Trivia: Given his formidable success in numerous arenas of the entertainment industry, the multi-talented Will Smith qualifies as an original "Renaissance man." Although Smith initially gained fame as the rap star Fresh Prince prior to the age of 20, (with constant MTV airplay and blockbuster record sales), he cut his chops as an A-list Hollywood actor on the small and big screens in successive years, unequivocally demonstrating his own commercial viability and sturdy appeal to a broad cross section of viewers. A Philadelphia native, Smith entered the world on September 25, 1968. The son of middle-class parents (his father owned a refrigeration company and his mother worked for the school board) and the second of four children, Smith started rapping from the age of 12, and earned the nickname "Prince" thanks to his ability to slickly talk his way out of trouble. Smith engendered this moniker as a household phrase when he officially formed the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, with fellow performer Jeff Townes in 1986. That team netted two Grammys (one for the seminal 1988 youth anthem "Parents Just Don't Understand" and one for the 1991 single "Summertime") and scored commercially with a series of albums up through their disbandment in 1993 that did much to dramatically broaden the age range of rap listeners (unlike artists in the gangsta rap subgenre, Smith and Townes never ventured into R- or X-rated subject matter or language). However, by the time he was 21, Smith had frittered away much of his fortune and had fallen into debt with the IRS. Help arrived in the form of Warner Bros. executive Benny Medina, who wanted to create a family-friendly sitcom based on his own experiences as a poor kid living with a rich Beverly Hills family, starring the genial Smith. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air debuted on NBC on September 10, 1990, and became a runaway hit, lasting six seasons. The program imparted to Smith -- who had turned down an MIT scholarship to pursue his career -- even wider audience exposure as the show's protagonist, introducing him to legions of viewers who fell outside of the rap market. During Prince's lengthy run, Smith began to branch out into film work. Following roles in Where the Day Takes You (1992) and Made in America (1993), he drew substantial critical praise on the arthouse circuit, as a young gay con man feigning an identity as Sidney Poitier's son, in Six Degrees of Separation (1993), directed by Fred Schepisi and adapted by John Guare from his own play. Smith also elicited minor controversy around this time for remarks he made in an interview that some perceived as homophobic. In 1994, Smith and Martin Lawrence signed on with powerhouse producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer to co-star in the action-comedy Bad Boys, in which the two play a hotshot pair of Miami cops; it eventually raked in over 141 million dollars worldwide. The following year, Smith topped his Bad Boys success (and then some) with a turn in the sci-fi smash Independence Day, the effects-laden tale of an alien invasion. Co-written, executive-produced, and directed by Roland Emmerich for 20th Century Fox, this picture eventually pulled in over 816 million dollars globally, making it not only the top grosser of 1996, but one of the most lucrative motion pictures in history. Smith then tackled the same thematic ground (albeit in a completely different genre), as a government-appointed alien hunter partnered up with Tommy Lee Jones in Barry Sonnenfeld's zany comedy Men in Black (1997), another smash success. Not long after this, Smith achieved success on a personal front as well, as he married actress Jada Pinkett on New Year's Eve 1998. The following autumn, Smith returned to cinemas with Enemy of the State, a conspiracy thriller with Gene Hackman that had him on the run from government agents. That film scored a commercial bull's-eye, but its triumph preceded a minor disappointment. The following summer, Smith starred opposite Kevin Kline in Wild Wild West, Sonnenfeld's lackluster follow-up to Men in Black, an overwrought and ham-handed cinematic rendering of the late-'60s TV hit.The late fall of 2000 found Smith back in cinemas, playing a mysterious golf caddy who tutors down-on-his-luck putter Matt Damon in the syrupy The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000). Smith then trained rigorously for his most demanding role up to that point: that of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in director Michael Mann's biopic Ali (2001). The film struggled to find an audience, and critics were mixed, even if Smith's well-studied performance earned praise as well as his first Oscar nomination. While Smith executive produced the Robert De Niro/Eddie Murphy comedy Showtime (2002), he doubled it up with work in front of the camera, on the sci-fi comedy sequel Men in Black II, also helmed by Barry Sonnenfeld. As expected, the film made an unholy amount of money; he followed it up with yet another sequel, the Bruckheimer-produced Bad Boys II. It topped the box office, as expected. The next year saw Smith pull the one-two punch of I, Robot -- a futuristic, effects-laden fantasy -- and the CG-animated Shark Tale, in which he voiced Oscar, a little fish with a big attitude who scrubs whales for a living. While Smith had proven himself as an action star time and again and had received high marks for his dramatic work, it remained to be seen if he could carry a romantic comedy. All speculation ceased in early 2005 with the release of Hitch: Starring Smith as a fabled "date doctor," the film had the biggest opening weekend for a rom-com to date, leading many to wonder if there was anything Smith couldn't do.The following year, Smith starred in the period drama The Pursuit of Happyness. Set in early-'80s San Francisco, and directed by Gabriele Muccino (a director specifically summoned for the task by Smith), the film recounted the true story of Charles Gardner (Smith), a single dad struggling in an unpaid position as an intern at Dean Witter, all in an effort to be able provide for his son. The film tapped new reserves of compassion and desparation in Smith's persona, as he managed to fully embody another real-life character while maintaining all of the qualities that endeared him to audiences in the first place: His humor, his hustle and his ingenuity. Upon its release, Happyness provided Smith with perhaps his first cinematic hat trick: critical praise, a second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and staggering box-office success (the film would become one of his largest hits). Meanwhile, he began work as the lead in I Am Legend (2007), the third screen incarnation of sci-fi giant Richard Matheson's seminal novel of the same title (following a 1964's The Last Man on Earth, and 1971's The Omega Man).The actor continued to keep busy in 2008 with films including Seven Pounds (despite an unintentionally comical suicide by sea life, the film was a critical failure) and superhero comedy Hancock, featuring Smith in the lead role as a hard-drinking ne'er-do-well who is reluctantly thrust into the world of crime-fighting. After producing a remake of The Karate Kid (starring his son, Jaden Smith) and spy comedy This Means War, Smith reprised his role as Agent J for Men in Black III in 2012. MIB III was a box office success, in no small part due to the chemistry between Smith and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones).

Trivia: The scion of an A-list Hollywood couple -- rapper-turned-actor Will Smith and actress Jada Pinkett Smith -- Jaden Christopher Syre Smith entered show business as a pint-sized child star, courtesy of his mom and dad. He began with a number of appearances on the Smith-produced sitcom All of Us (2003), then moved into film with lead billing in another effort produced by his dad, the inspirational drama The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). That feature -- a box-office and critical smash -- starred Will and Jaden as a down-on-their-luck father/son pair drawn ever closer as the father vows to work his way up the corporate ladder and dramatically improve their circumstances. Additional projects followed, including a role as one of the humans who teaches alien Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) about life on Earth in director Scott Derrickson's science-fiction remake The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008).

Trivia: For an actress whose late-blooming career began its slow but steady ascent around the age of 18, acclaimed stage and screen beauty Sophie Okonedo has more than made up for any lost time. As comfortable onscreen as she is on-stage, Okonedo first gained critical acclaim for her role as Cressida in Trevor Nunn's production of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida at London's National Theater. Though Okonedo would soon expand her repertoire to include roles in film and television, it was her unwavering dedication to the stage that would be the defining aspect of her early career until breakout roles in such films as Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things and the devastating Hotel Rwanda brought her both international acclaim and an Oscar nomination. Born in London to a Nigerian father and a British mother, Okonedo was 18 years old when she came across an advertisement for a writer's workshop in Time Out magazine. It didn't take long for Okonedo to realize that she was more proficient in offering dramatically rendered readings of her fellow classmate's stories than penning her own, and with the encouragement of writing coach Hanif Kureishi, the aspiring actress was soon honing her skills at the Royal Court Theater. A scholarship to the Royal Academy was quick to follow, and in the succeeding years, Okonedo would earn glowing reviews thanks to, among many other roles, her stunning performance in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida. A brief appearance as a tribal princess in the Jim Carrey vehicle Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls found Okonedo becoming increasingly at ease in front of the camera, and upon returning to the U.K., the rising starlet began to carve out an impressive niche for herself on such television productions as The Governor, Deep Secrets, and In Defence. Despite Okonedo's increasing exposure abroad on screens both large and small, it was her touching turn as a sympathetic prostitute in Frears' dark thriller Dirty Pretty Things (2002) that proved to be her breakout role in film. It was shortly after witnessing Okonedo's performance in that movie that filmmaker Terry George approached her for a substantial role in his upcoming docudrama Hotel Rwanda -- am emotionally devastating retelling of the 1994 Tutsi massacre and one local hotel owner's noble attempt to save innocent lives by opening his doors to those hoping to escape a grim fate at the hands of the Hutus. Delivering a performance that was as genuinely moving as it was heartbreaking, Okonedo truly came into her own with the role -- and earned an Oscar nomination in the process. In addition to her increasingly busy onscreen career (by the time Hotel Rwanda was released into theaters she was already nearly finished filming her role opposite Charlize Theron in the sci-fi action effort Aeon Flux), Okonedo still found time to remain loyal to the stage by serving on the board of directors at the Royal Court Theater. Nevertheless the silver screen was calling now, and when her theatrical obligations were fullfilled, Okonedo was ready to jump back into the fray with a key supporting role n the family friendly action flick Stormbreaker - a cinematic adaptation of author Anthony Horowitz popular series of novels concerning the wild adventures of fourteen-year-old super-spy Alex Rider.

Trivia: Was a high-school senior when he landed his first movie role, the Texas-set teen comedy-drama Drive-In. The Dallas native's second TV role was in a 1978 episode of Dallas (his TV debut came earlier that year in an episode of Police Woman). Appeared with 24 castmate Xander Berkeley in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (as sheriffs) and the 1997 movie Air Force One. Has played five characters in three Star Trek series and one Trek movie. Is a motivational speaker whose "Extra Mile" seminar helps participants develop techniques for achieving their goals. Has appeared in three Transformer movies, even though his character was killed in the first film (2007). Morshower returned as a different character in the 2009 and 2011 installments.

Trivia: Of Indian descent with a Hindu background, but attended a Catholic secondary school. Began acting at age 12; took tap-dancing lessons unwillingly at first, but it was his tap instructor who recommended him to a children's talent agency in Manchester. Studied at Manchester's Laine-Johnson Theatre School. First TV role was a 1997 episode of the British children's series Out of Sight; appeared in the soap opera EastEnders in 2001. Won a Breakthrough On Screen Award from Britain's Royal Television Society for the 2006 docudrama The Bradford Riots. Extensive British theater credits include the National Theatre production of Alan Bennett's The History Boys in 2004; reprised his role on Broadway and on the Tony-winning drama's world tour, as well as in the 2006 film adaptation.

Trivia: Became interested in acting after playing a lead role in his school's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Initially wanted to study graphic design in college. In 2004, performed in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of All's Well That Ends Well starring Dame Judi Dench. After the birth of his son, became involved in an infant-feeding program with his wife at Wythenshawe Hospital called "breastfeeding buddies" that aims to encourage women to breastfeed their babies.

Trivia: As his grandmother and parents were both actors, his school gave him the lead role in Hamlet when he was 16 without an audition. Began acting at Oslo's National Theatre when he was 19. Appeared in Vera Henriksen's play The Sword in 2011. Shaved his trademark beard for a role in M. Night Shyamalan's After Earth (2013).

Trivia: Appeared in theatrical productions of Bus Stop and The Tempest. Made his big-screen debut in the 2000 comedy The Replacements. Portrayed the demon Skip in the Angel series. Cites Henry V as the work that inspired him to become an actor.

Trivia: Originally wanted to be a professional baseball player. Moved to Toronto at the age of 19 to pursue an acting career. Worked as a bartender while studying in theater workshops. Landed his breakout role in the film Mean Girls (2004) as high-school student Shane. Enjoys various athletic activities in his free time, including baseball, golf, hockey and swimming.

Trivia: The daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, actress Zoe Kravitz took her first major feature bow in the 2007 romanic comedy No Reservations, followed soon after by a turn in the Jodie Foster revenge thriller The Brave One.

Trivia: Actress Isabelle Fuhrman began her acting career before she'd even reached double digits, appearing in TV commercials in the early 2000s. In 2007, the 10-year-old was cast in the controversial movie Hounddog, and by 2009, she accepted the terrifying starring role in the horror film Orphan.