Trivia: Thanks in part to Alun Armstrong, the works of Charles Dickens enjoyed widespread exposure before television and theater audiences in the late 20th century. A longtime fan of Dickens, Armstrong performed in two highly acclaimed TV productions of Dickens: David Copperfield as Dan Pegotty and Oliver Twist as Mr. Fleming. In addition, he played the cruel schoolmaster Squeers in the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage adaptation of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. The production won four 1982 Tony Awards, including the award for Best Play, after it moved from London to New York. Armstrong also played Squeers in a 1982 TV production of Nickleby that won an Emmy and was nominated for a British Academy Award. Such is Armstrong's passion for Dickens that he turned down a role in a high-profile Clint Eastwood film to do the David Copperfield production. However, he has gratefully accepted challenging roles in many other high-profile motion pictures. For example, he played Mornay in Braveheart, Owens in Patriot Games, Corporal Davies in A Bridge Too Far, Lacourbe in The Duellists, and Keith in Get Carter.Theatergoers who have never seen Armstrong on the stage have been missing performances of the first rank. He was nominated for the coveted Laurence Olivier Award six times for work in such plays as Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, and Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. He won the Olivier Award as Best Actor for his performance in Cameron Mackintosh's musical production of the Christopher Bond play Sweeney Todd. In film productions, Armstrong helped Jonathan Tammuz win a 1989 Oscar in the category of Best Live Action Short for his role as Stefano in The Childeater. And in TV productions, he earned a Best Actor nomination from the Royal Television Society for his performance in This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper. Armstrong was born on July 17, 1946, in County Durham, England. Though his face may have once been handsome, it is now a relief map of crevasses that make him ideal for roles as Dickens characters. Such a countenance works well, too, for Shakespeare characters whose visages are etched with the hardships of living. Armstrong put his wrinkles to work in the Royal Shakespeare Company productions of The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, The Winter's Tale, Troilus and Cressida, As You Like It, and Measure for Measure. Although never regarded as a famous actor, Armstrong has certainly been one of the hardest-working. Between 1999 and 2002, he performed in 17 productions, including two major films -- Sleepy Hollow and The Mummy Returns -- and a hit TV miniseries, The Aristocrats.

Trivia: Studied acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Has worked at the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal National Theatre. Became well known after appearing in Bridget Jones's Diary in 2001. Appeared alongside Rowan Atkinson on stage in 2013 in Quartermaine's Terms.

Trivia: A former childhood thrush who has since moved on to find success as an actress, Scottish-born stage and screen star Shirley Henderson has come a long way from her working-class roots with roles in such internationally popular features as Bridget Jones's Diary, Once Upon a Time in the Midlands, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The eldest of three sisters whose striking voice set her apart from the pack, Henderson found early success on the local music circuit before moving on to study drama at Kirkaldy Technical College. Her tenure at Kirkaldy eventually led her to study at the acclaimed Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and it wasn't long before Henderson made an impression on the stages of The National Theater, The Royal Court, and the Hampstead Theater. Equally adept at performances of both the classical and contemporary variety, Henderson's stage experience served her well when she appeared opposite Robert Carlyle in the 1995 television series Hamish Macbeth. After going international the following year with a role in the big-screen hit Rob Roy, Henderson would next appear opposite Carlyle once again in the heroin-flavored arthouse hit Trainspotting. A key role in director Michael Winterbottom's 1999 drama Wonderland, coupled with critical acclaim for her role in the same year's Topsy-Turvy, gave Henderson a reputation for versatility and talent onscreen, with subsequent supporting roles in The Claim and 24 Hour Party People finding her becoming something of a stock player for Winterbottom. A role as the eponymous characters' best friend in the 2001 comedy Bridget Jones' Diary found Henderson's profile rising on the other side of the Atlantic, and in 2002, the then-36-year-old actress pulled off the unlikely feat of portraying Hogwarts student Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Arthouse success in Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself served well to balance out Henderson's mainstream success, and after appearing in a series of shorts, the increasingly busy actress appeared in no less than three films in 2004, including the eagerly anticipated sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

Trivia: Was born in England, but lived in Dubai with her parents until she was 13. First acting role was as Georgiana Darcy in Pride and Prejudice in 2005. Has had poetry published in Platforms magazine. Completed the Royal Court Theatre's Young Writers Programme. Became a patron of Build Africa in 2012.

Trivia: Performed in the National Theatre's West End production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time in 2012. Played the role of Cece in Aurin Squire's stage production of Obama-ology at Finborough Theatre in the West End in 2014. Appeared in the music video for Years & Years' single Real in 2015. Has worked as an acting tutor for children. Is a talented singer and trained dancer. Speaks French and Spanish in addition to her native English.