Trivia: A leading man who has displayed a knack for action, comedy, and dramatic roles, Charlie Sheen is nearly as well known for his offscreen exploits as for his acting, though after suffering through scandals that would have ended many performers' careers, he overcame bad press and bad habits to enjoy a major comeback on television in the late '90s. Charlie Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estevez to actor Martin Sheen (born Ramon Estevez) and his wife, Janet Templeton, on September 3rd, 1965. By all accounts, young Charlie wasn't an especially distinguished student; though he was a star on Santa Monica High School's baseball team, he was expelled due to poor attendance and bad grades only a few weeks before his class graduated. During his school days, Sheen developed an interest in filmmaking, making amateur Super-8 films starring his school friends (who included Rob Lowe and Sean Penn), and after leaving school, Sheen decided to take a stab at an acting career, like his father (and his older brother, Emilio Estevez). While Sheen played a bit part in one of his father's films, The Execution of Private Slovik, when he was nine, he began his screen career in earnest in 1984, playing Matt Eckhart in the Cold War thriller Red Dawn. (Earlier that same year, Sheen played a small role in a sequel to the horror film Grizzly which didn't see release until 1987; Grizzly 2: The Predator also featured a then-unknown George Clooney.) After good-sized roles in several made-for-TV movies and smaller roles in better-known feature films (including Lucas and Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Sheen got his big break in 1986 when he was cast as Chris, a soldier with conscience in Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning Vietnam drama Platoon. In 1987, Sheen starred in Stone's next project, Wall Street, and after establishing himself as a solid dramatic actor, Sheen proved he also had a flair for comedy in the 1989 hit Major League. The role also gave Sheen a chance to show off his pitching arm; a year earlier, Sheen got to play real-life center fielder Hap Felsch in John Sayles' drama about the 1919 "Chicago Black Sox" scandal, Eight Men Out. Sheen's next major success was also a comedy, the 1991 military-film satire Hot Shots, and while box-office blockbusters tended to elude him, Sheen worked steadily over the next several years, and racked up a respectable number of box-office successes.By this time, Sheen had developed a reputation as a hard-living star who spoke his mind regardless of the consequences, but his fun-loving image began to take on a darker hue in the mid-'90s. In 1990, Sheen was engaged to marry actress Kelly Preston, but she left him shortly after an incident in which he accidentally shot her in the arm. In 1995, Sheen tied the knot with model Donna Peele, but the marriage ended in divorce only 14 months later. The same year he was wed, Sheen was called to testify in the trial of "Hollywood Madame" Heidi Fleiss, and admitted he was a frequent customer of Fleiss' call girl service, spending over 50,000 dollars on the services of prostitutes. In the wake of the Heidi Fleiss scandal, Sheen did himself no favors in terms of public relations by openly dating a pair of adult film actresses, Ginger Lynn Allen and Brittany Ashland; his relationship with Ashland came to an end when she filed assault charges against him. Sheen's bad-boy image turned especially grim in 1998, when he was hospitalized for drug and alcohol abuse; after a short-lived stay in rehab, Sheen gave sobriety another try, and by 1999 he was, by all accounts, clean and sober and ready to get his career back on track. In 1999, Sheen's brother, Emilio Estevez, cast him as real-life adult filmmaker Artie Mitchell in the made-for-cable feature Rated X -- a daring role, given Mitchell's drug abuse and sexual promiscuity -- and the following year, Sheen became Hollywood's comeback kid when he was cast in the leading role of the popular situation comedy Spin City after the departure of actor Michael J. Fox. In 2002, a clean, sober, and successful Sheen made headlines once again with his love life, though this time in a positive manner: He announced his engagement to actress Denise Richards; alas, a lengthy marriage was not to be, and the couple divorced after four years. Beginning in 2003, Sheen signed for an ongoing role opposite Jon Cryer and Melanie Lynskey on the popular situation comedy Two and a Half Men. The show became a massive success, running until 2011. In the meantime, Sheen married Brooke Mueller in 2008, with whom he had twin boys, Bob and Max. The marriage was short, ending in 2010 amid rumors of rampant drug use and partying, an arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, and brief stints in rehab - culminating in a 2010 incident in which Sheen was removed from the Plaza hotel after causing $7,000 worth of damage to a hotel room, allegedly following an altercation with a prostitute. Even grander spectacles were soon to come, as disagreements with producers of Two and a Half Men in 2011 led to Sheen making what sounded like near manic public statements, nominally defending his demands for a 50% raise for his work on the show. He gave a series of interviews in which he disclosed that he lived with two girlfriends, who he called his "goddesses," graphic designer Natalie Kenly and porn star Bree Olsen. He also infamously described himself as "winning" (presumably at life), as well as having "tiger's blood," and being a "bitchin' rock star from Mars." The media explosion following his statements led to rampant speculation that he was in the throes of drug addiction. Sheen capitalized on the attention, however, embarking on a stand-up/performance tour titled "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option." Sheen was officially fired from Two and a Half Men in March of 2011, but Sheen continued to reach out to the public through internet videos available on UStream titled Torpedoes of Truth. In 2012, Sheen scored the lead in the FX comedy Anger Management (a spin-off from the 2003 movie with the same name), which earned a 100 episode production order.In addition to his career as an actor, Sheen has also dabbled in production; he produced two of his films, Comicitis and The Chase, before forming a production company with rock singer Bret Michaels. Sheen also wrote the screenplay for the company's first release, No Code of Conduct. In addition, Sheen published a book of his poetry, A Peace of My Mind.

Trivia: Perhaps the most definitive descriptor for Kiefer Sutherland's career is not any particular niche he's carved for himself, but rather his versatility. From the perfected subtleties he has portrayed in supporting roles, to his command of the screen as a star, Sutherland has covered abundant ground. His roles have ranged from deeply psychological, such as the medical student in Flatliners, to upbeat and authoritative, like the sheriff in Picking Up the Pieces. In addition to his talent on the big screen, Sutherland has earned directorial credits, as well as a Golden Globe Award in 2001 for Best Actor in a TV Drama.Kiefer Sutherland and his twin sister, Rachel, were born to acting parents Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas in the U.K. on December 21, 1966. In 1971, his parents divorced, and Sutherland moved from their home in L.A. to Toronto with his mother. Just six years later, he was appearing in theatrical performances, including a production of Throne of Strow. His first film appearance occurred in 1983, in Max Dugan Returns, with a scene featuring Sutherland alongside his father Donald Sutherland.The 1980s brought the beginning of what would become Kiefer Sutherland's lengthy list of film credits. Most notable were his roles in The Bay Boy -- a 1930s coming-of-age story set in Nova Scotia -- for which he won a Genie Award in 1984, and the Rob Reiner drama Stand by Me (1986) in which he played a scene-stealing bully. He appeared in The Lost Boys in 1987, also starring Jason Patric. In 1988, at age 20, Sutherland married Camelia Kath, who was 14 years his senior, and the couple had a daughter named Sarah Jude that same year. The marriage lasted for two years.Flatliners, 1990's groundbreaking psychodrama, starred Sutherland with Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, and Julia Roberts. The story involved four medical students experimenting with death, attempting to actually die to experience the after-life, and then be revived by their peers. The unique story line and strong performances earned the stars a lot of attention for the film. Sutherland and Roberts engaged in an offscreen romance, which endured for some time after shooting had wrapped.In 1992, Sutherland starred in the blockbuster A Few Good Men, also starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, and Kevin Bacon. Within a year, he made his directorial debut with the made-for-television drama Last Light, in which he also starred as a prison inmate. He was married a second time, to Kelly Winn, in 1996, but the relationship had ended by 2000.In the late '90s, his career picked up pace, with multiple acting and directing credits occurring within single years. The year 1997 featured Sutherland as Joey in a modern film noir called The Last Days of Frankie the Fly, and as director of the psycho-thriller Truth or Consequences, N.M. In A Soldier's Sweetheart, adapted from a story by Vietnam-vet writer Tim O'Brien, he played the narrator of the flashbacks, in 1998. That same year, he starred in the science fiction-mystery film Dark City with Jennifer Connelly and Rufus Sewell. His second self-directed TV movie, Woman Wanted, was one of four projects released crediting his name in 1999. He also appeared in a German film called After Alice, the psychotic drama Ground Control with Kristy Swanson and Kelly McGillis, and the thriller The Break Up starring Bridget Fonda.Shifting gears from the deep, psychosomatic, and eerie tones of his late-'90s films, Sutherland played the sheriff in 2000's Picking Up the Pieces. Featuring David Schwimmer, Cheech Marin, and Sharon Stone, the film was a satirical comedy infused with screwball humor, with a notable appearance by Woody Allen. Again revisiting a more dramatic genre, Sutherland starred in Fox's revolutionary action series 24 as antiterrorism agent Jack Bauer. With each 1-hour episode told in real time, the 24 episode season represented a single day in the show's chronology. Immediately garnering rave reviews and a rabid core fanbase, the series became a hit and in 2001, Sutherland's role on the program earned him recognition as Best Actor in a TV Drama at the Golden Globe Awards. The innovative series would continue to collect awards and nominations as it was renewed for successive seasons which each followed the single-day format, but took place months or sometimes years later in the timeline.As he continued to star on 24, Sutherland parlayed the show's success into some higher-profile film roles. In 2003, he played the menacing villain in the thriller Phone Booth, and the following year, he played another bad-guy opposite Ethan Hawke and Angelina Jolie in Taking Lives. 24 continued to be the actor's main gig, however, and by the time he began season six in 2006, the of character Jack Bauer had become a cultural icon as the ultimate anti-hero: and a man capable of doing or enduring anything in the name of justice, protection, or even vengeance. In addition to his work on 24, Sutherland took on a variety of voice roles (Monsters vs Aliens, Twelve, Marmaduke), and co-starred with Kristin Dunst in Lars von Trier's Melancholia (2011).

Trivia: Winnetka, Illinois native Chris O'Donnell was planning to study for a career in finance when he was spotted by a talent agent, who was so taken by the young man's natural star quality that he advised him not to take acting lessons. After a handful of roles in such films as Men Don't Leave (1989) and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), O'Donnell made the quantum leap to A-list performer in the 1992 film Scent of a Woman, in which he played the high school-age companion and general factotum to a blind, ornery retired military officer (Al Pacino). "Hunk hearthrob" status came O'Donnell's way with his appearance as D'Artagnan in the 1993 filmization of The Three Musketeers and 1994's Circle of Friends, in which he played an innocent young Irish lad dealing with burgeoning hormones and Catholic values in the 1950s. With 1995's Batman Forever, O'Donnell's star ascended into blockbuster heaven with his high-octane performance as Robin, the Boy Wonder; he reprised the role two years later, this time playing opposite George Clooney in Batman & Robin (1997). Subsequently turning away from action roles, O'Donnell could next be seen as a bumbling, small-town policeman in Robert Altman's Cookie's Fortune (1999). That same year, he starred as the title character in The Bachelor, a commitment-phobe who must find a woman to marry in twenty-four hours so he can inherit a large fortune. Over the next decade O'Donnell gravitated increasingly toward television, essaying recurring roles on Grey's Anatomy, The Practice, and NCIS: Los Angeles and appearing in the Emmy-nominated mini-series The Company while occasionally returning to the big screen in such films as Max Payne and Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.

Trivia: A hulking character actor who brings new meaning to the concept of versatility, Oliver Platt has appeared in a dizzying array of films that make him instantly recognizable but not instantly placeable to the average filmgoer. Since making his screen debut as an oily Wall Street drone in Mike Nichols' Working Girl (1988), Platt has lent his talents to almost every conceivable genre, including period dramas, political comedies, children's films, and campy horror movies.The son of a U.S. Ambassador, Platt was born in Windsor on January 12, 1960, Platt and his family soon moved to Washington, D.C. Thanks to his father's job, he had an exceptionally itinerant childhood. By the time he was 18, he had attended 12 different schools in places as diverse as Tokyo, the Middle East, and Colorado. Long interested in acting, Platt received a BA in drama from Boston's Tufts University; following graduation, he remained in Boston for three years to pursue his stage career. In 1986 he moved to New York, where he performed in a number of off-Broadway productions and had the lead in the 1989 Lincoln Center production of Ubu. Following his screen debut in Working Girl, Platt began finding steady work in such films as Married to the Mob (1988), Postcards from the Edge (1990), Beethoven (1992) -- which featured him and future collaborator Stanley Tucci as puppy thieves -- and Benny and Joon (1993). He also proved himself adept at cheesy period drama in The Three Musketeers (1993), which cast him as Porthos, and at all-out comedy, as demonstrated by his turn as a struggling comic in Funny Bones (1995). Rarely cast as a leading man, Platt has always been visible in substantial supporting roles, equally comfortable at portraying nice guys, bad guys, and just flat out weird guys alike. As Ashley Judd's suitor in Simon Birch (1998), he was the straight man, while in The Impostors (1998), his second collaboration with Tucci (two years earlier he served as associate producer for the latter's Big Night), he again displayed his capacity for broad physical comedy as a struggling actor who finds himself a stowaway on an ocean liner. In Dangerous Beauty (1998), Platt was able to exercise his nasty side as a bitter nobleman-turned-religious zealot in 16th-century Venice; that same year, his capacity for exasperated quirkiness was displayed in Bulworth, which cast him as Warren Beatty's put-upon, coke-snorting campaign manager.1999 proved to be a somewhat disappointing year for Platt, as two of his films, Three to Tango (which featured him as a gay architect) and the schlock-horror Lake Placid, which cast him as an idiosyncratic mythology expert, were both critical and commercial flops. A third film that year, Bicentennial Man -- in which Platt played the scientist who turns the titular robot (Robin Williams) into a man -- fared somewhat better. The following year, Platt's comic abilities were again on display in Gun Shy, in which he hammed it up as a bottom-rung mafioso with an overblown ego.Fortunately for the workhorse actor, the 2000s seemed to prove the boost -- and exposure -- his sagging career needed. Earning back to back Emmy nominations in 2006 and 2007 for his performance opposite former Tufts University classmate Hank Azaria in the weekly dramedy Huff, Platt was also nominated for a Screen Actor's Guild Award for his turn as New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in the TV mini-series The Bronk is Burning (2007). With 2008 came yet another Ammy nomination -- this time for his guest role on the hit FX series Nip/Tuck -- and in 2009 he appeared as Nathan Detroit in the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls. Other notable television appearances from this phase of Platt's career included a recurring character on the seriocomic HBO series Bored to Death and a prominent role as the husband of a suburban housewife diagnosed with cancer in the Showtime comedy drama series The Big C.

Trivia: For several years, the name of British actor Tim Curry was known only to the privileged few who'd seen his performance as transvestite mad scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter in the stage and screen versions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. By one of those wondrous quirks of fate, the 1975 Rocky Horror film was resuscitated from its disappointing initial run and became the archetypal "midnight movie," and for nearly two decades its faithful fans have lined up in front of theaters in bizarre costumes and makeup, toting toilet paper and toast (suitable for throwing at the screen). Unlike these fans, Curry was not content to relive his past triumphs, but moved on to such prestige assignments as the role of Mozart in the Broadway production of Amadeus and the part of William Shakespeare in a TV movie biography. A polished farceur, Curry was seen at his best in comedy film roles, notably the repressed music teacher in Oscar (1991) and the supercilious concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). But audiences must have their villains, and Curry has aimed to please in such insidious roles as Cardinal Richelieu in 1993's Three Musketeers (possibly the most lascivious Richelieu ever -- so much so that Milady De Winter pulls out a knife and threatens to "change his religion.") Curry's heart remained in the theater, and for an unfortunately short period in the early '90s he excelled in the Peter O'Toole role in a musical stage version of the 1982 film My Favorite Year. He has also contributed his vocal talents to such animated cartoon series as Peter Pan and the Pirates, winning an Emmy for his con brio portrayal of Captain Hook. Curry's reputation preceded him when he was hired to give voice to a nasty character on Hanna-Barbera's Paddington Bear cartoon series in 1988; appropriately, even the character's name was Mr. Curry.In 1990 Curry played one of pop culture's scariest clowns when he took the part of Pennywise in a small-screen adaptation of It, and a few years later he was the fiendish Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers. He continued to work steadily in projects as diverse as Congo, Muppet Treasure Island, McHale's Navy, and Addams Family Reunion where he took over the part of Gomez Adams after the passing of Raul Julia. He became well-known to a whole new generation of fans doing voices for The Wild Thornberrys, Rugrats, and Jimmy Neutron at the beginning of the 2000s. He was eventually cast as Mr. Salamone, the forever put-upon hotel employee who is subjected to the whims of little Eloise in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the enduringly popular children's books. In 2010 he appeared in John Landis' comedy Burke & Hare.

Trivia: An actress of striking beauty, impossible strawberry-blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes, Rebecca De Mornay's compelling choice of roles shows an actress unafraid to take risks, even if those risks ultimately don't pay off as anticipated. From an unhinged performance in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992) to a touching turn as a cancer survivor on television's popular ER, De Mornay has consistently proven herself adept at virtually any genre, and equally convincing no matter how unconventional each role may be. The Santa Rosa, CA, native's parents divorced when she was just two, and three years later young Rebecca would assume the surname of her stepfather when adopted at age five. Following her primary education at England's prestigious Summerhill Boarding School, the aspiring actress would earn her high school degree in Kitzbühel, Austria, where she graduated summa cum laude. De Mornay's training as an actress came when she enrolled in New York's acclaimed Lee Strausberg Institute, and she was soon hired by Zoetrope Studios to appear in director Francis Ford Coppola's romantic drama One From the Heart (1982). Though her role in that particular film was relatively minor, it was only a year later that the up-and-coming actress was making a splash in show business opposite Tom Cruise in the runaway box-office hit Risky Business. Subsequent roles in Testament (1983) and The Trip to Bountiful (1985) showed that De Mornay's onscreen talent was no doubt growing, and following a high-profile role in the thriller Runaway Train (1985), she essayed a demanding role in the ambitious box-office failure And God Created Woman. Though De Mornay would strike big in the early '90s with an intensely psychotic performance in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992) and a solid supporting role in the previous year's Backdraft, the remainder of the decade found her wallowing in a glut of low-budget thrillers attempting to capitalize on her frightful performance in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. The new millennium found the talented actress still struggling to overcome her association with thrillers, and the heartwarming made-for-television drama Range of Motion proved without a doubt that she was indeed capable of greater things. Following a pair of impressive small-screen performances in A Girl Thing (2001) and Salem Witch Trials (2002), a virtually unrecognizable De Mornay turned up as a demanding screen diva in the 2003 sleeper thriller Identity. A cameo in the hit 2005 comedy Wedding Crashers followed, and in 2010 De Mornay once again terrified moviegoers as a malevolent martriarch in the horror remake Mother's Day. Outside of film work, De Mornay has been cited for her on-stage performances in the Pasadena Playhouse production of Born Yesterday, and in 1995 she made her directing debut with an episode of The Outer Limits entitled "The Conversation."

Trivia: After studying drama and dance in London, Gabrielle Anwar embarked upon a string of BBC TV appearances, including the weekly series Press Gang. In 1988, Gabrielle made her motion picture debut in Manifesto. Since that time, she has remained on the brink of full stardom without ever quite taking the plunge. Gabriella Anwar's best screen roles have included Donna, Al Pacino's dancing partner, in Scent of a Woman (1992); diving-horse equestrienne Sonora Webster in Disney's Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (1993); and Queen Anne in the 1993 "Gen-X" version of Dumas' The Three Musketeers.

Trivia: Michael Wincott's filmography contains a veritable rogues' gallery of brooding villains and charismatic scalawags. Interestingly, he consistently wins high marks for his performances but remains largely unknown outside of a growing circle of devoted fans. He was born in London, Ontario, and trained at the prestigious Juilliard School. He launched his professional career on the New York Stage, appearing in such productions as The Plough and the Stars, When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder, and 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore. He also appeared in a few Broadway dramas, including Sam Shepard's premiere production of States of Shock. He made his feature film debut in a Canadian production, Wild Horse Hank (1979). Some of his more memorable roles include his reprisal of his Broadway performance as a zoned-out rocker in Oliver Stone's film adaptation of Eric Bogosian's Talk Radio (1988). In villainous roles, Wincott projects a charismatic intensity that eclipses the actor behind the them, which is perhaps one reason why major stardom has eluded him. He was riveting as Top Dollar, the supervillain in The Crow (1994). Wincott's brother, Jeff Wincott, is also an actor.

Trivia: Paul McGann is the second oldest child of five, with three other siblings also actors. Raised in a Roman Catholic family, Paul studied his craft at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He is married with two children.

Trivia: Known for both her blonde, ethereal beauty and her considerable talent, Julie Delpy is one of the most popular French actresses of her generation. Born to show business parents in Paris on December 21, 1969, Delpy was discovered at age 14 by director Jean-Luc Godard, who cast her in his 1985 Détective. The young actress had her first starring role two years later as the title character in Bertrand Tavernier's La Passion Béatrice, and then gained worldwide prominence with her portrayal of a young pro-Nazi eager to produce babies for the Fuhrer in Agneiszka Holland's Europa, Europa (1991).Subsequent efforts to make Delpy a mainstream Hollywood actress in such films as The Three Musketeers (1993) were largely resisted by Delpy herself, who demonstrated a preference for appearing in the small, thought-provoking films best appreciated at cinema festivals. She made some of her more memorable appearances in Killing Zoe (1994), which cast her as a kind-hearted prostitute; Krzysztof Kieslowski 's Trois Couleurs: Blanc (1994), in which she played a young woman who divorces her hairdresser husband because of his impotency; and Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise (1995), in which she gave an excessively charming portrayal of a woman who has a 24-hour romance with a young American (Ethan Hawke) she meets on a train.Delpy continued to be most visible in small, quirky films, as evidenced by her roles in L.A. Without a Map (1998), and But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), the latter of which -- a comedy about a rehab house for gay and lesbian teens -- cast her as a lipstick lesbian. In addition to the steady stream of parts in little-seen independent films, Delpy took on a recurring role on the hit NBC medical drama ER in 2001.In 2004, Delpy reteamed with Linklater and Hawke for the sequel Before Sunset, a film the three are also credited with writing together.In 2007 she wrote, directed, edited, and starred in the romantic comedy 2 Days in Paris opposite fellow Richard Linklater alum Adam Goldberg. She followed that directorial effort with The Countess in 2009 and 2 Days in New York in 2011. That same year, rumors swirled of a possible sequel to Before Sunset.

Trivia: Moved to the United Kingdom from Singapore at the age of 5. Started off his career as a gymnast and became the British Young Tumbling champion representing the national team for several years. Won the British Tai Kwondo championship and the national dancing competition in 1985. Breakthrough in film came through a Peter Sellers ad in a newspaper as he auditioned and got selected for the movie The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980) Contacted by Steven Spielberg and Robert Watts, he trained the lead actor for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). Became a member of The British Stunt Register in 1986. Has worked as the fight co-ordinator on some of Hollywood's biggest movies such as Bloodsport 2 (1996), Martial Law (1998), Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).