Trivia: Jennifer Aniston makes a good case for proving that acting talent can be absorbed by osmosis. From her father John Aniston's stardom on Days of Our Lives to her godfather Telly Savalas, the actress was surrounded by plenty of inspiration from an early age. As Aniston attended the Rudolph Steiner School as a child, she was interested in many forms of art and proved to be a talented painter, eventually having one of her pieces displayed at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Acting also appealed to her, and became her primary focus after graduating from New York's prestigious High School for the Performing Arts in 1987. She took roles in off-Broadway productions such as For Dear Life and Dancing on Checker's Grave before she began honing her skills in television acting with appearances on shows like Quantum Leap and Herman's Head. Before long, Aniston's film and television résumé had grown into a laundry list of one-time appearances, short-lived series, and B-level movies. By 1994, the handful of bit parts and failed shows on Aniston's résumé had established her as a working actress but created little foreshadowing about her future as a star. Her upcoming audition for the role of Monica Gellar in a pilot for a sitcom at that point titled "Friends Like These," however, would prove to be quite auspicious. The role in question would eventually be filled by Courteney Cox, as Aniston changed her mind and opted to try out for Rachel Green, a young suburbanite living on her own for the first time and working as a coffee-shop waitress in New York City. The rest, as they say, is history -- "Friends Like These" would become Friends, the hugest sitcom in years, quickly making Aniston America's sweetheart. Friends' obsessive following churned up a particular interest in Aniston's signature hairstyle. The shag cut known as "The Rachel" could be seen on heads all over the country. Even as the fad fell out of popularity in the salons, Aniston's star continued to rise. Still adored on one of the most popular television shows in history, she moved to the big screen in romantic comedies like She's the One (1996), Picture Perfect, 'Til There Was You (1997), and The Object of My Affection (1998). In the late '90s, she also began dating actor Brad Pitt. Talk of Pitt's recently ended engagement to actress Gwyneth Paltrow quickly dissipated as "Gwen and Brad" turned to "Jen and Brad." The two young stars became the ultimate Hollywood power couple and celebrated with a star-studded wedding in July of 2000. The new millennium found Aniston at the top of her game. Raking in a million dollars an episode for her role on the still popular Friends and married to one of the hottest men in Hollywood, she seemed to have it all. Secure in her A-List position, she took the opportunity to work on low-profile films and cult hits, such as 1999's Office Space, and 2000's Rock Star. Aniston's talent for dramatic roles was finally given a proper outlet when she played the lead in 2002's The Good Girl, which found critics surprised and impressed with her range. She made no attempt to shy away from comedy, however, starring alongside Jim Carrey in Bruce Almighty, and Ben Stiller in 2004's Along Came Polly. In 2004, as Friends began what would be its final season, Aniston's immediate future was filled with tremendous turmoil and change. Only a week into 2005, she and husband Brad Pitt legally separated, surrounded by rumors that Pitt had sparked a serious romantic connection with his Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-star Angelina Jolie. The media leapt onto the story, desperate to sate the public's curiosity about how such a seemingly perfect union could come to an end. Rumors swilled about the circumstances of their break-up, citing everything from disagreements over children to taste in interior decorating. Aniston's steady poise and willowy figure created a division in the public perception between herself and the more curvaceous and risqué Jolie.Media frenzy buzzed around the breakup long after she and Pitt officially filed for divorce in March. Vendors even started selling T-shirts reading "Team Aniston" and "Team Jolie," though most of the public seemed to side with the slighted Aniston. The actress plowed ahead, however, marking 2005 by starring with Clive Owen in the gritty thriller Derailed and with Shirley MacLaine and Kevin Costner in the comedy Rumor Has It.... 2006 brought the ensemble film Friends With Money, as well as another movie that would help put her divorce in the past...in more ways then one. While Pitt made headlines by becoming legal guardian of Jolie's adopted children and father to a baby Jolie gave birth to in Namibia, Aniston starred alongside comedy and character actor extraordinaire Vince Vaughn in The Break-Up. The comedy cast the two as an ex-couple going to war over which of them should keep their beloved condo, but the real life connection between the actors was quite the opposite. Though reluctant to speak about their relationship publicly, Aniston and Vaughn appeared quite clearly to have become a couple, bolstering the success of The Break-Up, and seeming to put Aniston's fans at ease regarding her personal life, even after she and Vaughan amicably split later that year. By 2007, Aniston's public image had left her divorce in the past, and was ready for new territory.Aniston found her next success in the 2008 tearjerking pet-comedy Marley & Me, opposite Owen Wilson. As the 2000's gave way to the 2010's, Aniston would all but completely cement her position as the number one actress in Hollywood when it comes to broadly appealing comedies, winning over audience after audience with He's Just Not That Into You, Love Happens, The Switch, Just Go With It, Horrible Bosses, and Wanderlust. She won rave reviews for her work in the film Cake in 2015, earning her a Golden Globe nomination.

Trivia: Hailing from Overland Park, KS, clean-cut comedic actor Jason Sudeikis rose to fame as a member of that Valhalla of comics, Saturday Night Live; he joined the series not as an actor but as a writer, in the 2003-2004 season, then moved into performance and distinguished himself during his premiere season with three portrayals that instantly became audience favorites: burglar Ed Mahoney, American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, and that of a Bluetooth-wearing, egomaniacal "A-hole" in a series of sketches that also starred Kristen Wiig. Prior to SNL involvement, Sudeikis entered the comedic realm via participation in Kansas City's ComedySportz ensemble, then relocated to Chicago and enlisted with Second City. He also performed with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam and co-founded Second City Las Vegas.From SNL, Sudeikis made the short leap to prime-time television and feature films. On the small screen, he landed a recurring role as Tina Fey's boyfriend Floyd on the popular NBC sitcom 30 Rock. Sudeikis' feature-film appearances (the majority in the comedy vein) include supporting roles in the outings The Ten (2007), What Happens in Vegas (2008), Semi-Pro (2008), and The Rocker (2008). He had his biggest non-SNL hit to date when he was one of three regular guys looking to kill their Horrible Bosses in 2011, and that same year he co-starred with Owen Wilson in Hall Pass, and starred in the indie comedy A Good Old Fashioned Orgy. Sudeikis left SNL in 2013 to focus on his film career, next appearing as a drug dealer/con artist in We're the Millers.

Trivia: Actress Emma Roberts made her film debut working with one of the best actors in history -- and she didn't even know it. At only ten years old, Roberts was cast as the daughter of Johnny Depp's character in 2001's Blow, but she would later recall that she was too young during the experience to realize what a respected figure her co-star was in Hollywood. In 2004, Roberts joined the ranks at the Nickelodeon network, taking a leading role in the series Unfabulous. The regular gig provided both experience and stability for the up-and-comer, but maintaining a presence on the big-screen remained a goal. In 2006, she made a splash with a leading role in Aquamarine, a comedy about a couple of tween girls who discover a mermaid living in their beach club's swimming pool. The young actress charmed audiences and casting directors alike with her performance in the romp, so much so that she was soon cast in the title role of Nancy Drew in a 2007 revival of the teenage-detective franchise.Alas, Nancy Drew failed to become the genesis of a new series, but on the heels of another starring role in the disposable teen comedy Wild Child Roberts continued to show an impressive amount of range in such subsequent features as Derek Martini's independent period drama Lymelife, the family-friendly romp Hotel for Dogs, and the sensitive 2010 comedy drama It's Kind of a Funny Story. Later, on the heels of a role in the slasher sequel Scream 4, Roberts could be seen opposite Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones in Celeste and Jesse Forever, and acting alongside John Cusack in the 2012 comedy Adult World. Roberts returned to TV with a high-profile role on American Horror Story: Coven, playing Madison Montgomery, a Hollywood actress who discovers she a witch. She stayed on in the AHS family for another season, playing Maggie in Freak Show, before jumping ship to another Ryan Murphy project, the Fox series Scream Queens.

Trivia: British actor Will Poulter debuted onscreen as a child star, with the lead in the quirky, off-center comedy Son of Rambow. In that film, Poulter plays Will Proudfoot, a young Britisher who befriends the class bully -- and then teams up with the lad to make a film that will emulate Stallone's Rambo character.

Trivia: A former standup comedian whose four-year stint as a Daily Show correspondent laid the groundwork for a successful onscreen career, Atlanta, GA, native Ed Helms has since gone on to keep fans in stitches as abrasive cubicle drone Andy Bernard on the hit television series The Office and as an undead flesh-eater who only wants a girlfriend and equal rights in the popular comedy short Zombie-American (2005). It was after a stint at Oberlin College in Ohio that Helms first began working the standup circuit, with regular appearances at some of the top comedy clubs in New York City quickly gaining him a loyal fan base. Helms' poker-faced sense of humor was an ideal fit for The Daily Show, and with only a handful of credits to his name, the rising star quickly became a regular fixture on the show. In 2006, shortly after wrapping a four-year stint on the Emmy Award-winning Comedy Central faux-newscast, Helms turned up as a member of the Stamford branch on The Office -- a series that also helped launch former Daily Show correspondent Steve Carell to stardom. When the Stamford branch eventually merged with the Scranton branch in the series, Helms' angry ass-kisser became a regular fixture on the show -- his decidedly short-fused character quickly becoming a foil for office prankster Jim Halpert (played by John Krasinski). Having previously studied improvisational comedy with the Upright Citizens Brigade, Helms became a semi-regular fixture at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City while simultaneously preparing for appearances in the Carell comedy Evan Almighty and the stoner-friendly sequel Harold and Kumar 2. He continued to get good reviews for his work on The Office, but he had a smash hit as one of the three bachelors trying to piece together their night in The Hangover. He would star in the very funny Cedar Rapids two years later, but that film would not do nearly as well at the box office as The Hangover Part II that same year. In 2012 he had a major part in The Duplass Brothers' Jeff, Who Lives At Home, and voiced one of the main characters in the smash animated film Dr. Seuss' The Lorax.

Trivia: A native of Cleveland, OH, actress Kathryn Hahn received her first taste of show business in the late '80s, when the then-teenager scored a live-action role opposite several puppets on the locally produced children's program Hickory Hideout. Hahn formally studied acting at the Yale School of Drama, and just prior to her final year of 2000-2001 (in mid-summer stock), the performer caught the attention of an NBC casting recruiter, who tapped her for a regular role on the prime-time drama Crossing Jordan; she played amiable grief counselor Lily Lebowski for the full run of the series (2001-2007).Meanwhile, film roles began pouring in right and left, beginning with visible turns as Kate Hudson's health editor roommate in the hit romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), and as a barmaid with more than a passing crush on Topher Grace in Robert Luketic's gentle romantic comedy Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004). Hahn subsequently commenced a long series of assignments for Hollywood's highest-profiled directors and producers, including bit parts in the Judd Apatow-Adam McKay farce Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) and Nancy Meyers' romantic comedy The Holiday (2006), and a small supporting role in the Robert Shaye-directed fantasy The Last Mimzy (2007). After her Crossing Jordan role ended with the series' cancellation in 2007, Hahn was able to work more freely in other venues, which became apparent with her output in 2008. She took on another cinematic supporting turn in the Will Ferrell-John C. Reilly comedy Step Brothers and starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the period suburban drama Revolutionary Road. That same year, Hahn made her Broadway debut in the Tony award-winning play Boeing-Boeing. Over the next serveral years, Hahn would remain an active force on screen, appearing in fukns kuje The Dictator and Our Idiot Brother, as well as on shows like Parks and Recreation and Girls. Throughout her various assignments, Hahn drew high praise for her comedic ability, which netted occasional comparisons to Carol Burnett.

Trivia: Actor Nick Offerman honed an immediately identifiable image -- that of a rugged, imposing presence with an unmistakably menacing onscreen aura, occasionally tempered by nuttiness -- and parlayed it into a long string of offbeat characterizations. After guest spots on such prime-time series as ER and Gilmore Girls, and bit parts in features including Treasure Island (1999), Groove (2000), and November (2003), Offerman graduated to lead status with a decidedly wacky triple role in Martin Hynes' road movie The Go-Getter (2007). That same year, audiences could also catch Offerman via his small supporting role as a cop in Goran Dukic's jet-black comic romance Wristcutters: A Love Story. Meanwhile, Offerman also signed for one of the lead roles -- as an auto mechanic -- on the satirical Comedy Central series American Body Shop (2007). In 2009 he was cast as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, and this turned out to be his breakthrough role. He parlayed that success into appearances in films like The Men Who Stare at Goats, All Good Things, Casa de me Padre, and the big-screen comedy version of 21 Jump Street.

Trivia: Started dancing and gymnastics lessons at age 3. Starred in a series of local commercials and print ads in her youth. At age 6, she performed in a local ballet production of The Nutcracker. Took acting classes from retired director/producer Martin Beck. Was discovered by director Linda Seto at a summer film camp in Dallas, TX, and was encouraged to move to Los Angeles. Made film debut in a bit part in the 2007 comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

Trivia: A well-respected character actor who specializes in playing tough guys with a heart, Luis Guzman has appeared in a dizzying array of film and television productions since he began his professional acting career in the early 1980s.Born August 28, 1956, Guzman graduated from City College and worked for some years as a youth counselor at the Henry Street Settlement House. During his time as a social worker, he began performing in street theatre and independent films. Guzman got his first big break in the early '80s with a role on the popular TV series Miami Vice. He went on to work sporadically in film and television throughout the rest of the decade, appearing in such films as Sidney Lumet's Family Business and Ridley Scott's Black Rain (both 1989).Guzman's work schedule grew increasingly crowded as the 1990s progressed; kicking off the decade with an appearance in another Lumet piece, Q & A (1990), the actor began popping up in films ranging from romantic comedy (Anthony Minghella's Mr. Wonderful, 1993) to crime drama (Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way, 1993) to gay and lesbian historical docudrama (Nigel Finch's Stonewall, 1995). Thanks to directors Steven Soderbergh and Paul Thomas Anderson, Guzman became more readily recognizable in the late 1990s. For Soderbergh, he had substantial roles in Out of Sight (1998), which cast him as a prisoner whose planned escape is ruined by George Clooney; and The Limey (1999), in which he played Terence Stamp's gruff but good-hearted partner in revenge. For Anderson, Guzman appeared in both Boogie Nights (1997) and Magnolia (1999), playing a wannabe porn star in the former and a game show contestant in the latter. 2002 proved Guzman's busiest year to date as the increasingly visible actor appeared in no less than five films, including a prominant role in the caper comedy Welcome to Collinwood and a re-teaming with director Anderson with Punch-Drunk Love. On television, Guzman became a regular presence thanks to a recurring role on the HBO prison drama Oz, as well as appearances on such shows as Law and Order, NYPD Blue, and Walker, Texas Ranger.

Trivia: One of the few members of the New York-based MTV comedy troupe "The State" to hail from the Midwest, Chicagoan comedian Thomas Lennon is also an accomplished screenwriter.Born in Oak Park, IL, on August 9, 1970, Lennon attended New York University as an undergraduate in the late '80s, at a point when Todd Holoubek -- a member of the campus sketch comedy team "Sterile Yak" -- abandoned that earlier group in favor of forming an alternative improvisational ensemble, christened "The New Group." Comprised largely of freshmen, the team blended film, video, and live performance in its live audience shows. Lennon joined the ensemble, as did fellow coeds Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Ben Garant, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter, and David Wain. Following a series of original shows (which began with "I'm Rubber, You're Glue"), The New Group landed its first gig as the opening act for Dennis Miller during one of the comedian's appearances at NYU, circa 1990. He paid them 1,000 dollars total. In the early '90s, Lennon made several short films, including The Waiters, which ran on the Bravo network; meanwhile, after MTV formally rejected the ensemble's pitch for a weekly series, Wain worked with the others to shoot demos for the MTV series You Wrote It, You Watch It, which catalyzed the network's interest. At that point, The New Group changed its name to "The State: Full Frontal Comedy." They landed an official series on MTV in 1993, boosted by an appearance on The Jon Stewart Show, in which they completely demolished the comedian's set. Over the course of the first two years, ratings skyrocketed, carrying the series through several seasons. It wrapped in 1997.During the series' run, Lennon wrote much of the material, including the popular "Monkey Torture" sketch. After the show ended, he joined cast members Kerri Kenney and Michael Ian Black to create the Comedy Central variety show spoof Viva Variety, based on an old sketch from The State. Lennon transitioned to features by voicing the documentarian character in the hit comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous, the feature-film debut of State director Michael Patrick Jann. Lennon also appeared in the feature films Memento, Out Cold, and Boat Trip, as well as TV commercials for various candy items and video-game platforms. Returning to the television series format, Lennon sustained a recurring role in the short-lived ABC medical drama MDs. He then reunited with Kenney and other State members to create the reality cop show spoof Reno 911!, starring himself as pretty-boy Lieutenant Jim Dangle. Directed by Jann, the show became a hit on Comedy Central in 2003.Lennon maintained a busy schedule in 2004, with supporting roles in the A-list romantic comedies A Guy Thing, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Le Divorce. That same year, he also did screenwriting work (alongside many others) on Todd Phillips's Starsky & Hutch (2004), and the terribly received action comedy Taxi, starring Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon. While Reno 911! continued through 2005, Lennon contributed to the scripts of such mainstream releases as Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), The Pacifier (2005), Night at the Museum (2006), and Let's Go to Prison!2007 saw the young comedian and scenarist involved in his most ambitious project to date. He posed a triple threat as cast member, executive producer, and screenwriter of that year's Balls of Fury, directed by fellow "Stater" Ben Garant, one of the major forces behind Reno 911! He was cast in Hancock and the comedy I Love You, Man. In 2009 he co-wrote Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. He had a small but crucial role in 2011's Cedar Rapids, and appeared in the comedies Bad Teacher and What's Your Number?Lennon lives with his wife, Jenny Robertson, in Los Angeles.

Trivia: Mark L. Young took his first onscreen bows in adolescence, with series guest roles on programs such as The O.C., Cold Case, ER, and CSI: Miami, then signed for a feature role opposite Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, and Michael Peña in the Iraqi war veteran drama The Lucky Ones.

Trivia: Handsome, dark-haired comedian Ken Marino is one member of the sketch-comedy troupe The State that seems to have broken off from the group in favor of a career in television sitcoms. Born in Long Island, he studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute and N.Y.U. before working in touring companies and off-Broadway plays. In the early '90s, he joined up with the gang that would become The State, the hilarious comedy show that aired on MTV from 1994-1995. His good looks and memorable characters (the Talking Hormone and Louie, the guy who's gonna dip his balls in it) earned him many admiring fans. After the show's cancellation, he was cast in the NBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly. (Starring Rob Schneider and Ron Eldard, the short-lived show was an Americanized version of a popular, long-running British series.) Several guest-starring appearances followed, leading to a recurring role as Professor Wilder on the WB's teen drama Dawson's Creek.Marino made his film debut with a small role in Gattaca, which was followed by several poorly distributed independent comedies (Love Happens, Carlo's Wake, and 101 Ways [The Things a Girl Will Do to Keep Her Volvo]). He also had supporting roles in the more mainstream romantic comedies Tortilla Soup and Joe Somebody. In 2001, he reunited many other members of The State for the teen satire Wet Hot American Summer as sexually desperate camp counselor Victor. Back on NBC, he starred as young San Francisco lawyer Miles Lawton in the series First Years, another short-lived Americanized version of a popular, long-running British TV series. When the show was canceled after a month, he starred in the NBC sitcom Leap of Faith as magazine reporter Andy, best friend of the titular Faith (Sarah Paulson). When this show was canceled after a month, he went back to guest-starring roles on shows like Las Vegas and Rock Me Baby. Projects for 2004 include a leading role in the independent romantic comedy feature Love for Rent opposite Colombian actress Angie Cepeda.In 2006 he made his feature screenwriting debut with Diggers, and followed that up the next year with the script for The Ten, and had his biggest success to date the year after that with his screenplay for Role Models. He was a regular on the short-lived but highly-respected sitcom Party Down, and in 2012 he wrote and had a superb supporting part in the comedy Wanderlust.

Trivia: Split his time between Detroit and Ghana while growing up due to his mother's Ghanaian nationality. Began studying improv comedy as a teenager and performing in stage productions at his high school. Is an alumni of Second City Chicago Mainstage. During his time at Second City, wrote and performed in two original revues, Spoiler Alert Everybody Dies and Southside of Heaven, which earned him nominations for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor in a Revue for two consecutive years in 2010 and 2011. Performed at the Just for Laughs Montreal Fresh Faces of Characters showcase in 2012. In 2016, was honored at Wayne State University's 37th Arts Achievement Awards with the Career Achievement Award in the Field of Theatre.

Trivia: Trained at The Second City in Chicago.Was a member of the Boom Chicago comedy troupe.His one-man show, Five Years in Amsterdam, is based on the time he lived in Amsterdam.Joined the Sacred Fools Theater Company in 2007.Ted Lasso was insipired by the time he and Jason Sudeikis lived in Amsterdam, as members of the Boom Chicago sketch comedy troupe, and didn't know anything about soccer.

Trivia: Comedic actor Scott Adsit got his start performing at Chicago's Second City in the mid-'90s, where he met and befriended Tina Fey. He transitioned from stage to screen with a handful of appearances on HBO's Mr. Show with Bob and David and went on to take on guest roles on several TV shows, including Friends and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Adsit got his first taste of steady work with Cartoon Network's Moral Orel, which he wrote, produced and provided voices for. With his career on a roll, Adsit reunited with Tina Fey in 2006, when he was cast opposite her on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. During the run of 30 Rock, he appeared in a number of animated and live-action projects including The Informant, The Music Never Stopped, and Arthur.