Trivia: Born Carlos Ray Norris, Chuck Norris served in Korea in the Army. While there, he studied karate and later became the World Middleweight Karate Champion. He was encouraged by one of his karate students, actor Steve McQueen, to go into acting. He debuted onscreen in the enormously popular Bruce Lee vehicle Enter the Dragon (1973); since the death of Lee he has been the screen's premier martial arts star. He has appeared primarily in militaristic movies in which he single-handedly kills many enemies. His breakthrough film was Missing in Action (1984), in which he played an ex-POW in search of American prisoners still held in Vietnam.

Trivia: Formerly a schoolteacher, Texas-born Noble Willingham has been essaying crusty character roles since 1969. Willingham's resumé includes a brace of location-filmed Peter Bogdanovich films, The Last Picture Show (1971) and Paper Moon (1973), and the role of Clay Stone in both of Billy Crystal's City Slickers comedies. Among his TV-movie credits is the part of President James Knox Polk in 1985's Dream West. A regular on several TV series (The Ann Jillian Show, Texas Wheelers, Cutter to Houston, AfterMASH, When the Whistle Blows), Willingham is best known to 1990s viewers as Mr. Binford (of Binford Tools) in Home Improvement and C. D. Parker in Walker, Texas Ranger. Noble Willingham's most recent film assignments include Ace Ventura, Pet Detective (1994) Up Close and Personal (1996) and Space Jam (1996). In 2000, Willingham left Walker, Texas Ranger to run for Congress in Texas. After losing the election to his Democratic opponent, Max Sandlin, Willingham returned to acting with a supporting role in the Val Kilmer thriller Blind Horizon. Sadly, the part would be the actor's last. In early 2004, at the age of 72, Willingham passed away at home from natural causes.

Trivia: Received a scholarship to UCLA but dropped out after just one semester to pursue a career in entertainment. Before embarking on her Hollywood career she was a featured member of the renowned performance troupe the Young Americans. Released her debut dance-pop album, Nothin' But Trouble, in 1988. Hosted a short-lived late-night musical variety show, The Party Machine With Nia Peeples, which was executive produced by Arsenio Hall. Volunteers for the American Heart Association and in 2011 participated in the AHA's "Go Red for Women Stiletto Strut" in Glendale, CA.

Trivia: Short, stocky, bespectacled American actor Oliver Clark was usually described by critics and fans as "owlish." Specializing in nervous, nerdy types, Clark was seen in such films as They Might Be Giants (1971), The Landlord (1973), Barbra Streisand's version of A Star is Born (1977) and Ernest Saves Christmas (1989). Though active in films, Clark was most familiar for his TV assignments. In addition to his many guest appearances, Clark had regular stints on Karen (1975) as star Karen Valentine's "wacky neighbor" Jerry Siegel; on The Bob Newhart Show (1976) as the overly defensive Mr. Herd; and on The Two of Us (1981) as the ulcerated agent of talk-show host Mimi Kennedy. In 1977, Oliver Clark co-starred with Beverly Archer in We've Got Each Other, an easygoing TV sitcom about a commuter wife and a stay-at-home husband (way back when this sort of set-up was unusual).

Trivia: Was athletic as a kid and teen; once hit three home runs in an All-Star game and later pitched a 10-inning no-hitter with 20 strikeouts. Played football at Brown University. Loved movies so much he decided to take an acting class in college and immediately knew acting was his calling. Early TV roles included guest spots on The Equalizer, Spenser: For Hire and Kate & Allie before landing pivotal roles in movies Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Appeared in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) as Romulan commander Suran. Best known for playing the Presidential Chief of Staff on 24 and the principal on Everybody Hates Chris. Co-founded theatrical production company the Eumenides Group. Is an acclaimed singer and has recorded four CDs; tours with the Jude Ciccolella Band.

Trivia: Few actors possess the range required to craft some of the most colorful villains ever committed to celluloid before turning around to portray such a benevolent and beloved leader as Martin Luther King Jr., and it's a testament to Clifton Powell's skills as a performer that he could be equally believable doing both. It was during the early '90s that Powell first began to rise to prominence in television and film, with standout roles in Bill Duke's Deep Cover and In the Heat of the Night preceding a pair of memorable supporting roles for the Hughes Brothers in Menace II Society and Dead Presidents. Though Powell would continue to appear in features, it was on the small screen that he gained most of his exposure in the early years. After gradually climbing the credits on such shows as Murder, She Wrote, The Jamie Foxx Show, and NYPD Blue, Powell would leave an indelible mark on viewers with his thoughtful portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in director Charles Burnett's Selma, Lord, Selma. With versatile, everyman looks that were something of a blessing and a curse, Powell quickly established himself as an actor capable of truly disappearing into his characters -- sometimes to a fault. While a slew of roles on screens big and small kept Powell a considerably busy man in the mid-'90s, later roles in such efforts as Lockdown, Civil Brand, and Never Die Alone proved that his persistence, talent, and dedication were beginning to pay off. In 2004, Powell and the cast of the wildly popular biopic Ray would be honored with a Screen Actor's Guild nomination, and though they didn't take home the prize it was obvious Powell was finally on the verge of breaking big. His dark turn in the T.D. Jakes screen-adaptation Woman Thou Art Loosed was followed by a series of small-screen appearances in House, M.D., CSI, and Day Break, and in 2007 alone Powell's name would be attached to no less than eight films being prepared for the big screen .

Trivia: Actor Mike Norris specializes in low-budget or direct-to-video action films. The son of popular martial artist and actor Chuck Norris, he made his feature-film debut in Final Cut (1980).