Trivia: A graduate of Oxford, actor Hugh Grant would seem more a natural product of Cambridge University, breeding ground for such comic talents as Monty Python's Flying Circus. Grant's classic good looks make him a shoo-in for romantic leads, but his comic abilities -- marked by a nervous stutter, desperately fluttering eyelids, and an ability to capture a brand of distinctly English embarrassment -- have also marked him as a gifted comic performer. Born in London on September 9, 1960, Grant made his film debut under the very Oxbridge name of Hughie Grant in the Oxford-financed Privileged (1982). He then worked in repertory before forming his own comedy troupe, the Jockeys of Norfolk. Following some television roles, Grant made his first professional film appearance in 1987 with a blink-and-he's-gone part in White Mischief. The same year he did more substantial work, first as Lord Byron in Rowing With the Wind, and then as a sexually conflicted Edwardian in Ismail Merchant and James Ivory's adaptation of E.M. Forster's Maurice. The role won him a Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival, but despite such acclaim, Grant's next films were largely forgettable affairs. One exception -- albeit a dubious one -- was Ken Russell's The Lair of the White Worm, in which the actor attained some degree of cult status as a lord attempting to foil the murderous charms of a campy, trampy vampire (Amanda Donahoe).Following period work in Impromptu (in which he played a consumptive, bewigged Chopin) and another Merchant-Ivory outing, The Remains of the Day, Grant finally hit it big in 1994 with starring roles in two films, Sirens and Four Weddings and a Funeral. The latter film in particular gave the actor almost overnight transatlantic stardom, landing him on a number of magazine covers and TV talk shows. The following year, Grant gained fame of an entirely different sort when he was arrested for soliciting the services of an L.A. prostitute. The box-office take of his subsequent film, Nine Months, released on the heels of his arrest, was buoyed by his notoriety, as were the ratings of the episode of The Tonight Show which featured Grant's sheepish apology to his then-girlfriend, model/actress Elizabeth Hurley. The actor managed to recoup some of his professional dignity with a restrained performance as Emma Thompson's suitor in the acclaimed Sense and Sensibility, but his next feature, Extreme Measures, a thriller produced by his and Hurley's production company, Simian Films, proved a disappointment. Following this relative failure, Grant receded somewhat from the public consciousness, but reappeared in 1999 with Notting Hill. A commercial as well as relative critical success, the comedy helped to restore some of the actor's luster, further assisted by his roles in the comedies Mickey Blue Eyes (1999) and Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks (2000). After once again charming filmgoers while competing for the affections of Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones's Diary, Grant took on the role of a playful London lothario who forms a bond with one of his conquests' offspring in the romantic comedy About a Boy. Indeed, the romantic comedy seemed to be simply the most natural fit for the actor, and he found more success in new millennium with returns to this genre in Two Weeks Notice, Love Actually, and the sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.He played a fictionalized version of Simon Cowell in the comedy American Dreamz, and was solid as a washed-up 80's pop star opposite Drew Barrymore in the romantic comedy Music and Lyrics in 2007. His next film, 2009's Did You Hear About the Morgans?, was his last on-screen appearance for nearly three years, when he took on a small role (six small roles, actually) in the Wachowski's Cloud Atlas. In 2015, he had a supporting role in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., but made bigger waves for the role he didn't take: Grant would not appear in the third Bridget Jones films, shocking fans of the series.

Trivia: As Mr. Darcy in the acclaimed 1995 television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Colin Firth induced record increases in estrogen levels on both sides of the Atlantic. Imbuing his role as one of literature's most obstinate lovers with surly, understated charisma, Firth caused many a viewer to wonder where he had been for so long, even though he had in fact been appearing in television and film for years.The son of two university lecturers, Firth was born in England's Hampshire county on September 10, 1960. Part of his early childhood was spent in Nigeria with missionary grandparents, but he returned for schooling in his native country and eventually enrolled in the Drama Centre in Chalk Farm. While playing Hamlet in a school production during his final term, the actor was discovered, and he went on to make his London stage debut in the West End production of Julian Mitchell's Another Country. Starring opposite Rupert Everett, Firth played Tommy Judd, a character based on spy-scandal figurehead Donald Maclean (Everett played Guy Bennett, based on real-life spy Guy Burgess). He went on to reprise his role for the play's 1984 film version, again playing opposite Everett. Despite such an auspicious beginning to his career, Firth spent the rest of the decade and half of the next working in relative obscurity; he starred in a number of television productions -- including the highly acclaimed 1993 Hostages -- and worked steadily in film. Some of his more notable work included A Month in the Country, in which he played a World War I veteran opposite Kenneth Branagh and Natasha Richardson, and Valmont, Milos Forman's 1989 adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, in which Firth starred in the title role. The film also provided him with an introduction to co-star Meg Tilly, with whom he had a son.However, it was not until he again donned breeches and a waistcoat that Firth started to emerge from the shadows of BBC programming. With his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the popular TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Firth was propelled into the media spotlight, touted in a number of articles as the latest in the long line of thinking women's crumpets; he was further rewarded for his work with a BAFTA award. The same year, he appeared as an amorous cad in the similarly popular Circle of Friends and went on the next year to appear as Kristin Scott Thomas' cuckolded husband in The English Patient. Firth garnered praise for his role in the film, which went on to win international acclaim and Academy Awards.After a turn as a morally ambiguous man who gets involved with both Jessica Lange and Michelle Pfeiffer in A Thousand Acres, Firth took a comically sinister turn as Gwyneth Paltrow's intended husband in the 1998 Shakespeare in Love. The following year, he starred in two very different movies: My Life So Far, a tale of family dysfunction in the Scottish Highlands, and Fever Pitch, initially released in the U.K. in 1997, in which Firth played a rabid English football fan forced to choose between his love of the sport and the woman in his life. Headlining the low-key comedy My Life So Far the following year, Firth's performance as the father of a family living in a post World War I British estate was only one of five roles that the busy actor would essay that particular year (including that of William Shakespeare in Blackadder Back and Forth). His finale of the year -- Donovan Quick -- offered a memorable updating of the legend of Don Quixote with Firth himself in the titular role. Firth's supporting role in the 2001 comedy Bridget Jones's Diary preceded a more weighty performance in the chilling drama Conspiracy, with the former earning him a BAFTA nomination and the latter an Emmy nod. Comic performances in Londinium (2001) and The Importance of Being Earnest (2002) found Firth continuing to maintain his reputation as one of England's most talented comic exports, and if his lead in 2003's Hope Springs failed to capitalize on his recent string of success, his role as teen starlet Amanda Bynes' celluloid father in What a Girl Wants (2003) at least endeared him to a new generation of moviegoers before the adult-oriented drama Girl With a Pearl Earring hit theaters later that same year. After rounding out the busy year with a return to romantic comedy in Love Actually, Firth kicked off 2004 with a turn as a haunted widower in Trauma while preparing to return to familiar territory in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.Firth continued to work steadily in projects ranging from the family friendly Nanny McPhee with Emma Thompson to the hit musical Mama Mia, playing one of the three men who might have fathered Meryl Streep's daughter. But it was his leading role in fashion designer Tom Ford's directorial debut, A Single Man, that garnered him awards attention like he had never received previously. For his work as a gay professor grieving the death of his lover, Firth scored nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, the Academy, and the Independent Spirit Awards.After appearing in the 2009 adaptation of A Christmas Carol, Firth would achieve further accolades for his role as the stuttering King George VI in director Tom Hooper's breathtaking historical drama The King's Speech (2010). In addition to taking home the Academy Award for Best Actor, Firth also took home awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the L.A. Film Critics Association, and the Screen Actors Guild. 2011 was no less exciting a year for the actor, who co-starred with Gary Oldman in Let the Right One In director Tomas Alfredson's award winning spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, an adaptation of John Le Carré's novel about an ex-British agent who comes out of retirement in hopes of solving a dangerous case. Firth is slated to star in Bridget Jone's Baby, Gambit, and The Railway Man in 2013.

Trivia: One of England's most versatile character actors, Jim Broadbent has been giving reliably excellent performances on the stage and screen for years. Particularly known for his numerous collaborations with director Mike Leigh, Broadbent was shown to superlative effect in Leigh's Topsy-Turvy, winning the Venice Film Festival's Volpi Cup for his portrayal of British lyricist and playwright W.S. Gilbert.Born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1949, Broadbent trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Following his 1972 graduation, he began his professional career on the stage, performing with the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and as part of the National Theatre of Brent, a two-man troupe he co-founded that performed reduced histories. In addition to his theatrical work, Broadbent did steady work on television, acting for such directors as Mike Newell and Stephen Frears. Broadbent made his film debut in 1978 with a small part in Jerzy Skolimowski's The Shout. He went on to work with such directors as Stephen Frears (The Hit, 1984) and Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits [1981], Brazil [1985]), but it was through his collaboration with Leigh that Broadbent first became known to an international film audience. In 1991, he starred in Leigh's Life Is Sweet, a domestic comedy that cast him as a good-natured cook who dreams of running his own business. Broadbent gained further visibility the following year with substantial roles in Neil Jordan's The Crying Game and Newell's Enchanted April, and he could subsequently be seen in such diverse fare as Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway (1994), Widows' Peak (1994), Richard Loncraine's highly acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III (1996), and Little Voice (1998), the last of which cast him as a seedy nightclub owner. Appearing primarily as a character actor in these films, Broadbent took center stage for Leigh's Topsy-Turvy (1999), imbuing the mercurial W.S. Gilbert with emotional complexity and comic poignancy. Roles in Bridget Jones's Diary, Moulin Rogue, and Iris made 2001 quite a marquee year for Broadbent; the actor earned both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his affecting turn in Iris.He remained one of the most respected actors of his generation and continued to work steadily for directors all over the world. In 2002 he was cast in Martin Scorsese's epic historical drama Gangs of New York. In 2003 he took a cameo part in Bright Young Things. In 2004 he returned for the Bridget Jones sequel, and took a bit part in Mike Leigh's Vera Drake. He worked in a number o animated films including Doogal, Valiant, and Robots. In 2007 he had the title role in Longford, a historical drama about the infamous Moor Murders, and the next year he was part of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls.As the 2010's continued, Broadbent would remain a vital, respected, and beloved force on screen, appearing most memorably in projects like The Young Victoria and The Iron Lady.

Trivia: Since 1963, Gemma Jones has been one of the most esteemed character actresses in British film and theater. Not until 1995, however, did she receive widespread recognition outside the U.K. That was the year she played the mother of two darlings of the modern cinema, Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, in their roles as the Dashwood sisters in director Ang Lee's Oscar-winning adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility. In 1997, Jones performed in another acclaimed film, Wilde, as Lady Queensbury, the woman who accused 19th century Irish author Oscar Wilde of corrupting her son, thereby setting in motion a notorious trial that ruined Wilde. Then good got better for Jones. Between 1999 and 2001, she played in three other popular productions that won numerous awards: first as Grace Winslow opposite Nigel Hawthorne in David Mamet's production of The Winslow Boy, then as Elizabeth Harrison in Charles Sturridge's production of Longitude, and finally as Mrs. Pam Jones in Sharon Maguire's production of Bridget Jones' Diary. By 2002, Gemma Jones was at work filming what promised to be one of the biggest box-office draws of the year, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in which she portrays Madame Pomfrey, the maker of magical healing potions.The daughter of British actor Griffth Jones, Gemma Jones was born Jennifer Jones on December 4, 1942, in London. Because acting was in her blood, it was no surprise when she enrolled in the British Academy of Dramatic Art to be molded into an actress in the classic tradition. Shortly after graduation, she performed in Baal on the same stage with Peter O'Toole. After other stage and TV productions, she debuted on film in director Ken Russell's The Devils in 1971, then performed in several TV series, including The Duchess of Duke Street, a popular 1976 series in Britain that starred her as "London's best cook." Between film and TV roles, she also performed on the stage as a member of the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company in such Shakespeare plays as A Winter's Tale, The Merry Wives of Windsor, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, Twelfth Night, and Hamlet. She also acted in productions of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, Arthur Miller's The Ride Down Mount Morgan, and Henrik Ibsen's The Masterbuilder. When stardom arrived in 1995 with Sense and Sensibility, she continued to perform in lesser known but highly praised productions, including The Feast of July, Jane Eyre, The Theory of Flight, and Captain Jack. Her 2002 role in the Harry Potter film promises to make her a household name among children as well as adults -- perhaps for decades to come.

Trivia: Her father is the chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Has a degree in Italian. Attended the private school Wycombe Abbey School, in Campbell House. Had a role in Bridget Jones's Diary; she originally auditioned to play Bridget. In 2003, The Observer listed her as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy.

Trivia: A former childhood thrush who has since moved on to find success as an actress, Scottish-born stage and screen star Shirley Henderson has come a long way from her working-class roots with roles in such internationally popular features as Bridget Jones's Diary, Once Upon a Time in the Midlands, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The eldest of three sisters whose striking voice set her apart from the pack, Henderson found early success on the local music circuit before moving on to study drama at Kirkaldy Technical College. Her tenure at Kirkaldy eventually led her to study at the acclaimed Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and it wasn't long before Henderson made an impression on the stages of The National Theater, The Royal Court, and the Hampstead Theater. Equally adept at performances of both the classical and contemporary variety, Henderson's stage experience served her well when she appeared opposite Robert Carlyle in the 1995 television series Hamish Macbeth. After going international the following year with a role in the big-screen hit Rob Roy, Henderson would next appear opposite Carlyle once again in the heroin-flavored arthouse hit Trainspotting. A key role in director Michael Winterbottom's 1999 drama Wonderland, coupled with critical acclaim for her role in the same year's Topsy-Turvy, gave Henderson a reputation for versatility and talent onscreen, with subsequent supporting roles in The Claim and 24 Hour Party People finding her becoming something of a stock player for Winterbottom. A role as the eponymous characters' best friend in the 2001 comedy Bridget Jones' Diary found Henderson's profile rising on the other side of the Atlantic, and in 2002, the then-36-year-old actress pulled off the unlikely feat of portraying Hogwarts student Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Arthouse success in Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself served well to balance out Henderson's mainstream success, and after appearing in a series of shorts, the increasingly busy actress appeared in no less than three films in 2004, including the eagerly anticipated sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

Trivia: An actor who had plied his trade on the stage and screen for nearly a decade by the time he was cast as brilliant but traitorous Dr. Gaius Baltar on the hit sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica, James Callis displayed the pitch-perfect combination of swaggering arrogance and dangerous cowardice needed to betray the human race to its robotic oppressors. It was after studying English and literature at the University of York that the English-born actor enrolled in the prestigious London Academy of Music and Art, and after graduating in 1996, Callis quickly moved on the West End stage -- where he made his professional debut opposite Bob Hoskins in a production of Old Wicked Songs. Dubbed "Most Promising Newcomer" at the London Critic's Circle for his performance in that play, Callis subsequently appeared in an Almeida Theatre production of The Doctor's Dilemma and a Soho Theatre production of Things You Shouldn't Say Past Midnight. A brief appearance in the British television series Murder Most Horrid helped to kick-start Callis's television career, with roles in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries and Sex, Chips and Rock n' Roll following in quick succession. In 2001, Callis made his move into features with a supporting role in the hit comedy Bridget Jones's Diary (a role he would later reprise in the film's 2004 sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason). Callis also made his feature directorial debut in 2001 when he collaborated with writer/director Nick Cohen on the independent comedy Beginner's Luck, in which he also acted. While Callis's feature roles no doubt helped to improve his profile, it was the actor's memorably devious performance as the scientist who sells out the human race on Battlestar Galactica that established him as a true international star.

Trivia: Fans of Steven Spielberg's acclaimed Schindler's List (1993) will recognize actress Embeth Davidtz for playing the abused Jewish maid Helen Hirsch, while those who love Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series may remember her for playing the two-faced Sheila in the third Evil Dead installment, Army of Darkness (1992). Still others will recognize the actress for her strong work in such period dramas as Feast of July (1995) and Mansfield Park (1998).Born in Indiana but raised in South Africa, Davidtz is fluent in English and Afrikaans, having studied classical and contemporary drama in both languages. A graduate of Rhodes University, she made an auspicious theatrical debut with the country's National Theater Company, as Juliet in a production of Shakespeare's classic romantic tragedy, and she subsequently garnered considerable accolades for her theatrical work. Davidtz entered films playing the daughter of an interracial couple in the South African television movie A Private Life (1988) and went on to win the country's equivalent of an Oscar in the Afrikaaner psychological drama Night of the Nineteenth. As her early work might indicate, Davidtz has shown a preference for appearing in political dramas from her first days in film.A resident of the U.S. since 1991, Davidtz has appeared in numerous television movies and miniseries, including the 1992 crime thriller Deadly Matrimony. In 1995, she won more critical praise for her work as a young woman who causes a family crisis after being impregnated and deserted by her callous lover in an acclaimed adaptation of H.E. Bates' novel The Feast of July. As a change of pace, she played a kindhearted teacher in Danny DeVito's darkly comic adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel Mathilda (1996) and then it was back to straight political drama with Garden of Redemption (1997). In 1998, Davidtz co-starred with Kenneth Branagh, in Robert Altman's adaptation of John Grisham's novel The Gingerbread Man, as a low-rent caterer with more than her share of dirty secrets. That same year, she continued in a similarly sly vein as the conniving Mary Crawford in Patricia Rozema's controversial adaptation of Mansfield Park, injecting the proceedings with a savory dollop of manipulative eroticism.Over the coming years, Davidz would remain as active on screen as ever, appearing in films like Mansfield Park and Fracture, and on shows like Citizen Baines, In Treatment, Californication, and Mad Men.

Trivia: Wanted to be a ballerina, but was rejected from the Royal Ballet; as a result, she suffered from anorexia and spent three months in psychiatric hospital as part of her recovery. Made her stage debut at age 16 as a chorus girl at a theatre in Colchester, England. Discovered on the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are that one of her ancestors was imprisoned in the infamous Tower of London, and another was accused of plotting to kill King Charles II. Released her debut novel, Not Quite Nice, in 2015.

Trivia: British actress Honor Blackman began as a J. Arthur Rank contractee, where she was groomed for demure "English rose" types in films like Fame is the Spur (1947) and Quartet (1948). Honor would not realize major stardom until 1962, when she was cast as leather-clad karate expert Cathy Gale in the British TV adventure series The Avengers (until recently, U.S. audiences were permitted to see only the Avengers episodes featuring Ms. Blackman's successors, Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson). International stardom ensued when Honor was seen in another martial-arts gig as the gloriously yclept Pussy Galore in Goldfinger (1964). She has played a wide variety of roles since, with special emphasis on droll comedy. Honor Blackman's last picture was the 1978 remake of The Cat and the Canary, though she continues to appear in British television, most recently on the weekly series The Upper Hand (1990-93).

Trivia: British lead actor James Faulkner is best known for his character roles in films like Bridget Jones' Diary. He has also made a name for himself on stage, and has lent his voice to numerous radio productions and audiobooks.

Trivia: Studied acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Has worked at the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal National Theatre. Became well known after appearing in Bridget Jones's Diary in 2001. Appeared alongside Rowan Atkinson on stage in 2013 in Quartermaine's Terms.

Trivia: Sir Salman Rushdie (born Ahmed Salman Rushdie in 1947) remains one of the most vital and historically relevant international novelists to emerge in the years following World War II. The son of a Muslim businessman based in India, Rushdie received his formal education in England, at the Rugby School and the University of Cambridge; he essayed an early career in the U.K. as an advertising copywriter, before his debut novel, the 1975 Shame, spurred him on to immense global success as a writer. Several successive books followed (each of which encountered tremendous critical acclaim), but Rushdie only attained "household name" status by virtue of his weighty 1988 religious allegory The Satanic Verses, and unfortunately, for the direst of reasons. The work, with its intimate knowledge of Islamic belief, Middle Eastern tradition and lore, its lyrical imagery, and its supremely challenging rhetorical style perched midway between poetry and traditional prose, tells a controversial revisionist version of the life of the Mohammed (with a character modeled upon that prophet). Many Muslims found the narrative incorrigibly blasphemous and offensive even as literary critics extolled the work to lofty heights. The work's detractors included the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who promptly put a fatwa on Rushdie's head, forcing the author to go into hiding in early 1989. His exile lasted around ten years, but he remained fervently active as a novelist during that time, and emerged on occasion to do talk show appearances. Following the official cancellation of the fatwa in the late '90s, Rushdie emerged in public and began to make appearances in films -- usually cameos as himself. These included Bridget Jones' Diary (2001), The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch, and Helen Hunt's directorial debut, Then She Found Me (2008). He also participated in the PBS miniseries Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason (2007).

Trivia: Leading lady Joan Blackman began her film activities in 1958. Joan's best-remembered film roles were Ellen, the earthbound girlfriend of extraterrestrial Jerry Lewis, in Visit to a Small Planet (1960), and Maile Duval, Elvis Presley's vis-à-vis in Blue Hawaii (1961). On television, she was seen as Marion Fowler during the 1965-1966 season of Peyton Place. Joan Blackman was married to actor/artist Joby Baker.

Trivia: As a child, she neglected her schoolwork, but focused intently on drama as she desired to become an actress. Met her husband, director Charles Palmer, on the set of A Dance To The Music Of Time, where she played the role of Jean in 1997. Played Hermione in a theatre production of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale in 2001 at the Royal National Theatre in 2001. Attended Shop With The Stars at Fenwick of Bond Street in 2014 to raise funds and awareness for the charity Acting For Others.

Trivia: Her mother, Teresa, was still married to her first husband, Edward Gatacre, when she became pregnant by satirist and comic actor John Wells; as a result, Dolly was told for most of her life that Wells was actually her stepfather. She didn't learn the truth until she was in her late teens. Has five older half-siblings. Has been friends with Dolly & Em co-star Emily Mortimer since they were four. Was inspired to write Dolly & Em after she and Mortimer observed the relationships between actors and their personal assistants at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. Her grandfather was Sir Christopher Chancellor, general manager of Reuters News Agency from 1944 to 1959. One of her cousins is the actress, Anna Chancellor.

Trivia: Made his professional debut in 1997 comedy movie Fierce Creatures. Between 2002 and 2004, appeared as PC Alan Allen in BBC sitcom Wild West. Between 2004 and 2019, starred as PC Mark Mylow in ITV Drama Doc Martin. In 2008, co-wrote and starred in BBC Radio 4 production Strangers on Trains, playing 28 characters. In 2018, wrote and starred in Award-winning short dramedy Knights of the Realm.