Trivia: While his police-chief father wanted him to become a soccer player, Austrian-born actor Arnold Schwarzenegger opted instead for a bodybuilding career. Born July 30, 1947, in the small Austrian town of Graz, Schwarzenegger went on to win several European contests and international titles (including Mr. Olympia) and then came to the U.S. for body-building exhibitions, billing himself immodestly but fairly accurately as "The Austrian Oak." Though his thick Austrian accent and slow speech patterns led some to believe that the Austrian Oak was shy a few leaves, Schwarzenegger was, in fact, a highly motivated and intelligent young man. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in business and economics, he invested his contest earnings in real estate and a mail-order bodybuilding equipment company.A millionaire before the age of 22, Schwarzenegger decided to try acting. Producers were impressed by his physique but not his mouthful of a last name, so it was as Arnold Strong that he made his film bow in the low-budget spoof Hercules in New York (1970, with a dubbed voice). He reverted to his own name for the 1976 film Stay Hungry, then achieved stardom as "himself" in the 1977 documentary Pumping Iron. In The Villain (1979), a cartoon-like Western parody, he played "Handsome Stranger," exhibiting a gift for understated comedy that would more or less go unexploited for many years thereafter. With Conan the Barbarian (1982) and its sequel, Conan the Destroyer (1984), the actor established himself as an action star, though his acting was backtracking into two-dimensionality (understandably, given the nature of the Conan role). As the murderous android title character in The Terminator (1984), Schwarzenegger became a bona fide box-office draw, and also established his trademark of coining repeatable catchphrases in his films: "I'll be back," in Terminator, "Consider this a divorce," in Total Recall (1990), and so on.As Danny De Vito's unlikely pacifistic sibling in Twins (1988), Schwarzenegger received the praise of critics who noted his "unsuspected" comic expertise (quite forgetting The Villain). In Kindergarten Cop (1991), Schwarzenegger played a hard-bitten police detective who found his true life's calling as a schoolteacher (his character was a cop only because it was expected of him by his policeman father, which could have paralleled his own life). Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), wherein Schwarzenegger exercised his star prerogative and insisted that the Terminator become a good guy, was the most expensive film ever made up to its time -- and one of the biggest moneymakers. The actor's subsequent action films were equally as costly; sometimes the expenditures paid off, while other times the result was immensely disappointing -- for the box-office disappointment Last Action Hero (1992), Schwarzenegger refreshingly took full responsibility, rather than blaming the failure on his production crew or studio as other "superstars" have been known to do.A rock-ribbed Republican despite his marriage to JFK's niece, Maria Shriver (with whom he has four children), Schwarzenegger was appointed by George Bush in 1990 as chairman of the President's Council of Physical Fitness and Sports, a job he took as seriously and with as much dedication as any of his films. A much-publicized investment in the showbiz eatery Planet Hollywood increased the coffers in Schwarzenegger's already bulging bank account. Schwarzenegger then added directing to his many accomplishments, piloting a few episodes of the cable-TV series Tales From the Crypt as well as a 1992 remake of the 1945 film Christmas in Connecticut.Schwarzenegger bounced back from the disastrous Last Action Hero with 1994's True Lies, which, despite its mile-wide streak of misogyny and its gaping plot and logic holes, was one of the major hits of that summer's movie season. Following the success of True Lies, Schwarzenegger went back to doing comedy with Junior, co-starring with Emma Thompson and his old Twins accomplice Danny De Vito. The film met with critically mixed results, although it fared decently at the box office. Undeterred, Schwarzenegger continued down the merry, if treacherous, path of alternating action with comedy with 1996's Eraser and Jingle All the Way, the latter of which proved to be both a critical bomb and a box-office disappointment. In a move that suggested he had realized that audiences wanted him back in the world of assorted weaponry and explosives, Schwarzenegger returned to the action realm with 1997's Batman & Robin, which unfortunately proved to be a huge critical disappointment, although, in the tradition of most Schwarzenegger action films, it did manage to gross well over 100 million dollars at the box office and over 130 million dollars more the world over.The turn of the century found Schwarzenegger's star losing some of its luster with a pair of millennial paranoia films, 1999's End of Days and 2000's The 6th Day. The former film -- in which a security consultant has to save the world from Satan -- was critically lambasted and, despite a powerful opening weekend, failed to recoup its cost in the States. The latter film -- a cloning parable which bore more than a passing resemblance to Total Recall -- received more positive notices, but took in less than half the receipts Days did just one year prior. Perhaps as a response to these failures, Schwarzenegger prepped three films reminiscent of former successes, all scheduled for release in 2001 and 2002: the terrorist action thriller Collateral Damage, True Lies 2, and the long-anticipated Terminator 3. Though Collateral Damage received a chilly reception at the box office and the development of True Lies 2 fell into question, longtime fans of the cigar-chomping strongman rejoiced when Arnold resumed his role as a seriously tough cyborg in Terminator 3. Though he made a cameo in director Frank Coraci's adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days, Arnold's most notable role of the new millenium was political -- Schwarzenegger replaced Gray Davis as governor of California in the highly controversial recall election of 2003.In 2010, Schwarzenegger played the character of Trench in The Expendables, an action thriller following a group of tough-as-nails mercinaries as they deal with the aftermath of a mission gone wrong, and reprised the role for The Expendables 2 in 2012.

Trivia: African American actor Yaphet Kotto was one of the most prominent beneficiaries of the upsurge in black-oriented theatrical pieces of the late 1950s; he appeared in many prestigious Broadway and off-Broadway productions, taking regional theatre work rather than accept stereotypical "mainstream" roles in movies and TV. Kotto's first film was Nothing But a Man (1964), an independently produced study of black pride in the face of white indifference. Though he vehemently steered clear of most of the '70s blaxploitation fare, in 1972, Kotto produced, directed and wrote the feature film Speed Limit 65 (aka The Limit and Time Limit), a one-of-a-kind "black biker" film. The biggest production with which Kotto was associated in the early 1970s was the James Bond film Live and Let Die, in which, as the villainous Mr. Big, he was blown up in the final scene (a similarly grisly fate awaited Kotto in 1979's Alien). On television, Yaphet Kotto was a regular on the TV series For Love and Honor (1983) and Homicide: Life on the Streets (1992), and was seen as Ugandan president Idi Amin in the 1977 TV movie Raid on Entebbe.

Trivia: Trained in British repertory, actor Richard Dawson achieved prominence in the late '50s as a cabaret and TV comedian. Arriving in the U.S. in 1961, Dawson made the variety-show rounds with an act consisting largely of quickie celebrity impressions. One of his first acting assignment was as Peter Sellers' takeoff Racy Tracy Rattigan in a 1963 episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. A solid dramatic role as a military prisoner in King Rat led to a longer stint as resourceful cockney POW Peter Newkirk on the popular sitcom Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971). After appearing as a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Dawson settled into his true niche as a wisecracking game-show host. From 1976 through 1985, he emceed TV's The Family Feud, winning an Emmy Award for his troubles (he later resumed his Family Feud hosting chores in the 1994 syndicated version). Fittingly enough, Richard Dawson's first feature-film role after Feud was as the smarmy host of a futuristic life-or-death quiz program in Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Running Man (1989).

Trivia: Born in Georgia and raised in a black Long Island ghetto, Jim Brown distinguished himself in high school athletics. Recruited from Syracuse University, Brown was signed with the Cleveland Browns in 1957, remaining with that organization as star fullback for ten years. Breaking any number of NFL records, Brown was named Rookie of the Year in 1958 and Player of the Year in 1960; he played in every Pro Bowl game from 1958 through 1965, and in 1971 was elected to the Football Hall of Fame. While still with Cleveland, Brown made his film debut in the 1963 Western Rio Conchos, an event deemed worthy of a four-page color spread in Life magazine. He became a full-time actor upon his retirement from the NFL in 1967, co-starring that year in The Dirty Dozen. Though he had trepidation about the climactic scene in which he blew dozens of helpless Nazi officers and their sweethearts to bits with hand grenades, it was this uncompromising sequence that truly "socked" Brown over with the audience. He rapidly rose to leading roles in such actioners as Ice Station Zebra (1968) and 100 Rifles (1969); in the latter film, he stirred up controversy by sharing several steamy scenes with white actress Raquel Welch. Brown also headlined the above-average crime capers Kenner (1969) and Black Gunn (1972) as well as the ultraviolent Slaughter series. He cut down on his film appearances in the late '70s, devoting most of his time to his many civic activities and business concerns; during this period, he also founded the Black Economic Union. After several years' absence from the screen, Jim Brown co-starred with fellow blaxploitation icons Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, and Richard Roundtree in the delightfully "retro" action-fest Original Gangstas (1996).

Trivia: Professional wrestler and sometime governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura has enjoyed a sideline in acting, appearing in action fare like Predator and Ricochet.

Trivia: With a father like the legendary Frank Zappa, one might assume that it may be difficult to gain recognition for your own independent accomplishments outside of the larger-than-life legendary status built in the family name. Not so for guitarist virtuoso/actor Dweezil Zappa. After winning a Grammy at the age of 18 and topping the charts in 1988 with the humorously rebellious "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama," the younger Zappa found popularity not only in the music scene, but in movies and television as well.Born September 5, 1969, in Hollywood, CA, Dweezil took to the guitar from an early age. With teachers like his father, Eddie Van Halen, and Steve Vai, Dweezil quickly gained musical footing and mastered the instrument. Occasionally playing on his father's recordings and with sibling Ahmet, it wasn't long before Dweezil opted for a solo career and released his first album, Havin' a Bad Day, in 1986. Following with My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama two years later, Dweezil proved that his talents on the guitar were no fluke and scored a big hit with the title single. Dweezil's musical talents would later be employed with his brother, Ahmet, as they formed Z and released their debut album, Shampoohorn, in 1994. Aside from their musical partnership, Dweezil and Ahmet got big laughs with numerous talk show appearances and eventually filtered their unique and wacky chemistry into a USA Networkvariety show called Happy Hour in 1999. With it's no-holds-barred, anything-goes format and a pension for inviting wild guests, it wasn't unusual to see such luminaries as Danny Bonaduce drop his pants and do a table dance. Often spotted in small roles and cameos, Dweezil may also be a familiar face to moviegoers and TV addicts with his roles in Pretty in Pink (1986) and Jack Frost, as well as his voice work on Duckman and appearances on Hollywood Squares. Pitching in as a composer for the theme of The Ben Stiller Show, among others, Dweezil's love for music never trailed too far behind his movie and television appearances. Frequently seen in the company of singer Lisa Loeb, Dweezil released Automatic, his first album in nearly a decade, in 2000.

Trivia: Relatively unknown character actor Kurt Fuller has made a fairly consistent acting career in television and films since the late '80s, mostly playing authority figures. One of his earliest film appearances was as the head television executive in the Hulk Hogan movie No Holds Barred. Mostly working in comedies and dramas, he has also been in action thrillers (Eve of Destruction) and family-oriented adventures (Bingo). He has a lengthy list of television guest star credits, including L.A. Law, Ally McBeal, and The West Wing. In the '90s, he had starring roles in a few short-lived TV series like Capitol News, Timecop, and That's My Bush. After playing Kirk Douglas' son in the comedy Diamonds, he played the adult foil in the teen comedies The New Guy, Scary Movie, and Porn 'n Chicken. In 2002, he played Hogan's Heroes castmember Werner Klemperer in Paul Schrader's Auto Focus; the following year he appeared with Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler in Anger Management. He had a small part in the Oscar winning biopic Ray, as well as the Will Smith hit The Pursuit of Happyness. He played The Dean in 2009's Van Wilder: Freshman Year, and two years later he was part of the ensemble in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris.

Trivia: Supporting and occasional leading actress Dey Young made her screen debut playing Kate in the rollicking Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979). Her sister Leigh Taylor-Young is also an actress.

Trivia: Was classmates in high school with Randy Hankins, who later became anchor Craig O'Neill.Worked at the Arkansas State University's campus radio station.Performed multiple duties (technical director, audio technician, cameraman, film processor and announcer) while working at Jonesboro's Raycom Media.Earned a minor in theater from the Arkansas State University.Served as writer, producer and performer in his comedy program Mid-Century Nonsense Festival Featuring Kumquat Theater.Moved to New York in 1977 to pursue a career in theater.

Trivia: Detroit native Lin Shaye studied art history at the University of Michigan before moving to New York to focus on acting. She started landing film and TV roles in the late '70s and early '80s with appearances in movies like The Long Riders, Alone in the Dark, and Brewster's Millions, and began earning a reputation as a memorable character actress. She would become a familiar face for her memorable roles as Mrs. Nuegeboren in 1994's Dumb and Dumber and Magda in 1998's There's Something About Mary, and would continue to take on quirky projects in the years that followed, like in 2006's Snakes on a Plane and 2010's Insidious.

Trivia: Stunningly beautiful Cuban-born actress Maria Conchita Alonso emigrated with her family to Caracas, Venezuela when she was five years old; there she appeared in films and commercials while still a child. At age 14 she won the title of Miss Teenager of the World. Four years later, she became Miss Venezuela, going on to combine a successful modeling career with acting and making TV commercials; eventually, she starred in four Venezuelan films and appeared in ten Spanish-language soap operas. She moved to the United States in 1982, going on to make her English-speaking film debut in Abel Ferrara's Fear City (1984); though only a small part in a large cast, this led to a supporting role as Robin Williams's girl friend in Moscow Hudson (1986), which moved her up in the film world to the status of a co-star. In addition to finding steady work in films such as Running Man (1987), House of the Spirits (1993), Caught (1995), Alonso is also a Grammy-nominated singer who has become a top-selling artist in South America. In 1995, while filming Caught, Alonso became the first South American woman to star on Broadway when she won the role of Aurora/Spider Woman in Kiss of the Spider Woman. She continued to work steadily for the next fifteen years playing lead parts in a variety of films ranging from Catherine's Grove The Code Conspiracy, and Chasing Papi, as well as finding work on various television shows including Kingpin.

Trivia: Hardcore fans of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer know actor Ken Lerner as Principal Flutie from the first few episodes of the series, but the Brooklyn native has appeared in a multitude of projects over the course of his career. He began his career in the '70s with movies like Hot Tomorrows and continued to work regularly throughout the following decades, appearing on shows such as Scrubs and NYPD Blue.

Trivia: Boyishly handsome in a Rob Lowe sort of way, Boyd Kestner's career in front of the camera gained increasing momentum in the early to mid-'90s with roles in such television series as The Outsiders and Knot's Landing, eventually resulting in a feature career that pointed to great things ahead in the early years of the new millennium. A Manassas, VA, native who fell into acting after relocating to New York City, Kestner didn't find his true calling until laboring as a bartender among legions of aspiring actors. Prompted by his peers to take acting classes, and soon thereafter embarking on a seemingly endless series of auditions, Kestner finally got his break when he landed a role in the short-lived television series The Outsiders. Later toiling in made-for-television movies and minor film roles, fate once again smiled on Kestner when he landed his first major film role in director Ridley Scott's G.I. Jane (1997). The first in a series of minor roles in such major Hollywood films as The General's Daughter (1999) and Hannibal (2001, again with director Scott), Kestner's role as a houseguest who wears out his welcome in the psychosexual thriller Cleopatra's Second Husband (1998) earned him critical kudos and found him climbing the credit rungs. Taking his menacing act on the road for Snakeskin (2001) found Kestner establishing himself as an actor with the ability to maintain a curiously enigmatic screen presence, with roles in Scott's Black Hawk Down (also 2001) and the affectionate 2002 comedy-drama Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood coinciding with a relocation to the West Coast and pointing to a promising future.