Trivia: The handsome, ruddy-faced, and often bespectacled Latino actor Demián Bichir debuted before the cameras from the age of 14 and launched himself as a telenovela star in his native Mexico in the '80s and '90s, prior to his slick and seemingly effortless transition into internationally oriented films during the early 2000s. Bichir became instantly known for his ability to combine rugged and exotic appeal with depth-signaling intelligence and articulation.Although Bichir officially debuted in a U.S. production circa 1983 -- with a turn in the telemovie Choices of the Heart (a biopic of ill-fated Irish missionary Jean Donovan [Melissa Gilbert], set in El Salvador) -- at that time he failed to draw significant attention in the American press as anything more than a footnote. (In fact, a New York Times review of that picture, from 1983, misspells his name as "Denian Bicher.") Bichir continued to score as a well-respected actor in Mexico, however, and did additional Hollywood crossover work from time to time -- usually in American features with predominantly Hispanic casts, such as Cliff Osmond's 1988 romantic drama The Penitent, starring Armand Assante and Raul Julia. Bichir signed for one of his most prominent and popular roles in the 1999 Mexican erotic drama Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas, as Tomas, a housewife's former lover who pays a most unexpected visit to that woman and her husband (and impedes the already strained, cracking marriage).In 2000, Bichir lent a memorable performance to the Mexico/U.S. co-production In the Time of the Butterflies, a Showtime original movie, directed by Mariano Barroso, about a plantation owner's daughter from the Dominican Republic (Salma Hayek) who courageously rebels against a Central American despot. Though not a starring role per se, the turn marked Bichir's first significant American breakthrough. It brought the actor much-deserved attention and second billing in an American film, when he played an insanely jealous boyfriend and pasta sauce entrepreneur, opposite Chelsea Altman, in Rudolph Gerber's eccentric soap opera comedy/murder mystery Heartbreak Hospital (2002). Unfortunately, that picture bombed with critics and the public and disappeared almost instantly -- which could partially explain why Bichir reverted to south-of-the-border films for his next several projects. The first of those pictures, Ciudades Oscuras -- Fernando Sariñana's memorably dark Altmanesque tale of intertwined urban lives, with Bichir at the center (as a bartender who has the film's individual stories told to him) -- scored with Mexican viewers. Bichir followed it up with the lead in the 2004 Spanish-language biopic Zapata, essaying the role of the famous Mexican bandit played by Marlon Brando 50 years prior.Bichir then signed for dual roles in 2006. He played Malboro, a young man who reunites with his younger brother and sets off on a long trip to explore their family's heritage, in Mexican director Javier "Fox" Patron's moody, contemplative festival drama Beyond Heaven (Fuera del Cielo, aka Chilango Blues), and a Bolivian dad wildly desperate to reconnect with his child in Miami (even if it means breaking multiple laws) in Juan Carlos Valdivia's hyper-stylized American Visa. Though these features received limited bookings and returns in the United States, they drew significant international attention for Bichir that far exceeded any notice engendered by his early telenovelas or U.S. network telemovies.Bichir continued to work steadily, landing a part in Steven Soderbergh's two-part biopic about Che Guevara, and he was cast in a recurring role on the Showtime series Weeds. 2011 proved to be a breakthrough for the hard-working thespian when his work in Chris Weitz's immigration drama A Better Life garnered him Best Actor nominations from both the Screen Actors Guild and the Academy. In 2012, the actor played a supporting role in director Oliver Stone's Savages, a crime thriller based on Don Winslow's best-selling novel of the same name.

Trivia: By the time director Alfonso Cuarón's Y Tu Mamá También took stateside arthouse theaters by storm in the early months of 2002, actor Diego Luna had been a fixture of Mexican film and television for nearly a decade. Though his breakout success could only be hinted at when he appeared in director Julian Schnabel's critically acclaimed drama Before Night Falls the previous year, it was his turn as a naïve, sex-starved teen in Cuarón's coming-of-age comedy drama that catapulted him to international stardom. A native of Mexico City whose mother died in a car accident when he was a mere two years old, Diego Luna was left to be raised by his father, Alejandro -- widely renowned as one of Mexico's most talented set designers. The draw of the entertainment industry, to which his father's work exposed him, proved too irresistible for the talented aspiring actor, and before long, Luna was refining his skills on both stage and screen. Following his debut in the 1991 short film El Último Fin de Año (The Last New Year), Luna appeared opposite childhood pal Gael García Bernal in the popular television soap opera El Abuelo y Yo (1992). His star quickly rising, Luna was soon noticed by casting directors, and in 1996, he took the lead for the musical drama El Cometa and the thriller Un Dulce Olor a Muerte (both 1999). To those who saw the films, it was obvious that the young star had leading-man talent, though it was a partnership with longtime friend Bernal that truly sparked both actors' careers. Y Tu Mamá También was released in Mexico in June of 2001 to huge box-office success, and it didn't take the rest of the world long to wonder what all of the fuss was about. Alternately funny, moving, sad, and affecting, the story of two hormone-fueled friends (Luna and Bernal) who hit the road with a sexy free spirit (Maribel Verdú) drew controversy for its overt sexuality. But those willing to look past that aspect were treated to a touching tale of friendship, loss, and the importance of living every moment of life to its fullest. With international offers subsequently flooding his doorstep, Luna remained in Mexico for a trio of films before accepting supporting roles in Frida and Vampires: Los Muertos in 2002. His status as an international star was confirmed when director Kevin Costner cast Luna in the 2003 Western Open Range. Following high-profile roles in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and Criminal (both 2004) the young star stepped before the camera for none other than Steven Spielberg for the 2004 drama The Terminal, which was inspired by the true-life tale of Iranian refugee Merhan Karimi Nasseri. He worked steadily, reteaming with Bernal in 2008 for the soccer drama Rudo y Cursi. That same year he was a producer on the well-reviewed Sin Nombre, and appeared as one of Harvey Milk's lovers in the award-winning biopic by director Gus Van Sant. In 2012 he had a small part in the thriller Contraband, and had a major part, again alongside Bernal, in the Will Ferrell Spanish-language comedy Casa de mi Padre.

Trivia: Produced the musical Aventurera, which toured in Mexico and parts of the United States. Was honored in Veracruz in 2009 for her long artistic career. Won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the TVyNovelas Awards in 2013.

Trivia: After college he took part in the Taller de Investigación Teatral de la UNAM (Theatre Research Workshop at the National University in Mexico City), directed by Nicolás Nuñez and Elena Guardia. Received the Ariel a Mejor Actor (Best Actor award from the Mexican Academy of Film) for his work on the 2007 film Dos Abrazos. Has performed in over 30 stage productions throughout Mexico, including Los Perdedores and La Repugnante Historia de Clotario Demoniax.