Trivia: Is second cousins, once removed with politician Chuck Schumer. Appeared in college productions of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Stop Kiss. Studied at the William Esper Studio, focusing on the Meisner technique, in New York City. Starred as a young woman diagnosed with breast cancer in the off-Broadway play Keeping A-Breast. Was offered a contract by VH1 based on her self-produced comedy video short Chinese New Year. In 2007, placed fourth on the competitive reality show Last Comic Standing. Has written for Cosmopolitan magazine.

Trivia: As semi-reformed bad girl Jennifer Lindley on Dawson's Creek, actress Michelle Williams garnered a certain type of notoriety unavailable to her more morality-inclined co-stars. In spite of this notoriety--or perhaps because of it--the role provided Williams with a wealth of opportunities, making her one of the foremost teen stars of the late 1990s. Born September 9, 1980 in small-town Kalispell, Montana and raised there until she was ten, Williams started acting after her family moved to San Diego. Beginning with roles in community theatre productions, she was soon shuttling back and forth to Los Angeles for auditions. Williams made her film debut in 1994 with Lassie, and then had a small but memorable part as the young version of the nubile and bloodthirsty alien in Species (1995). After the dismal and virtually unseen Timemaster (1995), Williams moved on to more auspicious fare with Jocelyn Moorhouse's A Thousand Acres (1997). Williams was cast as Michelle Pfeiffer's daughter, and the film's small-town setting must have given her some context for her next role, that of Jenn in Dawson's Creek. The show, which premiered in January of 1998, gave Williams her break-out role, and in short time she was besieged with movie offers and a stream of interviews.Williams' first film to exploit her newfound Dawson's fame was Halloween: H2O (1998), in which she starred opposite Jamie Lee Curtis. The film opened to poor reviews but a strong box office performance, and paved the way for her to star in future films, including 1999's thoroughly weird political satire Dick. The film, which looks at the Watergate scandal from the point of view of two teenage girls (played by Williams and Kirsten Dunst), provided Williams with a chance to expand her range beyond the constraints of her Dawson's Creek character. As the new millennium began, Williams found herself more and more comfortable exploring independent film, participating in smaller but often extremely influential projects like Perfume (2001), The Station Agent (2003) and Prozac Nation (2003). In 2005, Williams signed on to appear in the groundbreaking Ang Lee film Brokeback Mountain. The critical acclaim surrounding the movie was overwhelming, bringing Williams a new level of notoriety. Her popularity was also bolstered when the public learned that she and costar Heath Ledger had become involved during filming. The two became engaged and had a daughter together, Matilda, in 2005, and though they would later separate in 2007, they remained close for the well being of their daughter. Tragically, Ledger was found dead of an accidental overdose the following year. The heartbreaking loss for both Williams and her daughter forced the actress to deal with additional public scrutiny at a time when she was most vulnerable, but she coped with the grief as best she could, by investing more energy in her work. In 2008 alone she would appear in numerous films, including the drama Incendiary with Ewan McGregor and the highly anticipated Charlie Kaufman directorial debut Synecdoche, New York.Williams persisted in working with very good directors, as well as indie helmers who could offer her challenging work. She earned strong reviews for her starring role in Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy, and they worked together again on the western Meek's Cutoff. In addition, she worked with Martin Scorsese in his adaptation of Shutter Island.She also continued to earn awards for a steady string of impressive work including Blue Valentine, where her work as the female half of a failing marriage scored her Oscar, Golden Globe, and Independent Spirit nominations for Best Actress. Then in 2011 she took on the challenge of playing Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn, and was rewarded with rave reviews as well as Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actress.

Trivia: Moved to California from London with her parents when she was 5. Her father was a visual artist and her mother was a teacher. Began acting and modeling at age 14. Studied fine art at UCLA. In 2012, appeared in a commercial for Carl's, Jr. with Sara Jean Underwood. Appeared in the music video for Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" in 2013. Named Woman of the Year by Esquire magazine in 2013.

Trivia: Attended first audition for a role in the television series Unsolved Mysteries. The audition was a literal race which Martinez won. Performed in Mail Order Bridge, a film which was almost entirely improvised. Won a screenwriting competition and earned an invitation to a conference for the National Association of Latino Independent Producers in 2009. One of only a handful of actors to have worked in the United Nations building on two separate occasions. A vocal advocate of self-empowerment for people of color, and frequently speaks on the importance of generating one's own opportunities.

Trivia: Has voice training from Leslie Varnick and Tracey Grimaldi.Former acting coaches are Brian Zoldessy, Lee Brock and Tom Fulton.Some of his theater credits include Kiss Me Kate, Julius Caesar, Death and the Maiden, Annapurna and Six Degrees of Separation, among others.

Trivia: Started her comedic training at iO Chicago while in college. Is an alum of Chicago's Second City improv troupe, where many other Saturday Night Live greats were discovered. Made her SNL debut in the show's 38th season, along with Tim Robinson and Cecily Strong, who also hail from Chicago's comedy scene. Her first impression on SNL was of CNN correspondent Candy Crowley, who moderated the second 2012 presidential debate.

Trivia: With her memorable performance as tough but sympathetic rebel teen Kim Kelly in the critically praised but criminally short-lived series Freaks and Geeks, actress Busy Philipps crafted one of the most compelling young characters in contemporary television. In addition to later serving as something of a life-support system for the rapidly expiring teen drama Dawson's Creek, Philipps has gone on to make a name for herself in such features as the Columbine-influenced Home Room and the 2004 comedy White Chicks as well. Born Elizabeth Jean Philipps in Oak Park, IL, the active youngster was quickly dubbed "Busy" for her seemingly boundless energy and sociability. A role as Wilber the Pig in a grade-school production of Charlotte's Web eventually lead to Philipps being voted Best Actress of her class in her senior yearbook. The ambitious screen prospect went on to take classes at the Acting Lab of Arizona, where she would write and produce a pair of successful plays. Philipps subsequently refined her skills by studying at England's Oxford School of Drama before making a name for herself in community theater around the Scottsdale area, with her first professional gig coming with a role as a real-life Barbie doll at Mattel's Toy Fair convention in New York. Philipps role in Freaks and Geeks did wonders for her exposure, regardless of the endearing show's remarkably short lifespan, and in the years that followed, she continued to impress in such features as Anatomy of a Hate Crime and Home Room. Many viewed Philipps' involvement with Dawson's Creek as something of a breath of fresh air for the somewhat stale series, with simultaneous appearances in the Freaks and Geeks follow-up series Undeclared proving a welcome opportunity to work with old friends. In 2004, Philipps took a supporting role opposite Jaime King in the Shawn and Marlon Wayans comedy White Chicks. In 2009 she was cast in the TV series Cougar Town, and in 2011 she appeared in the Sarah Jessica Parker vehicle I Don't Know How She Does It.

Trivia: Was hit by a car while in college, and credits the accident with her decision to pursue happiness. Revived the University of Virginia's African-American theater troupe after it had been defunct for 10 years. Moved to New York City and started performing with Upright Citizens Brigade in 2009. Began her stint as a featured Saturday Night Live performer in January 2014. Is the sketch-comedy series' first black female cast member since 2007, when Maya Rudolph left the show. Repertoire of impersonations include Michelle Obama, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Tyra Banks and Beyonce.

Trivia: Naomi Campbell is a name synonymous with the supermodel phenomenon of the late '80s and 1990s. At the tender age of 15, Campbell was officially signed with a modeling agency, and would soon gain fame as the first black woman to appear on the covers of French and British Vogue, as well as Time magazines. She was blessed with the exotic visage of Jamaican-Chinese heritage. Her startlingly intense eyes and perfect model features earned her much success on the runway and in print, and she would go on to explore numerous realms of the entertainment world including film, television, and pop music throughout her career.Campbell was born May 22, 1970, in Stratham, London, England. As a child, she gained a taste of acting, appearing in a film called Quest for Fire. Along with her early start in the modeling profession, she honed her limelight skills by attending the London Academy for Performing Arts. Her enduring career as a model and background in performance would lead her to the Hollywood scene, where she gained credits alongside numerous big names in film. Her film debut came in 1991, when she appeared as a singer in Cool As Ice. In 1995, Campbell played Kaia in Miami Rhapsody starring Antonio Banderas and Sarah Jessica Parker, and a year later appeared in Spike Lee's Girl 6. She also made several cameos as herself throughout the 1990s, both in films and on television. Making a case for herself as a performer in various television genres, she guest starred on numerous prime-time programs including The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, New York Undercover, and The Cosby Show.Campbell would branch out into the music business with the release of her album Babywoman in 1995, and gained much attention in Japan over her hit single on the album. In 1996, she was featured in Tony Hickox's Invasion of Privacy, and in 1997, An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn, starring Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jackie Chan. In addition, her media credits were rounded off by two books: the best-seller Swan, co-written by Campbell, and Naomi, a collection of photographs spanning the length of the model's career. Campbell continued to model throughout the late 1990s, and participated in several documentaries including Beautopia (1998) and Marc Jacobs & Louie Vuitton (2007). In 2008 she joined the star-studded cast of the documentary Everyday People, and has remained active within the fashion industry.

Trivia: Born in South Carolina and raised in rural Florida, Lauren Hutton embarked on a modelling career in roundabout fashion by becoming a Playboy bunny at age 20. It wasn't long thereafter that the statuesque Hutton became a top fashion model, cover girl and commercial spokesperson. Though advised early on to correct the slight gap in her teeth, Hutton wisely retained this "imperfection," which gave her on-camera persona a down-home sensibility that other, more ethereal models lacked. She began appearing in films in 1968, hitting her stride with such movies as Gator (1976), American Gigolo (1978), and Zorro, the Gay Blade (1981). Unlike other actresses-turned-models, Hutton achieved critical acceptance fairly rapidly, earning respectable reviews for such projects as the 1977 TV miniseries The Rheinman Exchange and the 1984 adventure film Lassiter (in which she played a literally bloodthirsty villainess). Following the lead of Farrah Fawcett, Hutton made her stage debut in the harrowing revenge-for-a-rape stage play Extremities in 1983. In recent years, Hutton has cut down on her acting appearances to return successfully to modeling; she has also become a staunch and powerful activist for several political causes.

Trivia: First tried stand-up comedy as a freshman at the University of Colorado and began performing in open-mic nights as a senior at the University of Kansas. Moved to Los Angeles after college for a brief time to pursue stand-up comedy before relocating to New York. From 2011 to 2014, hosted a podcast titled You Had to be There with fellow comic Sara Schaefer, which eventually caught the attention of MTV. Was the co-host, co-creator and executive producer of the late-night MTV talk show Nikki & Sara Live. Was a semifinalist on the NBC series Last Comic Standing.