Trivia: A burly, commanding actor known almost as much for the tumultuous quality of his offscreen life as that of his onscreen roles, Tom Sizemore has carved out a niche for himself in such guys 'n' guns films as Natural Born Killers, Strange Days, Heat, and Saving Private Ryan.Born in Detroit, Sizemore was educated at Wayne State and Temple University, earning a Master's in theater at the latter. He enjoyed an auspicious debut year in 1989 when he appeared in no less than four movies including Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July. That same year, the actor won the semi-regular role of Vinnie Ventressa on the popular TV drama China Beach. He went on to do starring work in such films as Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994), Carl Franklin's highly praised crime noir Devil in a Blue Dress (1994) and Michael Mann's crime thriller Heat. Sizemore's involvement with the latter film marked a personal turning point for him; for years he suffered from a well-publicized addiction to heroin, and he seemed to be losing his battle until he met his Heat co-star and childhood icon Robert De Niro, who, Sizemore subsequently admitted in interviews, convinced him to go into rehab.In 1998, Sizemore starred in what was possibly his most high-profile role to date in Steven Spielberg's WWII epic Saving Private Ryan. Cast as Sgt. Horvath, Tom Hanks' right hand man, the actor earned positive notices as part of a stellar ensemble cast that also included Giovanni Ribisi, Matt Damon, Jeremy Davies, and Vin Diesel. He subsequently porked out to play mob boss John Gotti in the made-for-TV Witness to the Mob and then returned to the screen in Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out the Dead (1999), which cast him as Nicolas Cage's ex-best friend. In 2000, Sizemore starred alongside Val Kilmer and Carrie-Anne Moss in the sci-fi adventure Red Planet; that same year, he appeared in Play It to the Bone, a boxing drama starring Woody Harrelson and Antonio Banderas. With the release of Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down the following year, the grizzled screen veteran seemed as if he may be threatening to becoming something of a later-day action star.Though to this point Sizemore's work in features had left him with little experience in the realm of television, all of that would change when he took the lead in the 2002 series Robbery Homicide Division. For an actor who excelled at playing hardened detectives and rough cops, the show seemed the ideal star vehicle for Sizemore, and after contributing vocal work for the controversial video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City that same year, he stepped into the lead for the crime thriller Swindle as the year wound to a close. A supporting role in Dreamcatcher got 2003 off to a shaky start, and things only went downhill from there when, in October of that year, the troubled actor entered rehab before being sentenced to six months in prison on domestic violence charges. Though his personal life may have been somewhat in flux, one certainly couldn't tell by looking at his screen credits for 2004 -- a year in which Sizemore would appear in no less than four films including the family adventure Fly Boys.

Trivia: The odyssey of Dennis Hopper was one of Hollywood's longest, strangest trips. A onetime teen performer, he went through a series of career metamorphoses -- studio pariah, rebel filmmaker, drug casualty, and comeback kid -- before finally settling comfortably into the role of character actor par excellence, with a rogues' gallery of killers and freaks unmatched in psychotic intensity and demented glee. Along the way, Hopper defined a generation, documenting the shining hopes and bitter disappointments of the hippie counterculture and bringing their message to movie screens everywhere. By extension, he spearheaded a revolt in the motion picture industry, forcing the studio establishment to acknowledge a youth market they'd long done their best to deny. Born May 17, 1936 in Dodge City, Kansas, Hopper began acting during his teen years, and made his professional debut on the TV series Medic. In 1955 he made a legendary collaboration with the director Nicholas Ray in the classic Rebel Without a Cause, appearing as a young tough opposite James Dean. Hopper and Dean became close friends during filming, and also worked together on 1956's Giant. After Dean's tragic death, it was often remarked that Hopper attempted to fill his friend's shoes by borrowing much of his persona, absorbing the late icon's famously defiant attitude and becoming so temperamental that his once-bright career quickly began to wane. Seeking roles far removed from the stereotypical 'troubled teens' which previously dotted his resume, Hopper began training with the Actors Studio. However, on the set of Henry Hathaway's From Hell to Texas he so incensed cast and crew with his insistence upon multiple takes for his improvisational techniques -- the reshoots sometimes numbering upwards of 100 -- that he found himself a Hollywood exile. He spent much of the next decade mired in "B"-movies, if he was lucky enough to work at all. Producers considered him such a risk that upon completing 1960's Key Witness he did not reappear on-screen for another three years. With a noteworthy role in Hathaway's 1965 John Wayne western The Sons of Katie Elder, Hopper made tentative steps towards a comeback. He then appeared in a number of psychedelic films, including 1967's The Trip and the following year's Monkees feature Head, and earned a new audience among anti-establishment viewers.With friends Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson in front of the camera, Hopper decided to direct his own movie, and secured over $400,000 in financing to begin filming a screenplay written by novelist Terry Southern. The result was 1969's Easy Rider, a sprawling, drug-fueled journey through an America torn apart by the conflict in Vietnam. Initially rejected by producer Roger Corman, the film became a countercultural touchstone, grossing millions at the box office and proving to Hollywood executives that the ever-expanding youth market and their considerable spending capital would indeed react to films targeted to their issues and concerns, spawning a cottage industry of like-minded films. Long a pariah, Hopper was suddenly hailed as a major new filmmaker, and his success became so great that in 1971 he appeared in an autobiographical documentary, American Dreamer, exploring his life and times.The true follow-up to Easy Rider, however, was 1971's The Last Movie, an excessive, self-indulgent mess that, while acclaimed by jurors at the Venice Film Festival, was otherwise savaged by critics and snubbed by audiences. Once again Hopper was left picking up the pieces of his career; he appeared only sporadically in films throughout the 1970s, most of them made well outside of Hollywood. His personal life a shambles -- his marriage to singer/actress Michelle Phillips lasted just eight days -- Hopper spent much of the decade in a haze, earning a notorious reputation as an unhinged wild man. An appearance as a disturbed photojournalist in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now did little to repair most perceptions of his sanity. Then in 1980, Hopper traveled to Canada to appear in a small film titled Out of the Blue. At the outset of the production he was also asked to take over as director, and to the surprise of many, the picture appeared on schedule and to decent reviews. Slowly he began to restake his territory in American films, accepting roles in diverse fare ranging from 1983's teen drama Rumble Fish to the 1985 comedy My Science Project. In 1986 Hopper returned to prominence with a vengeance. His role as the feral, psychopathic Frank Booth in David Lynch's masterpiece Blue Velvet was among the most stunning supporting turns in recent memory, while his touching performance as an alcoholic assistant coach in the basketball drama Hoosiers earned an Academy Award nomination. While acclaimed turns in subsequent films like 1987's The River's Edge threatened to typecast Hopper, there was no doubting his return to Hollywood's hot list, and in 1988 he directed Colors, a charged police drama starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall. While subsequent directorial efforts like 1989's Chattahoochee and 1990's film noir The Hot Spot failed to create the same kind of box office returns as Easy Rider over two decades earlier, his improbable comeback continued throughout the 1990s with roles in such acclaimed, quirky films as 1993's True Romance and 1996's Basquiat. Hopper was also the villain-du-jour in a number of Hollywood blockbusters, including 1994's Speed and the following year's Waterworld, and was even a pitchman for Nike athletic wear. He also did a number of largely forgettable films such asRon Howard's EdTV (1999). In addition, he also played writer and Beat extraordinaire William S. Burroughs in a 1999 documentary called The Source with Johnny Depp as Jack Kerouac and John Turturro as Allen Ginsberg. In 1997 Hopper was awarded the distinction of appearing 87th in Empire Magazine's list of "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time."Hopper contracted prostate cancer in the early 2000s, and died of related complications in Venice, CA, in late May 2010. He was 74 years old.

Trivia: A master of several Japanese martial arts, Steven Seagal is a popular action movie hero whose films combine spiritual concepts and social/environmental consciousness with high-voltage violence. Born in Lansing, MI, on April 10, 1951, Seagal traveled to Japan at the age of 17. There, he taught English, studied Zen, and perfected his martial arts, earning black belts in Aikido, karate, judo, and kendo. Afterwards, he became the first Westerner to open a martial arts school in Japan. During this time, Seagal occasionally choreographed fight scenes in movies and coached such stars as Sean Connery and Toshiro Mifune. He also became interested in Eastern religion: in a November 1997 interview for the Shambala Sun, he stated that his relationship with Tibetan Buddhism resulted from his study of acupuncture. According to Seagal, several ailing Tibetan lamas, suffering from malnutrition, exhaustion, and the effects of Chinese torture, were sent to him for treatment, which led him to become a director of secret security operations and setting up special safe houses. Regarding other incidents from his past, Seagal has remained secretive, though he was allegedly a bounty hunter and occasionally has hinted about involvement with the CIA. Further speculation has surrounded the work he did on behalf of Tibetan freedom fighters, and it was not until 1997 that he mentioned the large amounts of money he claimed to have donated to various religious organizations. Seagal spent about 15 years in Asia before returning to the States, where he opened a new martial arts academy and also worked as a celebrity bodyguard. His clients included his future (now ex-) wife Kelly LeBrock and Hollywood agent Michael Ovitz. With help from Ovitz, Seagal contracted to make martial arts films for Warner Bros. For his first film, he and cinematographer-turned-director Andrew Davis carefully refashioned an average police drama into Above the Law (1988), which stressed characterization and plot as well as high-energy action scenes. It was well received and Seagal found himself an instant star among action aficionados. His next film, Hard to Kill (1989), overflowed with chop-socky violence, casting him as a cop who wakens from a coma and sets out for revenge against those who sent him to the hospital. Seagal attracted mainstream appeal in 1992 when he starred in the Davis-directed hit Under Siege, his most popular movie. In 1994, he made his directorial debut with the environmentally conscious but critically panned On Deadly Ground, in which he single-handedly attempts to save Alaska and the Eskimos from an avaricious oil tycoon. Subsequent action attempts included 1996's Executive Decision and 1998's The Patriot. In 1999, Seagal turned to producing with Prince of Central Park, an uncharacteristically gentle film about a young boy living in the titular park. Following a rollicking time in the corrupt cop thriller Exit Wounds (2001), Segal shook things up behind bars in Half Past Dead (2002). The coming years would find Segal continuing to star in low proifle action fare like Urban Justice and Flight of Fury. He'd also find success starring on the TV series True Justice.In 1997, Seagal publicly announced that one of his prime Buddhist teachers, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, had proclaimed him a tulku, the reincarnation of a Buddhist lama. Seagal's announcement met with some cynicism, but Penor Rinpoche backed him up with a formal statement at Colorado's Naropa Institute. In subsequent interviews, Seagal has presented himself as a serious student of Buddhism who spends many hours meditating, studying, and practicing the tenets to help him become a teacher and healer.

Trivia: Acclaimed debut album, Illmatic (1994), spawned several hit singles and established him as a rising hip-hop star. Made his big-screen debut opposite rapper DMX in the 1998 crime drama Belly. Scored his biggest commercial hits with the back-to-back double-platinum albums It Was Written (1996) and I Am... (1999). Collaborated with his jazz musician father, Olu Dara, on "Bridging the Gap," from Nas' 2004 double album, Streets Disciple. Vied with Jay-Z for the East Coast rap crown following the 1997 death of rapper Notorious B.I.G.; the pair finally settled their feud in 2005, and went on to collaborate in the studio. Named No. 5 on MTV's list of the 10 Greatest MCs of All Time in 2006.

Trivia: It may surprise fans to learn that former tomboy-turned-sex symbol Jaime Pressly is actually pretty old-fashioned given her numerous provocative film roles and a revealing layout in Playboy magazine. It's no secret that Pressly shudders at the idea of going in front of the cameras for a love scene, and even considers onscreen kissing a little too intimate for comfort. Born in Kinston, NC, in July of 1977, young Pressly studied dance and gymnastics for 11 years before taking a turn as a model in the U.S., Italy, and Japan. Following an appearance on the cover of Teen magazine, Pressly began to gain momentum in the modeling world, and it seemed inevitable that she would soon make the leap to celluloid. Legally emancipated from her parents at the age of 15, Pressly made her feature debut as a teenage seductress in Poison Ivy: The New Seduction (she was offered the role after appearing as Drew Barrymore's body double in the original Poison Ivy [1992]), and went on to appear in such features as Can't Hardly Wait, Ringmaster (both 1998), and Poor White Trash (2000). On the small screen, Pressly made a big impression as a promiscuous dancer in the series Jack and Jill, and has made appearances on Hollywood Squares. In 1998, Pressly was married to Brodie Mitchell, resulting in a collective sigh of disappointment among her legions of male admirers, who have constructed countless Internet shrines to the toothsome actress. Increasingly in demand into the new millennium, Pressly appeared in such features as Tomcats, Joe Dirt, and Not Another Teen Movie (all 2001), as well as becoming the spokeswoman for Liz Claiborne's Lucky You fragrance. The actress would receive her widest exposure -- and critical acclaim to boot -- for her supporting role on the breakout hit TV series My Name Is Earl, in 2005. An Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series would follow, in July of 2006. Pressly lent her voice to Horton Hears a Who in 2008, and took a supporting role in the 2009 buddy comedy I Love You, Man.

Trivia: An actor with publicized demons, Peter Greene made a name for himself with his ability to convey raw yet quiet menace. Born and raised in New Jersey, Greene headed to New York as a teenager, but did not discover acting until his mid-20s. Trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Greene acted in several plays and made his film debut as one of the central thieves in Nick Gomez's edgy New York story Laws of Gravity (1991). Burnishing his baleful screen presence with performances as an insane father in the violent indie Clean, Shaven (1993) and a gangster in Judgment Night (1993), Greene relocated to Hollywood and made his intense presence felt in a trio of hit films. Following a substantial supporting role as one of the bad guys in the Jim Carrey comedy The Mask (1994), Greene played small yet crucial parts in two key 1990s gangster films: the infamous sadist (and chopper owner) Zed in Pulp Fiction (1994) and the sinister fence Redfoot in The Usual Suspects (1995). Following his performance as a blackmailer in The Rich Man's Wife (1996), Greene went into rehab to kick a near-lethal drug addiction. After his release, Greene returned to playing the heavy in both indie and Hollywood productions, including a bad cop in Bang (1997), Martin Lawrence's former criminal partner in Blue Streak (1999), and one of Ben Stiller's drug buddies in the addiction memoir Permanent Midnight (1998).

Trivia: The multi-talented Romany Malco's first break in the entertainment industry came when his rap group, College Boyz, had a hit song titled "Victim of the Ghetto." With the encouragement of the multi-faceted John Leguizamo, Malco tried his hand at acting. In a relatively short period of time, he scored a main role on Level 9, and landed the title role in the made-for-TV biopic Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story. He reached a much wider audience as Jay, one of the co-workers/friends of The 40-Year-Old Virgin. His supporting role as Conrad Shepard on Showtime's satirical sitcom Weeds earned him more strong notices. He continued working in comedy with a supporting turn in Baby Mama starring former Saturday Night Live anchorwomen Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. He would also continue to find success on the small screen, with shows like No Ordinary Family and The Good Wife.

Trivia: While other students at Berkeley were weaving flowers in their hair and blowing weed, Joe Spano was laying the groundwork for an acting career. After establishing himself on the San Francisco theatrical scene, Spano began showing up on screen in such supporting roles as Vic in American Graffiti (1974) and Ace in Roadie (1980). From January 1981 through May 1987, Spano could be seen on a weekly basis as Henry Goldblume, the bespectacled and bowtied community affairs officer on the TV series Hill Street Blues. In 1992, Joe Spano made his Broadway debut in a revival of Arthur Miller's The Price.

Trivia: An actress whose great intelligence belied her image as a svelte, blond bombshell, British performer Vanessa Branch began life in London and grew up as the daughter of a hotel chef, frequently relocating during her youth. Branch ultimately enrolled in Vermont's Middlebury College, with a dual major in theater and Chinese, and graduated in 1994; on the side, she cultivated musical interests with performances on the viola and the piano. In her professional life, Branch made a strong mark in several arenas: on commercial television, as the sexy Orbit gum spokeswoman (whose mantra was "Fabulous!"); in daytime soaps (cast as the gentle, amiable Paige Collins on ABC's Port Charles); as a guest performer on prime-time series such as Gilmore Girls and Monk; and in features. Big screen projects included a small role in the Denzel Washington medical drama John Q., a glossy turn as Captain Jack Sparrow's girlfriend Giselle in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), and a small-scaled yet pivotal turn as a kindly veterinarian in the modest family-oriented drama All Roads Lead Home (2008).

Trivia: Supporting actor, onscreen from the late '80s.