Trivia: Was an original member of the pop group Destiny's Child. Released her first solo album in 2006, titled LeToya. Appeared in the 2013 music video for "If We Had Your Eyes" by Michelle Williams, who replaced her in Destiny's Child. Works with the Caliber Foundation, which offers support to those effected by illegal gun violence.

Trivia: Few actors possess the range required to craft some of the most colorful villains ever committed to celluloid before turning around to portray such a benevolent and beloved leader as Martin Luther King Jr., and it's a testament to Clifton Powell's skills as a performer that he could be equally believable doing both. It was during the early '90s that Powell first began to rise to prominence in television and film, with standout roles in Bill Duke's Deep Cover and In the Heat of the Night preceding a pair of memorable supporting roles for the Hughes Brothers in Menace II Society and Dead Presidents. Though Powell would continue to appear in features, it was on the small screen that he gained most of his exposure in the early years. After gradually climbing the credits on such shows as Murder, She Wrote, The Jamie Foxx Show, and NYPD Blue, Powell would leave an indelible mark on viewers with his thoughtful portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in director Charles Burnett's Selma, Lord, Selma. With versatile, everyman looks that were something of a blessing and a curse, Powell quickly established himself as an actor capable of truly disappearing into his characters -- sometimes to a fault. While a slew of roles on screens big and small kept Powell a considerably busy man in the mid-'90s, later roles in such efforts as Lockdown, Civil Brand, and Never Die Alone proved that his persistence, talent, and dedication were beginning to pay off. In 2004, Powell and the cast of the wildly popular biopic Ray would be honored with a Screen Actor's Guild nomination, and though they didn't take home the prize it was obvious Powell was finally on the verge of breaking big. His dark turn in the T.D. Jakes screen-adaptation Woman Thou Art Loosed was followed by a series of small-screen appearances in House, M.D., CSI, and Day Break, and in 2007 alone Powell's name would be attached to no less than eight films being prepared for the big screen .

Trivia: Actress Essence Atkins began appearing onscreen in the late '80s, with small appearances on shows like Saved By the Bell and The Cosby Show. She would go on to land a series of starring roles on short-lived series throughout the '90s like Under One Roof and Smart Guy before finding lasting success with a starring role on the comedy series Half and Half, which she stayed with from 2002 to 2006. After the show ended its run, Atkins made a number of appearances in movies like Love for Sale and Dance Flick.

Trivia: Tammy Townsend spent most of her career guest starring and playing the occasional recurring roles on television shows. She was a regular on the short-lived series Divas. Her television credits include appearances on Family Matters, Living Single, In the Heat of the Night, and Quantum Leap. She made her film debut with a small role in Robert Townsend's The Five Heartbeats and had her first major role in the John Leguizamo showcase The Pest (1996).

Trivia: A talented dramatic actor who first caught the attention of television viewers thanks to his role as the handsome Dr. Michael Gallant on the long-running medical drama ER, former stage actor Sharif Atkins made the transition from stage acting to screen acting with an ease that gave notable testament to his remarkable range. A native of Pittsburgh, Atkins relocated with his family to Chicago when he was six years old. His grade-school stage roles failed to spark the kind of lifelong enthusiasm usually experienced by future thespiansm, and it wasn't until enrolling in Northwestern University that the acting bug truly bit. By the time Atkins had earned his bachelor's degree in 1997, his calling had become crystal clear to the burgeoning star. A series of stage roles in local Chicago productions saw Atkins impressively honing his craft to a fine point before making the transition to the screen with supporting performances in such television efforts as Early Edition. In 1999, he made the transition to feature films with a bit part in Light It Up. Atkins subsequently essayed a handful of small but memorable television appearances that helped to drive his career in the following years. Starting in 2001, he donned scrubs for a two-and-a-half-year stint as an idealistic young doctor on ER. Though Atkins would take a brief trip into the history of television as a musically inclined performer in the 2001 made-for-television feature The Big Time, it was his subsequent turn as a Chicago cop reassigned to Hawaii on the aptly titled NBC series Hawaii that earned the actor top billing and placed him on the cusp of true stardom.

Trivia: Is of African-American and Guyanese descent.Co-starred in the sitcom A Different World from 1987 to 1992, playing Jaleesa Vinson.Composed A Different World's theme song with Bill Cosby and Stu Gardner.Played Deloris Van Cartier, the Whoopi Goldberg role, in Peter Schneider's Sister Act the Musical before its Broadway run.Has lent her voice to a number of animated television series such as The Simpsons, Futurama, The Cleveland Show and The Boondocks, as well as to Pixar films Monsters University and Inside Out.

Trivia: Sang in a church choir as a youth. Didn't realize he was vocally gifted until his early teens, when---encouraged by his mother and grandmother---he began entering (and winning) talent competitions. Discovered by producer Troy Taylor when he was 15. Moved to New Jersey to learn about the music business from Taylor after graduating from high school. Named Best Male R&B Artist at the 2010 BET Awards. Founded Songz For Peace, a charity geared to stewarding young people, keeping them away from crime and violence, in 2008.