Trivia: One of England's most versatile character actors, Jim Broadbent has been giving reliably excellent performances on the stage and screen for years. Particularly known for his numerous collaborations with director Mike Leigh, Broadbent was shown to superlative effect in Leigh's Topsy-Turvy, winning the Venice Film Festival's Volpi Cup for his portrayal of British lyricist and playwright W.S. Gilbert.Born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1949, Broadbent trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Following his 1972 graduation, he began his professional career on the stage, performing with the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and as part of the National Theatre of Brent, a two-man troupe he co-founded that performed reduced histories. In addition to his theatrical work, Broadbent did steady work on television, acting for such directors as Mike Newell and Stephen Frears. Broadbent made his film debut in 1978 with a small part in Jerzy Skolimowski's The Shout. He went on to work with such directors as Stephen Frears (The Hit, 1984) and Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits [1981], Brazil [1985]), but it was through his collaboration with Leigh that Broadbent first became known to an international film audience. In 1991, he starred in Leigh's Life Is Sweet, a domestic comedy that cast him as a good-natured cook who dreams of running his own business. Broadbent gained further visibility the following year with substantial roles in Neil Jordan's The Crying Game and Newell's Enchanted April, and he could subsequently be seen in such diverse fare as Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway (1994), Widows' Peak (1994), Richard Loncraine's highly acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III (1996), and Little Voice (1998), the last of which cast him as a seedy nightclub owner. Appearing primarily as a character actor in these films, Broadbent took center stage for Leigh's Topsy-Turvy (1999), imbuing the mercurial W.S. Gilbert with emotional complexity and comic poignancy. Roles in Bridget Jones's Diary, Moulin Rogue, and Iris made 2001 quite a marquee year for Broadbent; the actor earned both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his affecting turn in Iris.He remained one of the most respected actors of his generation and continued to work steadily for directors all over the world. In 2002 he was cast in Martin Scorsese's epic historical drama Gangs of New York. In 2003 he took a cameo part in Bright Young Things. In 2004 he returned for the Bridget Jones sequel, and took a bit part in Mike Leigh's Vera Drake. He worked in a number o animated films including Doogal, Valiant, and Robots. In 2007 he had the title role in Longford, a historical drama about the infamous Moor Murders, and the next year he was part of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls.As the 2010's continued, Broadbent would remain a vital, respected, and beloved force on screen, appearing most memorably in projects like The Young Victoria and The Iron Lady.

Trivia: American audiences first caught suave and dashing British actor Jim Sturgess via his portrayal of Jude -- the paternally shorn young man who travels to the U.S. amid the raging throes of the late '60s and falls in love with musician Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) -- in Julie Taymor's hallucinatory Beatles drama Across the Universe (2007). This indeed represented Sturgess' preeminent international bow, but prior to it, he sustained almost a decade of roles in British productions -- mostly telefilms -- including I'm Frank Morgan (2000), Hawkins (2001), and the three installments of the Quest series. He followed up Across The Universe with the gambling thriller 21 and the period drama The Other Boleyn Girl. He lent his voice to Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole in 2010, and in 2011 he appeared opposite Anne Hathaway in the romantic drama One Day.

Trivia: Claims coming from an acting family put her off pursuing it as a career though and shunned the industry until she was discovered by a talent agent on the street in Seoul at aged 19. Began modeling for COOLDOG's catalog in 1998 before moving into TV. Recorded several track with fictional band the Paranmaum for the soundtrack of 2005 Japanese film Linda, Linda, Linda, where she played a student rocker. Took a break from acting in 2003 to pursue photography. Made her English-speaking debut in the Wachowskis movie Cloud Atlas (2012) and went on to collaborate with them again on Jupiter Ascending and Netflix series, Sense8. Appeared in a web biopic of her own life in 2015 called Red Carpet Dream, directed by her brother.

Trivia: Not long after British actor Ben Whishaw debuted onscreen in the late '90s, he began to reveal a gift (and a proclivity) for essaying some of the more intense and unusual characterizations in contemporary cinema, occasionally delivering uncanny evocations of real-life figures. Whishaw was memorable as a young Keith Richards in Stephen Woolley's Brian Jones biopic Stoned (2005), then portrayed a demented young man so determined to capture "the scent of womanhood" that he resorts to serial murder in Tom Tykwer's psychological thriller Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006). Whishaw evoked a young Bob Dylan (one of many) in Todd Haynes' controversial avant-garde biopic of the folk singer, I'm Not There (2007), then signed on to portray famed author John Keats in director Jane Campion's dramatization of the Keats/Fanny Brawne romance, Bright Star (2008). That same year, audiences could catch Whishaw's portrayal of Sebastian in Julian Jarrold's big-screen Evelyn Waugh adaptation , Brideshead Revisited (2008). In the years to come, Winshaw would remain a bankable actor, with prominent roles in films like Skyfall and Cloud Atlas.

Trivia: Spent his gap year working in the drama department of the Christ Church Grammar School in Perth, Australia. Made his professional television debut in a 1996 episode of Silent Witness. In 2002, was nominated for the Ian Charleston Award for Outstanding Performance in a Classical Role, for his performance in Edward II. Is perhaps best known for playing Edwin Jarvis in the Marvel drama series Agent Carter, a role he briefly reprised in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. In 2016, wrote, directed and produced the short comedy-drama film Chicken/Egg.

Trivia: Parents emigrated from Ghana to London in 1966. Studied performing arts as part of his curriculum in sixth-form college. Played the role of Eric in Foxes at West Yorkshire Playhouse. In 2006, performed the role of Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing at Library Theatre in Manchester. Performed in a national tour of the UK as Jose in The Wedding Dance in 2007. In 2008, played the role of Captain Stewart in the critically-acclaimed stage production of War Horse at the National Theatre in London. Is an avid supporter of Tearfund, a Christian-based relief and development organisation aimed at fighting poverty in undeveloped countries.

Trivia: As an older student, comforted and encouraged fellow actor James D'Arcy after his audition London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art went badly. In 2004, appeared in the video "Bellissimo" by the Bristol band Ilya. Played Iorek Byrnison in the 2004 revival of His Dark Materials at the Olivier National Theatre. In 2005, played Edmund Mortimer, Pistol and Ralph Mouldy in Nicholas Hytner's 6-hour staging of Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 at the London National Theatre. Played Gerald Thornton in Time and the Conways, directed by Rupert Goold and staged at the National Theatre, London in 2009.

Trivia: Her grandfather was a People's Liberation Army air force general. Got her start on television as a host for MTV China. Released a self-titled solo album in 2009. Made her theatrical debut in the Chinese remake of What Women Want in 2011. Is an ambassador for Be Cruelty-Free China.