Trivia: Arguably the preeminent Hispanic comedian of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and one of the most influential Latino entertainers of all time, George Lopez broke new ground for Mexican-Americans by scoring many firsts. Most significantly, he clocked in as the first Hispanic comic since Freddie Prinze Sr. (whom he idolized) to headline his own blockbuster sitcom, thus providing Latinos with a much-needed television voice and role model to boot. Born in 1961 in Mission Hills, CA, Lopez was abandoned by his father at two months old; not long after his tenth birthday, his mother delivered him permanently into the hands of his working-class grandparents, a couple singularly lacking in parental skills, affection, and financial resources. Ingeniously, Lopez took the angst, desperation, impoverishment, and overwhelming dysfunction of these preadolescent and adolescent years and spun it into behind-the-mike fodder -- in other words, using his hard-hitting experiences as building blocks for exceptionally droll, inventive standup routines. Lopez foresaw standup comedy as his only desired option after high school, and thus reportedly worked the club circuit for almost two decades -- his exclusive gig until the late '80s and early '90s. At that point, Lopez tackled a few bit roles in junky comedies such as Ski Patrol (1989) and Fatal Instinct (1993), but turned a much-needed corner, and upped the prestige quotient, by signing on to work for the esteemed Ken Loach in that director's Bread and Roses (2000), a muckraking drama about Hispanic-American janitors. The finished film divided critics but unveiled new dimensions in the actor's ability. Lopez's eponymous sitcom commenced in 2002, with the schtickmeister cast as a variant of himself, George Lopez, who worked in an airplane-parts factory. The ABC program maintained high ratings well into its sixth season. In the meantime, Lopez branched out into feature-film roles -- this time with a more respectable cinematic pedigree -- in such pictures as The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl (2005), Yours, Mine & Ours (2005), Balls of Fury (2007), and Tortilla Heaven (2007).Following a two year run as a late night talk show host on Lopez Tonight, Lopez continued to appear in a number of movies, including Swing Vote, Valentine's Day, and Balls of Fury.

Trivia: Constance Marie floored audiences with her performance as Selena's mother in Selena (1997), the biographical drama about the pop artist's rise and the tragic ending of her life. Through extensive makeup preparation, Marie was transformed to look substantially older than her on-screen daughter, played by Jennifer Lopez -- the actual age difference between the two actresses was merely one year. Marie's emotional portrayal in the role left no doubt of her maturity as a performer, with or without the makeup.Born September 9, 1969, in Hollywood, CA, Marie's first role was playing Penny in the film spin-off series Dirty Dancing. In 1995, she starred in the Newline feature My Family, as Toni Sanchez, earning her substantial credit in the field. Her role in Selena two years later solidified her impression as a performer, and would veer her career toward dramatic roles both on television and in films.Marie had several roles on TV series, including one recurring on the NBC series Union Square in 1997. Additionally, her film credits continued to grow, mainly in the vein of drama. In 2000, she was featured in the Sundance Film Festival feature Dancing in September. She appeared in See Spot Run and as Yolanda in Tortilla Soup a year later. After a few years without much emphasis on her television career, she returned to the tube, appearing simultaneously on two different networks. She starred as Angie, the wife of standup comic George Lopez, in the 2002 ABC sitcom The George Lopez Show, and as Nina in the critically acclaimed PBS dramatic series American Family of the same year. Over the years to come, Marie would find additional success on the series Switched at Birth.

Trivia: A multi-talented performer, Masiela Lusha was born in Albania but eventually moved to Michigan, where she was discovered at an open casting call. After playing the daughter of George Lopez on his same-named sitcom for five seasons, she landed roles in the independent films Summoning and Cherry Bomb. More roles followed in the live-action remake of Blood: The Last Vampire and the acclaimed Albanian-German film Time of the Comet (2008). In addition to her impressive acting resumé, Lusha is also an accomplished writer, having published two books of poetry, as well as the novel The Besa.

Trivia: Actress Aimee Garcia began her career in the late '90s, appearing on numerous TV shows like ER, V.I.P., The Agency, and Angel. She also starred in the WB series Greetings from Tuscon throughout 2003, and later took on a recurring role on All About the Andersons in 2004. After going on to appear in movies like Spanglish and Global Frequency, Garcia signed on for yet another recurring role, this time as Veronica on the sitcom George Lopez. She would continue to find success in TV in 2009 with a starring role in the paramedic drama Trauma. She continued to work in projects such as B-Girl, Go For It!, and Convincing Clooney.

Trivia: Canadian born Tommy Chong could boast a curious mixed lineage: Chinese, French, Scotch and Irish. A musician by inclination, Chong dropped out of high school as a sophomore, frequently working as a band member to support himself. At one point, Chong was playing with The Vancouvers, for whom he helped write a hit song, "Does Your Mama Know About Me?" Chong was exposed to quite a few improvisational comedy groups during his musical career; he developed a knack for getting laughs on his own, forming an improv group called City Works, which performed at a Vancouver nitery run by Tommy's brother. It is here that Chong met erstwhile humorist Richard "Cheech" Marin, who'd left his native Los Angeles for Canada in order to avoid the draft. Breaking away from City Works two years later, Cheech and Chong (as the act was now known) developed several routines built around the characters of two dim-witted dopers who aspired to nothing more than "good grass." By 1972, the team had won a Grammy award for their scatologically hilarious comedy albums. Cheech and Chong's record producer Lou Adler decided that the boys were movie material. The team's first film Up in Smoke (1978) turned out to be one of Warner Bros.' highest grossing films (in every sense of the word). Subsequent Cheech and Chong films didn't do quite so well; perhaps their time had passed, or perhaps their material was just too thin for a stream of comedy hits. In recent years, Cheech and Chong have worked separately and together with variable success, and both have contributed their vocal talents to Disney cartoon features. Chong is the father of actress Rae Dawn Chong.

Trivia: Studied art in Boston, St. Louis and New York before moving to Los Angeles and deciding to become an actor after being cast in her first movie right off the street. Widely known for her role as Jerry's "man hands" girlfriend on Seinfeld. Continues to professionally draw and paint between acting jobs. Is an active environmentalist and activist, working for such causes as the International Fund for Animal Welfare's "Tails for Whales" campaign.

Trivia: Judd Apatow fans will have no difficulty remembering character actor Gerry Bednob, given his visible and highly memorable turn as Mooj, the diminutive, short-tempered, expletive-spouting older gentleman who works in the local electronics shop opposite Andy Stitzer (Steve Carell) in The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005). Actually, this Indian-American player of film and television remained extremely prolific, and enjoyed multiple collaborations with Apatow that both preceded and succeeded Virgin. A native of Trinidad (with East Indian ancestry), Bednob originally attended the University of Toronto as a sociology major -- a field far removed from acting, though Bednob had naturally played the role of class clown in school for years, which seemed to predestine him for stage and film. He briefly worked as a high school guidance counselor, then made a go at stand-up comedy at a club called Yuk-Yuks, and his triumphant success in that venue (over the course of two years) inspired him to move to Los Angeles. In the City of Angels, Bednob won a major stand-up competition and performed on The Merv Griffin Show, then landed appearances on The Wonder Years and Mad About You, and in the Pauly Shore comedy Encino Man (1992), as well as the Apatow situation comedy Undeclared. Virgin, however, brought about his broadest exposure and recognition. Bednob reteamed with producer Apatow for a role in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, then signed on for a colorful supporting role in writer-director Kevin Smith's raunchy sex farce Zack and Miri Make a Porno opposite Elizabeth Banks and Apatow mainstay Seth Rogen.