Trivia: Is of French descent. As a child, appeared in several television adverts. In 2012, made his television debut in the drama series Homeland playing Finn Walden. Made his film debut in 2014, playing Danny Vance in Men, Women & Children. Played Jim Quinn in the Manhattan Theatre Club's 2016 production of The Prodigal Son.

Trivia: Met David Mitchell and Robert Webb while at the University of Cambridge. Features in BBC Radio 4 comedies. Won a Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Breakout Performance for her role in the film Tyrannosaur. Met her husband Ed Sinclair while at Cambridge, they have two children.

Trivia: A graduate of Oxford, actor Hugh Grant would seem more a natural product of Cambridge University, breeding ground for such comic talents as Monty Python's Flying Circus. Grant's classic good looks make him a shoo-in for romantic leads, but his comic abilities -- marked by a nervous stutter, desperately fluttering eyelids, and an ability to capture a brand of distinctly English embarrassment -- have also marked him as a gifted comic performer. Born in London on September 9, 1960, Grant made his film debut under the very Oxbridge name of Hughie Grant in the Oxford-financed Privileged (1982). He then worked in repertory before forming his own comedy troupe, the Jockeys of Norfolk. Following some television roles, Grant made his first professional film appearance in 1987 with a blink-and-he's-gone part in White Mischief. The same year he did more substantial work, first as Lord Byron in Rowing With the Wind, and then as a sexually conflicted Edwardian in Ismail Merchant and James Ivory's adaptation of E.M. Forster's Maurice. The role won him a Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival, but despite such acclaim, Grant's next films were largely forgettable affairs. One exception -- albeit a dubious one -- was Ken Russell's The Lair of the White Worm, in which the actor attained some degree of cult status as a lord attempting to foil the murderous charms of a campy, trampy vampire (Amanda Donahoe).Following period work in Impromptu (in which he played a consumptive, bewigged Chopin) and another Merchant-Ivory outing, The Remains of the Day, Grant finally hit it big in 1994 with starring roles in two films, Sirens and Four Weddings and a Funeral. The latter film in particular gave the actor almost overnight transatlantic stardom, landing him on a number of magazine covers and TV talk shows. The following year, Grant gained fame of an entirely different sort when he was arrested for soliciting the services of an L.A. prostitute. The box-office take of his subsequent film, Nine Months, released on the heels of his arrest, was buoyed by his notoriety, as were the ratings of the episode of The Tonight Show which featured Grant's sheepish apology to his then-girlfriend, model/actress Elizabeth Hurley. The actor managed to recoup some of his professional dignity with a restrained performance as Emma Thompson's suitor in the acclaimed Sense and Sensibility, but his next feature, Extreme Measures, a thriller produced by his and Hurley's production company, Simian Films, proved a disappointment. Following this relative failure, Grant receded somewhat from the public consciousness, but reappeared in 1999 with Notting Hill. A commercial as well as relative critical success, the comedy helped to restore some of the actor's luster, further assisted by his roles in the comedies Mickey Blue Eyes (1999) and Woody Allen's Small Time Crooks (2000). After once again charming filmgoers while competing for the affections of Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones's Diary, Grant took on the role of a playful London lothario who forms a bond with one of his conquests' offspring in the romantic comedy About a Boy. Indeed, the romantic comedy seemed to be simply the most natural fit for the actor, and he found more success in new millennium with returns to this genre in Two Weeks Notice, Love Actually, and the sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.He played a fictionalized version of Simon Cowell in the comedy American Dreamz, and was solid as a washed-up 80's pop star opposite Drew Barrymore in the romantic comedy Music and Lyrics in 2007. His next film, 2009's Did You Hear About the Morgans?, was his last on-screen appearance for nearly three years, when he took on a small role (six small roles, actually) in the Wachowski's Cloud Atlas. In 2015, he had a supporting role in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., but made bigger waves for the role he didn't take: Grant would not appear in the third Bridget Jones films, shocking fans of the series.

Trivia: British actress Sally Hawkins parlayed her English refinement into an extremely varied series of roles beginning in the early 2000s -- including occasional crime-themed action pictures, social-consciousness dramas, and contemporary suspensers. She took one of her first international bows as a 19th century lesbian in the U.K. miniseries Tipping the Velvet (2002), appeared as Slasher in Matthew Vaughn's Guy Ritchie-influenced gangster film Layer Cake (2004), and played Susan, a pregnant rich girl desperate for an abortion, in Mike Leigh's searing, heart-wrenching character study Vera Drake (2004). The actress then signed for one of the key roles in Woody Allen's European thriller Cassandra's Dream. She scored her greatest success so far reteaming with Mike Leigh for 2008's Happy-Go-Lucky. Her work earned her a number of year end critics awards including the New York Film Critics award for Best Actress. She followed that up with a small part in the Best Picture nominee An Education, playing a teacher in the sci-fi drama Never Let Me Go, and playing the unlikely leader of a worker's revolt in the British period piece Made in Dagenham. She appeared in the quirky romantic comedy Submarine, and played Mrs. Reed in the well-reviewed 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre.

Trivia: Worked as a chef before becoming an actor. Performed in stage productions such as King Lear and Love's Labours Lost at the Royal Shakespeare Company in the early 1990s. Was the odds-on favourite to replace David Tennant as the eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who; Matt Smith was eventually cast in the role. Voiced the narration for the National Geographic series Mega Cities from 2005 to 2011, and Wild Russia in 2009. For a television project in 2006, directed a group of amateurs with no acting experience in a special performance of Romeo and Juliet, mentored by Baz Luhrmann. Patron of offwestend.com, a site dedicated to promoting independent theatres in London. In late 2019/early 2020, starred as Ebenezer Scrooge in a production of A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic Theatre in London. Has played many roles in both drama and comedy in British television programmes.

Trivia: Says he was "painfully shy" as a child. Was trained as a Shakespearean actor, but became interested in comedy after he was exposed to improv in college. First TV appearance was in a 1994 episode of ER. Returned to Detroit in 1997 and joined the Second City as a performer and writer. Has received multiple Joseph Jefferson Awards, given to honor achievement in Chicago theater. A founding member of the Planet Ant Theatre.

Trivia: Best known to American audiences as the Black Adder and Mr. Bean, black-haired, bug-eyed, and weak-chinned comedian Rowan Atkinson is one of the most popular funnymen in England whose keen, often black humor and knack for physical comedy has earned him a huge international following. Born in Newcastle, Atkinson was educated at Newcastle University and Oxford. While at the latter, he teamed up with budding screenwriter Richard Curtis to write comedy reviews for the Oxford Playhouse. Shortly thereafter, the two created material for the Edinburgh Fringe. By 1978, Atkinson's humor had earned him a devoted fan base and he was offered leading roles in two British television comedies. Instead, Atkinson chose to get involved in the internationally acclaimed comedy series Not the Nine O'Clock News as a writer and a performer. His performances in the oft-distinguished show earned Atkinson a British Academy Award and got him designated "BBC Personality of the Year" in 1980. His stage performances also continued to significantly increase his popularity. In 1983, he and Curtis created the Black Adder, a cowardly and conniving Tudor Prince named Edmund who tries vainly to become King of England after inadvertently killing his father during a battle. Billed as a "situation tragedy" on the BBC, it ran three seasons and later spawned a couple of specials. Atkinson made his feature-film debut in the 1983 James Bond thriller Never Say Never Again. In the late '80s, he starred in a few films penned by Curtis. It was while they were filming The Tall Guy that Atkinson and Curtis created Mr. Bean, an average British Joe with a clumsy nature and a nasty streak and launched a series. Different from other shows in that it was largely silent, Atkinson's Bean demonstrated a rare gift for slapstick that has led to his being compared to Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. During its six year run, Mr. Bean became the most popular show in the U.K. and has since been shown in 89 countries where it has gained a cult following comparable to Monty Python and Fawlty Towers. Atkinson himself attributes his character's popularity to the fact that the socially awkward, middle-aged Bean's mundane adventures, largely due to his clumsy inability to cope with even the smallest of life's foibles, mirror the feelings and experiences of people the world over. In 1997, Atkinson brought the character to the big screen in Bean. Other notable Atkinson film performances include his voice characterization of Zazu in The Lion King and that of the hilariously inarticulate priest in Four Weddings and a Funeral.Atkinson oversaw an animated television series based on his beloved Mr. Bean character, and then took a cameo part in his longtime collaborator Richard Curtis' directorial debut Love Actually. In 2003 he starred in another international comedy hit, the spy spoof Johnny English, a movie so successful it spawned a sequel in 2011. In addition, Atkinson returned to the well yet again in 2007 with the feature length Mr. Bean's Holiday, which co-starred Willem Dafoe.

Trivia: Inspired to pursue acting after realising two of his comic influences, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer were also from Darlington, and if they could make it, maybe he could too. Former member of the National Youth Theatre. After a role in a stage play fell through, Farnaby was forced to put a hold on his acting career and work as a luggage porter to make ends meet. Was almost fired from his porter role for misplacing £500,000 worth of paintings. Co-authored a book, The Phantom of the Open, about Maurice Flitcroft, a crane driver who entered the 1976 Open, despite never playing a round of golf in his life, and set the worst score in the tournament's history.

Trivia: Trained in Clowning at L'Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Paris. Met fellow British actor and comedian James Cordon on the set of Telstar in 2007. Cordon wrote the role of Deano for Baynton to play in the third series of UK comedy Gavin and Stacey and the two have since worked together as writers and lead actors on the comedy, The Wrong Mans. A member of the band Special Benny, and established his own solo musical project, Dog Ear, releasing his debut EP, So It Goes, in 2011. Appeared opposite Daniel Rigby in Holes for the Arcola Theatre in 2014.

Trivia: Due to Alopecia, lost all his hair at age 6. Attended the same boarding school as Sacha Baron Cohen, who was in Lucas's older brother's class. Met longtime comedy collaborator David Walliams when both attended the National Youth Theater (which also boasts alumni such as Helen Mirren and Daniel Craig). The pair debuted on stage together in 1995 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Lucas and Walliams co-created Little Britain for BBC 4 Radio in 2001, BBC television in 2003 and then HBO (as Little Britain USA) in 2008. Entered into a civil partnership with Kevin McGee at a December 2006 ceremony, which included guests such as Elton John and Courtney Love; the union was legally dissolved in October 2008.

Trivia: Was head boy of his high school in his final year. Left the University of Sussex after two years to join a fringe theatre group called the Brighton Combination. Performed with the Madhouse Company of London, a comedy troupe, during the 1970s. Attended a circus school in New York during the 1970s, where he learned to walk the tightrope, ride a unicycle, juggle and perform magic. Met wife Imelda Staunton when they were both cast in a 1982 production of Guys and Dolls at the Royal National Theatre in London. They later worked together in a production of The Wizard of Oz; he was the Cowardly Lion to her Dorothy. Serves as chairman of the Hampstead Cricket Club.

Trivia: As an Air Force brat, grew up relocating in different places with her family.One of her first jobs was working at Blockbuster.Performed at the Tokyo Comedy Store in Tokyo for a year.Worked as a drama teacher in a high school in the Bronx for four years.Joined and worked with the Upright Citizens Brigade before landing a writing job at Saturday Night Live.Named her dog Lloyd Dobler after John Cusack's character in the movie Say Anything... (1989).Her first meeting with Issa Rae, creator of Insecure, was on a video conference call.Volunteers at the Downtown Women's Center, and supports Planned Parenthood, Emily's List, HRC, ACLU, SPLC and RAINN.