Trivia: Actor Henry Cavill studied drama at Stowe School in England before trying his hand at a professional career in show business, beginning with a small role in The Count of Monte Cristo in 2001. Cavill was 18 and had already developed the square jaw and piercing stare that would soon make him a successful leading man, going up for roles like Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins and even James Bond in Casino Royale. He lost those roles to more well-known actors, but had no trouble building up his résumé with supporting roles in movies like Tristan & Isolde, before scoring the prominent role of Charles Brandon on the Showtime series The Tudors in 2007. He enjoyed a small part in the Woody Allen movie Whatever Works, and had a larger role in the action film Immortals in 2011. He was tapped to take over the iconic role of Superman in the planned 2013 project Man of Steel.

Trivia: Mickey Rourke originally aspired to careers as a pro baseball player and - later - a championship boxer, but did a 180 away from the ring and cut his chops as an actor instead. Rourke launched his career with small roles in 1941 (1979) and Heaven's Gate (1981) before gaining broader notice as a pyro expert in Body Heat (1981) and one of the raunchier leads in Barry Levinson's Diner (1982). He followed with admirable work in Rumble Fish (1983) and The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), and gave a bravura performance as fanatically determined police captain Stanley White in Year of the Dragon (1985). When the film was slammed by critics, Rourke defended director Michael Cimino and snubbed all interview requests. He immediately gained a reputation as a perfectionist, agreeing only to work with directors and on projects that met with his high standards. His 1987 performances in Angel Heart, A Prayer for the Dying, and Barfly attest to this, but starring roles in Adrian Lyne's infamous 9 1/2 Weeks (1986) and Zalman King's Wild Orchid (1990) gave him a "Eurotrash" taint, only enhanced by his hot temper and maverick nature. These qualities, however, while career poison in the U.S., did nothing to hurt Rourke's reputation in France, where filmgoers adored him.From the late '80s through the early '90s, the career of this disillusioned actor with the potential of Robert De Niro spiraled down, down, down, with his co-starring appearance in Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991) just one nadir. He wrote, produced, and starred in Homeboy (1988), a film about a near brain-dead prize fighter. It skipped theatrical release and went straight to home video. The masochistic connection between this film and Rourke's subsequent resumption of his boxing career (from 1991-1994) was undeniable, though he continued to appear sporadically in small films and supporting roles. In 1997, Rourke reprised his role as an s&m fetishist in Another 9 1/2 Weeks, a virtual remake of the original, only sans the redeeming presence of Kim Basinger. Although Rourke's career consisted primarily of direct-to-video titles for several years, he had enough friends and respect among his contemporaries that he hung on to his rebound potential, and his small role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1997 adaptation of John Grisham's The Rainmaker marked something of a comeback. The following year, Vincent Gallo, an unapologetic fan of Rourke's, cast him as the antagonist in Gallo's directorial debut, Buffalo '66; the long-dormant Terrence Malick also cast Rourke in his critically-worshipped Thin Red Line (1998), but Malick excised the actor's scenes from the final cut, probably to reduce the film's whopping length. Rourke showed flashes of his former brilliance in Steve Buscemi's Animal Factory (2000), joined the cast of the Sly Stallone-headlined Get Carter remake that same year, and gave an impressive supporting performance in Sean Penn's police procedural-cum-harrowing study of obsession, The Pledge (2001). Rourke also signed on with director Robert Rodriguez for the third of that helmer's Mariachi films, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, in 2003. As a harbinger of things to come, a powerful creative bond formed between the weathered, iconic Rourke and the tireless director on the Mexico set. In 2005 the duo again teamed for Rodriguez's and Frank Miller's eagerly anticipated big screen adaptation of Miller's Sin City comics. Cast as lovelorn brute Marv, Rourke delivered an impressive performance as an imposing beast of a fellow bent on avenging the death of an angelic prostitute in this stylish noir comic book come to life, which gave him cult status among a new generation of fans. In 2004, Rourke delivered a memorable supporting performance in Tony Scott's Man on Fire alongside Denzel Washington; it marked the first film in a two-picture creative partnership between Scott and Rourke, the second half of which came to fruition with 2005's Domino.2006 saw Rourke appearing in Stormbreaker (co-starring Bill Nighy and Ewan McGregor) with Rourke as the nasty villain opposite Alex Pettyfer's "teen spy" Alex Ryder. Killshot, with Rourke as the hitman who attempts to rub out married Federal Witnesses Diane Lane and Thomas Jane, ended up being sitting on the studio's shelf for nearly three years. The film marked Rourke's first collaboration with Lane since Francis Coppola's critically-championed 1983 cult film Rumble Fish. With the release of 2008's The Wrestler, Rourke pulled off one of the most remarkable career comeback stories of the era. His role as the aging professional grappler Randy "The Ram" earned him the strongest reviews he'd received in over two decades, and secured him his first acting nomination from the Academy as well as a nod from Screen Actors Guild, and he took home the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama. Rourke would enjoy sustained success in the years to follow, appearing in films like Iron Man 2, The Expendables, and Immortals.Rourke was married to Debra Feuer from 1981-89 and Wild Orchid co-star Carre Otis from 1992-1998. Both marriages ended in divorce.

Trivia: Indian-born actress Freida Pinto attended St. Xavier's College in Mumbai before embarking upon a career in modeling. The striking young woman had no trouble attracting attention in the industry, and within a few years she caught the eye of filmmaker Danny Boyle, who cast her in his 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire. She then appeared in the Woody Allen-directed 2010 comedy You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, before tackling the title role in 2011's Miral, an autobiographical drama about an orphaned Palestinian girl drawn into the conflict following the Arab-Israeli war. She appeared in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and starred in Michael Winterbottom's modern retelling of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Ubervilles.

Trivia: Balancing independent film and Hollywood, Stephen Dorff made his name as a versatile actor with a particular talent for playing assorted rebels and villains. The son of composer Steve Dorff, the younger Dorff opted for the acting side of show business instead. Entering the industry as a teenager, Dorff cut his acting teeth on TV in the late '80s with guest spots on several series, including Roseanne and Married With Children, and roles in TV movies, including I Know My First Name Is Steven (1989). Dorff jumped to feature films with the starring role as a socially conscious South African boxer in The Power of One (1992). Voted the National Association of Theater Owners' Male Star of Tomorrow in 1992, Dorff next earned attention with his lead performance as Beatle manqué Stu Sutcliffe in the British biopic Backbeat (1993). He also appeared in the genre thriller Judgment Night that same year, with Emilio Estevez and Cuba Gooding Jr. Despite his Hollywood beginnings, Dorff focused more on independent productions in the mid-'90s, including the media satire S.F.W. (1994). His nuanced performance as Warhol Factory transvestite superstar Candy Darling in Mary Harron's acclaimed I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), though, definitively revealed that Dorff could be more than a pretty, brooding face. Dorff further held his own opposite Jack Nicholson in neo-noir Blood and Wine (1997) and against Harvey Keitel in crime drama City of Industry (1997), but neither film made a box office impression. Dorff scored a summer popcorn hit, however, as Wesley Snipes' flamboyant vampire nemesis in the comic book adaptation Blade (1998). Displaying his range, Dorff starred opposite Susan Sarandon in the romance Earthly Possessions (1999) for HBO, and put two different spins on movie director characters in Phil Joanou's film à clef Entropy (1999) and John Waters' black comedy Cecil B. Demented (2000). Branching out into another medium, Dorff starred in Quantum Project (2000), the first film produced for the Internet. Dorff continued to do work in a series of independent films, but occasionally would appear in more mainstream fare such as fear dot com, Cold Creek Manor, and Alone in the Dark. He had his largest profile film in years in 2006 as part of the cast of Oliver Stone's 9/11 film World Trade Center. He maintained his footing in the independent film world by starring opposite Milla Jovovich and Aisha Taylor on that same year's .45.Over the next several years, Dorff would find an ongoing series of roles in an impressive variety of projects, like Michael Mann's Public Enemies, Sophia Coppola's Somewhere, and Tarsem Singh's Immortals.

Trivia: Actor Kellan Lutz has a face that feels eerily familiar, partly because of his many appearances on shows like CSI and Six Feet Under and partly because even before his acting career took off Lutz's face could be seen gracing the pages of Abercrombie catalogs. The model-turned-actor soon graduated from TV to film roles with appearances in movies like Stick It and Prom Night, and by the time he was 23, he'd been cast in the role of Emmett Cullen in the highly anticipated 2008 film adaptation of the young-adult novel Twilight, making him an even more familiar face to legions of fans. Lutz would remain active for the next several years, appearing in the Twilight sequels, as well as movies like A Warrior's Heart.

Trivia: Welsh-born Luke Evans won a scholarship to The London Studio Centre in Kings Cross, London, in 1997 at age 18. He took the knowledge he gained there onto the stage, beginning his professional acting career with many prominent roles in productions on London's West End, like Rent and Miss Saigon. Evans took his time branching out into on-screen acting, landing his first film audition at age 30. He made his big-screen debut as the Greek god Apollo in 2010's Clash of the Titans. He then played Aramis in 2011's The Three Musketeers before taking on the role of another Greek god in 2011's Immortals, this time tackling the king of the pantheon, Zeus.

Trivia: Considered one of Great Britain's most consistently brilliant players, John Hurt was at his best when playing victims forced to suffer mental, physical, or spiritual anguish. A small man with a slightly sinister countenance and a tenor voice that never completed the transition between early adolescence and manhood, Hurt was generally cast in supporting or leading roles as eccentric characters in offbeat films. The son of a clergyman, Hurt was training to be a painter at St. Martin's School of the Arts when he became enamored with acting and enrolled in London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art instead. He made his theatrical and film debuts in 1962 (The Wild and the Willing). Though he frequently appeared on-stage, Hurt, unlike his many colleagues, was primarily a film and television actor. He gave one of his strongest early performances playing Richard Rich in Fred Zinnemann's A Man for All Seasons (1966). His subsequent work remained high quality through the '70s. On television, Hurt made his name in the telemovie The Naked Civil Servant and furthered his growing reputation as the twisted Caligula on the internationally acclaimed BBC miniseries I, Claudius (1976). He received his first Oscar nomination for playing a supporting role in the harrowing Midnight Express and a second nomination for his sensitive portrayal of the horribly deformed John Merrick -- but for his voice, Hurt was unrecognizable beneath pounds of latex and makeup. In 1984, Hurt was the definitive Winston Smith in Michael Radford's version of Orwell's 1984. Other memorable roles include a man who finds himself hosting a terrifying critter in Alien (1979), his parody of that role in Mel Brooks' Spaceballs (1987), an Irish idiot in The Field (1990), and in Rob Roy (1995).In 1997, Hurt played the lead role of Giles De'ath (pronounced day-ath) for the comedy drama Love and Death on Long Island. The film, which follows a widower (Hurt) who forms an unlikely obsession with a teen heartthrob who lives in Long Island and occasionally stars in low-brow films. Love and Death was praised for its unlikely, yet poignant portrait of unrequited love. The same year, Hurt took on the role of a multi-millionaire willing to fund a scientist's (Jodie Foster) efforts to communicate with alien life in Contact. Hurt took a voice role in the animated series Journey to Watership Down and its sequel, Escape to Watership Down in 1999, and again for The Tigger Story in 2000. In 2001, Hurt joined the cast of Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone to play the small but vital role of wand merchant Mr. Ollivander, and narrated Lars von Trier's experimental drama Dogville. Later, Hurt played an American professor in Hellboy (2004), and won praise for his portrayal of a bounty hunter in The Proposition, a gritty Western from director John Hillcoat. Hurt continued to work in small but meaty supporting roles throughout the next several years, most notably in the drama Beyond the Gates (2005), for which he played a missionary who arrived in Rwanda just before genocide erupted, and as the tyrannical Chancellor Sutler in director James McTiegue's adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel V for Vendetta (2006). In 2010, Hurt reprised his role of Mr. Ollivander for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, and for its sequel in 2011. The actor co-starred with Charlotte Rampling in Melancholia (2011), Lars von Trier's meditation on depression, and played the Head of the British Secret Intelligence Service in the multi-Academy Award nominated spy thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy the same year. In 2013, Hurt appeared in the futuristic sci-fi movie Snowpiercer and later played the War Doctor in the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who. The following year, Hurt played the King of Thrace in Hercules. Hurt died in 2017, just days after his 77th birthday.

Trivia: A native of Melbourne, Victoria, glamorous Aussie actress Isabel Lucas ascended to fame on the crest of her portrayal of Tasha Andrews in the long-running, teen-oriented Australian soap Home and Away (1988); she signed with the program in 2003. Like numerous colleagues from the Australian silver screen, Lucas eventually made the crossover to Hollywood stardom, first with a U.S.-Australian co-production of the vampire outing Daybreakers (starring fellow countryman Sam Neill, in addition to A-listers Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe) and then with a substantial role in the effects-heavy Hollywood opus Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009).

Trivia: Supports the charity Positive Women in Swaziland. Nominated for a Teen Choice award for Best Villain for his work on The Vampire Diaries after appearing in just one episode. Actor Matt Ryan was his best man at his 2014 wedding to Persia White.

Trivia: Canadian-born Peter Stebbings moved to New York City to study theater in his early twenties, but he didn't opt to stay in the Big Apple. Instead, after landing a few minor appearances on American TV, he returned to Canada, where he ended up starring in the acclaimed series Madison starting in 1993 -- eventually earning two Gemini nominations. Stebbings would remain comfortable with the format of television, going on to appear on a wide variety of shows over the coming two decades, like Traders, The Hoop Life, Relic Hunter, Jeremiah, Across the River to the Motor City, Flashpoint, Murdoch Mysteries, The Listener, and more. Stebbings would find a home in movies as well, notably playing the Greek god Helios in the 2011 film The Immortals.

Trivia: Studied at the Actors Studio and with Stella Adler, whom he says was the biggest influence in his life. Considers the 1990 action-adventure Delta Force 2 some of his worst work. Has had roles in a number of Darren Aronofsky's films. Imitated some of his mother-in-law's facial expressions for his role as a retired drug-cartel enforcer in Breaking Bad. Doesn't consider himself a character actor, but a "weird-looking romantic lead."

Trivia: One can trace Canadian performer Greg Bryk's on-camera activity back to the late '90s, but he landed his first significant cinematic break in the 2002 sports comedy Men With Brooms -- with his portrayal of a curling player. After a memorable supporting role as a hardened criminal who sticks up a diner only to meet a bitter end in David Cronenberg's A History of Violence (2005), Bryk tackled at least four major feature assignments in 2007. These included supporting roles in Poor Boy's Game, The Robber Bride, Weirdsville, and Shoot 'Em Up.

Trivia: Father, Emile Van Sprang, was a member of a popular 1960s rock band called the Stampeders, which was led by Alan's uncle Ronnie King. Performed for three seasons with Calgary's Shakespeare in the Park, and five years with Theatre Calgary. Has appeared in George Romero's zombie features Land of the Dead (2005), Diary of the Dead (2008) and Survival of the Dead (2009). At 39, decided to shave his head in an effort to land "leading, dangerous, bad-guy parts," but his next three roles were that of a priest, a heroic Greek slave and a good-hearted policeman. For his role as a Greek slave in 2011's Immortals, he had to undergo a three-week "hardcore boot camp" that included a daily regimen of dieting, cardio workouts, yoga, fight training and gym and weight training.

Trivia: Joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at the age of 10. Narrated the audiobook version of Cassandra Clare's A Clockwork Princess (2013).

Trivia: Educated at Arcadia University and prepped for an acting career at AADA, Canadian-born Stephen McHattie billed himself as Stephen Smith during his earliest New York years. McHattie made his Broadway debut in 1968's The American Dream; two years later, he was seen in his first television production, The People Next Door. Though he has shown up in quite a few theatrical features (Belizaire the Cajun, Beverly Hills Cop), McHattie has most often been seen on TV, usually in such oddball roles as the grown-up protagonist in Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby (1976). He was a regular on the weekly series Highcliffe Manor (1979, as Reverend Glenville), Beauty and the Beast (1989, as the unspeakable Gabriel) and the "repertory company" Canadian anthology Scene of the Crime (1991); he also played two significant guest roles on the Fox Network's X Files. Stephen McHattie was married to actress Meg Foster.