Trivia: The screen's first authentic black romantic leading man, Williams is often referred to as "the black Gable." He first appeared onstage as a child actor in The Firebrand of Florence (1947) with German actress Lotte Lenya; his mother was an elevator operator at New York's Lyceum Theater, and when she heard of an opening for a child in the play she brought him to the producer, who hired him. He went on to study acting at New York's High School of Music and Art and The National Academy of Fine Arts; for a few months he was taught by Sidney Poitier at Harlem's Actors Workshop. He began working onstage in the mid '50s, then landed his breakthrough role in the play A Taste of Honey in 1960. He debuted onscreen as a rebellious ghetto kid in The Last Angry Man (1959). However, he did not appear in another film for over a decade. In the '60s he began landing roles on TV, including a continuing role on the soap opera Another World and guest spots on TV series. He made a big impression as the costar of the TV movie Brian's Song (1970). His breakthrough screen role was as the lover of Billie Holiday (Diana Ross) in the hit Lady Sings the Blues (1972), which brought him to stardom and established him as a romantic lead. He went on to appear in a number of movies, few of which fully used his talents; he portrayed Lando Calrissian in the second and third Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). In the mid '80s he began appearing again frequently on TV, and starred in the short-lived series Double Dare in 1985; he was also a regular for a while on Dynasty.

Trivia: Broad-shouldered American actor Ken Wahl has proven time and again that he's more than just a mass of muscle. After a handful of supporting roles, Wahl entered cult-film Valhalla with his starring role as a Bronx-Italian highschooler in The Wanderers (1979). Arguably, his best screen role was as the "see no evil" partner of conscience-stricken cop Paul Newman in Fort Apache, the Bronx (1981). His many film appearances aside, Wahl's popularity rests with his three-year performance as underground cop Vinnie Teranova in Wiseguys (1987-90), which was impressive enough to make viewers forget Wahl's earlier series-TV stint in the unlamented adventure series Double Dare (1985).

Trivia: A versatile performer whose career spans stage, screen, and television roles, in addition to commercial work and musical recording activity, Janet Carroll first drew the attention of audiences with her portrayal of Tom Cruise's mother in the 1983 Risky Business. Over the following decades, she went on to grace similar character roles in such big-screen outings as Secret Admirer (1985), Memories of Me (1988), and Family Business (1989). During the 1990s and 2000s, Carroll placed a heightened emphasis on television work, appearing on such series as Touched by an Angel, Ally McBeal, Scrubs, and Brothers & Sisters, as well as playing recurring roles on Murphy Brown, Married...With Children, and Melrose Place. Meanwhile, Carroll also began promulgating brands including Diet Coke, Holiday Inn, and Outback Steakhouse in television spots, delivered portrayals in stage productions including Elektra, Shadow of Heroes, Gypsy, and Mame, and traveled extensively as the vocalist with a seven-piece swing, jazz, and blues band.