Trivia: With a rare beauty that has inspired countless platitudes and an almost-permanent place on People's Fifty Most Beautiful list, Michelle Pfeiffer had to work long and hard before getting respect for her talent, rather than mere adulation for her looks. Born April 29, 1957, in Santa Ana, CA, Pfeiffer got her first taste of fame in her late teens, when she won both the Miss Orange County beauty contest and then the title of Miss Los Angeles. After high school, Pfeiffer went to college for a year, deciding that she wanted to become a court reporter. It was while working in a supermarket that Pfeiffer realized that acting was her true calling and she auditioned for commercials and modeling assignments while she attended acting school.Pfeiffer debuted before the cameras in a one-line role on the TV series Fantasy Island and went on to a string of bit parts on TV. She debuted on the big screen in a small part in Falling in Love Again (1980) and then had small roles in two more films before getting her big break with the role of Stephanie in Grease 2 (1982). This led to her portrayal of Al Pacino's wife in Brian De Palma's 1983 classic Scarface, for which the actress garnered favorable attention and greater opportunities. Her first starring role was in the comedy thriller Into the Night (1984) with Jeff Goldblum and was followed by a turn in Richard Donner's fantasy adventure Ladyhawke (1985). Over the next couple of years, Pfeiffer acted in films of varying quality, but it was with 1987's The Witches of Eastwick that her career turned in a truly positive direction. Starring alongside Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Jack Nicholson, Pfeiffer received much acclaim for her work, acclaim that continued with her turn in Dangerous Liaisons (1988), for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. The same year, Pfeiffer took on an entirely different role as a Mafia wife in the 1988 hit comedy Married to the Mob. In 1990, she was rewarded with yet another Oscar nomination -- this time for Best Actress -- for her portrayal of a nightclub singer in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989). The 1990s proved to be a good decade for Pfeiffer, allowing her to branch out with a variety of roles that kept her from being pigeonholed and provided opportunities for her to showcase her versatility. Highlights from the first half of the decade included the 1991 romantic drama Frankie and Johnny, in which she played a frumpy, bitter waitress opposite Al Pacino; 1993's underrated Love Field, for which she received her second Best Actress nomination; Tim Burton's 1992 adventure Batman Returns, in which she co-starred with Michael Keaton and a lethally sexy cat suit; and the acclaimed 1993 Martin Scorsese adaptation of Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. That same year, Pfeiffer would finally realize her lifelong goal of motherhood when she adpoted a baby girl named Claudia just a few short months before walking down the aisle for a second time to wed Ally McBeal and Boston Legal creator David E. Kelley (the actress' previous marriage to actor Peter Horton had dissolved in 1988). In 1994, Pfeiffer and Kelly would complete their nuclear family when the ecstatic mother gave birth to young John Henry.The second half of the decade saw Pfeiffer stick to dramas and romantic comedies, notably the 1996 hit One Fine Day with George Clooney, Jocelyn Moorhouse's 1997 adaptation of Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres, the star-studded 1999 adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the family drama The Deep End of the Ocean. Through it all, Pfeiffer maintained her siren status while increasing her bankability, no small feat in an industry where women over the age of 27 are often labeled as past their prime. Not that Pfeiffer would be in any danger of losing her looks in the near future; after perfectly meeting the rigorous standards of California plastic-surgeon Dr. Stephen Marquardt's complex "beauty formula" in 2001, the sultry actress was singled out as having the most beautiful face in all of Hollywood. Of course Pfeiffer's face alone couldn't be held accountable for her wild success, and the millennial turnover found the talented actress apprearing in such high-profile features as Rob Reiner's comedic marriage drama The Story of Us, Robert Zemeckis' supernatural thriller What Lies Beneath, and the Sean Penn drama I Am Sam. A supporting role in the 2002 literary adaptation White Oleander found Pfeiffer supporting an all-star cast of Hollywood up and comers, and a role as the voice of the goddess Eris in 2003's Sinbad: The Legend of the Seven Seas marked her first foray into animated feature territory. In 2006 Pfeiffer would continue to turn heads when she accepted the role of an older woman who falls for a younger man in director Amy Heckerling's I Could Never Be Your Woman. A small role in director Adam Shankman's phenominally successful remake of John Waters' Hairspray was quick to follow, and after enchanting fantasy fans in 2007's Stardust, the veteran actress was sexy as ever as an aging seductress in Stephen Frears' Cheri. And though her 2008 film Personal Effects only received a limited release, Pfeiffer would quickly returns to the screen in director Garry Marshall's episodic rom com New Years Eve, and Tim Burton's misguided feature adaptation of the popular supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows.

Trivia: George Dzundza's face slowly sank into the collective subconscious of American culture after nearly 30 years before the cameras. Audiences may be hard-pressed to name him, though his familiar face is like that of a distant cousin one has never met but keeps stumbling across while thumbing through old family photo albums. From his turn as an enraged, cheated-on spouse in the horror classic Salem's Lot (1979) to a recent turn as Robert De Niro's partner in 2002's City by the Sea, you can't get away from Dzundza once you've put a name to the face. Aggressively pursued by the president of the Stagers Society (who threatened to have him expelled lest he audition for an upcoming production) at college orientation, a nervous Dzundza hastily agreed and quickly landed the part. A quick rise through the theater circuit soon landed Dzundza some prime supporting roles on the small screen, and it wasn't long until he was gaining exposure on such diverse shows as Starsky and Hutch and The Waltons. In 1975, Dzundza made his film debut with a role in The Happy Hooker, and through the remainder of that decade and well into the '80s he frequently alternated between television and film. Following appearances in The Deer Hunter and Salem's Lot, Dzundza was cast as the lead in the short-lived sitcom Open All Night, and through the remainder of the decade he landed roles in such high-profile theatrical releases as Best Defense (1984), No Mercy (1986), and No Way Out (1987). It wasn't until 1990 that Dzundza would make a return to weekly television, though his role as Sgt. Max Greevey on Law & Order certainly made up for lost time. Even if he did leave the series after only one season, the decision ultimately served him well and his feature career subsequently flourished. As Dzundza's career advanced into the '90s, it also evolved and found him branching out by lending his voice to such animated television efforts as Superman and Batman: Gotham Knights. A short-lived stint opposite Christina Applegate followed with Jesse in 1998, and after moving back to features with roles in Instinct (1999) and City by the Sea, Dzundza settled nicely into the role of Father Tom "Grizz" Grzelak in the popular television series Hack in 2002.

Trivia: Although he had been appearing in both film and television productions since the mid-'80s, it took nearly two decades for actor Courtney B. Vance to finally receive recognition. The Detroit native was bitten by the acting bug while a student at Harvard, and though he had originally intended to study history, he felt the lure of the stage and was soon appearing in productions at Harvard before eventually joining the Boston Shakespeare Company. After graduation, Vance continued his acting career at the Yale School of Drama, and it was there that he first gained notice for his role opposite James Earl Jones in the August Wilson drama Fences. In 1987, Vance made his film debut in the war drama Hamburger Hill, and though he remained true to his stage roots in the ensuing years, screen roles kept rolling in. The actor climbed the credits throughout the 1990s with a series of supporting roles in The Hunt for Red October (1990), Beyond the Law (1992), and The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993). 1995 proved something of a breakthrough year for the rising star, with roles in Panther, Dangerous Minds, and The Last Supper offering him more screen time than ever. In 1996, Vance held his own as a minister opposite Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston in The Preacher's Wife. Drawing from his own faith -- which had recently been reawakened by the suicide of his father -- for the role, Vance also had memorable performances in Cookie's Fortune in 1999 and Space Cowboys the following year. He portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the dramatic miniseries Parting the Waters (2000) and made another solid impression on television viewers the next year with a role in the popular series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.Vance would stick with the series for five years, concurrently appearing on the long-running medical drama ER. By the time he had finished his run on both programs, he was on to the science fictions series Flash Forward from 2009-2010, before signing on to appear alongside Michael Biehn in the post-apocalyptic horror flick The Divide in 2011.

Trivia: Started her professional acting career in 1974.At the start of her career, learned to type to work in offices while also auditioning in New York.In 2008, was awarded the School of Theatre Distinguished Alumni Award by the Boston University College of Fine Arts.Has played a teacher in multiple projects, including Lean on Me (1989), If Looks Could Kill (1991), Curb Your Enthusiasm and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.In 2016, was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her work in the film H. (2014).

Trivia: Singer, writer, and actor of stage and screen, Renoly Santiago made his film debut playing Raul in the Michelle Pfeiffer vehicle Dangerous Minds (1995). His Broadway appearances include the production Heroic Deeds. As a writer, Santiago received an Emmy nomination for co-writing the pilot to the series City Kids.

Trivia: African-American actress Beatrice Winde built her reputation upon the New York stage, beginning with the searing off-Broadway production In White America (1963). Winde received the Theatre World Award for her performance in Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death. She made several films in the '80s and '90s, including A Rage in Harlem (1991) (actually filmed for the most part in Cincinnati) and Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992). Billed as Bea Winde, the actress appeared as Lillian Foster in the waning days of the NBC-TV soap opera The Doctors.

Trivia: Born in Trinidad and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Began acting at 11 years old. Landed her first paying job the same day she graduated college with Shakespeare & Company. Played Titania in a 1987 off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, opposite F. Murray Abraham, Fisher Stevens and Elizabeth McGovern. Nominated for five NCAAP Image Awards for her work on Any Day Now.

Trivia: British lead actor, onscreen from 1960.

Trivia: Supporting actor Marcello Thedford learned to act via experience with improvisational theater in New York and by studying at the Bronx's Third World Theater at Black Drama Productions. His early film credits include small roles in Crimson Tide and Dangerous Minds (both 1995).

Trivia: After studying briefly at Bowling Green State University, New Jersey-born actress Eva Marie Saint entered the hectic world of live television. With a coolness and maturity that belied her youthfulness, Saint made an excellent impression in her first important stage appearance, 1953's A Trip to Bountiful. The euphoria attending her winning the Drama Critics Award was doubled by her 1954 Oscar win for her co-starring stint with Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront. The following year, the blonde, graceful actress appeared with Paul Newman in a TV musical version of Our Town (wherein "stage manager" Frank Sinatra introduced the hit song "Love and Marriage"). Saint continued starring in films with everyone from Bob Hope (That Certain Feeling, 1956) to Cary Grant (in the Hitchcock classic North by Northwest, 1959). A string of mediocre films in the 1970s prompted Saint to seek out more satisfying roles on television before returning to the stage in 1983. More recently, Saint won an Emmy for her performance in the 1989 dramatic special People Like Us. A staple of television throughout the 1990s and well into the new millennium, Saint essayed a supporting role in director Wayne Wang's 2005 family comedy Because of Winn Dixie before stepping into the role of the Man of Steel's mother in director Bryan Singer's Superman Returns the following year.

Trivia: Colombian-born, Spanish Harlem-raised actress Paula Garcés graduated to film by virtue of her career as a soap star on Guiding Light (where she played Pilar Santos). She then immediately fell into a Tinseltown niche by specializing in big-screen portrayals of fiery, doe-eyed Latinas with heightened allure and exoticism -- qualities that lent themselves equally to drama and farce. Early projects included supporting roles in the Michael J. Fox comedy Life with Mikey (1993), the Michelle Pfeiffer-starring inspirational drama Dangerous Minds (1995), and the disastrous Lisa Kudrow-Damon Wayans hip-hop comedy Marci X (2003). Garcés received much higher billing as Maria, the elusive "dream girl" of Harold, in the stoner comedy Harold and Kumar go to White Castle (2004) and its sequel, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008). The actress' resumé also includes guest appearances on such TV series as Oz, The Sopranos, and Law & Order: SVU, and a recurring role as Officer Tina Hanlon on The Shield.

Trivia: Born, raised, and educated in the Midwest, character actress Bonnie Bartlett moved to New York City with her actor husband, William Daniels (otherwise known as the voice of K.I.T.T. on Knight Rider). During the '50s, she played Vanessa Raven on the CBS soap opera Love of Life. After adopting two children in the '60s, she went on to a prolific career on television. From 1974-1977 she played widow Grace Snider who married the farmer Isaiah Edwards on Little House on the Prairie. From 1982-1988 she played Ellen, the wife of Dr. Mark Craig (played by husband Daniels) on St. Elsewhere. At the 1986 Emmy awards, the couple became the first married team to win acting awards on the same night. Of her many made-for-television movies and miniseries, she had starring roles in Right to Die, Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story, and Tuesdays With Morrie. Her supporting roles in feature films include Twins, Dave, and Primary Colors. Back on television in the late '90s, she played several reoccurring characters, most notably Lucille on Home Improvement, Dean Bolander on Boy Meets World, and Barbara Brooks on Once and Again.