Trivia: Involved in amateur theatricals since childhood, Annie Potts received her BFA in theatre arts from Missouri's Stephens College. Potts has been seen in comic supporting roles in films since 1978; she is most closely associated with the part of ditzy secretary Janine Melnitz in the two Ghostbusters flicks of the 1980s. On television, Potts has played Edith Bedelmeyer on the one-season sitcom Goodtime Girls (1980), then enjoyed a longer run as Mary Jo Shively on Designing Women (1986-93). Her characterization of outspoken gourmet chef Dana Paladino on the prime time sitcom Love and War won Annie an Emmy nomination in 1994. Annie Potts has also been featured in a popular series of commercials for a well-known corn-chip product, and has served as national spokesperson for the Women for Arthritis Foundation. In 1996 she was cast as a no-nonsense schoolteacher of troubled inner-city high schoolers in the ABC-TV show Dangerous Minds, a series based on the 1995 Michelle Pfeiffer film of the same name. She voiced the part of Bo Peep in the first two Toy Story films, and in 2003 she took part in a Designing Women reunion. That same year she was the lead in Defending Our Kids: The Julie Posey Story. She appeared intermittently on the Showtime series Huff, and in 2007 she joined the cast of the short-lived series Men In Trees. In 2012 she was cast as one of the leads in the new TV series GCB.

Trivia: Born in Trinidad and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Began acting at 11 years old. Landed her first paying job the same day she graduated college with Shakespeare & Company. Played Titania in a 1987 off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, opposite F. Murray Abraham, Fisher Stevens and Elizabeth McGovern. Nominated for five NCAAP Image Awards for her work on Any Day Now.

Trivia: Child actress Olivia Hack is best known for playing adorably lispy Cindy in The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) and A Very Brady Sequel (1996). She made her film debut in Star Trek: Generations (1994). A native of Southern California, she started out on the Los Angeles stage. Before entering films, Hack had worked on television, appearing in series such as Wings and Phenom, as well as numerous radio and television commercials. Hack has also done voice work on the animated series Life With Louie and Hey Arnold!

Trivia: Character actor and screenwriter Chris Mulkey is best remembered for his convincing portrayal of creepy former convict Hank Jennings in David Lynch's innovative television series Twin Peaks. A five-year veteran of the Children's Theatre Company of Minnesota, Mulkey, who had previously studied theater at the University of Minnesota, made his feature film debut in the comedy Loose Ends (1975). He made his screenwriting debut in 1988, with Patti Rocks.

Trivia: For an actor who claims not to enjoy horror films as recreational viewing, Dan Byrd certainly has racked up his fair share of genre credits. Yet, despite prominent roles in such high-profile frighteners as Firestarter 2: Rekindled, Mortuary, and The Hills Have Eyes, young Byrd also managed to build the foundation for a successful television career and squeeze in roles in such family-friendly fare as A Cinderella Story in between stints of fending off mutants, vampires, and sadistic serial killers. A devoted actor since the age of eight, the Marietta, GA, native honed his craft in numerous stage roles before making the transition to the screen with appearances in Judging Amy, ER, CSI, Touched by an Angel, and Joan of Arcadia. While The Hills Have Eyes marked Byrd's first substantial role in a feature film, he has since gone on to appear as the son of John Travolta's character in the 2006 crime thriller Lonely Hearts and as one of many whose lives collide in the most unexpected of ways in the ensemble drama Jam. Additionally, Byrd has set himself apart from the pack by taking home honors at The Burbank International Children's Film Festival for his performance in The First of May, and by winning a Young Artist Award for his role in the Emmy-nominated television series Any Day Now. He appeared in the short-lived television series Aliens in America in 2007, but had a substantial part in the surprise 2010 box office hit Easy A.

Trivia: Discovered acting at age 13; at 15 won a scholarship to study at the famed Inner City Acting Academy in Los Angeles. Was the first African American to be ranked as the No. 1 college speaker in the nation (for two consecutive years); led USC Trojan Debate Squad to a national championship. In 1987 founded the Young Foundation to help youth achieve success; reorganized in 2000 as the Young Center for Academic and Cultural Enrichment to focus on youth leadership training. Was named an Ambassador of Goodwill by President Bill Clinton. Was an adjunct professor of English and Dramatic Arts at Woodbury University. Was inducted into the African American Hall of Education. Is the recipient of several distinguished awards, including the Ford Foundation Freedom Unsung Award, NAACP Social Achievement Award, President's Icon Award, and Man of the Year Award from the National Organization of Women at Work. Best known as Brandy Norwood's father, Frank Mitchell, on Moesha. Is a sought after motivational speaker.

Trivia: Born in Washington D.C., actor James McDaniel studied veterinary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania before moving to New York to work in theater, film, and television. His stage credits include Balm in Gilead, A Soldier's Play, and Someone to Watch Over Me. He was also the lead character in both off-Broadway and Broadway productions of John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation. (The role was later played by Will Smith in the 1993 film version.) McDaniel made plenty of TV movies and television guest-star appearances in the '80s, and ended up meeting writer/producer Steven Bochco on shows like L.A. Law, Law & Order, Cop Rock, and Hill Street Blues. When Bochco's NYPD Blue premiered in 1993, McDaniel was cast as Lt. Arthur Fancy. As the man in charge of the 15th Precinct, he earned nominations at the Emmy Awards, Image Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. He was also the only cast member to direct an episode. In the meantime, McDaniel appeared in the feature films Malcolm X, Truth or Consequences, N.M., and several TV movies. When his character was promoted to captain and sent on assignment in another district, McDaniel left NYPD Blue in search of other projects. In 2000, the actor played Nat "King" Cole in the NBC drama Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story, directed by Robert Townsend. Two years later, McDaniel played opposite Angela Bassett in John Sayles' ensemble drama Sunshine State. He also played an army general in Steven Spielberg's overblown miniseries Taken, broadcast on the Sci Fi channel. McDaniel finally earned his first major starring role in the Showtime original movie Edge of America as a black school teacher who coaches a girls basketball team on an Indian Reservation.

Trivia: A statuesque beauty whose first love as an actor was the stage, Gina Torres immersed herself in her craft by connecting with a live audience; the symbiotic energy that it created fueled her passion for acting and encouraged her to pursue a career in film and television in addition to her multiple Broadway roles. Born the youngest of three siblings in a close-knit Cuban family in New York, Torres received early voice training at New York's High School of Music and Art. Trained in opera and jazz, the talented mezzo-soprano also sang in a gospel choir, refining her versatile voice into a finely developed instrument with remarkable range. Although regular viewers of TV fantasy no doubt recognize her from recurring roles on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its sister show, Xena: Warrior Princess, the talented actress and singer also appeared in such popular small-screen action and drama series as Dark Angel, Cleopatra 2525, Firefly, Alias, Any Day Now, and Angel. Married to actor Laurence Fishburne since September 2002, Torres' film roles have included 1996's Bed of Roses and The Matrix Reloaded (2003). She had a recurring role on the TV series Angel. She appeared in a number of projects including Serenity, and the Chris Rock comedy I Think I Love My Wife. In 2010 she was cast in the made-for-cable series Huge, about teens at a fat camp, and voiced Superwoman for the animated Justice League series.