Trivia: One of the most powerful and uncompromising artists in rap music, Ice Cube enjoyed a surprisingly smooth transition into a career in motion pictures, first distinguishing himself as an actor and later branching out into writing, producing, and directing. Born O'Shea Jackson in South Central Los Angeles on June 15, 1969, Ice Cube came from a working class family, with both his father and mother employed by U.C.L.A. Ice Cube began writing lyrics when he was in ninth grade; a friend in a high school typing class challenged him to see who could come up with a better rap, and when he won the contest, Cube began honing his hip-hop skills in earnest. Before long, Ice Cube had formed a rap group called CIA with a friend, a DJ known as Sir Jinx. CIA began playing parties organized by Dr. Dre (born Andre Young), a member of a popular local hip-hop group called The World Class Wrecking Cru, and Cube and Dre both got to know Eazy-E (born Eric Wright), a rapper with a group called HBO who had started his own record company, financed by his successful career as a drug dealer. In time, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E joined forces with DJ Yella (born Antoine Carraby) and MC Ren (born Lorenzo Patterson) to form the group N.W.A. With their 1988 album Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A.'s profane and provocative lyrics (particularly the infamous "F -- -- Tha Police") made them one of the most controversial groups in the history of rap music, and if they weren't the first gangsta rappers, they certainly brought the sound to a mass audience for the first time. In 1989, Cube, dissatisfied with N.W.A.'s management (and the fact he had been paid a mere 30,000 dollars for writing and performing on an album which sold three million copies), decided to leave the group and strike out on his own. He released his first solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, in 1990, and the disc's blunt, forceful sound and aggressive blend of street life and political commentary proved there was life for the rapper after N.W.A.. The following year, after releasing the follow-up EP Kill at Will, and a second album, Death Certificate, Cube made his acting debut in John Singleton's gritty look at life in South Central Los Angeles, Boyz N The Hood, which drew its name from an early N.W.A. track. Cube received strong reviews for his performance as ex-con Doughboy, and a year later starred opposite fellow rap trailblazer Ice-T in Walter Hill's Trespass. In 1995, Cube reunited with Singleton for the drama Higher Learning, and, later that year, expanded his repertoire by starring in Friday, a comedy he also wrote and produced. With his career in the movies on the rise, Cube spent less and less time in the recording studio, although he often contributed to the soundtracks of the films in which he appeared, and recorded with the L.A. all-star group Westside Connection. In 1998, Cube added directing to his list of accomplishments with The Players Club, for which he also served as screenwriter and executive producer, as well as played a supporting role as Reggie. The same year, he released his first solo album in four years, War and Peace, Vol. One: The War Disc. Cube went on to write and produce sequels to both Friday and All About the Benjamins, which co-starred his Friday sidekick, Mike Epps. He also continued to work in films for other writers and filmmakers, including Three Kings, Ghosts of Mars, and the extremely successful urban comedy Barbershop.In 2004, Cube's career continued to pick up steam. He appeared in the motor-cycle action thriller Torque, as well as Barbershop 2: Back in Business. By the next year, he was taking over for Vin Diesel, starring in XXX: State of the Union, as well as branching into the realm of family comedy with Are We There Yet?. Both were box office gold, and Cube went on to follow up the latter with 2007's sequel Are We Done Yet?.He tried his hand at an inspirational sports drama producing and starring in The Longshots in 2008. His love of sports found full flower in his 2010 documentary Straight Outta L.A., which he made as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. The film examined the relationship between sports and hip-hop culture in The City of Angels during the heyday of N.W.A. He appeared in the corrupt cop drama Rampart, and had a funny turn as the Captain to the undercover agents working out of 21 Jump Street.

Trivia: Born in a small town just outside of Chicago, IL, performer Keke Palmer initially gravitated to singing as a young child, but soon landed a memorable screen role as the niece of Queen Latifah in the urban comedy Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004). Palmer turned to acting given the success of this first assignment; its positive reception prompted the budding actress' family to relocate to Southern California and doubtless helped open the doors that led to Palmer's first lead portrayal. She played Akeelah, the 11-year-old daughter of a single parent who ascends through the ranks of spelling bee competitions, in the sleeper hit Akeelah and the Bee (2006). Palmer subsequently teamed up with director Tyler Perry twice, first with a role in his comedy Madea's Family Reunion, then with a guest spot on his series Tyler Perry's House of Payne, and landed the lead role in the teen movie musical Jump In! (2007), a made-for-television picture about two adolescents who compete against one another in a rope-skipping competition.

Trivia: Texas-born African-American actress and print model Jill Marie Jones (not to be confused with the musician/singer/songwriter Jill Jones, of Prince fame) first landed in the national spotlight for her regular role on the prime-time comedy drama Girlfriends, as Toni Childs, a slightly narcissistic and vociferous mother. Jones also starred in the 2007 black comedy Redrum, as a young woman who learns that she can pep up her flaccid marriage by committing cold-blooded murder. In terms of modeling, Jones maintained her highest profile gracing billboards and print ads for the Bailey's Irish Cream "Serve Chilled" campaign.

Trivia: An actor with an undeniably friendly appeal, Dash Mihok was born in New York in 1974. Both of Mihok's parents were active in theater and the arts, and they encouraged their son to explore his creative side. He joined up with the program City Kids while in high school, a production involving Jim Henson puppets that performed all over the city, teaching children about character and self-esteem.Mihok's interest in performance only grew as he got older, and he began auditioning for professional roles after high school, scoring appearances on Law & Order and in the movie Sleepers. Then, still a virtual unknown, Mihok got a callback for a much more prominent role when he was cast as Benvolio, best friend of Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo in Baz Luhrmann's hallucinatory, modern take on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The project gave Mihok an amazing chance to show his stuff; not only did he impress audiences by handling a serious, emotional acting role complete with difficult, antiquated language, but he also walked around bare-chested in many scenes, wowing viewers with his muscular physique. Mihok continued to pick and choose interesting projects, acting in everything from big-budget blockbusters like The Day After Tomorrow and The Perfect Storm to independent arthouse movies like Johnny Flynton and Mojave. Mihok was a particular delight to audiences in 2006's Hollywoodland and in 2007's family film Firehouse Dog, and over the coming years, he would find success in an ongoing series of films, like I Am Legend, The Longshots, and Trespass.

Trivia: Like many of his Canadian contemporaries, actor Matt Craven broke into films by way of such adolescent sex comedies as Meatballs (1979) and Hog Wild (1980). Craven honed his acting skills on the off-Broadway stage, beginning with the 1984 production Blue Willows. He has since contributed supporting performances to films like Blue Steel (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), and Crimson Tide (1995). Matt Craven's TV-series roles include bartender Ritchie Massina in the Robby Benson starrer Tough Cookies (1986) and Bobby Kratz in the Alan Arkin vehicle Harry (1987). In 1998, Craven was part of an ensemble cast for the medical drama L.A. Doctors. In the 21st century he enjoyed a brief recurring role on the hit medical dram ER and appeared in moves such as Dragonfly and Timeline. He continued to work steadily on a wide variety of projects including The Life of David Gale, the TV series The Lyon's Den, the remake of Assault on Precinct 13, Disturbia, Public Enemies, and the superhero prequel X-Men: First Class.

Trivia: Dreadlocked character actor Glenn Plummer began his acting career on television during the late '80s. He appeared in the TV movies The Women of Brewster Place, Heat Wave, and Deadlock. On the big screen, he played thug High Top in Dennis Hopper's crime drama Colors and rookie pitcher Tyrone in the baseball movie Pastime. In 1992, he landed his first starring role as an ex-convict father who wants the best for his son in Steve Anderson's compelling drama South Central. After supporting roles in Trespass, Menace II Society, and Speed, he made a brief return to television to play staff member Timmy Rawlins during the first season of ER. Back on the big screen, he played a choreographer in Showgirls, a musician/activist in Strange Days, and drama teacher in The Substitute More feature films followed, he landed a spot on the HBO miniseries The Corner, and he tried producing with Love Beat the Hell Outta Me. In addition to several straight-to-video action thrillers, Plummer appeared in the feature film The Salton Sea. He also had starring roles in the independent drama 100 Kilos and the motorcycle movie Road Kings.

Trivia: Another of Julliard's illustrious alumni, Garrett Morris' first significant professional job was as performer and arranger with the Harry Belafonte singers. Morris went on to appear in such Broadway productions as Porgy and Bess, Hallelujah Baby, and Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death. He also wrote two plays, The Secret Place and Daddy Picou and Marie LeVeau. His first film gig was as a makeup artist on This Property is Condemned (1967); he made his movie acting bow in 1970. After a season's worth of supporting appearances on the 1973-74 sitcom Roll Out, Morris was hired as one of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players on NBC's Saturday Night Live. After his SNL stint, Morris could be seen in film supporting roles, most amusingly as "Famous Amos" takeoff Chocolate Charlie in the otherwise indifferent 1985 horror film The Stuff. He also made a return visit to Broadway, starring in I'm Not Rappaport. Back on TV, Garret Morris was seen regularly as Stan Kemrite on Martin (1992-1994) and on the weekly sitcoms of Ellen Cleghorne and Jamie Foxx.

Trivia: Miles Chandler kicked off his career as a child star; he was cast on numerous occasions as the younger versions of adult characters in projects such as the TV miniseries Empire Falls (2005) (channeling Ed Harris) and the theatrical release The Education of Charlie Banks (2007) (channeling Jason Ritter). Chandler also made inroads as a series performer, with guest appearances on Law & Order and a recurring role as Max Caseman on Six Degrees. In 2008, Chandler signed for a small supporting role as a high school football player in the Ice Cube-headlined sports drama The Longshots (2008).

Trivia: Interned at Liberty Studios before attending college. Appeared in the LMFAO music video "Party Rock Anthem." Made his feature film directorial debut in 2010 with A True Story.

Trivia: Though he straddled standup comedy and acting with equal emphasis, Michael Colyar (pronounced "Koll-yer") initially made his most dramatic strides behind the microphone. In that venue, Colyar broke from the mold set by many African-American comedians by delving into routines neither vulgar, nor profane, nor directed exclusively to a black audience. As performed during weekends on the Boardwalk of Venice Beach, CA (an event that occurred for over a decade, five times a day, every Saturday and Sunday -- which prompted many to tag Colyar "The King of Venice Beach"), Colyar's schtick transcended demographical barriers by appealing to those of all ages, ethnicities, and personal backgrounds. Significantly, Colyar (recalling, for example, Whoopi Goldberg's mid-'80s Broadway stage revue) interwove piercing insights and cultural lessons throughout his routines, thus balancing entertainment with an educational element seldom heard in the comedy arena. Colyar scored his on-camera breakthrough in 1990, when he won the standup competition on Star Search -- reeling in 100,000 dollars in the process. He also made headlines for altruistically taking half of the money he won on that program and donating it to Los Angeles-area charities. By the time this occurred, the performer had also diversified by moving into film roles, frequently though not always in a humorous vein. Early assignments included small supporting roles in the comedies Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Johnny Be Good (1988), and House Party 3 (1994), and the dramas What's Love Got to Do With It? (1993) and Poetic Justice (1993). In 1999, Colyar also signed on as the host and emcee of his own cable talk show, BET Live from L.A. From the outset of the following decade, Colyar placed a renewed emphasis on standup material, particularly in comedy videos and televised specials. He also continued his acting work on the side, with a lead in the low-budget, direct-to-video urban drama The Beat (2003), a small supporting role as Morris the Barber in the hit Eddie Murphy farce Norbit (2007), and another supporting turn in Fred Durst's sports comedy The Longshots, opposite Ice Cube and Keke Palmer.

Trivia: Born Nathaniel Martin Stroman, comedian Earthquake began his professional life with an 11-year tenure in the U.S. Air Force. During that stint, he found his life's true calling by impetuously performing at a talent night called "Tops and Blues," held at Elgin Air Force Base in the Florida community of Ft. Walton Beach. Earthquake (or "Quake" as he was frequently known) subsequently headlined engagements at Atlanta's Uptown Comedy Corner to enthusiastic response, and thus discovered that comedic delivery came naturally to him. He spent the next several years (during the late '90s) establishing a unique comic presence, distinguishing himself via inventive routines that blithely and colorfully commented on the African-American experience while projecting undercurrents of tremendous anger, sadness, and frustration. This combination of emotional complexity and raw wit made him a tremendously popular figure on the club circuit, particularly among black audiences, and helped him secure appearances in such filmed venues as Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, BET's ComicView, and Laffapalooza. Earthquake moved into feature roles with a bit part as a husband in Kevin Smith's Clerks II, then joined Ice Cube, Keke Palmer, and Tasha Smith for the Fred Durst-directed sports comedy The Longshots (2008).