Trivia: May 31, 1949, University of Missouri graduate Tom Berenger began his theater work in regional repertory. Once he hit New York, he was employed in several TV soap operas, most prominently as the ill-fated Timmy Siegel on One Life to Live. His first film acting ranged from the grittier urban demands of Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) to the cavalier heroics of Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979). After such relatively sympathetic assignments as The Big Chill in 1983, Berenger followed in the role of the sociopathic, battle-scarred Sergeant Barnes in Platoon (1986), a performance that earned him an Oscar nomination. This did not, however, stop the versatile actor from trying future good-guy roles like the irresponsible baseball player in Major League (1988). Berenger continued to successfully fluctuate between heroes and villains into the '90s, with a few side trips into television, notably in an amusing, unheralded guest stint in the waning days of the sitcom Cheers. In 1998, he gave a particularly good portrayal of a villainous low life in Robert Altman's adaptation of John Grisham's The Gingerbread Man. Berenger continued to take on supporting roles, and starred in TNT's short-lived television series Nightmares & Dreamscapes in 2006. Other notable work includes a role alongside Armand Assante and Busta Rhymes in the 2009 thriller Breaking Point, and his turn of the wealthy father of Robert Michael Fischer (Cillian Murphy) in 2010's Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page.

Trivia: A black belt in seven karate styles who made his feature debut in The Toxic Avenger II and has appeared in numerous off-Broadway plays, Michael Jai White has a curiously eclectic career and is likely a recognized face to action movie aficionados. A Brooklyn, NY, native who was raised in the sometimes harsh limbo between the impoverished Bridgeport and well-to-do Westport, CT, Jai White grew from an introverted youth to a man comfortable in multiple surroundings. Eventually gaining a reputation as a fearsomely tough street fighter by the age of 14, the strikingly mature-appearing youngster earned his keep by offering karate lessons at the YMCA before graduating high school with honors and setting his sights on college. Bouncing from school to school unsure of what direction to take in life, Jai White took a few acting classes but eventually ended up as a junior high school teacher specializing in emotionally disturbed children. Soon auditioning for roles in Manhattan with the blessing of his students, Jai White would rise through the ranks and eventually land roles in such features as Universal Soldier (1992) and Full Contact (1993). After appearing as Mike Tyson in the 1995 television movie Tyson, the tough actor was cast in the role of a double-crossed assassin who seeks vengeance from the fiery depths of Hell in the eagerly anticipated film adaptation of the cult comic book Spawn. Later appearing in such features as Breakfast of Champions (1999) and Exit Wounds (2001), Jai White gained solid footing as a reliable supporting action figure.

Trivia: Fair-haired actress Victoria Pratt was set on quite a different career path before becoming interested in acting. She attended York University in Toronto, where she earned a degree in kinesiology, and she went on to work in the University's Human Performance Lab, testing athletes from teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and the San Jose Sharks. She was even offered a scholarship for the physiotherapy master's program at the University of Toronto, but so she turned it down. She co-authored a book on fitness with one of her university professors, and worked as a professional fitness model, which is how she met Robert Kennedy, the publisher of MuscleMag. He suggested that Pratt enroll in acting classes, and soon after taking his advice, the model-turned-actress scored a role on the sci-fi series Cleopatra 2525 as Rose, otherwise known as "Sarge." She stuck with science fiction, later scoring roles on the series Mutant X and Day Break, and the female lead, opposite Rick Schroder, in the TV adaptation Journey to the Center of the Earth in 2008.

Trivia: Quinton Jackson became a celebrity in the world of mixed martial arts in the early 2000s in both the UFC and in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships. Famous for his use of massive bodyslams, Jackson would eventually become the UFC Light-Heavyweight title holder. A natural showman, Jackson soon made the transition into acting in 2005, appearing in films like Confessions of a Pit Fighter, Bad Guys, and The Midnight Meat Train. Over the course of a few years, the fighter's diligence in the industry paid off, and he scored the role once played by Mr. T of Sgt. Bosco Baracus -- otherwise known as B.A. -- in 2010's big-screen adaptation of The A-Team. Roles in the action films Fire with Fire and Duel of Legends followed in 2012.