Trivia: Majored in psychology during her brief stint at the University of East London. Applied to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts at the behest of a former director, not expecting to actually get in. Played the starring role of Sister Mary Clarence in a United Kingdom run of Sister Act. Won a Daytime Emmy for her performance on a May, 2016 episode of NBC's The Today Show. Won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Broadway production The Color Purple, and a Grammy in 2017 for the cast album of the same production. Cowrote and sang "Fly Before You Fall" on the soundtrack for the film Beyond the Lights. Did a one-night show of the musical The Last Five Years, in 2017, the proceeds of which were donated to The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Trivia: Was surrounded by music from an early age, thanks to her father, Ken, a music producer who worked on several Fleetwood Mac albums. Was inspired to pursue a singing career after listening to Lauryn Hill at age 11. Once worked at a tanning salon. Became one of the top unsigned artists on MySpace.com after posting her hit song "Bubbly." Her online success led to a contract with Universal Republic.

Trivia: Named after the Revlon perfume Ciara. Traveled around the world as an army brat, with stints in Germany, New York, California, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. Wrote the song "Got Me Waiting," on Fantasia Barrino's album Free Yourself (2004). Released her debut album, Goodies, in 2004. Her sophomore album, Ciara: The Evolution, went to number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2009, opened for Britney Spears' Circus Tour in London, and then headlined her own tour, Jay-Z and Ciara Live. Invited as a guest to the White House in 2015. Titled her sixth album Jackie in honor of her mother.

Trivia: Decided to become a musician when he was 15 after seeing Billy Joel in concert. Released his debut album, Chariot, in 2003. His song "I Don't Want to Be" is the theme song for One Tree Hill. He appeared on the show twice to perform the song. Co-owns, with his brother Joey DeGraw, the National Underground, a bar/music venue with locations in New York and Nashville. Had to be hospitalized after being assaulted by a gang of people in New York City in 2011. Appeared on season 14 of Dancing with the Stars, paired with Karina Smirnoff.

Trivia: Was raised in Peapack, New Jersey.Won a cheerleading camp award at age four.Studied acting, dance and voice at Annie's Playhouse School of Performing Arts since age six.In 2013, was Louisa von Trapp's understudy in NBC's The Sound of Music Live!Released a Japanese version of her first single "Smile."Speaks Japanese.

Trivia: At 12 years old, entered a songwriter's contest and won $1,000 for the tune "I Come From America." Became the youngest person to produce, write and sing a No. 1 single when the song "Foolish Beat" reached the top of the charts; it also landed her in the Guinness Book of World Records. Made movie debut as an extra in the 1984 comedy Ghostbusters. Debut album, Out of the Blue, was released in 1987. In early 1990s, in an effort to be taken more seriously, changed first name from Debbie to Deborah. Spent a significant part of her entertainment career doing theater, beginning with a turn in the 1992 Broadway production of Les Misérables as Eponine. Has appeared on several reality shows, including Fox's American Juniors (2003) and Skating with Celebrities (2006), and NBC's Celebrity Apprentice (2012). Featured in a 2005 pictorial for Playboy magazine. Inducted into the Hall of Fame of her alma mater, Sanford H. Calhoun High School, in March 2012.

Trivia: Alaska native Jewel is known more for her role as a singer/songwriter than for any role she's had on screen, but she's nonetheless found plenty of crossover success on TV and in film. In 1995, the acoustic musician released her breakthrough album, Pieces of You, to major commercial success and critical acclaim, and she soon became a major force in popular music, finding her niche at the top of a '90s wave of folk-inspired female artists. She toured in support of her album, as well as with the women's music festival Lilith Fair, before returning to the studio to record her follow-up album Spirit in 1998.Jewel continued to record and perform for a solid fan base after the trend that first ignited her career had passed, but she also branched out into other artistic areas, appearing in the 1999 film Ride With the Devil, and publishing a book of poetry, A Night Without Armor in 1998, as well as an autobiography, Chasing Down the Dawn in 2000. In 2007, Jewel joined the reality series Nashville Star as a judge, offering both praise and criticisms to a group of young country music hopefuls, competing for a recording contract. The next year, she got even more involved in television, joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars. Over the coming years, Jewell would find ongoing opportunities in reality TV, with competetive shows like Platinum Hit and The Sing-Off.

Trivia: Nicknamed "The King of Crunk." Started performing as part of the group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz; they released their debut album, Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album, in 1997. Was the producer (as well as a writer and a featured performer) of Usher's 2004 No. 1 hit "Yeah!" Named Songwriter of the Year in both the pop and urban categories at the 2005 BMI Awards. Released his first album as a solo artist, Crunk Rock, in 2010. Played for the United Methodist Children's Home of North Georgia Conference when he appeared on Celebrity Apprentice in 2011; when he returned to the show two seasons later, his charity was the American Diabetes Association.

Trivia: It would be difficult to imagine a more conspicuous or thrilling big-screen debut for a child actress than that of St. Louis-born Taylor Momsen, selected out of innumerable hopefuls at six years old to play Cindy Lou Who in Ron Howard's colorful holiday fantasy How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). The Momsen was already an on-camera veteran when she signed for the part (given her appearance in a Shake 'n Bake commercial at three years old, and one-shot roles on the series Early Edition and Cosby), The Grinch nevertheless heightened her exposure.Not long after The Grinch, Momsen stuck with the same genre: the family-oriented fantasy Hansel & Gretel (2002), which sported Lynn Redgrave. That very same year, however, the pint-sized ingenue returned to A-list material with small contributions to two acclaimed blockbusters: Mel Gibson's military drama We Were Soldiers and the can't-miss sequel Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002), directed by Robert Rodriguez. Her next major cinematic contributions arrived in 2007, with turns in the FX-heavy canine superhero picture Underdog and Gus Van Sant's coming-of-age drama Paranoid Park.Despite all of her work in high-profile films, Momsen broke through to mainstream notice in 2007 via her involvement in a prime-time teen soap opera: the CW's Gossip Girl. On that series, the actress played Brooklyn-dwelling wannabe social climber Jenny Humphrey (younger sister of Dan), who was a good girl at heart but flirted with misbehavior in her quest to become part of the rich-girl clique at her prep school. In 2008 she appeared in Spy School.

Trivia: Was extensively involved with pageants and modeling at a young age. From 1991 to '94 was a member of the Georgia 4-H performing-arts group Clovers & Company. Joined The New Mickey Mouse Club (MMC) in 1993 along with Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling and Britney Spears. Became a member of the all-girl group Innosense (which was managed by Justin Timberlake's mom, Lynn Harless) in 1998; the group toured with 'N Sync and Britney Spears. Is a spokesperson for Girl Talk, which is a peer-to-peer mentoring program. Teaches acting at the Warner Loughlin Studios in Los Angeles. Nickname is Peaches.

Trivia: After working in television for a several years, mostly in guest roles on such series as Angel, Tru Calling, and Roswell, Kristoffer Polaha scored quite the part as his first major role -- the Reno, Nevada-born actor portrayed John F. Kennedy Jr. (no stretch, given the physical resemblance) in the warmly received 2003 telemovie America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story. Not long after that, Polaha took on his first regular TV role, playing luxery hotel manager Jason Matthews on the prime-time soaper North Shore. When that series ended after just one season, Polaha continued on with guest work on popular shows such as House, Bones, and Mad Men, appearing in a regular role again in 2008 on the very short-lived sitcom Miss Guided. On that series, he played shop teacher-turned-Spanish instructor Tim O'Malley -- the object of high-school guidence councilor Becky Freeley's (Judy Greer) affection. He continued to appear in small-screen fare such as Life Unexpected and Ringer. In his private life, Polaha made headlines in 2003, when he courted and wed Days of Our Lives heartthrob Julianne Morris -- nine years his senior -- and parented children with her not long after.

Trivia: Played football in high school.Was suggested by a college professor to become a weatherman.Worked for the Chicago tourism board as a copywriter.Started his career at Complex Media as a freelancer.Co-creator of the Hot Ones hot sauce.