Trivia: Though he readily admits that people have commented on his similarity to Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise from the time he was just 12 years old, actor Sean Faris still insists that his high-school life couldn't be more different from that of his character on the critically lauded prime-time comedy drama Life as We Know It. On television playing the "cool kid" that every girl wants to hook up with is easy, but in real life, Faris claims that his high-school career wasn't nearly as glamorous. Unwilling to associate himself exclusively with any one particular clique, Faris instead opted to focus his time on enjoying the company of his friends -- no matter what rung of the social hierarchy they occupied. It was early work as a model instilled the Parma, OH, native with a certain amount of confidence before the cameras, but even into his early teens, Faris still had few concrete ideas about which career path best suited him. Of course it wasn't long before fate found the athletic but somewhat aimless teen cast in a local independent film at the age of 17, and Faris immediately realized that film was his true calling. By the time high-school graduation had come and gone and the obligatory wave of graduation parties had winded down, Faris had his bags already packed and made his way to Los Angeles. As the old proverb goes "timing is everything," and almost immediately after arriving in Hollywood, Faris was cast in a supporting role in director Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor. If the immediate success had gone to Faris' head just a bit, reality would soon sink in when the young hopeful was cast in such forgettable low-budget efforts as Twisted and The Brotherhood II: Young Warlocks. Following a few acting classes and some formal training, however, Faris was soon working his way back to the top with small-screen roles in MTV's Undressed and House Blend -- as well as brief supporting appearances in Smallville and Boston Public -- before making a return to A-list features as Alexa Vega's character's love interest in the 2004 teen comedy Sleepover. Later that same year, Faris made a splash on the small screen as one of a trio of tight-knit teens preoccupied with sex in Life As We Know It. In 2005 he joined the cast of Reunion, a television series from FOX chronicling the aftermath of a murder that took place during a high school reunion. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled after only nine episodes. He had similar luck throughout the late 2000s, much of which he spent working on a series of unremarkable films. He took on a starring role for the action thriller Stash House in 2012 and continues to be active in film and television.

Trivia: An actress who first fell into her screen niche playing beautiful and voluptuous teenage girlfriends, Amber Heard was blessed with a visage that seemed tailor-made for modeling, and indeed she began her ascent to fame on that route. The Austin, TX, native reportedly dropped out of high school a year early and made a beeline for Los Angeles, her eyes fixed on glossies and catwalks. That dream failed to materialize, but in seemingly no time at all, Heard received a bid to act instead. She garnered two of her first major breaks when cast as the lead in the teen slasher movie All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (produced 2006, released 2008) and when she landed a key regular role on Kevin Williamson's short-lived prime-time soap Hidden Palms (2007). The cancellation of that series aside, 2007-2008 actually represented a watershed period for Heard, and one that witnessed the actress' enlistment in such big-screen features as Day 73 With Sarah (2007), The Beautiful Ordinary (2007), Never Back Down (2008), and the David Gordon Green-Judd Apatow crime comedy The Pineapple Express (2008), as the love interest of a stoner played by Apatow mainstay Seth Rogen. She appeared in the horror comedy Zombieland in 2009. Two years later she had a recurring role in the short-lived television series The Playboy Club, and landed major parts in The Rum Diary, opposite Johnny Depp, and Drive Angry, with Nic Cage. In 2013, she had a supporting role in Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills and appeared in the box-office flop Paranoia. She next played an elite CIA assassin in 3 Days to Kill. In 2015, Heard turned in strong supporting roles in Magic Mike XXL and the Oscar-nominated film The Danish Girl.

Trivia: Washington native Cam Gigandet is perhaps best known as the mysterious Kevin Volchok on the popular nighttime soap The O.C.. Like a lot of young actors, he started his career making small appearances on popular TV shows like CSI, but by 2005, the 23 year old had scored the recurring role that would make him famous, and he quickly became a well-known face to thousands of fans. When his role on the show ended, Gigandet moved on to films like 2008's Never Back Down, but his next major career move wouldn't come until later that year with the movie Twilight. A film adaptation of a wildly popular series of young-adult novels, the movie showcased Gigandet's dark charm with the role of James, a beautiful but villainous vampire. In 2010 he was cast in the musical Burlesque and took a part in the sleeper hit Easy A. The next year he appeared in Trespass and The Roommate. In 2014, he returned to TV in the short-lived series Reckless.

Trivia: Moved to Los Angeles with his mother when he was 15 to pursue his dream of being an actor. Won various acting awards at a talent competition in Florida; a photographer saw his potential and recommended an agent. Appeared in adverts for PlayStation, Progressive Insurance and Moviefone. Landed his first TV role as Seth Wosmer on Disney's Phil of the Future in 2004. Over the course of American Horror Story, he played a frat boy, a young serial killer and a 1950s carnival performer.

Trivia: Lead actress, onscreen from the late '80s.

Trivia: Actor Djimon Hounsou first gained acting attention in Steven Spielberg's Amistad (1997). Born April 24th, 1964 in West Africa, he moved with his family to Paris, France, at age 13. When he left school, he became homeless and spent a couple of years wandering the streets of Paris before being discovered by fashion designer Thierry Mugler. After he resettled himself, Hounsou moved to Los Angeles to try his hand at acting. While on the way to stardom, Hounsou appeared in music videos, including those of Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Steve Winwood. After his turn as a rebellious slave in Amistad, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination, he found increasingly steady employment on both the big and small screens, becoming a semi-regular on the hospital drama ER and appearing in such films as the historical epic Gladiator (2000). After such high-profile projects, Hounsou's success in the following two years would prove no surprise to anyone who glanced at his filmography. Aside from prominent roles in such high-profile French films as 2002's Le Boulet (Dead Weight) and the following year's Muraya -- l'Expérience Secrète de Mike Blueberry (The Adventures of Mike S. Blueberry), Hounsou's bid for screen stardom was simultaneously on display in such stateside features as The Four Feathers (2002), Biker Boyz, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider -- The Cradle of Life (both 2003).In 2003, Hounsou received his first Oscar nomination for his acclaimed supporting role in Jim Sheridan's In America. And while he spent much of the next three years appearing in films that earned mixed reactions from both audiences and critics, he was back in top form in 2006's Blood Diamond, which found him opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. The film appeared on a number of Top Ten lists, garnered Hounsou accolades from countless critics groups and snagged him his second Oscar nod.Following the success of Blood Diamond, Hounsou made several guest appearances on th popular television show Alias, and joined filmmaker Michae Bay's 2005 action drama The Island, which co-stars Scarlet Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Sean Bean. In 2009, Hounsou played the rle of n aget determined to thwart the plans of a group of telekinetic American ex-pats. The actor joined the Academy-award winning actress Helen Mirren in the 2011 film adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest, in which Mirren played the traditionally male role of Prospero.

Trivia: Was an Army brat who lived in Germany for 10 years. Mother is from Trinidad. Won breaking and popping dance contests as a preteen. Posted sketch/parody videos on YouTube that became very popular. Made a series of viral commercials with Dr. Dre and LeBron James. Has a production company called Lejan Entertainment, Inc.

Trivia: Studied martial arts growing up. First on-screen appearance came at the age of 14 on the martial arts show WMAC Masters, which launched his acting career. Cold-called casting director Sarah Finn to schedule a general audition, which led to him being cast in 2009's Fast and Furious. First audition for Straight Outta Compton flopped; he re-auditioned several months later and was cast as DJ Yella.