Trivia: As the offspring of producer/writer Naomi Foner and director Stephen Gyllenhaal, it is not surprising that Jake Gyllenhaal has been acting since childhood. Raised in Los Angeles, Gyllenhaal acted in school plays and made his winsome screen debut when he was in the fifth grade, playing Billy Crystal's son in the blockbuster summer comedy City Slickers (1991). Keeping it in the family while acting with some of the industry's most notable talents, Gyllenhaal subsequently appeared in his parents' 1993 adaptation of the novel A Dangerous Woman with Debra Winger, and played Robin Williams' son in a 1994 episode of TV's Homicide that was directed by his father. Poised to make the transition from child to adult actor, Gyllenhaal earned rave reviews, heralding him as a star in the making, for his emotionally sincere performance as real-life rocket builder Homer Hickam in the warmly received drama October Sky (1999). Though he opted to stay in school and attend college at Columbia University, Gyllenhaal continued his creative pursuits, playing in a rock band and starring as the oddball title character alongside Drew Barrymore in the Barrymore-produced Sundance Film Festival entrant Donnie Darko (2001). Gyllenhaal could be seen later that same year as the titular character in the ill-fated Bubble Boy.After co-starring on the London stage in This Is Our Youth in spring 2002, Gyllenhaal was declared one half of Entertainment Weekly's "It Gene Pool" (with sister Maggie Gyllenhaal) for his aversion to taking the easy, teen flick route. In keeping with his preference for off-center work, Gyllenhaal coincidentally played the younger love object of choice in two consecutive indie comedies, appearing as Catherine Keener's sensitive boss in Nicole Holofcener's slyly witty Lovely & Amazing (2002) and Jennifer Aniston's enticing yet disturbed co-worker in Miguel Arteta's sardonic The Good Girl (2002). As further proof that he had the acting chops to go with his sad-eyed good looks, Gyllenhaal subsequently co-starred with Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon as a young man enmeshed in his dead fiancée's family in Moonlight Mile (2002).With his star on the rise and his status as a heartthrob all but cemented, it became impossible for Gyllenhaal to avoid the draw of a big summer blockbuster. In 2004, he starred alongside Dennis Quaid in the mega-budgeted The Day After Tomorrow, and the success of that film put him in another league altogether. What followed was an interesting, challenging mix of roles for the young actor. He could be seen in the fall of 2005 starring in no less than three high-profile prestige films, all of them adaptations: the delayed big-screen version of the Pulitzer-prize winning play Proof, with Gwyneth Paltrow; the Gulf War memoir Jarhead, directed by American Beauty wunderkind Sam Mendes; and Ang Lee's cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain. The first two films received an indifferent response by critics, even though Jarhead's opening-weekend gross confirmed Gyllenhaal's bankability. Lee's film, however, garnered the most acclaim of 2005, and offered him perhaps his riskiest, most rewarding role to date. Playing the closeted, romantically frustrated rancher Jack Twist, Gyllenhaal added heartbreaking shades of vulnerability to his usual frat-boy cockiness, and more than held his own opposite a memorably gruff, taciturn Heath Ledger. As praise was heaped out upon the film and its two male leads, Gyllenhaal found himself the recipient of a BAFTA award, a National Board of Review notice, and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Gyllenhaal would spend the next several years enjoying his status as a leading man, appearing in projects like Zodiac, Brothers, Love and Other Drugs, and Source Code.

Trivia: Was raised in the Magnolia Projects of New Orleans. Competed as a hurdler for the California Golden Bears in college. Was previously an architect and city planner before beginning his acting career. Was awarded Yale School of Drama's esteemed Herschel Williams Prize. Made his professional acting debut playing Cadillac in the musical drama series The Get Down, which was created by Baz Luhrmann.

Trivia: Success came early for actress and singer Eiza González, who made her screen debut at age 16, playing Lola in the Cinderella-story teen telenovela Lola Érase una Vez. Her work in the popular 2007 adaptation was honored with a 2008 TVyNovelas award for Best Female Debut. The Caborca, Mexico, native followed up her splash entrance with her 2009 debut album, Contracorriente, which would earn her 2009 Lo Nuestro honors for Top Breakout Artist.A lead role in the 2010 teen-oriented drama Sueña conmigo was followed by the 2012 release of her sophomore album, Te Acordarás de Mí. 2014 saw González assume a regular role on Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, a horror drama based on the 1996 movie of the same name and airing on El Rey Network in the U.S. In addition to acting and singing, González has also served as a spokesmodel for cosmetics and skincare brands.

Trivia: Character player Garret Dillahunt appeared onscreen from the late '90s, and -- though versatile -- often displayed a predilection for evocations of slightly rugged types. Early in his career, Dillahunt essayed a string of guest portrayals on series including NYPD Blue and The X-Files, and signed on as a fixture on less successful series outings such as Maximum Bob (1998), Leap Years (2001), and A Minute with Stan Hooper (2003). When these programs folded not long after they first bowed, Dillahunt continued to find work on the small screen, appearing in multiple episodes of such series as ER (2005-2006), The 4400 (2005-2006), John from Cincinnati (2007), and Damages (2007), in such a variety of characterizations that his versatility as an actor was clearly notable. Dillahunt's ability to disappear into a role lead to him portraying not one but two memorable characters on HBO's critically acclaimed Western series Deadwood; his evocation of Wild Bill Hickock murderer Jack McCall so impressed the series' producers that he was brought back the next season to portray George Hearst's emissary Francis Wolcott (who was also secretly a serial killer). The next year, the actor's evocation of Jesus on Jack Kenny, Flody Suarez, and John Tinker's risky comedy drama series The Book of Daniel (2006) brought him lead billing, but the program never caught fire with the public. In 2007, Dillahunt transitioned to features and appeared in at least two A-list theatrical releases: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and the Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men. For No Country, Dillahunt and his co-stars picked up a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. He appeared in the short-lived HBO surfing series John From Cincinnati, and had a recurring role on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. In 2009 he starred in the big-screen remake of Last House on the Left, and had a small role in The Road. In 2010 he landed the role of the grandfather of the title character on the FOX sitcom Raising Hope, which turned into a ratings hit. He was one of the stars in the drama Any Day Now as a gay lawyer attempting to adopt a child.

Trivia: Many U.S. filmgoers will associate Keir O'Donnell with his performance as Todd Cleary, the not-so-subtle homosexual artist who tries to seduce a terrified Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn), in David Dobkin's comedy smash-hit Wedding Crashers (2005). Actually, this slightly diminutive comedic actor (who hails from Australia) traces his film career back to the early 2000s, though Crashers marked his first major Hollywood appearance. Vaughn had O'Donnell turn up to reprise that characterization (with a running gag related to the movie) in his late 2005 touring stage performance; it later evolved into the ensemble performance film Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show. O'Donnell then landed supporting roles in such films as the crime thriller Pathology (2008), the romantic comedy Flakes (2007), and the slasher movie Amusement (2008). He was in the hit 2009 Kevin James film Paul Blart: Mall Cop, and then took smaller roles in When in Rome and The Runaways.

Trivia: During sophomore year of high school, his drama teacher heard him sing the national anthem at a school pep rally and encouraged him to audition for a role in the school's rock musical The Me Nobody Knows; got the lead role of Clorox. Landed a full scholarship to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Summer Fine Arts Camp; it was there that he knew he wanted to pursue acting for his career. Made film debut when he was cast in The Ten starring Paul Rudd and Jessica Alba in 2007. Won the 2008 NAACP Theatre Award for Best Lead Male Actor for his performance as Johnson Whittaker in the play A Matter of Honor. Received the Best Actor Award in 2009 at the San Diego Black Film Festival for his performance in the film The Least Among You. Initially was rejected for a part in the ABC series Mind Games but knew he was right for it, so he created a new tape and sent it back in and eventually got the role of Latrell.

Trivia: Was raised a Jehovah's Witness. Attended the University of Nebraska on a cheerleading scholarship. Dropped everything, including college, when he moved from Nebraska to Atlanta to pursue acting after a 45-minute phone conversation with Judson Vaughn, who at the time was the CEO and founder of WHAT Films. Landed his first role in the movie Delivery Boy Chronicles, in which he played "Mexican leaf blower." Arrived in Los Angeles in 2003 and found steady work appearing in national commercials for such brands as McDonalds, Toyota, Avis, Miller beer and State Farm. Won Best Actor at the 2007 ALMA Awards for playing a troubled gay teenager named Carlos in Quinceaera. Appeared on Broadway as Sergio the Handyman in The Pee-wee Herman Show.

Trivia: First began expressing an interest in acting at the age of 3. Had his first kiss in a school production of Peter Pan when he was 14. Appeared in plays at the Portland Center Stage and Artist's Repertory Theatre while still in high school. Graduated as his high school's valedictorian.

Trivia: Best known to many as one half of "Jeff and Annabelle," the witty couple with a culinary flair who dished up "Dinner and a Movie" Friday evenings on TBS from 1995 to 2002, Annabelle Gurwitch is actually a fairly versatile character actress who boasts an extensive film resumé. Per the course traveled by many actresses, she began in television, with guest appearances on such hit programs as Murphy Brown, China Beach, Tales from the Crypt, and Red Shoe Diaries. Gurwitch then segued to feature-film roles in the early '90s. The majority of film projects to which Gurwitch contributed failed to score at the box office, but did place her alongside A-list talent. These films included Life With Mikey (1993), The Cable Guy (1996), and Daddy Day Care (2003). In the mid-2000s, Gurwitch signed on for a stage play under the aegis of Woody Allen. For indeterminate reasons, Allen fired her, prompting Gurwitch to mastermind Fired!, a documentary featuring the personal accounts of show-business personnel and laymen who have been axed. The finished product debuted in early 2007 to devastating reviews -- leading one critic to quip that he wished Allen hadn't fired Gurwitch, thus sparing audiences the plight of suffering through that documentary.

Trivia: Originally wanted to study criminal justice and have a career in law enforcement.Started taking an acting class while working on a nine-to-five job for the state.Worked in background and short films in Boston.Moved from Boston to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career right after getting his SAG card.