Trivia: Standing 6'5" and weighing over 300 pounds, African American actor Michael Clarke Duncan inarguably possesses one of Hollywood's more unforgettable figures. A former bodyguard and bouncer, Duncan first gained attention when he appeared as one of a group of oil drillers sent to stop an asteroid from annihilating the Earth in the 1998 blockbuster Armageddon. A year later, Duncan's career got another significant boost when the actor earned lavish critical plaudits for his portrayal of a wrongfully convicted death row inmate in The Green Mile.Born in Chicago on December 10, 1957, Duncan was raised on the city's south side by his single mother. A serious student, Duncan decided that he wanted to play football in high school; after his mother refused to let him, fearing he would get hurt, he developed an interest in acting instead. Following his graduation from high school, the aspiring actor studied communications at Mississippi's Alcorn State University. His studies were cut short when he returned to Chicago to attend to his mother, who had fallen ill. He subsequently found work digging ditches with the Peoples Gas Company and moonlighted as a club bouncer. His work led to a chance encounter with a stage producer who hired him as a security guard for a traveling theatre company, which eventually brought Duncan to Hollywood. Upon his arrival in L.A., Duncan, who was hovering dangerously close to bankruptcy, secured further work as a security guard and found his first agent. He got his professional start on television, appearing in commercials, sitcoms, and on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. He started his film career playing -- surprisingly enough -- bouncers in such films as The Players Club and Bulworth (both 1998), finally getting his big break -- and the first role that didn't require him to boot people out of clubs -- in Armageddon. Thanks to the great commercial success of Armageddon, Duncan was able to find subsequent employment in a number of productions, most notably The Green Mile. He earned overwhelmingly strong reviews for his portrayal of doomed, saintly John Coffey, a man whose conviction for a brutal double murder seems at odds with his exceedingly gentle, almost child-like demeanor. Duncan garnered Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for his work in the film. He next switched genre gears, re-teaming with Armageddon co-star Bruce Willis to star in the comedy The Whole Nine Yards, which cast him a brutish thug who terrorizes mild-mannered dentist Matthew Perry. Once again utilizing his massive girth to maximum effect in the following year's The Planet of the Apes Duncan followed up the big budget remake with the made-for-television They Call Me Sirr before once again flexing formidably, this time opposite The Rock, in The Scorpion King. Later turning up as the villainous Kingpin in the comic book superhero film Daredevil (2003), Duncan would also loan his voice to the same character in Spider-Man: The Animated Series later that same year. A string of vocal performances in such animated efforts as Kim Possible: A Stitch in Time, The Proud Family, and Crab Nebula found Duncan's vocal chords in increased demand in television, films, and even videogames, yet by 2005 the hard-working actor was back on the big screen with roles in both Robert Rodriguez's Sin City, and Michael Bay's The Island. Though action may have always been the best genre for the physically imposing actor to make an impression on the big screen, fans would take note that the hulking Duncan also had a keen sense of humor, a point made all the more evident by his role in the 2006 Will Ferrell NASCAR laugher Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Duncan continued to work in television in the following years, making appearances on popular shows including Chuck, Two and a Half Men, and Bones. In 2012, Duncan landed a starring role in The Finder, a short-lived series in which he once again took on the role of former lawyer Leo Knox, whom he had portrayed in Bones. In July of that same year, Duncan suffered a heart attack and never fully recovered; he died on September 3rd at the age of 54.

Trivia: Washington, D.C., native Taraji P. Henson didn't always know that her smoldering charisma and beautiful face would make her a professional actress. On the contrary, she originally studied electrical engineering when she enrolled at North Carolina Agric & Tech. She later transferred to Howard University, where she attended classes while working as a secretary at the Pentagon, and as a singer and dancer aboard a cruise ship. She eventually changed her academic focus to theater and graduated in 1995. Henson's career began with appearances on Homicide: Life on the Street and ER, but it really took off when she was cast in a major supporting role in 2001's Baby Boy and 2004's Hustle & Flow, in which she also showcased her vocal talents, singing on the track "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" for the movie's soundtrack, which took home the Best Song Oscar that year. Henson later moved on to take major roles in Smokin' Aces and Talk to Me. Henson made the most of her work as the mother of the backward-aging man in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and her performance garnered Best Supporting Actress nominations from both the Screen Actors Guild, and the Academy. She became an in-demand character actress after that success and appeared in a series of films including Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys, the remake of The Karate Kid, Date Night, and Larry Crowne. In 2012, she was part of the ensemble in the hit comedy Think Like a Man, and later reprised her role in the sequel, Think Like a Man Too. Henson returned to television on the CBS crime drama Person of Interest, playing an NYPD detective. Her character was dramatically killed off in the third season, with Henson claiming she wanted to focus on her film career. However, she quickly took a role on the FOX musical drama Empire, playing breakout character Cookie Lyon.

Trivia: Stumbling into acting after a family friend recognized his inherent talent and suggested he meet with an agent, it was a mere two weeks before then eight-year-old Tom Felton landed an international commercial campaign that launched his career. Born in September of 1987, Felton began singing in four choirs at the age of seven. The family friend was not the only one to recognize young Felton's talents, as he was offered a place in the Guildford Cathedral Choir shortly before launching his acting career. Beating out over 400 aspiring young actors for the coveted ad campaign, Felton made his feature debut in The Borrowers (1997), turned in a memorable performance as a witness to crime in television's Second Sight, and turned up alongside Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat in Anna and the King (1999). In 2001, Felton took on his biggest challenge to date when he appeared in the much anticipated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Felton continued his work in the Potter films until the series' conclusion in 2011), and has appeared in films such as The Disappeared (2008), Night Wolf (2011), and The Apparition (2012)

Trivia: Korean American actor Justin Chon began his career on the series Jack & Bobby, but many fans know him as Peter Wu from the 2006 Disney Channel movie Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior. He worked steadily over the next few years, but one of his biggest projects would be the role of Eric Yorkie in the highly anticipated 2008 film adaptation of the young-adult novel Twilight.

Trivia: Attended Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire on a basketball scholarship. Auditioned for roles while working at a financial-management firm in his hometown, Stamford, CT. Lived in the attic of the LaMama Theater Company for four months after moving to New York City. Made movie debut in the 1994 Tupac Shakur basketball drama Above the Rim and TV debut in a 1994 Saturday Night Live basketball skit, replacing injured NBA star Derrick Coleman. Named one of the 50 Sexiest Stars of All Time by TV Guide in 2002. Has a twin sister who's a casting director.

Trivia: Was an original member of the pop group Destiny's Child. Released her first solo album in 2006, titled LeToya. Appeared in the 2013 music video for "If We Had Your Eyes" by Michelle Williams, who replaced her in Destiny's Child. Works with the Caliber Foundation, which offers support to those effected by illegal gun violence.

Trivia: At the age of 3, was chosen by talent scouts from Family Circle magazine during a visit to his preschool to be featured in an advertising campaign. Decided to pursue acting when he was 6 years old and made his professional acting debut on an episode of Nash Bridges in 2006. Had a successful career as a child actor, appearing in numerous television shows and films, including ER, The Practice, City of Angels, The Parent 'Hood, Dragonfly and Mission to Mars. Earned a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series by a Guest Starring Young Actor for his guest role in Becker at the 20th Annual Youth in Film Awards. Reprised his role in Coraline to provide the voice of Wybie for a video game based on the film. In 2015, appeared in a PSA sponsored by Joining Forces and Got Your 6 alongside Michelle Obama and Jill Biden to raise awareness for mental-health treatment for veterans.

Trivia: Something of an old standby -- a stalwart -- whenever Hollywood needed to call on an Asian-American character actor during the '70s, '80s, '90s, and 2000s, James Saito made countless guest appearances on such blockbuster programs as M*A*S*H, The Fall Guy, and The A-Team, often without even so much as a character name. (The M*A*S*H appearances list him only as "South Korean" or "Korean Soldier.") From the early '80s onward, Saito's resumé started to incorporate a number of feature films; per the experiences of most character players, these pictures varied substantially in quality -- from the depths of Hot Dog... The Movie! (1983) to the heights of Buckaroo Banzai (1984) and Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995). In 2007, Saito landed one of his first regular series roles, as Dr. Chen on the spiritual drama Eli Stone.