Trivia: Was a class clown in high school who made his accounting teacher laugh so hard she couldn't teach. She eventually made a deal with him: let her teach and he could have the last five minutes of every class to do his schtick. Became interested in stand-up after a neighbor lent him videotapes of Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and George Carlin. Moved to Las Vegas after high school. Ran his own comedy show in Las Vegas for 10 years. Received a standing ovation after his first appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Trivia: Moved to Northern Virginia when he was a kid.Started his career in comedy at 17, performing at open mics.In 2012, was featured in The Washington Post after perfoming at SXSW and the Bridgetown Comedy Festival.In 2013, left college to pursue his comedic career.Co-host of the podcast Yeah, But Still.

Trivia: Born in 1980 and raised in her hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadian actress Carly Pope quickly carved out an acting niche for herself by honing in on socially progressive dramatic material about hot-button issues, and specializing in rebellious, alternative characterizations -- assertive and aggressive counterculture figures. The actress landed her breakthrough part on the WB series Popular (1999-2001) -- a satirical program that relentlessly skewered the conventions of such teen soapers as Beverly Hills 90210. After chalking up a long and full cinematic resumé that found the up-and-comer tackling scattered roles in features including Orange County (2002), Window Theory (2004), and The French Guy (2005), Pope returned to television once again for a multi-episode turn on the controversial series Dirt -- a wicked, acerbic satire about a pathologically ruthless tabloid publisher (Courteney Cox Arquette). On that program, Pope played a lesbian drug pusher who aggressively "hooks" and seduces one of the publication's prize starlets. The actress followed it up with a key supporting role in the comedy Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007), as Shulamith, a radical feminist graffiti painter. She appeared in Yeti in 2008, and the next year she joined the cast of 24 in that show's seventh season. In 2011 she was cast in Textuality.

Trivia: Born in 1968 in Chicago, the Tamil-American writer/director Jay Chandrasekhar ignited his show-business career as the most active contributor to the five-member Broken Lizard sketch comedy team. Chandrasekhar -- a graduate of Lake Forest Academy -- attended Colgate University in the early '90s, where he met his contemporary Lizardians Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske. The troupe initially christened itself "Charred Goosebeak," but quickly went with the name "Broken Lizard" instead. Club dates and, eventually, two feature films ensued, the 1996 Puddle Cruiser and the 2001 Super Troopers; Chandrasekhar took the director's chair for each. Rife with sight gags, scatological puns, double entendres, and slapstick, the movies (which premiered at Sundance) suggested influences by such laff-fests as the Police Academy series and the "Kentucky Fried Theater" films. Fox Searchlight picked up Super Troopers and it made indie box-office gold; a 2004 follow-up, the less successful slapstick/horror hybrid Broken Lizard's Club Dread, followed. At this point, Hollywood acknowledged Chandrasekhar's talent, not only by inviting him as a guest director to helm episodes of such hit series as Arrested Development, Undeclared, and Cracking Up, but via an invitation to direct the 2005 Dukes of Hazzard update, co-starring Jessica Simpson, Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Burt Reynolds, and, in supporting roles, additional members of the Broken Lizard team. The film revealed that Chandrasekhar had his hand on the audience's pulse -- unlike the director's prior motion pictures, it soared to number one across America (despite critical pans). Chandrasekhar then announced work on a fourth Broken Lizard vehicle, Beerfest, another wild comedy, about a couple of Americans who travel to Deutschland for the Oktoberfest. Chandrasekhar is married to the actress Susan Clarke; they have one child.

Trivia: Though her role as the unlikely girlfriend of the eponymous dunderheaded character in Wayne's World (1992) would propel actress/model/singer Tia Carrere into what was seemingly an overnight success, the multi-talented entertainer had been appearing onscreen and making a name for herself as a vocalist since the mid-'80s. A native of Oahu (born Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo) who received her primary education at the Sacred Hearts Academy, Carrere first gained recognition at the well-known local talent contest Brown Bags to Stardom. Despite her reputation as having as much brains as beauty, it was her stunning looks that first caught the attention of a film producer's parents while shopping at a Waikiki grocery store -- a chance encounter that ultimately led to her casting in the 1988 feature Aloha Summer. Subsequently moving to Los Angles, it was no time before Carrere had landed frequent model work, and though an opportunity to take a leading role in Baywatch proved unbearably tempting, the aspiring actress ultimately held out in favor of an impressionable role in the 1992 runaway hit Wayne's World. In addition to her memorable comic performance, Carrare's ability to provide all of her own vocal work assured that the film would also be a vehicle for her vocal talents. The remainder of Carrere's work in the 1990s leaned more toward the comic, though her roles in the True Lies (1994) and Kull the Conqueror (1997) soon led to more action-oriented roles and increasing voice work in such efforts as Hercules (1998). In 1999 Carrere took the lead for her own television adventure series Relic Hunter (inspired by the success of the Tomb Raider video games), and during the series' three-year run she would also appear in the television miniseries Merlin (1999) and provide voice work for the Disney feature Lilo & Stitch as well as its sequel and television spin-off.Carrere would continue to remain a constant force on screen over the coming years, memorably appearing on Dancing with the Stars, as well as on series like In Plain Sight. She's also maintained a successful career as a voice actress, providing the voices for characters on animated shows like Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and Lilo & Stirch: The Series.

Trivia: Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is no stranger to the dramatic ups and downs and surprises of his profession. Just look at the way he burst onto the Hollywood scene in 1987 with the surprise hit biopic La Bamba after years of working in Fort Worth theater and small Texas-produced independent films. His portrayal of doomed '50s rocker Ritchie Valens won him acclaim. His next role, that of a troubled gangleader who is reluctantly inspired to change by a charismatic math teacher in Stand and Deliver (1988) -- which was actually finished before La Bamba's release -- and his portrayal of young outlaw Jose Chavez Y Chavez in Young Guns (1988) made it seem that Phillips' youthful prediction that he would become a major star would indeed come true. But then Phillips showed up in a long line of box-office and direct-to-video bombs and he disappeared into obscurity and he seemed destined to remain there for the rest of his career. Phillips is one of Hollywood's most distinctive actors and is known for his intense performances. He is a tall, slender man with raven-black hair, deep-brown almond-shaped eyes, and cheekbones reminiscent of ancient Mayan statues. His distinctly "ethnic" looks come from his rich family heritage. Phillips claims he is part Hawaiian, Filipino, Cherokee, and Scots-Irish. His dark complexion and exotic looks have relegated him to "ethnic" roles in Hollywood. Phillips was born Lou Upchurch in the Philippines, the son of a naval aircraft mechanic, and raised in Flour Bluff, a small town near Corpus Christie, TX. Though he received scholarships to the U.S. Naval Academy and to Yale, Phillips preferred to attend the local University of Texas at Arlington so he could remain close to his high school friends. While at school, Phillips found a growing passion for acting and after appearing in several drama club productions and in a local comedy troupe, believed himself destined for stardom. When real stars came to town, he would go to elaborate lengths to meet them. For example, when his idol Robert DeNiro came, Phillips dressed up as a bellboy and snuck up to the great actor's hotel room. After college, Phillips joined Fort Worth's tiny Stage West theater and stayed there for four years. During that period, Phillips appeared in such made-in-Texas independent films as Trespasses (1987) for which he also wrote the script. He associate-produced another of these films, Dakota.After the only moderate success of Young Guns, Phillips' career faltered with films such as First Power (1989), the dismal Young Guns 2 (1990), and the laughably self-important Shadow of the Wolf (1992). Phillips made an inauspicious directorial debut with Dangerous Touch (1993), following it up with Sioux City (1994). Though he worked steadily in films through the decade, Phillips was almost a forgotten quantity in Hollywood. In 1995, Phillips' career took a surprising and unexpectedly successful turn when a casting director spotted Phillips and brought him in to audition for the role of King Mongkut in a new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I. Despite having only worked relatively briefly on-stage, Phillips was personally approved by the Rodgers estate to play the part. Phillips realized that in taking it, he would be expected to fill the shoes of the great Yul Brynner who originated the role. It did not help that many critics did little to hide their surprise and dismay at the audacious casting of Phillips, who was determined to find new nuances in the Siamese King's relationship with British schoolteacher Anna. Phillips also made important changes for the character, especially in his appearance. Despite the naysayers' dire predictions for the musical's revival, Phillips succeeded in his goals and the show became a smash hit. Among the benefits of his reemergence has been renewed interest in Phillips from Hollywood. Though he never really left, Phillips had a "comeback" when he starred opposite Denzel Washington in Courage Under Fire (1996).2009 found Philips crowned the winner of NBC's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, and after donating his winnings to the Art Has Heart Foundation he proved a better chef than Coolio on Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off in 2012. Once again donating his winnings to a good cause (in this case the Shaer OUr Strength charity), the respected actor and longtime poker player proved to be a real class act.

Trivia: Moved from Hong Kong to the United States when he was 13 years old. Is fluent in three Chinese dialects. Learned to play ping-pong at a young age, a skill that came in handy later when he auditioned for and won a role in the 2013 movie The Internship. Worked briefly as a consultant for the Harlem Globetrotters. Named one of Funny or Die's Top 30 Under 30: Comedians to Watch.

Trivia: Grew up in foster care after her biological mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and began attending Laugh Factory Comedy Camp at the age of 15 at the recommendation of her social worker. Developed Chuckles Not Knuckles, a comedy-show program that promotes nonviolence to inner-city students. Performed on a USO Comedy Tour in Japan for U.S. troops. In 2011, was cast in David E. Talbert's national tour of What My Husband Doesn't Know. Performed in Jenny McCarthy's stand-up comedy tour Dirty, Sexy, Funny in 2014.

Trivia: An agent who saw Weaver performing music in a pub suggested he try his hand at acting. Made U.S. TV debut in a 1998 episode of Fox's supernatural-horror series Millennium. Made his big-screen debut in the 2001 Broken Lizard feature Super Troopers, and also appeared in the comedy troupe's 2004 film Club Dread. Lead singer of rock band The New Black, which released its debut album, Melting Pot Roast, in 2003. Three years after starring in the ill-fated 2003 comedy series The Mullets, he landed a lead role on the ABC sitcom Notes from the Underbelly.