Trivia: After a short string of small roles in even smaller films, actress Lana Parrilla got her first big break in 2000 when she was hired as a regular on the ABC sitcom Spin City. While the gig only lasted one season, it was just the beginning of Parrilla's small-screen career, with a main-cast role on the short-lived cop drama Boomtown following in 2002. In 2005, Parrilla joined the cast of Fox's 24 for a supporting arc as a counter-terrorism agent that lasted for half of the fourth season. The following year, she starred opposite Luke Perry on NBC's Windfall, but the show was cut short after less than a season. In 2007, she was again cast as a series lead, this time on the CBS ensemble drama Swingtown. An ambitious period drama that examined the swinger culture of the 1970s, the series failed to become a hit for CBS. But that didn't slow Parrilla down, and following a prominant role in yet another failed series Miami Medical, the buoyant actress essayed a number of television guest roles. In 2012, however, Parrilla seemed to finally find a role she could sink her teeth into -- that of the villainous Regina Mills in the dark, fairy tale-themed ABC fantasy/drama Once Upon a Time.

Trivia: Whether portraying a drunken sociopath, a good-hearted construction worker, a strong-willed multiple sclerosis victim, or a down-on-his-luck steel worker who resorts to shaking his naked groove thing for cash, Scottish actor Robert Carlyle has repeatedly wowed transatlantic audiences with his chameleon-like ability to inhabit a range of roles. Born April 14, 1961, in Glasgow, Carlyle was raised by his father after his mother walked out when the actor was four years old. The elder Carlyle was, according to his son, a disciple of the tune in, turn on, drop out mentality, and the younger Carlyle led an itinerant bohemian existence. Carlyle dropped out of school at 16, and according to his own accounts, had a fairly disastrous stay in England before returning to Glasgow. It was there that he enrolled in acting classes at the Glasgow Arts Centre after finding inspiration in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. This led to a stint at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where he studied for a term before becoming disenchanted with the institution. He found work in various television and stage productions, winning a coveted Actor's Equity card with his turn as Oberon in The Royal Scottish Orchestra's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Film audiences first became aware of the actor in Ken Loach's Riff Raff (1991), the story of the trials and tribulations of a group of construction workers. Carlyle won favorable notices, which in turn led to more work, first in the 1993 film Safe and then in 1994's Priest, the critically acclaimed and very controversial story of the moral struggles of a gay priest, in which he played the priest's lover. He went on to a very different role in the next year's Go Now, in which he played a man suffering from multiple sclerosis. The same year, he also found a place in the hearts of many a Scottish TV viewer with his portrayal of the title character on Hamish MacBeth. The show, which cast him as a kindhearted Highlands police constable, made him something of a star in his native country. Ironically, it was his turn as a character of a completely different stripe that won Carlyle international attention. As the drunken, raving psychotic Begbie in Trainspotting (1996), Carlyle was one of the more disturbing aspects of a relentlessly disturbing film, as he invested in Begbie the type of rage that made many filmgoers unable to separate the character from the actor who gave him life. The film was the object of both critical adulation and controversy, and made a star out of at least one of its actors, the charmingly rough-edged Ewan McGregor.Carlyle's follow-up feature was a decidedly smaller affair. Collaborating again with Ken Loach, he starred as a bus driver in Carla's Song (1996), a film that met with an arthouse release but little fanfare. However, it was Carlyle's turn as the down-and-out Gaz in the following year's The Full Monty that brought him fully into the spotlight. Directed by Peter Cattaneo, the film was a sleeper hit, winning both box-office millions and five Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. The success of the film made Carlyle one of the more bankable foreign players in Hollywood, something that was reflected in his casting with fellow up-and-comers David Arquette, Jeremy Davies, and Guy Pearce in the highly entertaining but virtually unmarketable box-office bomb Ravenous (1999). In the same year, Carlyle shared the screen with the likes of Liv Tyler and fellow Trainspotter Jonny Lee Miller in Plunkett & Maclean. An unusual end to a decidedly uneven year, Carlyle rounded out 1999 with two films that couldn't have been more different -- the explosive James Bond actioner The World Is Not Enough, and the bleak literary drama Angela's Ashes. Thankfully for fans, Carlyle was as busy as ever in the first few years of the new millennium, and though his reunion with Trainspotting director Danny Boyle (The Beach) and pairing with certified silver-screen badass Samuel L. Jackson (Formula 51) largely failed to win over stuffy critics, the actor was still fun as ever to watch and his indie credibility was steadily maintained, thanks to roles in Once Upon a Time in the Midlands and Black and White. When it came to chilling viewers, 2003's Emmy Award-winning Hitler: The Rise of Evil found Carlyle's explosive, wild-eyed fury put to frightening use as the German dictator who plunged the planet into World War II. Though 2004's Dead Fish found Carlyle joining an impressive cast of players including Gary Oldman, Terence Stamp, and Karel Roden, the flashy British/German co-production polarized viewers and still hadn't managed to reach stateside screens two years after debuting at the Warsaw Film Festival. A brief trip back in time found Carlyle cast as King James I in the U.K. miniseries Gunpowder, Treason and Plot, with roles as a depressed ballroom dancer in the awkwardly titled Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School; a trio of made for television films; and a part in dragon-riding disappointer Eragon following in short order. Though Carlyle was originally slated to appear in first-time director Steve Hudson's bleak 2006 drama True North, he was forced to drop out due to the death of his father and was quickly replaced by actor Peter Mullan. In 2007, just as The Scotsman reported that the entire Trainspotting cast would be reuniting for the Boyle-directed sequel Porno, Carlyle would be reunited with Gunpowder, Treason & Plot co-star Catherine McCormack in 28 Weeks Later -- director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's sequel to 2002 horror hit 28 Days Later (directed by none other than Danny Boyle). Carlyle took on the role of a priest for The Tournament, a 2009 thriller from director Scott Mann, and has become well-known for his portrayal of Dr. Nicholas Rush in the sci-fi television drama Stargate Universe. He found television success once more in ABC's fantasy drama Once Upon a Time, in which he plays the part of Rumplestiltskin. 2012 found the actor starring as a former pop star facing deportation from the United States in California Solo, a comedy drama from director Marshall Levy.

Trivia: Won the Best New Talent Award for the TV film Home for Christmas (2002) at the inaugural Irish Film and Television Awards in 2003. Caught the attention of a Los Angeles agent after he appeared in an episode of The Tudors that was filmed in Ireland. Attended exorcisms in Rome while researching his role as a seminary student in The Rite (2011), his debut Hollywood film. Signed on to play the recurring role of Captain Hook on Once Upon a Time; his role was upgraded to series regular before his first episode aired. Played guitar in the band the Enemies for 10 years and released a self-titled EP, but left due to the filming schedule of Once Upon a Time.

Trivia: Studied anthropology and philosophy in college before turning to acting. Began acting when a friend asked him to appear in a local production of SubUrbia after high school. Became a series regular during season 5 of The Walking Dead after a recurring role in season 4.

Trivia: Though most audiences will likely remember getting their first glimpse of the lovely Gabrielle Anwar when she took the dance floor as Al Pacino's tango partner from 1992's Scent of a Woman, she had previously appeared in numerous British miniseries' since the late '80s. Breaking into American cinema opposite Richard Grieco in the 1991 teen spy comedy If Looks Could Kill, Anwar soon found herself climbing the credits list after her charm and skillful footwork left audience hungering for more. Born in the daughter of an Indian film editor and a British actress in Laleham, Middlesex, England, in February of 1970, ruffian Anwar was kicked out of school for fighting in her early years, though she later opted to study drama and dance in London. Anwar made her television debut in Jim Henson's The Storyteller (1987), followed by her film debut in 1988's Manifesto, and after appearing in such British miniseries as Summer's Lease, First Born, and Press Gang (all in 1989), it was time to cross the pond with mate Craig Sheffer and make her bid for Hollywood. Following her eye-catching turn in Scent of a Woman, the fledgling starlet faced an unearthly horror in Abel Ferrara's Body Snatchers, romanced Michael J. Fox in For Love or Money (both 1993), and appeared opposite Andy Garcia in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995). Though it certainly seemed as if Anwar's career was headed in the right direction, a series of low-budget efforts in the late '90s, as well as a rumor that she had lost the lead role in Titanic to Kate Winslet, seemed to stall her rise to stardom. Taking a cue from her early years, Anwar turned toward television. She gained positive notice for her role as Fidel Castro's secret lover in the 1999 made-for-television feature My Little Assassin, and a few short years later she appeared in the short lived sci-fi mystery series John Doe. Still appearing frequently in features, the woman voted as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine (in 1993) could be spotted in such efforts as Save it for Later and Mob Dot Com in 2003. Though she continued to work steadily in movies, she found success on the small screen when she took the part of Fiona Glenanne, a lethal ex IRA soldier working and an expert in explosives, in the USA series Burn Notice starting in 2007 -- the same year she appeared on the Showtime historical drama series The Tudors. Anwar stayed with Burn Notice for the full series run, with the show ending in 2013.

Trivia: Before she became one of the few Dominican actresses working in Hollywood, Dania Ramirez launched her career in her family's home of New York City at the age of 15. Reportedly approached by a modeling recruiter while working in a store as a security girl (collecting patrons' handbags), Ramirez soon established herself as a successful print model, then transitioned, sequentially, to commercials, television, and big-screen features. Ramirez met director Spike Lee when cast as an extra in HBO's omnibus feature Subway Stories (1997) -- a connection that spawned their collaboration on Lee's 2004 picture She Hate Me (in which she played the minor part of Alex Guerrero). Ramirez then signed on for supporting roles in such features as Fat Albert (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and Illegal Tender (2007). On the small screen, Ramirez played potential slayer Caridad in several episodes of the seventh season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2003) and Blanca Selgado, a love interest of A.J. Soprano (Robert Iler) during the sixth season of The Sopranos (2006-2007). In fall 2007, she joined the cast of the smash-hit sci-fi series Heroes, playing the emotional and mysteriously deadly Maya Herrera. After appearing in a handful of projects in 2008, Ramirez took a break, but returned in 2012 in a pair of studio films - American Reunion, and Premium Rush. In 2013, she starred in Lifetime's Devious Maids, playing maid Rosie Falta.

Trivia: Started acting in school plays and Community Theater when she was 5.Trained in Theater acting, singing and choreography at A Class Act N.Y.Made her film debut playing Rosa Mendez in the 2014 live-action film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.Lent her voice to the English version of the 1991 anime Only Yesterday. Played 13-Year-Old Jane on the CW series Jane the Virgin.