Trivia: An edgy comic who skyrocketed to comedy fame with his memorably side-splitting appearance in Spike Lee's The Original Kings of Comedy, Bernie Mac may have seemed an unlikely candidate for a television sitcom, but with the debut of The Bernie Mac Show, the inventive comedian began on a high note, leaving many pondering the apparent overnight success of the comedian who had ostensibly come from nowhere to become a ubiquitous presence. Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in Chicago, IL, Mac was a member of a large extended family living under one roof, which provided the energetic youngster with plenty of fuel for refining his ability to perform dead-on impressions and humorously recall memorable family occurrences. Time spent as a gopher for performers at the Regal Theater also served as a primer for his showbiz aspirations (as well as a cautionary warning of the destructive temptations that go along with fame). Mac's first experiences with standup came at the age of eight, when he performed a routine about his grandparents at the dinner table in front of the congregation at church. Though it resulted in some strict reprimanding from his grandmother, he had the audience feeding out of his palm and the young impressionist quickly had the epiphany that humor meant more to him than the sting of discipline. From that point on, Mac refined and developed his comic abilities on the tracks of Chicago's El trains and in local parks. Though he earned a modest keep from his public performances, Mac craved the legitimacy of the club circuit and he began to perform professionally in 1977. After early film work -- including memorable appearances in Above the Rim (1994) and The Walking Dead (1995), which followed on the heels of his big-screen debut in 1992's Mo' Money -- Mac was offered and appeared in the television series Midnight Mac in 1995. Hesitation as to the neutering of his material made the comedian leery of television, and the show didn't last. The comic actor earned more attention when he turned up frequently the following year in television's Moesha, though mainstream acceptance was still four years and numerous bit film parts away. Following The Original Kings of Comedy, Mac began to develop an idea for a sitcom that revolved around similar family experiences and retained the edge that had initially shocked his audiences into laughter. In 2001, he debuted the family sitcom The Bernie Mac Show, and it was a success, running for five seasons. 2001 would indeed prove to be the year of the Mac as he also took on a substantial role in director Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 11. He reprised that character in the two Ocean's sequels, as well as lead roles as a vice presidential candidate in the Chris Rock political satire Head of State and as a washed-up baseball player in 2004's Mr. 3000. 2007 saw Mac in a more serious role as a kindly janitor in the inspirational sports drama Pride. Upon his death in August 2008 of complications from pneumonia, Soul Men, in which he stars alongside Samuel L. Jackson as a soul singer embarking on a reunion tour, had yet to hit theaters.­

Trivia: Actress Kellita Smith primarily established herself on television, with an effective portrayal of über-professional, no-nonsense wife Wanda -- straight man to the popular eponymous comedian on the rollicking sitcom The Bernie Mac Show (2001-2006). Previously, Smith had tackled guest roles on series programs including Nash Bridges, Martin, Sister, Sister, and NYPD Blue. Her activity extended to cinematic work from the beginning, with a 1995 portrayal on the harrowing Sean Penn-directed drama The Crossing Guard. Smith placed a heightened emphasis on features after The Bernie Mac Show wrapped at the end of its fifth season, with work in theatrical outings including Fair Game (2005), Roll Bounce (2005), and Feel the Noise (2007).

Trivia: Waited tables at an L.A. deli before his big break. Was named one of the 10 Actors to Watch by Variety in 2000. Shared screen time on the TV series Suits with his mother and father, Gail and Charlie Hoffman, when they made their acting debut as the parents of their son's character.

Trivia: A native of New Rochelle, NY, character actor Steven Gilborn built his reputation on the basis of an extensive number of series appearances, on programs including The Wonder Years, The West Wing, Law & Order, The Practice, and particularly Ellen, as Ellen DeGeneres' sweet-natured though slightly mixed-up father. He typically specialized in portrayals of slightly distinguished everyman types, often with a professional angle. Prior to acting, Gilborn received his bachelor's in English from Swarthmore and his Ph.D. in literature from Stanford, then in 1970 decided to enter the dramatic sphere and never turned back. Alongside his series work, he made feature appearances in projects including the 1995 Brady Bunch Movie and the 2000 Nurse Betty (as a physician on a soap opera). He grew even more prolific on-stage, in regional productions including The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, and Awake and Sing.

Trivia: Though best known to many for his most public role -- as the mellowest and most even-tempered of the three resident judges on the Fox network's reality series American Idol -- Randy Jackson (born June 23rd, 1956) carried even greater professional weight for years as a songwriter and a session musician in the recording industry. In those combined capacities, Jackson chalked up a massive number of album credits -- in excess of 1,100, according to one source -- and worked with everyone from Michael Bolton to Aretha Franklin. A Baton Rouge, LA, native, Jackson grew up as the son of an Exxon plant foreman father and a homemaker mother. He graduated from Southern University in 1979 with a degree in music, then spent the following decade playing backup on bass for various artists; by the early '90s, however, Jackson had reportedly grown listless and opted to focus all of his energies on songwriting and producing albums for artists such as Eddie Money and Whitney Houston. Jackson signed to serve as an Idol judge alongside Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell from the inception of the series in 2002; though Jackson reportedly felt reluctant about the concept at first, he immediately changed his mind upon viewing footage of the program's source material -- the English reality series Pop Idol. Capitalizing on his success in this venue, Jackson later authored and published a how-to book entitled What's Up, Dawg?: How to Become a Superstar in the Music Business in 2004, and established his own production banner, entitled Dream Merchant 21 Entertainment, with an exclusive deal at Warner Horizon Television. Jackson became the only American Idol judge from the original season following the resignation of Simon Cowell. In 2014, Jackson announced he would no longer be a judge on the program, but stayed on as a mentor for the contestants..

Trivia: Not exactly what you'd call a soul or disco diva, former Laker Girl Paula Abdul has nevertheless enjoyed some impressive commercial triumphs. As a teen, she was the major choreographer and a member of the Los Angeles Lakers' cheerleaders. She moved from that role to choreographing videos for Janet Jackson's Control album and The Tracey Ullman Show. Abdul switched to recording in 1988, with the LP Forever Your Girl. It sold more than seven million copies, topped the pop charts for ten weeks, and yielded number one singles in the title track, "Straight Up," "Cold Hearted," and "Opposites Attract." Though ripped by some critics for lacking vocal range, distinction, or edge, Abdul followed that album in 1991 with Spellbound, which also topped the charts for two weeks, and sold over three million copies. Her third album, Head Over Heels, was released in 1995. Although not active on the recording side since that album, Abdul remained in the entertainment limelight. She scored some small acting parts in a few films in the mid-'90s (most notably Touched by Evil in 1996) and was married to actor Emilio Estevez from 1992 to 1994. But perhaps Abdul's biggest claim to fame yet has been her role as judge on the enormously popular American Idol reality series, starring alongside the acerbic Brit Simon Cowell and music-industry vet Randy Jackson on the show that draws millions of viewers each week. In mid-2007, Abdul could be seen in a reality series on Bravo called Hey Paula which followed her as she went about her daily activities. When her run ended with American Idol, Abdul continued to thrive in the reality industry, with the competetive dance series Live to Dance in 2011.

Trivia: With his bald, burly, and threatening presence and "tough guy" appearance, character actor Wade Williams (sometimes billed as Wade Andrew Williams) built a substantial career for himself playing thugs and hoods, initially on American television series. Early series credits, which extend back into the late '90s, include guest-starring appearances on such programs as NYPD Blue, Profiler, and Night Man. In time, Williams extended himself into different genres -- he appeared on HBO's show-business satire The Larry Sanders Show, for instance, on Star Trek: Voyager (in the episode "One"), and in the big-screen Jim Belushi cop comedy K-911. Williams drew greatest attention, however, for his portrayal of psychopath Capt. Brian Bellick, one of the administrators of the penitentiary on the Fox serialized drama Prison Break. Williams reportedly expressed some reservations before taking the role, due to the depraved nature of the character. Wade Williams the actor is not to be confused with the director and producer Wade H. Williams III, known for his high output (and extensive rights ownership) of science fiction titles.