Trivia: With green eyes, clear skin, and a head of hair that any pre-Raphaelite would envy, Keri Russell became one of the most recognizable young actresses of the late 1990s. Propelled to fame by her title role on the WB Network's Felicity, Russell quickly endeared herself to critics and viewers with her searching and honest portrayal of a college freshman facing life on her own for the first time.Born Keri Lynn Russell on March 23, 1976 in Fountain Valley, California, Russell studied dancing from an early age. She later found that her love of dancing was good preparation for acting, insofar as both disciplines demanded self-discipline and an adherence to timing and choreography. Dancing led to a modeling stint, which in turn led to a trip to Los Angeles, where in 1991 she was cast as herself on the newly-revived Mickey Mouse Club. Russell stayed with the show until 1993, during which time she lived at Disney World, where the show was taped. During her time on the Mickey Mouse Club, Russell landed her first film role in 1992's Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. After her TV commitment ended, Russell moved to Los Angeles and in 1996 was cast in Aaron Spelling's Malibu Shores. In the same year, she did more film work in the little-seen The Babysitter's Seduction, and she continued her film work in 1997 with the comedy Eight Days a Week. In 1998, with her career flagging, Russell got her big break playing confused college freshman Felicity Porter, a part she nearly wasn't considered for because the show's creators felt she was too beautiful to have the problems her character did.Suddenly the subject of countless interviews and magazine covers, Russell found herself as one of television's hottest commodities, especially in the wake of the Golden Globe she netted for her portrayal of Felicity. Unsurprisingly, this new status led to a new range of opportunities, including her role in The Curve (1998), a thriller which had its premiere at Sundance and co-starred Matthew Lillard. After the conclusion of Felicity in 2001, Russell worked steadily in small but valuable roles in the films We Were Soldiers, The Upside of Anger, and The Management of Ordinary Days. Russell played a major role as a covert operative kidnapped by a weapons dealer in Mission Impossible III. Though she didn't manage to secure the role of Lois Lane for Superman Returns (2006) (that honor went to Kate Bosworth), Russell snagged the lead role of a small-town waitress in the highly acclaimed independent comedy Waitress (2007) and also played the lead in the modest hit August Rush (2007). The following year, she played Adam Sandler's love interest in Bedtime Stories.In 2010, Russell made an attempt to return to television in the Fox series Running Wilde, opposite Will Arnett. The show was canceled after only 13 episodes. However, in 2013, she scored a hit series with FX's Soviet spy-drama The Americans, playing a KGB officer posing as an American in 1980s Washington DC; she nabbed an Emmy nomination for her work on the show in 2016.

Trivia: A founding member of the Malaparte Theater Company, where he spent two years alongside such actors as Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard, Josh Hamilton has performed on the stage, screen, and television. His notable stage work includes roles in Pirandello's The Joke and in Eric Bogosian's SubUrbia. In 1991, Hamilton earned acclaim for his starring role in the CBS Schoolbreak Special "Abby, My Love," and he subsequently appeared in American Playhouse teleplays and in two CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame specials, including the highly praised "O Pioneers!" Hamilton entered feature films playing small roles in Old Enough and Firstborn (both 1984), but did not appear in any other films until Alive (1993), in which he portrayed a plane crash survivor stranded in the Andes with Ethan Hawke. In 1995, the actor earned greater recognition as one of the stars of Noah Baumbach's Generation X ensemble comedy Kicking and Screaming. Two years later, he earned additional recognition for his starring role as the wacko brother of sociopathic Parker Posey in The House of Yes; he subsequently continued to work largely on television and in various independent films.

Trivia: Jonathan Kimble Simmons was originally a singer, with a degree in music from the University of Montana. He turned to theater in the late 1970s and appeared in many regional productions in the Pacific Northwest before moving to New York in 1983. He appeared in Broadway and off-Broadway shows and also did some television -- his early roles included the portrayal of a white supremacist responsible for multiple murders in an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. In that same vein, Simmons first gained wide exposure as Vern Schillinger, the leader of an Aryan Brotherhood-type organization in prison in the HBO series Oz. Parlaying his small-screen notoriety into feature film opportunities, Simmons had a small part in the 1997 thriller The Jackal and played a leading role in Frank Todaro's low-budget comedy Above Freezing, a runner-up for the most popular film at the 1998 Seattle Film Festival. Also in 1997, Simmons increased his television prolificacy by taking on the role of Dr. Emil Skoda, the consulting psychiatrist to the Manhattan district attorney's office in the series Law and Order. By 1999, Simmons was showing up in such prominent films as The Cider House Rules and the baseball drama For Love of the Game, directed by Sam Raimi. The director again enlisted Simmons for his next film, 2000's The Gift. After a supporting turn in the disappointing comedy The Mexican, Simmons teamed with Raimi for the third time, bringing cigar-chomping comic-book newspaperman J. Jonah Jameson screaming to life in the 2002 summer blockbuster Spider-Man. In 2004, he would reprise the role in the highly anticipated sequel, Spider-Man 2. That same year, along with appearing alongside Tom Hanks in the Coen Brothers' The Ladykillers, Simmons continued to be a presence on the tube, costarring on ABC's midseason-replacement ensemble drama The D.A.His career subsequently kicking into overdrive, the popular character actor was in increasingly high demand in the next few years, enjoying a productive run as a voice performer in such animated television series' as Justice League, Kim Possible, The Legend of Korra, and Ultimate Spider-Man (the latter of which found him reprising his role as J. Jonah Jameson), as well as turning in memorable performances in Jason Reitman's Juno, Mike Judge's Extract, and as a hard-nosed captain in the 2012 crime thriller Contraband. Meanwhile, in 2005, he joined the cast of TNT's popular crime drama The Closer as Assistant Chief Will Pope -- a role which no doublt played a part in the cast earning five Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Ensemble Cast. Simmons continued to work steadily in movies, returning to the Spider-Man franchise in 2007. That same year he co-starred as the father of a pregnant teen in Juno, which led to him being cast regularly by that film's director Jason Reitman in many of his future projects including Up In the Air and Labor Day. It was Reitman who got Simmons the script for Whiplash, Damien Chazelle's directorial debut. The actor took the part of an abusive, but respected music teacher and the ensuing performance garnered Simmons multiple year-end awards including a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Academy.

Trivia: Played soccer in college Is the only child of NPR's Susan Stamberg, the original host of All Things Considered. Developed a love for theater and acting when he was cast in a school production of Fiddler on the Roof. Did voice work in 1994 for the movie Normandy: The Great Crusade. First TV job was a guest role on Spin City. Gained industry recognition in 2003 for his two-episode guest appearance as a gay paintballer on Six Feet Under.

Trivia: Best known for his role as Arwin in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Has done extensive voice work as well as live action film and television. Voiced numerous roles in The Loud House.

Trivia: Played on his high school's baseball and football teams. Attended college on a music scholarship. Considered becoming a physical therapist. Broke into acting when movie Benny & Joon (1993) filmed in Spokane, WA, and he served as a stand-in for Aidan Quinn. Made his big-screen debut with a small role in the 1995 thriller Crimson Tide. In 2001, started a fitness company, Bioconstructs, which teaches biomechanics to fitness professionals. Was passed over for the role of Kevin Buchanan on One Life to Live, but in 2003, won the part of Walker Laurence/Todd Manning. As a jazz percussionist, has played with musicians such as Marshall Royal, Slide Hampton, Bill Berry and Gene Harris. Has put his drum skills on display at ABC Super Soap Weekend events. Won Best Actor at the NYC Downtown Short Film Festival and the Staten Island Film Festival for his performance in the short The Art of Getting Over It (2009), which he also co-wrote and co-produced. Practices Tibetan Buddhist meditation.

Trivia: Like his older sibling Harvey, Miramax co-founder Bob Weinstein has an extended list of producer credits that reads like a greatest hits list of cinema from the 1990s and beyond. Unlike his more public-minded sibling, however, brother Bob has quietly minded the books of the enduring studio as the manager of Miramax's expenditures and revenue -- successfully building the company into one of the industry's largest and most powerful independent distributors. Serving as the perfect yin to his brother's yang, the harmonious balance of the Weinstein dynamic has helped to weather everything from the occasional controversy surrounding their films to frequent accusations of intimidation and questionable business tactics.Born a year after his older brother, the Queens native's stealthy business tact served the duo well when they founded Miramax after purchasing the film The Secret Policeman's Ball at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival. In the years that followed, the Weinsteins' fearless approach to acquiring controversial titles, combined with an acute understanding of the mechanics of the entertainment industry, found both their influence and selection of titles expanding at an unprecedented rate. In 1993, the company was purchased by Disney for 80 million dollars, with the understanding that both Bob and Harvey would remain in control of Miramax. If more adult-oriented films such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and Scream (1996) found distributor Miramax and parent company Disney somewhat at odds from time to time, a steady inflow of profits (along with the releases of such benign romantic dramas and comedies as Muriel's Wedding [1994], Jane Eyre [1996] and Shakespeare in Love [1998]) found both parties flourishing and differences put aside. Things may have been a bit slow going in the mid-'90s, but a revitalization of their marketing strategies as the decade moved on found such films as Il Postino (1994) and The English Patient (1996) performing successfully at both the box office and the Oscars. In 1992, Bob also played a key role in forming Dimension Films, a Miramax offshoot that focused on producing such moderately budgeted action and horror efforts as From Dusk Till Dawn and Scream (both 1996). Four years later, the duo would sign seven-year deals with their parent company that ensured they would remain active in Miramax's creative output. With such undeniable box-office hits as Chicago (2002), Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003, directed by longtime Miramax devotee Quentin Tarantino), and Bad Santa (also 2003) to add to the brothers' list of success stories, it appeared as if the company would be churning out the hits for some time to come.In 2005 Bob and Harvey left the Disney fold, leaving the company they had founded decades earlier in order to form The Weinstein Company. That new venture stumbled initially, but they eventually recaptured box office and Oscar success with a string of memorable films including Rambo, The Reader, Inglourious Basterds, A Single Man, The Fighter, and the Best Picture Oscar winners for both 2010 and 2011 - The King's Speech and The Artist.

Trivia: Alternately praised as the savior of modern film for his role in bringing such contemporary classics as Pulp Fiction (1994) and Chicago (2002) to the screen, and decried by fans of foreign film for his poor handling of foreign titles on domestic soil (Shaolin Soccer and Hero, in particular), it's difficult to deny that controversial producer and Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein has -- love him or hate him -- unquestionably changed the face of modern film. A Queens native, Weinstein, along with brother Bob, founded their small production company in 1979 when they acquired the rights to the film The Secret Policeman's Ball at the Cannes Film Festival. Drawing from the funds they made distributing the film to establish their company, the Weinsteins quickly made their presence known among the Hollywood elite. The company's namesake was drawn from a combination of their mother's and father's names (Miriam and Max, respectively). Miramax's early distribution of the Errol Morris docudrama The Thin Blue Line in 1988 grabbed headlines when the film's protagonist -- the wrongly convicted Randall Adams -- was released from prison due in no small part to the attention drawn to his plight by the film. If that film had drawn attention to the fledgling company, it was their successful acquisition of Steven Soderbergh's breakthrough indie hit sex, lies, and videotape (1989) that cemented their reputation as true innovators to watch. The Weinsteins courted controversy the following year with the releases of the X-rated art-house flicks The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!; subsequently, Miramax leveled a lawsuit at the MPAA that was key in the subsequent implementation of the NC-17 rating. This new rating served to distinguish adult-oriented film fare from out-and-out pornography. As Miramax's film library grew, it gained a reputation for trusting in fledgling filmmakers of extraordinary vision. By backing such young filmmakers as Quentin Tarantino in the production of his sophomore effort Pulp Fiction, Miramax expanded its power and increased its profile in Tinseltown. Miramax was purchased by Disney for 80 million dollars in 1993, and the Weinstein brothers remained with the company to release such hits as Muriel's Wedding and Il Postino (both 1994), the latter of which garnered several Oscar nominations. Of course, not all of the films that Miramax released were hits, but the brothers' willingness to take risks and place their trust entirely in the hands of filmmakers resulted in such critically lauded art-house hits as Smoke (1995), The English Patient (1996), and Good Will Hunting (1997). By the turn of the millennium, Miramax had successfully established itself as the driving force behind some of the most challenging and creative films to come out of the studio system. The Weinsteins' relationship with such filmmakers as Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Gus Van Sant, Kevin Smith, and Steven Soderbergh worked wonders for their indie credit and ensured good films for years to come. When Bob Weinstein founded Miramax offshoot Dimension Films in the mid-'90s, he kept the money rolling in by releasing moderately budgeted action and horror hits such as Wes Craven's Scream (1996).In spite of all the success Miramax has had in the realm of film production, many still questioned the ethics of Harvey Weinstein when it came to acquiring and releasing films. He has been accused of everything from strong-arm tactics to a "market sterilization" approach to purchasing immensely popular foreign films only to let them sit on the shelf unreleased domestically (apparently for little more reason than keeping them out of the hands of competetors). The fact that Miramax actively prohibited Asian film fans, in particular, from accessing such Oscar-worthy films as Zhang Yimou's period action epic Hero left many film lovers up in arms. Additionally, many fans also felt that, by "Americanizing" Asian films through editing and re-dubbing (both in terms of music and actual spoken soundtracks), Miramax seriously undermined the artistic integrity of directors' original visions, as was the case with popular Chinese funnyman Stephen Chiau's Shaolin Soccer (the most successful Hong Kong film ever made when originally released in 2001).He continued to produce financially and artistically successful films, but he underwent a major change when in 2005 Bob and Harvey left the Disney fold, leaving the company they had founded decades earlier in order to form The Weinstein Company. That new venture stumbled initially, but they eventually recaptured box office and Oscar success with a string of memorable films including Rambo, The Reader, Inglourious Basterds, A Single Man, The Fighter, and the Best Picture Oscar winners for both 2010 and 2011 - The King's Speech and The Artist.