann's Thief marked Petersen's first foray into the celluloid universe, and it was also around this time that Petersen made his Broadway debut with a starring role in The Night of the Iguana. The actor remained a fixture on CSI until 2008, and went on to co-star in the films Detatchment (2011) and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2010).As the 1980s progressed, Petersen became an increasingly recognizable figure in the world of film, in particular thanks to solid performances in such efforts as To Live and Die in L.A., Manhunter, and Amazing Grace and Chuck, with his stature on the screen virtually cemented by the time he kicked off the 1990s with a turn as Pat Garrett in Young Guns II. Though roles in such films as Return to Lonesome Dove, Fear, and The Beast did indeed increase Petersen's recognition factor among the moviegoing and television-viewing masses, he more often than not seemed to be lost without Mann's direction and criminals to chase. Of course, all of this would be solved when the veteran actor stepped into the role of crime scene investigator for the 2000 television series CSI, and though feature work had certainly taken precedence over television thus far in his career, the transition seemed to benefit Petersen when the Emmy-nominated series soon shot to the top of the ratings.

Trivia: Louise Lombard lived and breathed the fine arts from an early age, and projected extreme versatility in many arenas. A trained dancer and actress from early childhood, Lombard graduated to television commercials by age 14, and subsequently delved into dramatic roles. Lombard evinced a remarkable predilection for emotionally and psychologically challenging evocations, such as that of a heroin addict in a PSA directed by Jon Amiel (Copycat). After gracing the BBC series Casualty and Bergerac, the ITV show Capital City, and the ITV telemovies Catherine Cookson's A Black Velvet Gown, and Perfect Scoundrels: Sweeter Than Wine, Lombard broke through to national fame in 1991, with the lead role of Evangeline Eliott in the three-season House of Eliott series on the BBC. The story concerns two sisters who travel the road from extreme poverty to wealth as proprietors of the most successful dressmaking business in all of England.For the remainder of the 1990s, Lombard sought out a series of highly individualized and intelligent projects, including Elizabeth Gill's 1997 ensemble drama Gold in the Streets (as the girlfriend of an illegal Irish immigrant) and the ITV series Bodyguards (as one of the toughs of the title). After a brief tenure as a literature student at Cambridge University (as well as studying photography and print work at St. Martin's College), Lombard spent the first decade of the new millennium branching out into more internationally oriented roles, including insurance investigator Ellen Brachman in the Dutch movie Claim (2000), and the part of Kath in My Kingdom (2001), a highly modernized adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear. American viewers, however, will most closely associate Lombard with the romantic lead of Lady Anne Davenport in the Viggo Mortensen period adventure saga Hidalgo (2004), and the role of Dr. Harriet Fellows, a physician who assists crash survivor Alec Baldwin, in the TNT telemovie Second Nature (2003).

Trivia: In 1992, refurbished an old vaudeville house and transformed it into a performance hall called Arroyo Outback Theatre for various types of artists. Played the role of Gustin in Saturn Returns at South Coast Repertory in 2009. Is a member of the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema Grand Jury and Board of Advisors. Directed a stage production of The Odd Couple, the profits of which benefited the Idyllwild HELP Center. Was honored with the Joni Award from Idyllwild. Won a California Newspaper Publishers Award and a National Newspaper Publishers Award for his local column in a small-town newspaper. Founded and teaches at the Actors Refuge studio in Los Angeles.

Trivia: Born September 18th, 1970, actress, comedian, author, reality-show host, and occasional scriptwriter Aisha Tyler came of age in San Francisco and studied poly sci at Dartmouth College before mounting a (brief) career as an advertising executive in her hometown. Dissatisfied by this pursuit, and pining to launch herself as a full-time entertainer, Tyler "dropped out" of the corporate world and hit the road with a solo standup comedy act in the mid-'90s.Around 2001 -- after five years in Los Angeles with occasional standup bookings and concomitantly limited acclaim and recognition -- Tyler landed two huge breaks, first as the host of the irreverent Talk Soup during that program's final year (a position she inherited from Greg Kinnear, John Henson, and others), and then as the primary host of the dating series The 5th Wheel. Riding the crest of popularity generated by reality television during the first several years of the millennium, Wheel coupled the unscripted spontaneity of The Real World and Survivor with the format of the dating series Blind Date. Its premise involved setting two couples up on blind dates, having them "swap" partners, and adding an unforeseen fifth member (the "wheel" of the title) to stir things up and add provocation. The program placed a greater emphasis on erotic and suggestive content than Blind and -- perhaps as a result -- it unsurprisingly became a massive, runaway hit.The ever-ambitious Tyler, however, continued to expand her horizons. She maintained a short tenure with Wheel and quickly moved on to other endeavors, placing a particularly strong emphasis on television work. This included a stint as Charlie (the only recurring African-American cast member) in the final two seasons of the popular sitcom Friends, and a recurring role as covert terrorist Marianne Taylor on the weekly suspenser 24. Tyler also portrayed attorney Andrea Moreno (who dies in a car crash but is then "ushered" over to the other side by Jennifer Love Hewitt's psychic) in the first season (2005-2006) of the supernatural drama The Ghost Whisperer. After that, Tyler segued into feature-film work, with bit roles in such pictures as The Santa Clause 3 and .45.Six feet tall and one of the most physically breathtaking young actresses of her generation, Tyler frequently provides beauty tips in such magazines as Ebony and Glamour; she is also an outspoken proponent of physical fitness and a strenuous exerciser who pushes herself to an almost unimaginable degree. A February 2007 issue of In Style magazine reported, "In addition to scaling walls, Tyler runs, uses a rowing machine, lifts weights, snowboards and scuba dives. But for her, nothing beats the mental rush of rock climbing." In 2004, Tyler also authored and published the best-seller Swerve: Reckless Observations of a Postmodern Girl, a free-form, witty expostulation on such "hot" topics as men, bikini waxing, reality television, dating wars, sex, and body image.After filming several unremarkable movies throughout the mid-2000s, the actress found success on Archer, a television series that features Tyler as a dedicated but deadly agent for ISIS, a secret intelligence unit in New York City. While she continued work on Archer, she landed the job of co-host on The Talk, and later, host of the revamped Whose Line Is It Anyway? As if that weren't enough, Tyler also landed a recurring role on Criminal Minds in 2015.

Trivia: A veteran improv comedian, Eric Stonestreet honed his skills at the ImprovOlympic theater, but soon transitioned to the screen, making appearances on shows like ER and The West Wing during the early 2000s. He would go on to land roles in films like Ninja Cheerleaders and American Crude, but scored his biggest break when he was cast as Cameron in the sitcom Modern Family in 2009. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for that role in the acclaimed show's first season. The show remained popular, and Stonestreet ended up appearing in the big-screen comedy Bad Teacher.

Trivia: Bill Irwin certainly qualifies as one of the most unique figures in show business; attempts to compare him to other talent invariably conclude with the observation that there is no one else like Irwin, a testament to his overarching individuality. A native of Santa Monica, Irwin spent periods of his youth in Southern California and Oklahoma, then attended Oberlin College (as a theater arts major) and Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Clown College in Florida, where lessons learned in slapstick, pantomime, comedic improvisation, and graceful balletic would continue to inform his art and style throughout his life. Following said education, he spent various periods of time in dramatic ensembles (such as the prestigious Kraken ensemble) and circuses (such as the Frisco-based Pickle Family Circus) and racked up a litany of theatrical accomplishments that included Broadway performances in Waiting for Godot (opposite Steve Martin and Robin Williams) and Accidental Death of an Anarchist (opposite Jonathan Pryce), a critically acclaimed turn in Fool Moon (with the Red City Ramblers), and many other highlights. Meanwhile, on television, Irwin built up a substantial audience of young people with his wordless portrayal of Mr. Noodle (opposite the late Michael Jeter) on the "Elmo's World" segments of Sesame Street. Irwin's feature appearances include A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), Igby Goes Down (2002), Lady in the Water (2007), and Rachel Getting Married (2008), and Higher Ground (2011).

Trivia: From the early '90s onward, African-American actress Paula Newsome built a fairly substantial career for herself via many small supporting roles in films and television series. She debuted on the big screen in 1992, as Ellen in Barnet Kellman's Dolly Parton comedy Straight Talk, then spent years making single-episode appearances in such programs as ER, Ally McBeal, and Law & Order, as well as multiple-episode runs on Chicago Hope, NYPD Blue, and The Lyon's Den. Newsome's career escalated most dramatically, however, between 2006 and 2007, with her contributions to the comedy Little Miss Sunshine (2006), the Adam Sandler drama Reign Over Me, the drama Things We Lost in the Fire, and the ABC detective series Women's Murder Club (as Claire Washburn, a member of an all-female team of investigators).

Trivia: As a child, lived in Ireland for five years with his family. Made his TV debut on a 2007 episode of 30 Rock. Best-known for playing Luke Cafferty on Friday Night Lights from 2009 to the series finale in 2011. Was cast in the role of Caleb Evers on FOX's 2011 drama The Chicago Code. Plays electric guitar and specializes in blues-rock.