Trivia: One of the great chameleons of contemporary pop music, David Bowie long displayed a gift for remaking his image to suit his creative needs, which, when coupled with an approach that carried far more intellectual and creative weight than that of the average rock star, made him a better candidate than most musicians to become a solid screen actor. While David Bowie never graduated into a full-fledged movie star, over the years he established himself as a gifted (if idiosyncratic) thespian with a taste for offbeat projects.David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in the multi-cultural working-class city of Brixton, England on January 8, 1947. Jones developed an interest in creative matters early on, and picked up the saxophone at age 13. At 16, Jones left school and began a career as a commercial artist, while singing and playing sax with rock bands in his spare time. By 1966, Jones had recorded singles with three different combos, none of which fared well commercially, when he decided to set out on his own as a solo act; he also took on the stage name David Bowie to avoid confusion with Davy Jones, who had just become an international star with the pre-fab pop group the Monkees. After recording an unsuccessful solo album, Bowie dropped out of the music business for a spell and began to study mime with Lindsay Kemp; in 1969, Bowie even formed his own mime troupe, Feathers, as well as an experimental art ensemble, the Beckenham Arts Lab. Neither was a sure moneymaker by any stretch of the imagination, so Bowie signed a deal to record another album, which included an offbeat number called "Space Odyssey." Around the same time, Bowie made his screen-acting debut with a very small part in the film The Virgin Soldiers; that same year, he also appeared in an obscure experimental film called The Image, as well a promotional reel called David Bowie: Love You Till Tuesday, which remained unseen until the early 1970s; the film includes footage of Bowie playing his music and performing with the Feathers group.Bowie's next album, 1970's The Man Who Sold the World, represented a move toward a harder rock sound, and in 1972, he'd score his breakthrough with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, a concept album about a gender-bending rock star from outer space. Released as the glam rock scene was beginning to peak, Ziggy Stardust made Bowie a full-fledged superstar in both England and the United States, and D.A. Pennebaker shot a celebrated documentary about the final date of the group's 1973 tour. In 1976, with Bowie confirmed as a major international pop star, director Nicolas Roeg cast Bowie in his first leading role as an unhappy alien who becomes a famous industrialist and pop star as he tries to find a way home in The Man Who Fell to Earth; while the film was a few shades too arty and offbeat to become a box-office blockbuster, the story seemed made-to-order for Bowie's public persona, and he gave a fine performance which helped the film become a modest box-office success. Bowie's busy touring and recording schedule, however, kept him from taking another major film role until 1979, when he played Paul in Just a Gigolo, an ambitious but unsuccessful film best remembered for featuring Marlene Dietrich's final screen performance. For the next few years, Bowie's screen work was for the most part limited to contributing music to films, most notably Cat People, for which he provided the theme song, and Christane F., in which Bowie briefly appeared as himself in a concert sequence.In 1983, Bowie's album Let's Dance brought him to new heights of commercial success, and his next major film, Nagisa Oshima's Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence found him receiving top billing for what was essentially a supporting role. Despite Bowie's busy touring schedule, he continued pursuing film work, playing a key role in the offbeat vampire film The Hunger and lending a cameo to the comedy Yellowbeard, while also providing music for Hero, The Falcon and the Snowman, and Boy Meets Girl. In 1986, Bowie scored one of his rare leading roles in a mainstream film when he starred in the big-budget fantasy Labyrinth, which found George Lucas collaborating with Jim Henson; Bowie also played a small but highly distinctive role in the British pop-culture musical Absolute Beginners that same year, as well as penning and performing the title tune. Two years later, Bowie landed perhaps his most unusual role, playing Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese's controversial adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis' The Last Temptation of Christ.In the 1990s, while Bowie remained an international star in music circles, his following began to scale itself back, and as he spent less time on the road, he began devoting more time to his acting, playing mostly supporting roles in idiosyncratic projects such as The Linguini Incident, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, and Basquiat, the latter of which found him playing pop art icon Andy Warhol. Bowie also continued to provide music for films, most notably the British satire The Buddha of Suburbia. He turned in a very amusing cameo as himself judging the "walk-off" between Hansel and Zoolander, and his music was used rather distinctly by Wes Anderson in The Life Aquatic. Bowie tackled his largest acting role in quite some time in 2006 when he was cast in Christopher Nolan's film about magicians, The Prestige. He lent his voice to an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, appeared in various music documentaries and concert films, and appeared as himself in the teen comedy Bandslam in 2009. Bowie released a new album, Blackstar, on his 69th birthday in January 2016; he succumbed to cancer only two days later.

Trivia: Once described as resembling a teenage Elizabeth Taylor, one gets the feeling that Jennifer Connelly may, with her winning of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in A Beautiful Mind (2001), have finally found what she once referred to as, "the film I'm really proud of and really love." And though she has graced the screens of theaters since 1984, Connelly remains a capable and versatile actress undefined by any single role or film.Born in the Catskill Mountains of mid-state New York in December of 1970, and raised in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of New York City, Connelly got her start in show business as a model at the age of ten. Quickly coming into high demand due to her striking beauty, Connelly often traveled abroad, where she eventually made her acting debut. The burgeoning actress landed her first role in an episode of the British horror anthology Tales of the Unexpected, and soon found work in small roles such as the Duran Duran music video for "Union of the Snake" before making her feature debut in Sergio Leone's sprawling gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America. Connelly's next film role, as a gifted schoolgirl who teams with an entomologist to solve a string of murders in Dario Argento's Phenomena, proved that the young actress was well capable of handling leading roles. After a memorable Dorothy-esque turn in Jim Henson's fantasy adventure Labyrinth (1986), in which she must rescue her brother from Goblin King David Bowie, Connelly seemed to almost disappear for a short while. Subsequent appearances in such forgettable films as The Hot Spot and The Rocketeer, while frequent and helping the actress to maintain visibility, remained unchallenging and did little to advance her career.Things began to look up for the talented actress in the mid-'90s. Maturing into an actress capable of taking on challenging roles, Connelly's portrayal of a sensitive lesbian who befriends college freshman Kristy Swanson in John Singleton's Higher Learning hinted at abilities previously unexplored. After small roles in such well-received films as Lee Tamahori's Mulholland Falls and Alex Proyas' Dark City, Connelly was nominated for an Independent Spirit award for her portrayal of a burned-out junkie in Darren Aronofsky's emotionally jarring Requiem for a Dream (2000). In addition, 2000 brought Connelly her first recurring television role, in the fast-paced Wall Street weekly The $treet, and a role in Ed Harris' directing debut, the Jackson Pollock biopic Pollock. The following year found Connelly at a turning point in director Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind. As the loyal wife of famed mathematician turned paranoid schizophrenic John Forbes Nash Jr. (portrayed in the film by Gladiator star Russell Crowe), Connelly once again showed her versatility and ability to gracefully shine amidst such notable talents as Crowe and Howard. With her roles in the early 2000s increasing in both emotional scope and dimension, Connellywould next appear in acclaimed director Ang Lee's eagerly anticipated The Hulk before taking the female lead in The House of Sand and Fog (both 2003). She played opposite a number of Oscar nominees in 2006 with her supporting work in Blood Diamond and Little Children, and continued to work steadily in a variety of projects including Reservation Road, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Inkheart. She played the title character in screenwriter Dustin Lance Black's Virginia. She was cast as the put-upon wife of Vince Vaughn in Ron Howard's romantic comedy The Dilemma in 2011.

Trivia: Worked for American Airlines and Hewlett Packard as an industrial designer. Met famed puppeteer Frank Oz at the 1972 New York Puppetry Festival, which led to him beginning to attend tapings of Sesame Street. Joined the roster of Muppets performers in 1974 after meeting Jim Henson and providing the puppeteer with his portfolio. Created the character the Great Gonzo, who made his first appearance in 1975 in the inaugural season of The Muppet Show. Created a variety of different Muppets characters during his puppetry career, including the Muppet Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Fraggle Rock lead character Boober Fraggle. Dubbed his voice to provide singing for the Ben Folds Five music video "Do It Anyway."

Trivia: Born in Hereford, England, Frank Oz (born Frank Oznowicz) graduated from California's Oakland City College during 1962 and joined the humans behind Jim Henson's fledgling Muppet group as a puppeteer the following year. He was part of the first-season cast of Saturday Night Live as the Mighty Favag and appeared in The Blues Brothers with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. After The Muppet Show went on the air in 1976, Oz became vice president of the Henson organization, and was responsible for the portrayals of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Animal, among other characters, earning three Emmy Awards for his work on the show. He later served as a producer for The Great Muppet Caper (1980), directed by Henson, with whom he co-directed The Dark Crystal a year later. He later directed The Muppets Take Manhattan in 1984. Two years later, with Henson in the director's chair, Oz was one of the voices in Labyrinth. Moving outside of Henson's orbit, Oz directed the screen version of the musical Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), What About Bob? (1991), and the Kevin Kline vehicle In & Out (1997). He also served as the voice of Yoda in five Star Wars movies: The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones, and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. He helmed the 1999 showbiz satire Bowfinger, and two years later directed Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando in the crime drama The Score. He continued to voice various Muppet characters in a number of projects, but also maintained his directorial career with the comedies The Stepford Wives, and the original Death at a Funeral.

Trivia: At age 11, wrote a letter about puppetmaking to his future boss, Jim Henson, and received a personal reply encouraging him to stick with puppeteering. Had his big break at age 19 after impressing Caroll Spinney at a puppetry festival which led to an interview with Jim Henson. Had his first and only musical writing credit, on the TV show Fraggle Rock, after the composer for the show found out that he was an amateur musician. Spent a year of intensive work at a local humane society outside of Atlanta in 1987. Was handpicked to take over the puppets Kermit the Frog and Ernie after the death of Jim Henson in 1990. Serves on the board of the Shambala Preserve, Tippi Hedren's big cat animal preserve.

Trivia: One of the most prominent of all vocal contributors to Jim Henson's Muppets during the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, Kevin Clash grew up in a predominantly African-American Baltimore suburb, and projected an unusual degree of aptitude for both designing original puppets and performing with them, from a tender age. He kick-started his career with work on The Great Space Coaster and Captain Kangaroo, then commenced his longstanding association with Henson by voicing a myriad of characters on the 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth, and extended the working relationship into contributions to several of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films, Muppet Treasure Island, and a host of other Henson projects. Clash found his broadest appeal, however, by providing the voice for a single character: the beloved, impossibly cute Elmo -- both on Sesame Street and in the feature The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999). Clash won a myriad of Emmys for that portrayal. He relayed his life story in the 2006 autobiography My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love, and Laughing Out Loud.

Trivia: Actor Warwick Davis is best known for portraying the title character -- a role written especially for him by story writer George Lucas -- in Ron Howard's sword and sorcery fantasy Willow (1988). Davis made his film debut at age 11 playing the Ewok Wicket W. Warrick in Return of the Jedi (1983). Then only 2'11" tall, he auditioned the role after his grandmother overheard a casting call for little people on the radio. During production he began a friendship with director George Lucas and went on to reprise the role in a pair of made-for-television movies: The Ewok Adventure (1984) and The Battle of Endor (1986). When Davis married in 1991, he and wife, Samantha Burroughs, honeymooned on Lucas' Skywalker Ranch. Fans of horror fare will recognize Davis as the murderous, magical little person in the five Leprechaun (1993) films. In addition to his feature film work, which includes Prince Valiant (1997) and Star Wars: Episode 1, Davis has also appeared on television in movies and miniseries such as the BBC's popular Chronicle of Narnia and the American-made Gulliver's Travels (1996). In addition, he works occasionally on the British stage. Davis owns a production company, Inch High Productions, and for it has directed and produced musical and industrial videos. In 1994, he co-founded Willow Personal Management Ltd. with former castmate Peter Burroughs. They bill it as "The Largest Agency for Short Actors in the World."In the first decade of the 21st century Davis was cast as Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter films and he would go on to appear in every film in that highly successful franchise. He appeared in the 2004 biopic Ray, and in 2011 he joined forces with Ricky Gervais for the sitcom Life's Too Short.

Trivia: Puppeteer and voice actress for The Muppet Show. Founder and lead pipeteteer for satirical television show Spitting Image. Starred in many London West End shows, from The Pirates of Penzance to Anything Goes, Kiss Me Kate, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Oliver!

Trivia: For as long as he could remember, Mississippi born Jim Henson was a devoted fan of puppeteers and ventriloquists; his idols included Edgar Bergen, Burr Tillstrom and Bil and Cora Baird. While attending high school in Maryland (where his meteorologist father had been relocated), Henson was hired for the staff of the Washington, D.C. kiddy show Sam and His Friends. By the time he was a freshman at the University of Maryland, the lanky, goateed Henson was in charge of the TV show's puppets, with his future wife Jane Nebel as his assistant. It was during the Washington years that Henson hit upon the concept of the Muppet: part marionette, part puppet. His most popular character was Kermit the Frog, whom Henson fashioned out of his mom's overcoat in 1959. TV commercial appearances by the Muppets led to guest stints on The Jack Paar Show, The Today Show, The Tonight Show, and The Jimmy Dean Show. While Henson and his partner Frank Oz handled the voices for most of the characters, the ever-expanding Muppet cast required a retinue of willing (and quick-witted) assistants. Henson's first taste of movie-making was the Oscar-nominated 1965 short Timepiece, but at the time he preferred television to films. In 1969, the Muppets became a regular feature on the spectacularly popular PBS daily Sesame Street, which turned out to be both a blessing and a curse for Henson: his characters were now highly marketable, but he was being perceived as exclusively a "children's entertainer." As such, he lost a lot of adult-oriented assignments. This "kiddy" onus prevented ABC from picking up Henson's half-hour The Muppet Show in 1975, whereupon Henson offered the program to syndication. As a result, The Muppet Show became one of the biggest non-network hits in TV history, as well as a great international success. Capitalizing on the popularity of "star" muppets Kermit and Miss Piggy, Henson and his staff concocted the 1979 all-star feature film The Muppet Movie, which made scads of money. With 1981's The Great Muppet Caper, Henson made his feature film directorial debut; he would later direct Labyrinth (1986), and with Frank Oz, co-direct The Dark Crystal (1982). After many years of avoiding Saturday morning network TV, Henson collaborated with Marvel Studios on the weekly cartoon series Muppet Babies (1984), which added more Emmy awards to his already top-heavy trophy shelf; less successful was the 1986 animated version of Henson's HBO series Fraggle Rock. During the late '80s, Henson expanded his activities to designing "creatures" for other producer's projects, notably the 1990 movie blockbuster Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In May of 1990, Henson was poised to sell his Muppet empire to Disney Studios. Suddenly stricken with streptococcus pneumonia, Jim Henson checked himself into New York Hospital, where he died a few days later at the age of 53. The Muppet operation was taken over by Jim Henson's son Brian Henson.