Trivia: As legend has it, Charlize Theron was discovered by an agent while fighting with a bank manager on Hollywood Boulevard. Eighteen and starving, Theron purportedly got into the argument after the manager refused to cash her check. The outburst caught the agent's attention, and eight months later Theron got her first acting job. She subsequently went on to become one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood, thanks to a fortuitous combination of talent and the blonde, statuesque good looks so fervently adored by the camera. Born August 7, 1975, Theron was raised on a farm in Benoni, South Africa. Trained as a ballet dancer, she was sent to Milan at 16 to become a model following the death of her father (which, it was later revealed, occurred after he was shot by Theron's mother, who was defending herself from his drunken abuse). After tiring of modeling, Theron returned to her first love, dancing, which resulted in a move to New York to dance with the Joffrey Ballet. Unfortunately, her career was halted by a knee injury, which led Theron -- at her mother's behest -- to travel to Los Angeles to try her luck with acting. After a long, unprofitable struggle, fate smiled upon Theron in the form of the aforementioned bank encounter. Following an inauspicious bit part in 1994's Children of the Corn III, Theron won her first dose of recognition with 2 Days in the Valley (1996). The film wasn't particularly successful, but it did give her both much-needed exposure and critical praise. The film also served as the stepping stone to her first leading role, that of Keanu Reeves' embattled wife in The Devil's Advocate (1997). The film drew poor reviews, but Theron managed to win widespread praise for her performance. Her next project, Trial and Error (1997), surfaced briefly before disappearing with nary a trace, but the subsequent Mighty Joe Young (1998) netted Theron more positive notices. Her ascent was confirmed with her casting in Celebrity, Woody Allen's 1998 cameo-fest that also featured turns from everyone from Kenneth Branagh to Winona Ryder to Leonardo DiCaprio to Isaac Mizrahi. In her portrayal of a perpetually aroused supermodel, Theron shone in a role seemingly designed to allow her to flaunt her natural attributes and little else. She was rewarded with more substantial -- not to mention multilayered -- work in The Cider House Rules (1999), Lasse Hallström's Oscar-winning adaptation of John Irving's novel. As a troubled young woman with secrets to hide, Theron received star billing alongside Michael Caine and Tobey Maguire.In the wake of The Cider House Rules came a few highly publicized but ultimately disappointing projects, including John Frankenheimer's Reindeer Games (2000), Robert Redford's The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), and Sweet November (2001), the last of which reunited her with erstwhile co-star Keanu Reeves. Theron was also reunited with Woody Allen in his The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001), another widely anticipated film that, despite a high-profile cast and stylish period design, was both a critical and commercial underachiever.None of this, however, nudged Theron from her A-list status, something that was confirmed by her casting in the flashy, star-studded 2003 remake of The Italian Job, a much-beloved 1969 comedy caper starring Michael Caine. The 2003 version featured Mark Wahlberg in the starring role, with Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, and Mos Def, among others, backing him up. That same year, Theron switched gears and dove headfirst into the "serious actress" category with her starring role in Monster, the crime drama based upon the real-life story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who, in the late '80s, murdered seven men in Florida. Co-starring Christina Ricci as Wuornos' lover, the film promised to show audiences a side of Theron that certainly hadn't been hinted at in her previous portrayals of models, girlfriends, and Southern debutantes. It was evidently successful as Theron was showered with more than a dozen awards including an Oscar following her first-ever Academy Award nomination.2005 would be a decidedly mixed year for Theron. She first appeared in the live-action adaptation of the cult animated series Aeon Flux, a film that was nearly unanimously maligned by critics and largely avoided by audiences. Luckily, she also starred in the well-received docudrama North Country. Playing a woman who successfully battled sexual harassment, Theron was honored with her second Oscar nomination for the performance.In 2007 Theron earned critical praise for her supporting role as a detective in In the Valley of Elah, and joined the star-studded cast of The Road in 2008. Theron took a lead role the following year in Young Adult (penned by Juno collaborators Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman) as a recently divorced author who returns to her hometown with her sights set on winning back her high school sweet heart. Young Adult was received well by both box office and critical standards. 2012's Snow White and the Huntsman featured Theron as the diabolical queen, while Prometheus (2012) found the actress playing the cold but complex character of corporate representative Meredith Vickers. In 2014, she took on a out-of-character comic role, playing the romantic lead in Seth Macfarlane's A Million Ways to Die in the West, before returning to top form in Mad Max: Fury Road the following year.

Trivia: Canadian-born actor Seth Rogen tapped into his skills as a comedian when he was only 13, signing up for comedy classes and honing his deadpan style. He tooled around as an amateur for a few years but eventually took his act down south, hoping to find success as an actor and standup comedian in the U.S. He was soon discovered by Judd Apatow and was cast in his short-lived series Freaks and Geeks. After its cancellation, Apatow cast Rogen in his next series, Undeclared -- for which Rogen significantly contributed as a writer. Undeclared met the same fate as Freaks and Geeks and was canceled mid-season, but both series became surprisingly hot cult hits upon their DVD releases. Rogen went on to write for Da Ali G Show and take minor roles in Donnie Darko and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy before being tapped by Apatow once again for a new project, this time on the big screen. The film was 2005's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Rogen's role as Steve Carell's well-meaning friend Cal finally brought him the large-scale success that made his comic skills a valuable commodity. Rogen also acted as co-producer on the film, which was touted as the funniest movie in years by critics and audiences alike, eventually grossing well over a hundred million dollars. There was obviously good chemistry on the set of The 40 Year Old Virgin, so Rogen signed on to appear in Apatow's 2007 comedy Knocked Up. Appearing alongside his old cast mates Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, Rogen starred as a man who is forced to deal with serious unforeseen consequences when his one-night stand becomes pregnant. After the filmmakers' initial plans to cast Anne Hathaway in the opposite role fell through, Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl signed on to star as the female lead. The smash success of Superbad made him one of the biggest comedy stars of his generation and led to Pineapple Express, a pot comedy opposite James Franco. He was Zack in Zack and MIri Make a Porno, and took a screenwriting credit on Drillbit Taylor in 2008. He lent his distinctive gravelly voice to a number of animated films including Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs. Aliens. In 2009 he stretched himself, reteaming with Apatow for Funny People, and taking the lead in the black comedy Observe and Report. In 2011 he was The Green Hornet, but he also appeared as the best friend to a young cancer victim in the comedy 50/50. He also played the husband of Michelle Williams in Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz.

Trivia: Met her comedy partner, Casey Wilson, in a clown class at NYU. After graduating from college, she and Wilson wrote and performed a two-woman sketch show called Rode Hard and Put Away Wet at Upright Citizens Brigade. The pair was named the Best Comedic Duo at the 2005 Emerging Comics of NY Awards. Cowrote the screenplay for 2009's Bride Wars, starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. In 2010, began hosting a popular podcast with husband Paul Scheer and Jason Mantzoukas called How Did This Get Made?, in which the three skewer movies.

Trivia: At 18 began to perform on stage with his famous father Ice Cube during concerts. Is featured on two songs, "She Couldn't Make It on Her Own" and "Y'all Know How I Am," from Ice Cube's 2010 album I Am the West. Under the name OMG (Oh My Goodness), released Jackin' for Beats: The Mixtape in 2012. Endured a two-year audition process before landing the role of his father in the biopic Straight Outta Compton, which marks his acting debut.

Trivia: Worked as an investment banker before turning to acting and stand-up comedy in 2004. Founded the poker magazine All In. Trained with improv groups the Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade.

Trivia: Clean-cut and perpetually dressed in tailored suits, comedian Bob Odenkirk was born in Illinois. He worked as a standup comic in Chicago before moving to New York and writing some of the best television comedy of his generation. From 1987-1991, he worked as a writer on Saturday Night Live and earned his first Emmy nomination. Odenkirk then wrote for The Ben Stiller Show and won his first Emmy award. He also wrote for Get a Life, The Larry Sanders Show, Late Night With Conan O'Brien, and Tenacious D. In addition, he played Stevie Grant on several episodes of The Larry Sanders Show. During this period, he met up with comedian David Cross and they became the team behind Mr. Show, an exceptional sketch comedy program that aired 1995-1998 on HBO. Along with Cross, Odenkirk was a host, writer, producer, and cast member. Although nominated for numerous awards, Mr. Show never won any. As an actor, Odenkirk appeared in small roles in such comedy features as The Cable Guy, Waiting for Guffman, and Can't Stop Dancing. On television, he provided voices to a few cartoons and tried his hand at directing with the HBO series The Near Future. After starring as Terry Twillstein in the unfortunate Run Ronnie Run!, he directed and starred in Melvin Goes to Dinner in 2003. The talky comedy feature was based on a play by Michael Blieden and the poster features lovely drawings by Adrian Tomine; it won several awards at festivals. As a writer/director, Odenkirk went on to make some videos and TV shows. As an actor, he later starred in The Big Wide World of Carl Laemke and My Big Fat Independent Movie. Though he remained one of the leading players of the alternative comedy scene, he was cast on the dramatic series Breaking Bad and earned rave reviews for his work on that program. He had a prominent part in 2012's The Giant Mechanical Man.

Trivia: Andy Serkis always wanted a future in entertainment. Growing up in Ruslip Manor, England, he visualized himself working behind the scenes in production. Today, he is an impressive British character actor with over 50 stage, television, and film credits, distinguished performances on both Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery!, and a highly coveted role in Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Serkis began his acting career in theater. He has appeared on almost every renowned British stage -- the Royal Court, the Royal Exchange Manchester, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Hull Truck, Dukes Lancaster, the Nuffield Studio, and Donmar Warehouse -- and in a host of popular plays. His resumé includes performances in King Lear, Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Faust, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and a star-studded production of Hurly Burly with Kelly MacDonald, Elizabeth McGovern, Rupert Graves, and Stephen Dillane. The actor has fashioned a television career as prolific as his stage work. In 1987, Serkis made his small-screen debut in two episodes of the Rik Mayall vehicle The New Statesman. He then signed on as Sparky Plugs in the BBC series Morris Minor's Marvelous Motors (1989), a comedy about eccentric mechanics that specialize in fixing a type of car that no one in town owns. The next decade saw Serkis acting in several of Britain's heralded miniseries. In 1994, he appeared in the murder-mystery Finney. In 1996, he played Sergeant Corrigan in a television adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse. In 1999, he starred in the Mystery! production Touching Evil as a grief counselor who tends to the husbands of women murdered by a brutal serial killer. In 2000, Masterpiece Theatre opened its 30th season with an adaptation of Oliver Twist that featured Serkis as Charles Dickens' terrifying loose cannon, Bill Sykes. That same year, the actor joined the international cast of Hallmark Hall of Fame's Arabian Nights, which included Dougray Scott, Mili Avital, and Rufus Sewell. In between juggling theater and television work, Serkis made his feature-film debut in the thriller Grushko (1993). His big-screen performances include a part in Mike Leigh's Career Girls (1997), a memorable turn as a wacky choreographer in the director's Topsy Turvy (1999), and the portrayal of 18th century English poet John Thelwall in Julian Temple's raucous Pandaemonium (2000). Serkis' most demanding role, however, did not require him to appear onscreen. Serkis supplied the voice and movement for the computer-animated creature Gollum in all three installments of Peter Jackson's trilogy The Lord of the Rings -- The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). The slithery Gollum, once a naïve hobbit, is driven mad by the force of the ring and displays emotions that range from childlike to menacing. Though Gollum only lurks in the background in the first film, he is of major importance to the rest of the trilogy. Serkis worked closely with technicians from Weta Workshop and Digital to produce an empathetic and palpable representation of Tolkien's character. He performed in a suit covered in reflectors that were tracked by a computer-driven camera. Animation was then superimposed over his movement, producing one of the most realistic computer-generated images in modern cinema. After completing The Lord of the Rings, Serkis quickly returned to the London stage. In the summer of 2001, he starred with Sinead Cusack and Catherine McCormack in the U.K. production of Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind at the Donmar Warehouse. The play was one of the last productions overseen by the Donmar's former artistic director, Oscar winner Sam Mendes. The actor also began filming a WWI film with Billy Elliot's Jamie Bell, and wrote and directed his first short film, Snake. Besides starring his Hurly Burly co-star, Rupert Graves, Snake features Serkis' longtime partner, actress Lorraine Ashbourne. The couple has two children, Sonny and Ruby.In 2005 he served as the human model for Peter Jackson's King Kong. The next year he appeared in The Prestige, and the year after that he played a convicted murderer in Longford. He had a major starring role in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll playing legendary British rock star Ian Dury. In 2011 he was the model for Captain Haddock in Steven Spielberg's motion capture version of The Adventures of Tintin, and that same year he earned rave reviews for being the model for Caesar, the creature at the center of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. He returned to the roll of Gollum for Peter Jackson's two Hobbit films in 2012 and 2013.

Trivia: Created an Asian American theater group called Lapu the Coyote That Cares, with two friends in college. Performs sketch comedy with his friend Marques Ray. His first regular acting role was on Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Out in 2006. Is a frequent contributor to Channel 101, an online TV network.

Trivia: Began acting at 7 years old, but quit at 13 to concentrate on his education. Served in the Swedish military, but returned to acting as a career once he was out of his teens. Lent his support to the Tails for Whales campaign, a global initiative calling for stronger whale protection sponsored by the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The online petition features photos of people making whale tails with their upturned hands. With co-director Björne Larson, won Grand Prix and Press Awards at the 2003 Odense International Film Festival in Denmark for Att döda ett barn (To Kill a Child), a short film narrated by his father, Stellan Skarsgård. Appeared in Lady Gaga's music video for "Paparazzi." Is a fan of the Swedish soccer club Hammarby IF in Stockholm. Nominated for the Swedish Film Institute's Guldbagge ("Golden Beetle") Award for Best Supporting Actor for Hundtricket in 2002.

Trivia: Vocalist with the very popular hip-hop group Boyz II Men, Wanya Morris tried his hand at film acting beginning with the 1999 film Uninvited Guest.

Trivia: Studied voice and classical music in high school. Became a member of a singing quartet called Unique Attraction in 1988. The musical group gained fame after changing their name to Boyz II Men. Wrote and sang "Visions of a Sunset" for Mr. Holland's Opus (1995). Received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in 1996 from Drexel University in Philadelphia. Became part owner of Stonecreek Studios and Stonecreek Recordings in 1996. Was a guest blogger for Access Hollywood in 2011.

Trivia: Lisa Kudrow first made her name playing Phoebe, the ditzy, New Age member of the titular close-knit pals on NBC's highly successful sitcom Friends. Since then, she has bridged the gap between television and film with undeniable success, winning particular acclaim for her role as an uptight school teacher in Don Roos' The Opposite of Sex (1998).Born in Encino, California on July 30, 1963, Kudrow earned a degree in biology from Vassar College before beginning her acting career. After college, she joined the Los Angeles improvisational group, The Groundlings, at the urging of family friend Jon Lovitz. Improv paved the way for more work, and Kudrow was soon appearing in bit roles in a number of films. Her first real break didn't come until 1993, when she began appearing on the TV sitcom Mad About You as Ursula, the waitress from hell. Real fame came in 1994, when the actress was cast as Phoebe on Friends; the enormous success of the show gave her both wide recognition and a steady day job. Kudrow's first leading role on the big screen was as one of the titular heroines (alongside Mira Sorvino) of the 1997 comedy Romy and Michele's High School Reunion; unfortunately, her character was little more than a film version of Phoebe. Fortunately, Kudrow got to widen her range a little further that same year with a starring role in the independent drama Clockwatchers, portraying a struggling actress alongside the likes of Toni Collette and Parker Posey. The following year, Kudrow won raves and critical respect for her turn in The Opposite of Sex, a scathing black comedy in which she gave a comic and poignant performance as an embittered woman coping with the death of her brother, the presence of her best friend's malicious little sister (Christina Ricci), and the romantic attentions of Lyle Lovett. The acclaim she received for her portrayal was complemented the same year with an Emmy Award for her work on Friends. In 1999, Kudrow shared the screen with Robert DeNiro in the comedy Analyze This, and later that year she starred with Diane Keaton and Meg Ryan as three sisters dealing with the imminent death of their irritating father (Walter Matthau) in the comedy Hanging Up, directed by Keaton and written by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron.As the new millenium unfolded, Kudrow would prove to be a strong force on screen, appearing in a number of acclaimed films, like Wonderland, Happy Endings, The Other Woman, Easy A, and in the comedy series Web Therapy.

Trivia: The slightly diminutive and gap-toothed comedian Paul Scheer burst onto the scene in the early 2000s as a standup comic and producer of television specials, usually for the stations HBO and Comedy Central. Scheer also appeared frequently on the VH1 program Best Week Ever and guested as an occasional commentator on NBC's seminal Today Show. He is best known, however, for his acting and writing collaborations with fellow schtickmeisters Rob Huebel and Aziz Ansari, with whom he developed, produced, wrote, and appeared in Human Giant. Culling inspiration from such sources as Saturday Night Live, The State, and MADtv, this consistently irreverent collection of outrageous and bawdy comedy sketches reeled in a sizeable audience when it premiered in 2007. Scheer also appeared in the 2006 Billy Bob Thornton comedy School for Scoundrels. In addition to parts in Meet Dave, Bride Wars, and Piranha, Scheer co-hosts the movie-related podcast How Did This Get Made?

Trivia: Worked at Sydney wildlife park admissions desks and the Australian Museum.Has no formal art school or drama training.Founder and member of the theater sketch group Pig Island.Won the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Best Newcomer Award, the Melbourne Fringe Best Comedy Award and the Brisbane Comedy Festival Award for her first show Monster of the Deep 3D.Co-author of the books 100 Facts About Pandas and its sequel 100 Facts About Sharks.

Trivia: From role to role, actor John Robinson exuded an all-American presence and look that made him a shoe-in for portrayals of average, well-rounded young men, but he also projected a subtly haunting quality that lent him perfectly to material with a slight edge. On that note, Robinson is arguably best known for his contributions to Gus Van Sant's explosive 2003 drama Elephant -- the tale of a high school massacre inspired by Columbine -- where he played John, a genial and responsible young man burdened by an alcoholic father. (In fact, Van Sant and co. displayed the blonde-haired Robinson's face very prominently on the film's posters). Robinson grew up in Lake Oswego, OR, and experienced his first brush with show business thanks to Van Sant, who discovered him and recruited him for said part. The young actor scored an equally memorable follow-up via a collaboration with director Catherine Hardwicke playing legendary daredevil skateboarder Stacy Peralta in the period drama Lords of Dogtown (2005), and enjoyed small turns in the Pierce Brosnan western Seraphim Falls and the effects-heavy sci-fi action saga Transformers. In 2008, Robinson teamed up with director Kelly Reichardt and star Michelle Williams for a supporting role in the gentle slice-of-life drama Wendy and Lucy.

Trivia: Something of an old standby -- a stalwart -- whenever Hollywood needed to call on an Asian-American character actor during the '70s, '80s, '90s, and 2000s, James Saito made countless guest appearances on such blockbuster programs as M*A*S*H, The Fall Guy, and The A-Team, often without even so much as a character name. (The M*A*S*H appearances list him only as "South Korean" or "Korean Soldier.") From the early '80s onward, Saito's resumé started to incorporate a number of feature films; per the experiences of most character players, these pictures varied substantially in quality -- from the depths of Hot Dog... The Movie! (1983) to the heights of Buckaroo Banzai (1984) and Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995). In 2007, Saito landed one of his first regular series roles, as Dr. Chen on the spiritual drama Eli Stone.