Trivia: With his rugged good looks and icon status, Clint Eastwood was long one of the few actors whose name on a movie marquee could guarantee a hit. Less well-known for a long time (at least until he won the Academy Award as Best Director for Unforgiven), was the fact that Eastwood was also a producer/director, with an enviable record of successes. Born May 31, 1930, in San Francisco, Eastwood worked as a logger and gas-station attendant, among other things, before coming to Hollywood in the mid-'50s. After his arrival, he played small roles in several Universal features (he's the pilot of the plane that napalms the giant spider at the end of Tarantula [1955]) before achieving some limited star status on the television series Rawhide. Thanks to the success of three Italian-made Sergio Leone Westerns -- A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) -- Eastwood soon exchanged this limited status for bona fide international stardom.Upon his return to the U.S., Eastwood set up his own production company, Malpaso, which had a hit right out of the box with the revenge Western Hang 'Em High (1968). He expanded his relatively limited acting range in a succession of roles -- most notably with the hit Dirty Harry (1971) -- during the late '60s and early '70s, and directed several of his most popular movies, including 1971's Play Misty for Me (a forerunner to Fatal Attraction), High Plains Drifter (1973, which took as its inspiration the tragic NYC murder of Kitty Genovese), and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). Though Eastwood became known for his violent roles, the gentler side of his persona came through in pictures such as Bronco Billy (1980), a romantic comedy that he directed and starred in. As a filmmaker, Eastwood learned his lessons from the best of his previous directors, Don Siegel and Sergio Leone, who knew just when to add some stylistic or visual flourish to an otherwise straightforward scene, and also understood the effect of small nuances on the big screen. Their approaches perfectly suited Eastwood's restrained acting style, and he integrated them into his filmmaking technique with startling results, culminating in 1993 with his Best Director Oscar for Unforgiven (1992). Also in 1993, Eastwood had another hit on his hands with In the Line of Fire. In 1995, he scored yet again with his film adaptation of the best-selling novel The Bridges of Madison County, in which he starred opposite Meryl Streep; in addition to serving as one of the film's stars, he also acted as its director and producer.Aside from producing the critical and financial misstep The Stars Fell on Henrietta in 1995, Eastwood has proven to be largely successful in his subsequent efforts. In 1997, he produced and directed the film adaptation of John Berendt's tale of Southern murder and mayhem, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and he followed that as the director, producer, and star of the same year's Absolute Power, 1999's True Crime, and 2000's Space Cowboys. With Eastwood's next movie, Blood Work (2002), many fans pondered whether the longtime actor/director still had what it took to craft a compelling film. Though some saw the mystery thriller as a fair notch in Eastwood's belt, many complained that the film was simply too routine, and the elegiac movie quickly faded at the box office. If any had voiced doubt as to Eastwood's abilities as a filmmaker in the wake of Blood Work, they were in for quite a surprise when his adaptation of the popular novel Mystic River hit screens in late 2003. Featuring a stellar cast that included Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon, Mystic River was a film that many critics and audiences cited as one of the director's finest. A downbeat meditation on violence and the nature of revenge, the film benefited not only from Eastwood's assured eye as a director, but also from a screenplay (by Brian Helgeland) that remained fairly faithful to Dennis Lehane's novel and from severely affecting performances by its three stars -- two of whom (Penn and Robbins) took home Oscars for their efforts. With Eastwood's reputation as a quality director now cemented well in place thanks to Mystic River's success, his remarkable ability to craft a compelling film was nearly beginning to eclipse his legendary status as an actor in the eyes of many. Indeed, few modern directors could exercise the efficiency and restraint that have highlighted Eastwood's career behind the camera, as so beautifully demonstrated in his 2004 follow-up, Million Dollar Baby. It would have been easy to layer the affecting tale of a young female boxer's rise from obscurity with the kind of pseudo-sentimental slop that seems to define such underdog-themed films, but it was precisely his refusal to do so that ultimately found the film taking home four of the six Oscars for which it was nominated at the 77th Annual Academy Awards -- including Best Director and Best Picture. Eastwood subsequently helmed two interrelated 2006 features that told the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima from different angles. The English-language Flags of Our Fathers relayed the incident from the American end, while the Japanese-language Letters from Iwo Jima conveyed the event from a Japanese angle. Both films opened to strong reviews and were lauded with numerous critics and industry awards, with Letters capturing the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language film before being nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. Nowhere near slowing down, Eastwood would direct and star in the critically acclaimed Gran Torino, as well as helming critical favorites like Invictus, the Changeling, Hereafter, and J. Edgar, racking up numerous awards and nominations. In 2014, he helmed the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Jersey Boys, to mixed reviews, and the biographical adaptation American Sniper.A prolific jazz pianist who occasionally shows up to play piano at his Carmel, CA restaurant, The Hog's Breath Inn, Eastwood has also contributed songs and scores to several of his films, including The Bridges of Madison County and Mystic River. Many saw his critically championed 1988 film Bird, starring Forest Whitaker (on the life of Charlie "Bird" Parker), as the direct product of this interest. Eastwood also served as the mayor of Carmel, CA, from 1986 until 1988.

Trivia: Asian-American actor Bee Vang entered the limelight in 2008 when director Clint Eastwood tapped him to play Thao Vang Lor -- a young man who unwisely steals the classic car of a Detroit auto worker (Eastwood) and inherits far more than he bargained for -- in the urban drama Gran Torino.

Trivia: A distinguished Irish actress whose unique look and presence instantly revealed her ethnic origins, redhead performer Geraldine Hughes began life in West Belfast in 1970 and grew up in a working-class family in the city's Divis Flats. Hughes experienced her first brush with show business after penning a one-woman stage show, Belfast Blues, where she distilled many of her coming-of-age experiences into two hours. Via the magic of costume changes, she also unveiled her versatility by playing all of the 24 roles at hand. That noble accomplishment happened to catch the eye of a Hollywood casting agent, Sheila Jaffe, who recommended Hughes to Sylvester Stallone for a turn as Marie, Rocky Balboa's longtime friend and potential paramour, in Rocky Balboa (2006), the sixth installment of the Rocky film series; after watching Hughes' audition tape, Stallone instantly hired her. Though Balboa did not represent the thespian's premier stage assignment (prior to it, she had done guest work on the series ER and landed a bit part as a secretary in the 2003 Ben Stiller comedy Duplex), it afforded some of her broadest audience exposure to date, and as a follow-up she teamed with Clint Eastwood for a small role in the racially themed drama Gran Torino (2008).

Trivia: Typically cast as an American everyman -- in many ways, the most challenging of roles to play -- the slightly stocky Hollywood character actor Brian Howe began his career during the mid-'90s, as an occasional guest player on episodes of such series as Law & Order (as a variety of different characters) and the short-lived sitcom The Bonnie Hunt Show (as Sammy Sinatra). Howe re-teamed with the venerable Hunt for a small role in his first feature, which the actress directed: the romantic comedy Return to Me, starring Minnie Driver and David Duchovny. Supporting turns in an uneven series of films ensued, ranging from Iain Softley's ill-advised sci-fier K-PAX (2001) to Steven Spielberg's buoyant comedy drama Catch Me If You Can (2002). Howe received fourth billing on series creator Barry Kemp's short-lived sitcom A Minute With Stan Hooper (2003), then landed a trio of supporting roles in A-listers during 2006: one in the Robin Williams farce RV, another in the Will Smith sudser The Pursuit of Happyness, and a third in Tony Scott's sci-fi actioner Déjà Vu. Clint Eastwood cast him in the 2008 drama Gran Torino. He appeared in the 2011 action film I Am Number Four, and in 2012 Howe appeared as Randy Scheunemann in the made-for-HBO docudrama Game Change.

Trivia: Participated in child beauty pageants in Florida in the late 1990s. Performed in a pop band during her teen years called S*coolgirlz. Moved to New York to pursue acting when she was 17. Was working as a waitress the first time she was recognized for her role on Gossip Girl. Has stood on boxes in order to compensate for her small stature while on camera.

Trivia: From the time of his screen debut in the late '80s, the slightly stocky character actor William Hill specialized in everyman portrayals, often with a professional edge, such as psychiatrists, guards, and police detectives. He struck a fairly equal balance between television (with a series of appearances as different characters on Law & Order over the years) and features that fell into a wide variety of genres. These included Striptease (1996), Anything Else (2003), and Gran Torino (2006).

Trivia: Character actor John Carroll Lynch first gained notice for his performance as Frances McDormand's sweet and supportive husband in the Coen brother's critically acclaimed Fargo. He subsequently appeared on the ABC sitcom The Drew Carey Show as the title character's cross-dressing brother. The role was initially a recurring one, but Lynch was eventually added as a full-time cast member. Along the way, he also popped up in a number of small roles in large films like 1997's Volcano and 2000's Gone in 60 Seconds.Following the cancellation of The Drew Carey Show, Lynch switched gears from comedy to drama, but stayed on the small screen, taking a role on HBO's bleak and bizarre Carnivàle. That stint was followed by a season on the CBS legal drama Close to Home. And in 2007, he was cast alongside Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser in Fox's post-Hurricane Katrina cop show K-Ville. That same year, he could be seen on the big-screen in David Fincher's Zodiac. Lynch would remain an active perormer for years to come, appearing in movies like Shutter Island and Crazy, Stupid, Love, as well as starring on TV shows like Body of Proof.

Trivia: Most people would assume that being the son of a Hollywood legend would mean a life on easy street, but that wasn't the case for Scott Eastwood. His father, Clint Eastwood, insisted that he make his own way, which meant jobs in construction and parking cars before his own acting career took off. Scott might have gotten his first break via a small role in his dad's 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers, but his subsequent work has shown that he's not riding any coattails. Indeed, he was even credited as Scott Reeves (his mother's last name) in his early movies, including Flags, An American Crime, Pride, and Player 5150.Scott was born to Clint and former flight attendant Jacelyn Reeves on March 21, 1986. He grew up in Hawaii and has a younger sister named Kathryn, as well as five paternal half-siblings: Kimber Tunis, Kyle Eastwood, Alison Eastwood, Francesca Fisher-Eastwood, and Morgan Eastwood. After graduating from high school in 2003, Scott attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, receiving a degree in Communications in 2008. Preferring to avoid the glitz, glam, and occasional pretentiousness of L.A., he resides in a beach community outside of San Diego.After roles in films such as 2012's Trouble With the Curve and 2013's Texas Chainsaw 3D, as well as stints on television in Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., Scott portrayed former champion bull rider Luke Collins in 2015's The Longest Ride -- a role that came naturally to the admitted adrenaline junkie, who fondly recalls visiting the Salinas Rodeo as a youth. He then switched gears dramatically by signing on to the supervillain film Suicide Squad and the biopic Snowden, proving he's no one-trick pony as his career continues to blossom.

Trivia: Actor Cory Hardrict, sometimes credited as Cory C. Hardrict, specialized in clean-cut urban roles, traversing genre boundaries to turn up in fantasy, horror, and slice-of-life dramatic outings with equal footing. Hardrict began his career on television during the late '90s, with a whirlwind of appearances in weekly prime-time programs including Felicity, Once and Again, and City of Angels, and took one of his earliest feature bows in the 1999 Drew Barrymore romantic comedy Never Been Kissed. He accepted a small role as a Southern California high-school student in the Kirsten Dunst drama Crazy/Beautiful, and then (a few years later) entered the arena of horror by turning up in at least two installments of the Return of the Living Dead franchise. In 2006, Hardricttook on a small supporting role in another supernatural shocker, Driftwood. The next year, he was cast in the recurring role of Luc Bisgaier on the ABC Family drama series Lincoln Heights. Off-camera, Hardrict made headlines for his romantic involvement with (and 2008 marriage to) Sister, Sister star Tia Mowry.