Trivia: A television personality most familiar to viewers for his stint as the host of the E! network's satirical pop-culture commentary The Soup (updated and reworked from the channel's original Talk Soup), Joel McHale grew up in the Seattle area and attended the University of Washington as a theater major, where he earned his master's in drama. After relocating to Los Angeles, McHale signed for guest roles and bit parts on series including Will & Grace and Oliver Beene, then landed a small role as Mr. Jacks in the Sam Raimi feature Spider-Man 2, followed by parts in Catherine Hardwicke's Lords of Dogtown and the sketch comedy outing The Onion Movie. On the side, McHale also emceed a series of Burger King commercials. He culled his broadest fan base on The Soup, however, distinguishing himself with sharp sarcasm and a quick wit. He had a breakthrough when he was cast as the lead in the cult hit sitcom Community on NBC, and he continued to act in projects such as The Informant!, Spy Kids: All the Time In the World, and 2012's Ted.

Trivia: Pennsylvania native Gillian Jacobs learned her trade at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, where she competed in the Public's Shakespeare Monologue Contest. She subsequently studied at Juilliard, and began her professional career a few years later, with a role on the series The Book of Daniel. Though the show didn't last, Jacobs was soon busy with new projects, like 2007's Blackbird and 2008's Choke. Then, following an appearance on the series Royal Pains in 2009, Jacobs joined the cast of the comedy series Community, and signed on to appear in a number of films including Watching TV with the Red Chinese and The Box. In 2012 she had a small part in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.

Trivia: Actor Danny Pudi began his career with guest appearances on TV's West Wing and ER. This led to a four-episode arc on Gilmore Girls in 2006, and another recurring role on Greek. Then in 2009, Pudi joined the cast of the comedy series Community, opposite Joel McHale and Chevy Chase. His role as Abed, a pop-culture obsessed misfit who can only relate to the world through movie and TV references, made him a breakout star from the show on which he played many scenes with Donald Glover.

Trivia: Was signed as a teen to Motown Records as part of the East Coast Family group, which included Boyz II Men. Brown performed on the mildly successful single "1-4-All-4-1" from the album The East Coast Family, Vol. 1. Moved to Los Angeles after college and landed her first big role appearing in the gospel play His Woman, His Wife. Secured her first television role---a two-episode appearance on Girlfriends---after sending a postcard to the show's casting director. Worked on Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh for four years, even though her character, Helen, was originally supposed to be a one-time role.

Trivia: One of her first acting jobs was an episode of Hannah Montana. Worked as a clown at children's birthday parties before being cast as Trudy Campbell on Mad Men. In 2009, simultaneously appeared on Mad Men and on new comedy Community.

Trivia: Is a member of the Groundlings improv company in Los Angeles. Is sometimes mistaken for the musician Moby. Got his big break playing the role of Dean Pelton in the sitcom Community. Cowrote the screenplay for the film The Descendants (2011).

Trivia: Was born in Detroit but raised in Greensboro, NC; he is the son of Korean immigrants. During high school, he played violin and was elected to the student council. Graduated at 16 and earned Greensboro's Youth of the Year award. Won the Big Easy Laff Off comedy contest in New Orleans while completing his medical residency. Made his feature-film debut as Dr. Kuni in Judd Apatow's 2007 comedy Knocked Up. His wife, Tran, is also a physician, as well as a breast-cancer survivor.

Trivia: Jonathan Banks began his film career in the sort of roles described by character actor Frank Faylen as "sneezers." For example: if you sneezed, you'd miss Banks' microscopic part in 1980's Stir Crazy. He was more visible in such roles as the hitchhiker in the 1982 biopic Frances and Algren in the 1983 seriocomedy 48 Hours. On television, Jonathan Banks was cast as the scurrilous extraterrestrial Commander Kroll in Otherworld (1985) and as Frank McPike, Ken Wahl's choleric boss, in Wiseguy (1987). Banks would continue to appear in several more films over the coming years, like Dark Blue and Reign Over Me, as well as TV shows like Breaking Bad.

Trivia: British-born comedian John Oliver studied English at Christ's College, Cambridge, before pursuing a career as a stand-up comedian. He gained increasing success with his live act, eventually scoring a big break in 2006 when he became a writer and correspondent on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. He soon became a popular member of the news-parody show's cast, and explored other projects, as well, making his motion-picture debut in the 2008 comedy The Love Guru. In 2009, he was cast in the comedy series Community, alongside Chevy Chase and Joel McHale. In 2011 he voiced the part of Vanity Smurf in the family-friendly big-screen comedy The Smurfs, a role he reprised in later sequels. In 2014, he began hosting his own late-night talk show, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, on HBO.

Trivia: African-American actor and comic Jerry Minor attended secondary school at Southwestern Academy in Flint, MI, graduating in 1985. He subsequently performed (at various times) at all three Second City venues. In 2000, Minor became one of the inimitable "Not Ready for Prime Time Players," during Saturday Night Live's 25th season. Following writing assignments on Cedric the Entertainer's variety program, Cedric the Entertainer Presents, and a supporting role in the 2006 sports comedy Artie Lange's Beer League, Minor joined the casts of two sitcoms: the 2006 Lucky Louie and the 2007 Carpoolers.

Trivia: Actress Paget Brewster got her first big break with a recurring role on Friends in 1997 playing Chandler's girlfriend Kathy. A regular stint on the most popular show on television was just the springboard that the actress needed to build up her resumé, and soon she was cast in the cult hit Andy Richter Controls the Universe and the Showtime series Huff. In 2006, she had a prominent role in the family comedy Unaccompanied Minors, and later that same year, she joined the cast of the series Criminal Minds. She has also, most notably, provided the voice of Birdgirl for the Adult Swim series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.

Trivia: Was a writer on Michael & Michael Have Issues. Had a recurring role on The Colbert Report. Performed his one-man show Unpronounceable for the first time in Chicago in 2007.

Trivia: Actress and singer Brie Larson began her career in the late '90s, making appearances on shows like Touched By an Angel when she was still in elementary school. In 2001, she scored a starring role on the series Raising Dad, which lasted for just one season, but the young actress had no trouble finding new projects, as she was cast in the Disney Channel TV movie Right on Track in 2003. She subsequently appeared in another Disney movie, Sleepover, and released an album, Finally Out of P.E., in 2005. Larson would go on to appear in movies like 13 Going on 30 and The Babysitter, before being cast as Kate on the acclaimed Showtime series The United States of Tara. She played Envy Adams in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (which let her showcase her vocal talents) and was the love interest in 21 Jump Street. Larson has a supporting role in Joseph Gordon Levitt's Don Jon and had a recurring role on Community. In 2015, she played Amy Schumer's sister in Trainwreck, but made a bigger mark later in the year with the independent film Room. Playing a young woman held captive for seven years, Larson won rave reviews and an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Trivia: Got her acting start by scoring the lead in a grade-school production of Annie. Appeared in commercials for GE, Pepsi, Cingular and Comcast. Her big break was a guest-starring role on Veronica Mars. Diagnosed with Ménière's disease, which causes fluctuating hearing loss and vertigo. Is fluent in American Sign Language.

Trivia: His first professional acting role was in the movie Rubber in 2010. Was a member of the Shakespeare troupe, Will and Company, while in college. Supports the charities Pencils for Promise, F&%k Cancer and Movement for Change.

Trivia: Born in Alberta, Canada, in 1971, Nathan Fillion took his acting ambitions to the United States when he moved to New York in 1994 to portray Joey Buchanan on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. Having previously appeared in a single TV movie, Ordeal in the Arctic, Fillion's acting career had taken a backseat to his plans to be an English teacher. His three-year stint on the long-standing daytime TV staple, however, changed his focus in a big way. When his time on One Life to Live was up, the 27-year-old actor relocated to Los Angeles to assume a regular role on the sitcom Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place. Shortly afterward, he made a memorable appearance as the "wrong Ryan" in Steven Spielberg's WWII epic Saving Private Ryan. He also made appearances on The Outer Limits, King of the Hill, Pasadena, and other projects. It was in 2002, however, that he assumed the role that would make his career. Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon selected Fillion to portray rugged captain Mal Reynolds for his new sci-fi/Western series Firefly. The show found a rabidly loyal cult fan base, as well as incomparable critical praise, but tragically, failed to find the wide audience that Fox had been hoping for. The show was canceled after only 11 episodes, but Fillion had reached a level of familiarity with the public that most actors never hope to achieve. He reprised the role of Mal in 2005 for the feature-film adaptation of Firefly, Serenity, to the delight of fans. In 2006, Fillion stayed on the cream of the fringe with the much anticipated horror film Slither. Starring alongside Elizabeth Banks, the actor stole the show with his humorous, low-key performance. For his next project, he signed on to act alongside Keri Russell in the romantic comedy Waitress. When the writer's strike hit, Fillion teamed with his old collaborator Joss Whedon to star in the direct-to-the-web musical miniseries Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. In 2009 he landed the title role on the ABC series Castle, and took a small role in the dark superhero comedy Super in 2010.