Trivia: Kaley Cuoco began modeling and acting at the tender age of six, when she was cast in the TV movie Quicksand: No Escape. Growing up in front of the camera, the young actress continued to appear as the requisite little girl in movies like Virtuosity and Picture Perfect until she was cast as teenage daughter Bridget on the sitcom 8 Simple Rules. TV would prove to be the actor's bread and butter, and she would go on to star on Charmed, 6Teen, and Monster Allergy, not to mention The Big Bang Theory, a show that earned her legions of fans as Penny, the hot neighbor of two geeky physicists (Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons). Cuoco also continued to appear in films, though on a much smaller scale compared to her TV work. She appeared in a supporting role in the Easter film Hop in 2011, and played the female lead opposite Kevin Hart and Josh Gad in The Wedding Ringer in 2015.

Trivia: Born on a Belgian army base, curly brown-haired Johnny Galecki grew up in Chicago and started acting professionally at the age of 12. He made his feature film debut in 1988 as River Phoenix's little brother in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon. He then assumed the role of Rusty Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and gained his first regular role on a TV series as Robert Ulrich's son in American Dreamer. In 1991, he starred in the made-for-TV movie Backfield in Motion, co-starring the production team of Roseanne and Tom Arnold. The next year, Galecki joined the cast of Roseanne as Darlene's sensitive and put-upon boyfriend David Healy. He stayed on the show until its final season in 1997, although he wasn't on very much during its last few years. His other television credits include several guest appearances, leading roles in made-for-TV movies, and a part on the short-lived Head of the Class spin-off Billy. After Roseanne ended, he got back into features with small parts in I Know What You Did Last Summer, Bean, and Suicide Kings. He continued playing slightly effeminate sensitive males in The Opposite of Sex and Morgan's Ferry. After bit parts in Bounce, Playing Mona Lisa, and Vanilla Sky, Galecki played a leading role in the comedy thriller Bookies, which premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. In 2007 he landed the leading role in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory and it grew to be one of the most popular shows on TV, earning Galecki Emmy, Golden Globe, and Sag nominations in 2011 for his work on the show. He maintained his movie career in projects such as Hancock and In Time.

Trivia: First noticed by many viewers as Tim -- the Klingon-spouting "knight in training" involved with the mother of Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) in Zach Braff's gently observed comedy drama Garden State (2004) -- American actor Jim Parsons moved from this memorable debut into a sequence of periodic roles in U.S. features. These included Chris Terrio's urban ensemble drama Heights (2004), opposite Glenn Close and Elizabeth Banks, and Brad Silberling's comedy drama 10 Items or Less (2006), opposite Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega. His breakout success came when he was cast as uber-nerd Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory. His work on that show led to him scoring an Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and helped him earn small parts on the big screen in The Big Year and The Muppets.

Trivia: Though initially typecast in comedic roles -- including a small turn in Old School (2003), a contribution to Tracey Ullman in The Trailer Tales (2003), and work on MADtv -- American character actor Simon Helberg quickly branched out into diverse genres. He appeared as a CBS page in George Clooney's revered Edward R. Murrow biopic Good Night, and Good Luck., as a junior agent in Christopher Guest's For Your Consideration (2006), and in a recurring role on the Aaron Sorkin comedy drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. In 2007, Helberg was cast in the regular role of Howard Wolowitz on the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, about a couple of nerdy physicists (Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons) who struggle with women, and everything else outside the lab. In 2007, Helberg also made appearances in the comedies Mama's Boy and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. He played a young rabbi in the Coen brothers film A Serious Man (2009), and continued to make guest appearances on TV shows such as Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil and Drunk History, while maintaining his regular status on The Big Bang Theory.

Trivia: Actor Kunal Nayyar first made a splash in Hollywood playing physicist Koothrappali on the series The Big Bang Theory, which debuted on CBS in 2007. In 2012 Nayyar voiced the character of Gupta in Ice Age: Continental Drift, and the following year he could be seen opposite Gina Gershon and Billy Campbell in the thriller, The Scribbler. In addition to his feature work Nayyar also co-wrote the critically acclaimed play Cotton Candy, which runs in New Delhi.

Trivia: Childhood friend with actor and comedian Dave Coulier.In 1980, established University of Michigan's first comedy club along with his wife Cindy.Began his career as stage manager and assistant director.In 1986, joined the Directors Guild as a stage manager.Worked with Johnny Galecki on Roseanne and Kaley Cuoco on 8 Simple Rules before The Big Bang Theory.Has two children with wife Cynthia Glazar.Is a regular visiting professor at the University of Michigan.

Trivia: In 1975, moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he opened a comic book and record store.When he moved to Los Angeles, he tried stand-up comedy before starting a career as a writer.Named the character of Vicki, the illegitimate daughter of Captain Stubing in The Love Boat, after his childhood pet dog.Wrote the original music for Two and a Half Men.His film 40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie (2017) took him 2 and a half years to make.

Trivia: Began his career as a touring singer and songwriter. Wrote for animated series until getting his big break as a supervising producer for the sitcom Roseanne. Wrote the Deborah Harry 1980s hit "French Kissin' in the USA." Co-composed the soundtrack for the 1980s television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009. Four of his shows — The Big Bang Theory, Mike & Molly, Mom and Two and a Half Men — were all in the Top 20 primetime programs during the week of January 27-February 2, 2014. Received an honorary doctoral degree from the State University of New York at Potsdam. Is known for his vanity cards (run during the end credits of his series) in which he shares his thoughts about life.

Trivia: Began his career as a writer for Jim Henson. Was a California gubernatorial candidate in 2003. Worked as a programmer at a software company. Earned a Writer's Guild of America Award for the 1991 tribute special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson.

Trivia: Began her career as a comedian and had a one-woman show, The Miss Education of Jenna Bush, in which she played the daughter of former president George W. Bush. Co-wrote, directed and starred in the comedic short The Condom Killer. Toured with the political-satire group Gross National Product. Performs with The Realest Real Housewives show, in which comedians read transcripts from the Real Housewives franchise. Was a recurring guest star on series 3 of The Big Bang Theory before joining the cast as a series regular in series 4.

Trivia: Name means "water" in Hebrew. Had her big break in the 1988 film Beaches, playing the younger version of Bette Midler. Appeared in the music video for Michael Jackson's "Liberian Girl." Made her television debut in the 1980s fantasy series Beauty and the Beast. Best known for her role as the title character in the sitcom Blossom. Was successful in many voiceover roles in animated series, including Kim Possible and Hey Arnold! Appeared on a 2009 episode of What Not To Wear. Her The Big Bang Theory character, Amy Farrah Fowler, is a neurobiologist, corresponding to Bialik's real-life degrees in neuroscience. Is a spokesperson for the Holistic Moms Network and gave birth to her second son at home.

Trivia: A leading man who has displayed a knack for action, comedy, and dramatic roles, Charlie Sheen is nearly as well known for his offscreen exploits as for his acting, though after suffering through scandals that would have ended many performers' careers, he overcame bad press and bad habits to enjoy a major comeback on television in the late '90s. Charlie Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estevez to actor Martin Sheen (born Ramon Estevez) and his wife, Janet Templeton, on September 3rd, 1965. By all accounts, young Charlie wasn't an especially distinguished student; though he was a star on Santa Monica High School's baseball team, he was expelled due to poor attendance and bad grades only a few weeks before his class graduated. During his school days, Sheen developed an interest in filmmaking, making amateur Super-8 films starring his school friends (who included Rob Lowe and Sean Penn), and after leaving school, Sheen decided to take a stab at an acting career, like his father (and his older brother, Emilio Estevez). While Sheen played a bit part in one of his father's films, The Execution of Private Slovik, when he was nine, he began his screen career in earnest in 1984, playing Matt Eckhart in the Cold War thriller Red Dawn. (Earlier that same year, Sheen played a small role in a sequel to the horror film Grizzly which didn't see release until 1987; Grizzly 2: The Predator also featured a then-unknown George Clooney.) After good-sized roles in several made-for-TV movies and smaller roles in better-known feature films (including Lucas and Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Sheen got his big break in 1986 when he was cast as Chris, a soldier with conscience in Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning Vietnam drama Platoon. In 1987, Sheen starred in Stone's next project, Wall Street, and after establishing himself as a solid dramatic actor, Sheen proved he also had a flair for comedy in the 1989 hit Major League. The role also gave Sheen a chance to show off his pitching arm; a year earlier, Sheen got to play real-life center fielder Hap Felsch in John Sayles' drama about the 1919 "Chicago Black Sox" scandal, Eight Men Out. Sheen's next major success was also a comedy, the 1991 military-film satire Hot Shots, and while box-office blockbusters tended to elude him, Sheen worked steadily over the next several years, and racked up a respectable number of box-office successes.By this time, Sheen had developed a reputation as a hard-living star who spoke his mind regardless of the consequences, but his fun-loving image began to take on a darker hue in the mid-'90s. In 1990, Sheen was engaged to marry actress Kelly Preston, but she left him shortly after an incident in which he accidentally shot her in the arm. In 1995, Sheen tied the knot with model Donna Peele, but the marriage ended in divorce only 14 months later. The same year he was wed, Sheen was called to testify in the trial of "Hollywood Madame" Heidi Fleiss, and admitted he was a frequent customer of Fleiss' call girl service, spending over 50,000 dollars on the services of prostitutes. In the wake of the Heidi Fleiss scandal, Sheen did himself no favors in terms of public relations by openly dating a pair of adult film actresses, Ginger Lynn Allen and Brittany Ashland; his relationship with Ashland came to an end when she filed assault charges against him. Sheen's bad-boy image turned especially grim in 1998, when he was hospitalized for drug and alcohol abuse; after a short-lived stay in rehab, Sheen gave sobriety another try, and by 1999 he was, by all accounts, clean and sober and ready to get his career back on track. In 1999, Sheen's brother, Emilio Estevez, cast him as real-life adult filmmaker Artie Mitchell in the made-for-cable feature Rated X -- a daring role, given Mitchell's drug abuse and sexual promiscuity -- and the following year, Sheen became Hollywood's comeback kid when he was cast in the leading role of the popular situation comedy Spin City after the departure of actor Michael J. Fox. In 2002, a clean, sober, and successful Sheen made headlines once again with his love life, though this time in a positive manner: He announced his engagement to actress Denise Richards; alas, a lengthy marriage was not to be, and the couple divorced after four years. Beginning in 2003, Sheen signed for an ongoing role opposite Jon Cryer and Melanie Lynskey on the popular situation comedy Two and a Half Men. The show became a massive success, running until 2011. In the meantime, Sheen married Brooke Mueller in 2008, with whom he had twin boys, Bob and Max. The marriage was short, ending in 2010 amid rumors of rampant drug use and partying, an arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, and brief stints in rehab - culminating in a 2010 incident in which Sheen was removed from the Plaza hotel after causing $7,000 worth of damage to a hotel room, allegedly following an altercation with a prostitute. Even grander spectacles were soon to come, as disagreements with producers of Two and a Half Men in 2011 led to Sheen making what sounded like near manic public statements, nominally defending his demands for a 50% raise for his work on the show. He gave a series of interviews in which he disclosed that he lived with two girlfriends, who he called his "goddesses," graphic designer Natalie Kenly and porn star Bree Olsen. He also infamously described himself as "winning" (presumably at life), as well as having "tiger's blood," and being a "bitchin' rock star from Mars." The media explosion following his statements led to rampant speculation that he was in the throes of drug addiction. Sheen capitalized on the attention, however, embarking on a stand-up/performance tour titled "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option." Sheen was officially fired from Two and a Half Men in March of 2011, but Sheen continued to reach out to the public through internet videos available on UStream titled Torpedoes of Truth. In 2012, Sheen scored the lead in the FX comedy Anger Management (a spin-off from the 2003 movie with the same name), which earned a 100 episode production order.In addition to his career as an actor, Sheen has also dabbled in production; he produced two of his films, Comicitis and The Chase, before forming a production company with rock singer Bret Michaels. Sheen also wrote the screenplay for the company's first release, No Code of Conduct. In addition, Sheen published a book of his poetry, A Peace of My Mind.

Trivia: Like her older half-sister Melissa (Little House on the Prairie), actress Sara Gilbert grew up on a television series, in this case, the long-running ABC sitcom Roseanne (1988-1997). She and her sister and her older half-brother, Jonathon Gilbert, are the third generation of a showbiz family. Her grandfather, Harry Crane, was a writer for The Honeymooners, her grandmother, Julia Crane, was a former Miss Brooklyn and a dancer, and her mother is a producer and talent manager. Gilbert made her professional debut in a television commercial at age six, and from there appeared in the television series Tales of the Apple Dumpling Gang (1982). She then played a small role in the made-for-TV movie Calamity Jane, which starred Jane Alexander. Gilbert's career slowed down after that and she did not appear on television until 1988 when she appeared in Runaway Ralph as part of the ABC Weekend Special. As Darlene Connor in Roseanne, Gilbert believably played a cynical, smart-mouthed, but sensitive foil for Roseanne. Gilbert showed versatility as a confused Daddy's girl who is victimized by a calculating Drew Barrymore in Poison Ivy (1989) and as a Southern child with a dark secret who is befriended by a gentle black man in the well-wrought Sudie and Simpson (1990). Gilbert has been twice nominated for an Emmy and has won three Youth in Film Awards. During the last couple seasons of Roseanne, Gilbert began attending Yale University where she studied art and photography. She has also been an avid supporter for various environmental causes through her affiliation with Earth Communications Office (ECO).She stayed away from acting for the most part until 2007 when she began making occasional appearances on the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory often playing opposite her former Roseanne co-star Johnny Galecki. In 2010, she created the talk show The Talk, a knockoff of The View, and serves as an executive producer and co-host of the series.