Trivia: A respected character actress who is also part of one of Britain's most celebrated show business families, Sophie Thompson has brought life to a bevy of characters on the stage, screen, and television. The daughter of actors Eric Thompson and Phillyda Law, and the younger sister of actress Emma Thompson, Sophie Thompson was born in London in 1962. She began acting at a very young age and had already done TV work by the time she attended the Old Vic Theatre School. Following two seasons with the Old Vic, the actress transferred her talents to the West End for a number of prestigious Shakespearean productions, including Judi Dench's Much Ado About Nothing and Derek Jacobi's Hamlet, as well as countless contemporary works by the likes of Tennessee Williams and Tom Stoppard. Over the course of her stage career, Thompson has earned many honors, most notably two Olivier nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Alan Ayckbourne's Wildest Dreams and Company, and a Clarence Derwent Award for her performance in the former.Onscreen, Thompson has appeared to memorable effect in a variety of films, often stealing the light from her more prominent co-stars. Although she made her film debut in 1982 with an uncredited role as a prostitute in The Missionary, it was not until the 1990s that she began to gain any sort of recognition amongst filmgoers. Thompson did hilarious work in the 1994 hit Four Weddings and a Funeral, playing a bride whose very vocal and energetic wedding night antics cause no end of discomfort for a hapless Hugh Grant. She also provided priceless support in a pair of Jane Austen adaptations, first in Roger Michell's acclaimed 1995 film adaptation of Persuasion, in which she played Mrs. Musgrove, the heroine's disagreeable hypochondriac sister and then in Douglas McGrath's Emma (1996), which saw her play the socially inept Miss Bates. The latter film allowed Thompson to act alongside her mother, who, in no great stretch of casting, portrayed Mrs. Bates, her onscreen mother. Although she has repeatedly demonstrated her comedic ability in a number of films, Thompson is equally well-suited to drama, as she memorably demonstrated in Dancing at Lughnasa (1998), a drama about five close-knit Irish sisters that cast her as a simple-minded and ultimately tragic young woman.

Trivia: British stage and film actor Corin Redgrave is the son of theatrical luminaries Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, and the brother of actors Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave. He first embarked upon the "family business" while attending Cambridge, acting in productions staged by the Marlowe Society. He made his professional stage debut in 1963, and appeared in his first film in 1966, playing William Roper in the Oscar-winning A Man for All Seasons. Among his myriad of stage credits was Alan Ayckbourn's comic trilogy The Norman Conquests, in which he starred as the bed-hopping Norman. Easing comfortably into character roles in his fifties, Corin Redgrave was recently seen as Hamish in the runaway movie hit 4 Weddings and a Funeral (1993).

Trivia: British dramatic actress Susan Fleetwood, specialized in Shakespearean plays and period pieces. Best known for her stage work, she also appeared occasionally on television and in feature films. The younger sister of rock drummer Mick Fleetwood (best known for the group Fleetwood Mac), Susan trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. While there, she earned the school's most coveted honor, the Bancroft Gold Medal. During the mid-1960s, Fleetwood co-founded the Liverpool Everyman. She spent the 1967-68 theater season with the Royal Shakespeare Company and it is there that she became famous. Fleetwood would periodically return to the company throughout her career. She joined the National Theatre Company at the Old Vic in the mid-'70s. Fleetwood made her film debut in David Giles' television-movie adaptation of Hamlet (1972). Fans of the campy sword and sorcery film Clash of the Titans (1980) may recognize Fleetwood in the role of Athena. Just prior to her death from cancer in late 1995, fans were shocked to discover that she had been quietly battling the disease for over a decade while continuing her busy career.

Trivia: One of Britain's more underrated actors, Samuel West first became known to international audiences in 1992 as the perpetually unfortunate Leonard Bast in the acclaimed Ismail Merchant/James Ivory adaptation of E.M. Forster's Howards End.The son of actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales, West was born in London on June 19, 1966. Taking to science rather than to acting when he was growing up, he attended Oxford University, where he planned to study physics. However, an interest in acting finally took hold, and West switched his studies to English and became involved with the University Experimental Theatre Club and Dramatic Society, touring Africa with it in 1986.Upon his graduation in 1988, West secured his first film role as a German aristocrat in Reunion. Although the film was critically well-received, it was largely unseen, and West subsequently did most of his work on television. His acclaimed performance in Howards End, for which he earned a British Academy Award nomination, gave him both greater respect and recognition. He went on to appear in a number of films of varying quality, doing particularly notable work in Persuasion (1995), Carrington (1995), and Jane Eyre (1996). He parodied the sort of period dramas in which he had made his name with his role as an upper-crust prig in Stiff Upper Lips in 1998, and that same year he finally broke through to modern dress in the Canadian film Rupert's Land, earning a Genie nomination for his portrayal of a clean-cut lawyer reluctantly dragged on an odyssey across the wilds of British Columbia. The following year, he was back in breeches and a frock coat for his bit part in Notting Hill, and that same year he could be seen taking to the sea in the popular British miniseries, Horatio Hornblower. In addition to his screen roles, West is known in his native country for his work on the stage, television, and radio, endearing many a listener to his deep, mellifluous voice.

Trivia: Supporting actress Phoebe Nicholls (billed as Sarah Nicholls in her earliest performances) has been on television, stage, and film since her childhood, specializing in period dramas. She made her film debut in The Pumpkin Eaters (1964), following it up with a small role in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965). On television Nicholls may best be remembered for playing Cordelia in the internationally popular miniseries Brideshead Revisited (1982). Some of the films she has appeared in include David Lynch's The Elephant Man (1980) and Nicolas Roeg's made-for-television drama Heart of Darkness (1994). Nicholls has worked closely with director Charles Sturridge on different productions including his television miniseries Gulliver's Travels (1996), a stage production of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, and in the feature film Fairy Tale: A True Story (1997).

Trivia: Thin-lipped and statuesque Irish actress Fiona Shaw frequently takes the lead on the theatrical stage but steers her talents toward supporting roles in feature films. Born in County Cork, she studied philosophy before moving on to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. During the '80s she worked mainly on-stage as part of the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Some of her stage credits include As You Like It, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and a one-woman reading of T.S. Eliot's epic poem The Waste Land, just to name a few. She made her film debut in 1984 as one of the nuns in the WWII drama Sacred Hearts, but her breakthrough role came in 1989 as the doctor whom Christy Brown grows infatuated with in My Left Foot. The next year, she played the wife of an explorer in the British Empire film Mountains of the Moon. She also excelled at comedy with memorable roles in Three Men and a Little Lady, London Kills Me, Super Mario Bros., and Undercover Blues. In 1995, she turned to literary adaptations and costume dramas with Persuasion, Jane Eyre, and Anna Karenina. She then played Francie's sharp-tongued mother in Neil Jordan's childhood drama The Butcher Boy. Around this time, her longtime colleague Deborah Warner directed the controversial television adaptation of Richard II, with Shaw in the lead role of the young king. Also on television, she played Hedda Hopper in the HBO movie RKO 281 and Irma Prunesquallor in the BBC miniseries Gormenghast. She collaborated with director Warner again for The Last September, based on the novel by Irish author Elizabeth Bowen. In 2001, she received the honorary Companion of the British Empire award and portrayed the spinster scientist Leontine in Clare Peploe's The Triumph of Love. Returning to the stage to play Medea on Broadway, she found herself well-costumed once again as the wretched Aunt Petunia Dursely in the series of Harry Potter feature films. Though she returned as required for the many Potter films, she also appeared in The Triumph of Love, Catch and Release, and Terrence Malick's well-reviewed Tree of Life.

Trivia: English character actor John Woodvine could be seen in roles both sizeable and fleeting in several British films of the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Woodvine was in the casts of Darling (1965), The Devils (1971), Young Winston (1971), Tales of Beatrix Potter (1975), and An American Werewolf in London (1981) (fourth billed in the role of Dr. Hirsch). American Masterpiece Theatre devotees saw plenty of John Woodvine at the beginning of the 1989-1990 season. The actor was one of the four stars (Joan Plowright, Tom Watt, and Phyllis Logan were the other three) of the miniseries And a Nightingale Sang.

Trivia: English supporting actress Judy Cornwell first appeared on screen in the '60s.

Trivia: Father was a surgeon in the British Army who was stationed in the Federation of Malay when Simon was born. Attended boarding school in England as a chorister while the rest of his family continued to live in Asia. Joined the Royal Shakespeare Company after attending Guildhall School, and met Sam Mendes, who directed him as the title character in Richard III and as Ariel in The Tempest. Toured with the Royal National Theatre's production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead in 1996. Appointed a CBE (a Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2003. Replaced Tim Curry as King Arthur in Spamalot on Broadway in 2005.

Trivia: While only in her mid-twenties, British actress Victoria Hamilton won laudatory reviews from every important London newspaper for roles in the plays of William Shakespeare and Henrik Ibsen and in film adaptations of the novels of Jane Austen. "I have rarely seen an actress more movingly convey the ravages of time and experience," a Daily Telegraph critic wrote in May 1997 of her performance as Nina in Ibsen's The Seagull. "Victoria Hamilton's Cressida...is a remarkable creation," a Guardian critic opined in July 1996 after seeing Hamilton play Cressida in Shakespeare's play Troilus and Cressida. In October 1995, a Daily Mail critic wrote of her stage presence in Ibsen's The Master Builder: "There are moments when a new young artist arrives on a stage and instantly the performance ignites the entire production." For her Master Builder performance as Hilde Wangel, she earned a nomination for a 1995 Ian Charleson Award for Best Classical Actor (under the age of 30). In 1996, she won the London Critics' Circle Award for Best Newcomer and, in 2000, the London Critics' Circle Award as Best Actress for her role as Rosalind in Shakespeare's As You Like It. These achievements helped win her the lead role as Queen Victoria (1819-1901) in a major TV miniseries, Victoria and Albert. After the production debuted in 2001, she received the commendation of critics worldwide as an actress of rare talent. While preparing for the role, she made a spooky discovery: Her height (5'4"), head, wrist, and ankle size were exactly the same as the queen's. While growing up in Guildford, Surrey, Hamilton attended Priors Field, a private school where her curriculum included drama. One week before she was to enroll at Bristol University to work toward an English degree, she told her father (a Guildford advertising executive) and mother (a teacher) that she had decided to study acting instead. But after she performed auditions for the most important drama schools, they rejected her one after another, saying her acting was poor. One year after these rejections, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art finally accepted her and trained her in the classical tradition. After another year passed, she was performing on the London stage in Sir Peter Hall's production of The Master Builder. Though self-effacing and sweetly pretty, Hamilton can breathe fire and exude sensuality when performing -- but only if she is serving art and the scenes are tasteful. Because she is devoted to classic literature, she has rejected roles in high-profile, Hollywood-style movies in favor of parts in film and television productions such as Mansfield Park (1999), King Lear (1997), The Merchant of Venice (1996), Pride and Prejudice (1995), and Persuasion (1995). However, she has not ruled out performances in big-budget motion pictures for sometime in the future.

Trivia: Gained an interest in acting after performing in a Cub Scout play as a young child. Chose the stage name Richard as a tribute to an English teacher he admired as an 11-year-old student. Was in the same term as fellow actor Mark Rylance while studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Is a classical theatre actor who joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1986 and has regularly performed in RSC productions since. In 1989, played the role of Puck in an RSC production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Originated the role of Christopher Marlowe in Peter Whelan's School of Night in 1993. Starred in the titular role in a national tour of Hamlet with Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 1999 until 2001. Performed the role of Romeo opposite Kathryn Hunter as Juliet in Ben Power's adaptation of the Shakespearean play titled A Tender Thing in 2012. Played the role of Ben Jonson opposite Patrick Stewart in a stage production of Bingo at the Old Vic. Made his Broadway debut as Prime Minister Harold Wilson in The Audience opposite Helen Mirren. Is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Trivia: An Irish actor of charisma and talent, Ciarán Hinds has applied his skills to screen, stage, and television. A towering, burly man whose jagged features make him a natural for playing strong, silent types, Hinds has won respect and recognition from critics and drooling women alike.Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on February 9, 1953, Hinds was the fifth child of a doctor and an amateur actress. He attended Belfast's Queen's University for a year with an eye toward studying law, but he left to pursue acting. After studying at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Hinds found employment with the Glasgow Citizens Company, where he made his professional debut playing the back end of a horse in Cinderella. He acted with the company for the better part of the next decade, splitting his time between Glasgow and Ireland. In 1987, he received one of his first big breaks, at the hands of esteemed director Peter Brook, who selected him as a member of his Paris-based theatrical company; the actor was soon performing all over the globe.Hinds made his film debut in John Boorman's 1981 Excalibur, but he did not make another movie until 1989. That year, he appeared in a supporting role in Peter Greenaway's stylishly horrifying The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. After sharing the screen with actors like Richard Bohringer, Tim Roth, and Excalibur co-star Helen Mirren, Hinds went on to make December Bride the next year, and in 1993 he won acclaim for his performance in the made-for-TV Hostages. Two years later, Hinds began to win recognition outside of the U.K., first for his small role as a university professor in the popular Circle of Friends and then for his more sizable performance in Roger Michell's acclaimed adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion. As Captain Frederick Wentworth, captor of heroine Anne Elliot's repressed affections, Hinds caused many an audience member to wonder where he had been for so long, and, more important, when and where he would reappear. When was the following year and where was Some Mother's Son, a drama based on a 1981 hunger strike in a Belfast prison. Hinds had a supporting role in the film, which reunited him with Mirren, but the next year he had a more substantial part in Gillian Armstrong's Oscar and Lucinda, in which he played a reverend. That character was a far cry from his next role, a man trapped in the Irish conflict in 1970s Belfast in Titanic Town (1998). In 1999, Hinds could be seen in Chris Menges' The Lost Son with Daniel Auteuil, Bruce Greenwood, and Natassja Kinski, and in Il Tempo Dell'Amore, which was shown at that year's Toronto Film Festival.The new millennium seemed to bring about something of a re-birth for Hinds' enduring career, with featured roles in such widely-seen films as The Sum of All Fears, The Road to Perdition, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, and The Phantom of the Opera hinting that Hollywood may have finally grown savvy to the impressive talents of the physically-imposing actor. Of course it wasn't all Hollywood glamor, with roles in such limited-release but critically-praised independents as The Weight of Water and Veronica Guerin, and Calendar Girls serving well to help Hinds balance out the big-budget blockbusters. In 2006 Hinds would step into the sandals of no less that Julius Caesar when he essayed the role of the notorious Roman general in HBO's lavish historical drama Rome, with a subsequent role in director Steven Spielberg's 2005 drama Munich preceding a turn as a hard-charging FBI agent in Michael Mann's high-octane action thriller Miamy Vice in 2006. In 2007 he played the closest associate of oil tycoon Daniel Plainview in Paul Thomas Anderson' Oscar-winning There Will Be Blood, and appeared in Margot at the Wedding. He was in Todd Solondz's sort-of sequel to Happiness, Life During Wartime, and was prominent in the well-reviewed 2011 adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. He joined the cast of Harry Potter in that successful series' final entry, and a very busy 2012 found him with major roles in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, The Woman in Black, and providing a voice in the infamous box-office flop John Carter.In addition to his screen work, Hinds has kept busy both on television and the stage. On the small screen, he has appeared in series like Prime Suspect 3 (1993), A Dark Adapted Eye (1994), Jane Eyre (1997), and Ivanhoe (also 1997). On the stage, Hinds has taken part in a number of productions, perhaps most notably the London and Broadway productions of Patrick Marber's Closer in 1998 and 1999. As part of an ensemble cast including Natasha Richardson, Rupert Graves, and Anna Friel, Hinds won raves for his work, further establishing himself as an actor of international acclaim.