Trivia: Arguably the top screen comedian of the 1990s, Canadian-born entertainer Jim Carrey has combined equal parts of his idol Jerry Lewis, his spiritual ancestor Harry Ritz, and the loose-limbed Ray Bolger into a gleefully uninhibited screen image that is uniquely his own.Carrey's life wasn't always a barrel of laughs; he was born on January 17, 1962, into a peripatetic household that regularly ran the gamut from middle-class comfort to abject poverty. Not surprisingly, Carrey became a classic overachiever, excelling in academics while keeping his classmates in stitches with his wild improvisations and elastic facial expressions. His comedy club debut at age 16 was a dismal failure, but Carrey had already resolved not to be beaten down by life's disappointments (as his father, a frustrated musician, had been). By age 22, he was making a good living as a standup comic, and was starring on the short-lived sitcom The Duck Factory -- a series which curiously did little to take advantage of its star's uncanny physical dexterity. Throughout the 1980s, Carrey appeared in supporting roles in such films as Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) and Earth Girls are Easy (1990). Full television stardom came Carrey's way in 1990 as the resident "white guy" on Keenan Ivory Wayans' Fox TV comedy In Living Color. The most popular of the comedian's many characterizations on the program was the grotesquely disfigured Fire Marshal Bill, whose dubious safety tips brought down the wrath of real-life fire prevention groups -- and also earned Carrey the ultimate accolade of being imitated by other comics. 1994 proved to be "The Year of Carrey," with the release of three top-grossing comedy films to his credit: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. By the end of the year, Carrey was commanding seven to ten million dollars per picture. In 1995, the actor/comedian took over for Robin Williams as The Riddler in the blockbuster film Batman Forever, and, in 1996, he tried his hand at a darker and more menacing role as a maniacal cable repairman in The Cable Guy. The film, and Carrey's at-times frightening performance, received decidedly mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Despite the generally negative response to the film, Carrey still retained an interest in branching out into more dramatic roles. Following a return to all-out comedy in Liar, Liar (1997) as a chronically dishonest attorney, Carrey explored new territory with his lead role in the highly acclaimed The Truman Show (1998), Peter Weir's eerie comedy drama about the perils of all-consuming media manipulation. Critical respect in hand, Carrey returned to comedy of a different sort with the lead role in Milos Forman's Man on the Moon (1999), a much-anticipated biopic of the legendary comic Andy Kaufman. Although the film boasted a powerhouse performance from Carrey, it earned less than stellar reviews and did poor business at the box office. Such was the strength of the actor's portrayal, however, that his exclusion from the Best Actor nominations at that year's Academy Awards was a source of protest for a number of industry members. Carrey returned to straight comedy the following year with the Farrelly brothers' Me, Myself & Irene, in which he starred as a cop with a split personality, both of whom are in love with the same woman (Renée Zellweger). Though that film fared the least successful of the Farrellys' efforts to that point, Carrey's anarchic persona was given seemingly free range and the result was his most unhinged role since The Mask. That same year, he assumed the lead role in Ron Howard's Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, raking in the money at the box-office and receiving a Golden Globe nomination despite widespread critical-contempt for the film. Continuing to seek acceptance as a skilled dramatist, Carrey next appeared in the 2001 box-office bomb The Majestic.Undeterred by the failure of The Majestic, Carrey returned again to both comedy and box-office success with 2003's Bruce Almighty. After handily proving that his power as a big-screen star was very much intact, Carrey wasted no time switching gears once again as he embarked on his most ambitious project to date, the 2004 mind-bending romantic-dramedy Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Scripted by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Michel Gondry, the film garnered rave reviews and featured what was arguably Carrey's most subtly complex and subdued performance to date.Carrey's cartooney presence on screen would make him a natural fit for the kids' movie Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events in 2004, as well as other family films over the coming years like A Christmas Carol and Mr. Popper's Penguins. The actor would continue to explore dramatic roles, however, such as the dark thriller The Number 23 and the critically acclaimed I Love You, Phillip Morris.

Trivia: Model-turned-actress Cameron Diaz seemed to come out of nowhere when she made her 1994 screen debut opposite Jim Carrey in The Mask. However, her unusual beauty -- the result of her Cuban-American and Anglo-German-Native-American parentage -- helped to ensure that she would not be soon forgotten.Born in San Diego, CA, on August 30, 1972, Diaz left school at 16 to become a model. For the next five years, she traveled the globe, working in Japan, Australia, Mexico, Morocco, and Paris. As a model for the Elite Agency, she did commercial work for such products as Coke, Nivea, and L.A. Gear. She returned to California at the age of 21 and was unknown in the film industry when cast in her breakthrough role as the target of Jim Carrey's hyper-animated lust in The Mask. Following the hoopla surrounding her performance -- or, more specifically, her physical appearance -- in the film, Diaz opted to take acting lessons and appear in a series of small, independent films, including The Last Supper (1995), She's the One (1996), and Feeling Minnesota (1996). After starring opposite Ewan McGregor in Danny Boyle's A Life Less Ordinary (1997), Diaz further endeared herself to audiences and critics with her performance in My Best Friend's Wedding (1997). Proving herself an acceptable foil for the film's star, Julia Roberts, she went on to greater success in the Farrelly brothers' There's Something About Mary in 1998. Starring as the film's titular heroine, Diaz turned in an audience-pleasing performance in the cheerfully bawdy film, which proved to be one of the year's biggest box-office successes. The same year, Diaz cameoed in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and starred as Jon Favreau's unhinged fiancée in the black comedy Very Bad Things. Now fully established as one of Hollywood's hottest properties, she accepted leads in 1999's Being John Malkovich, in which she played puppeteer John Cusack's wife, and Any Given Sunday, in which she played the president and co-owner of a football team in Oliver Stone's paean to American football.In 2000, Diaz joined Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu in Charlie's Angels, the much-hyped big-screen remake of the television classic. A comically self-aware and fairly faithful adaptation of the original series, Charlie's Angels served up Matrix-style action with retro-sensibilities, propelling the franchise into the new millennium. The following year found Diaz endearing herself to younger audiences as the voice of Princess Fiona in the animated box-office smash Shrek, as well as using her wide-eyed innocence to horrific effect in the Tom Cruise mindbender Vanilla Sky. Headlining the ill-fated comedy The Next Best Thing in 2002, Diaz would take a historical trip to the birthplace of America in director Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York before becoming the second (after Julia Roberts) actress to join the "20-Million-Dollar Club" with Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. Like its predecessor, the film performed well at the box office, and Diaz further proved her box-office clout in 2004 when another sequel, Shrek 2, became the third-highest grossing film of all time.Diaz switched gears altogether in 2005 when she headed to the small screen, hosting and producing the MTV reality show Trippin'. With its focus on ecology and conservation, the program found the actress and her celebrity pals traipsing the globe to explore various natural environments. Diaz also remained a strong presence in Hollywood during the Christmas season of 2005 in the well-received Curtis Hanson film In Her Shoes. In this picture -- adapted from the Jennifer Weiner novel by Susannah Grant -- Diaz plays the beautiful yet thoroughly harebrained and irresponsible Maggie, sister of the prim, proper, and conservative attorney Rose (Australian import Toni Collette), with whom she comes to blows during their ill-advised stint as roommates. As Maggie discovers a grandmother that she never knew existed (Shirley MacLaine) and travels to Florida to bond with the woman, Rose experiences a significant romantic breakup and decides to change careers. A long-buried and dormant secret from the past then comes to light that reunites the women and forges a path to reconciliation. In Her Shoes struck box-office gold and won the hearts of many critics. And though it surprised just about everyone who foresaw a dopey, lame-brained romantic comedy, assiduous devotees of Hanson's career were perhaps less shocked given the director's keen intelligence and marvelous track record.Diaz maintained a relatively low profile throughout 2006, following up the Hanson film with yet another lightly comic dissection of contemporary relationships, Nancy Meyers' Holiday, followed by a voice-only turn in Dreamworks' tertiary installment of the Shrek franchise, Shrek the Third. Never shy about doing what her fans love, Diaz was soon signing on for more romantic comedies, starring alongside Ashton Kutcher in 2008's What Happens in Vegas and 2009's My Sister's Keeper. For her next project, however, Diaz tried something out of the ordinary, working with Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly for the supernatural thriller The Box. While not well received, the movie reminded critics and fans of Diaz's wide range. As the 2010's rolled onward, the actress proved that her charm was as strong with audiences as ever, most notably in action fare like Knight and Day, and comedies like the deliciously naughty Bad Teacher. In 2014, Diaz had a resurgent year, with the comedies The Other Woman and Sex Tape, before tackling the iconic role of Miss Hannigan in the remake of Annie.

Trivia: University of Buffalo graduate, former Bella Abzug campaign worker, and onetime schoolteacher Peter Riegert finessed an early flair for comedy into appearing with an improv troupe called the War Babies. This led to Riegert's Broadway bow in 1975, then to his being hired by the National Lampoon people for several projects, the first of which was Animal House (1978), in which the actor portrayed Donald "Boon" Schoenstein. He went on to play such roles as the feckless corporate-flunky good guy in Local Hero (1983) and the unhitched pickle vendor Amy Irving would never marry in a million years but does anyway in Crossing Delancey (1989). Usually bypassed by the gossip columnists (which he doesn't seem to mind at all), Riegert raised journalistic eyebrows when he was cast opposite his onetime lady friend Bette Midler in the 1993 TV version of Gypsy. In the years to come, Riegert would venture behind the camera as a director, in addition to continued roles on screen, including regular appearances on One Tree Hill and The Good Wife.

Trivia: An actor with publicized demons, Peter Greene made a name for himself with his ability to convey raw yet quiet menace. Born and raised in New Jersey, Greene headed to New York as a teenager, but did not discover acting until his mid-20s. Trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Greene acted in several plays and made his film debut as one of the central thieves in Nick Gomez's edgy New York story Laws of Gravity (1991). Burnishing his baleful screen presence with performances as an insane father in the violent indie Clean, Shaven (1993) and a gangster in Judgment Night (1993), Greene relocated to Hollywood and made his intense presence felt in a trio of hit films. Following a substantial supporting role as one of the bad guys in the Jim Carrey comedy The Mask (1994), Greene played small yet crucial parts in two key 1990s gangster films: the infamous sadist (and chopper owner) Zed in Pulp Fiction (1994) and the sinister fence Redfoot in The Usual Suspects (1995). Following his performance as a blackmailer in The Rich Man's Wife (1996), Greene went into rehab to kick a near-lethal drug addiction. After his release, Greene returned to playing the heavy in both indie and Hollywood productions, including a bad cop in Bang (1997), Martin Lawrence's former criminal partner in Blue Streak (1999), and one of Ben Stiller's drug buddies in the addiction memoir Permanent Midnight (1998).

Trivia: If television and movie buffs with a keen eye suspect that they may have seen actress Amy Yasbeck somewhere before, it could be from her early roles on the long-running soap opera mainstay Days of Our Lives or a mid-'90s stint on Wings, but it's possible that Yasbeck's recognition factor reaches back even further into the pop culture public conscience. As a child, the pretty actress was featured on the box of the wildly popular Easy Bake Oven.Born and raised the daughter of a grocery store proprietor father and a homemaker in Cincinnati, OH, Yasbeck got her break in show business after moving to New York City, where she was discovered by an agent while working in a restaurant. Moving to Los Angeles shortly after she began auditioning for roles, the aspiring actress made her television debut on Love, American Style before taking a villainous turn as Olivia in Days of Our Lives. As her small-screen career began gaining momentum with roles in Dallas, Magnum P.I., and The Cosby Show, Yasbeck also appeared early on in such features as House II: The Second Story (1987), Pretty Woman, and Problem Child (both 1990), on the set of which she met future husband John Ritter. Her versatile ability to transform herself into a given character regardless of apparent physical disparities was later evidenced in Yasbeck's role as Maid Marian in Mel Brooks' zany parody Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Though her role description called for a buxom blond actress of British persuasion, the artifices of a wig, a phony accent, and some creative costume-stuffing won the actress the role while simultaneously winning the favor of director Brooks (who later cast Yasbeck opposite Wings co-star Steven Webber in Dracula: Dead and Loving It [1995]). Drifting between television (Alright, Already, I've Got a Secret) and film (Odd Couple II, Denial [both 1998]). Throughout the next decade she made regular guest appearances in various TV series including Just Shoot Me!, That's So Raven, and Hot in Cleveland.

Trivia: The gifted Italian-American comic Richard Jeni enjoyed a brief, meteoric rise to fame and success behind the mike and in front of the cameras, prior to a devastating end. Born in 1957 in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in the Bensonhurst neighborhood, Jeni attended Hunter College as an undergraduate (where he studied comparative politics), then began honing his standup act in comedy clubs, which caught the attention of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Numerous appearances on that program followed during the mid- to late '80s, heightening the comedian's public exposure; deeply impressed, the Showtime network offered Jeni his own 30-minute standup comedy special, Richard Jeni: Boy from New York City, which debuted to smash ratings and reviews in 1989. The success of this paved the way for many additional specials, such as Richard Jeni: Platypus Man (1993) and Richard Jeni: Crazy from the Heat (1995). In the year prior to Jeni's sitcom, he enjoyed one of his most memorable turns, as Charlie Schumacher in the Jim Carrey vehicle The Mask (1994). The title of the aforementioned Platypus Man special referred to one of Jeni's descriptions of himself in his act -- as "an adult male human that attempts to mate frequently but spends most of its time alone." That concept prompted the then-fledgling UPN network to conceive a thematically linked prime-time sitcom for Jeni, based on his routines, in the mold of Tim Allen and Jerry Seinfeld. Platypus Man debuted on January 23, 2005. It starred Jeni, who also scripted, as a variation on himself. In the context of the series, Richard Jeni was the host of a Manhattan-based culinary TV show called "Cooking with the Platypus Man." Episodes began with Jeni in a studio kitchen -- before rolling cameras, preparing a dish in front of a closed audience, and informing viewers all about his romantic foibles. The program would then flash back to the events in question. Ron Orbach co-starred as Richard's TV producer, Denise Miller as his next-door neighbor, and David Dundara as his younger brother. Unfortunately, Platypus Man (unlike the comedy specials) bowed to horrendous reviews. The series folded in May 1995, after only four months on the air. Jeni continued to work steadily, however, with appearances in such films as An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997) and The Aristocrats (2005, doing an extremely colorful monologue). He also continued his Tonight Show appearances under the aegis of Jay Leno. Not long before his death, Jeni mounted another Showtime special, Richard Jeni: A Big Steaming Pile of Me (2005). It is not clear exactly when Jeni's mental illness first took root; more apparent is the fact that he was deeply emotionally and psychologically troubled around the time of his death. According to a statement by Jeni's family on the comedian's personal website, the comedian was diagnosed, in early 2007, as having "severe clinical depression coupled with bouts of psychotic paranoia." During one of these strained episodes, in the early hours of Saturday morning, March 10, 2007, Jeni was staying in a Los Angeles-area house with his girlfriend when he reportedly shot himself and was rushed by the paramedics to a nearby hospital. He died not long after; he was only 49 years old.

Trivia: Supporting actress Nancy Fish first appeared onscreen in the '60s.

Trivia: Moved to Germany from the United States at six years old. Was roommates with theater director Jim Simpson at Yale. Is an accomplished saxophonist. Taught drama to kids on a Navajo Reservation in Tuba City, Arizona. Made his Broadway debut in The Green Bird in 2000.

Trivia: The daughter of onetime marrieds Connie Stevens and Eddie Fisher (and the half sister of actress Carrie Fisher), Joely Fisher grew up in the shadow of show business and suffered through a typically complex Hollywood childhood. At an early age, she had to contend with her father's substance abuse problems, a broken home, her own addiction to overeating, and a host of other complications. Unlike others with her familial background, however, Fisher resisted the lures and the pitfalls of childhood stardom and generally remained out of the spotlight. She spent most of her childhood estranged from her dad and traveling on the road with her mother, then attended Emerson College in Boston as a musical theater major. Following a couple of guest spots on Growing Pains during the very early '90s, Fisher finally debuted in features in 1994 -- when the then-26-year-old turned up in a host of A-list releases including the James L. Brooks comedy I'll Do Anything and the Jim Carrey comic fantasy The Mask. A regular role on the Ellen DeGeneres sitcom Ellen ensued, as did a supporting turn as homosexual Butch Gamble's (John Goodman) promiscuous sister Pamela on the short-lived Fox sitcom Normal, Ohio (2000). Fisher also made a mark in network telemovies during the late '90s and early 2000s, such as the efforts Seduction in a Small Town (1997) and Kidnapped in Paradise (1998). In 2006, the actress signed on as one of the leads, a wife in an emotionally strained 24-year-old marriage, on the Fox situation comedy 'Til Death.

Trivia: Grew up in Tennessee on a dairy farm. Was an excellent student in high school while taking drama classes and doing plays. Travelled to New York for the first time due to a modeling job. Worked as a foot model. Was a trophy girl at a race track. Studied acting in New York before moving to Los Angeles. Studied acting at Larry Moss Studio and holds a B.F.A. in Theater Arts. Skilled in swimming, horseback riding, rock climbing and softball.

Trivia: Left his home in the Midwest to perform with The Young Americans when he was 17. His post-college jobs included performing as a Kid of the Kingdom at Disneyland; a page at Paramount Studios; butler at the Playboy Mansion; and assistant for Cathy Rigby. His one-man show, Happy Hour, a comedy about his family life, won the Jury Award at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in 1999. Was a writer and performer with The Groundlings comedy group. Volunteers with Stars for Stripes, an organization that entertains U.S. troops in the Middle East.

Trivia: Comedian and actor Blake Clark grew up in Georgia and fought in the Vietnam War before hitting the small screen in the early 1980s in a string of guest starring spots on shows like M*A*S*H, Moonlighting, and St. Elmo's Fire. During this time, he was also featured in comedy specials on HBO, NBC, and ABC. The roles kept pouring in for the gruff-voiced actor, who landed a regular role on Home Improvement in 1994. He played Tim Taylor's friend Harry, who owned the hardware store where Tim spent much time and money. Clark also had recurring roles on The Drew Carey Show, The Jamie Foxx Show, and Boy Meets World (as Shawn's father, Chet). On the big screen, Clark became a favorite of Adam Sandler and was cast in many of his movies, including The Waterboy, Little Nicky, Mr. Deeds, and 50 First Dates. Clark also replaced the late Jim Varney as the voice of Slinky Dog in 2010's Toy Story 3.

Trivia: With an inspiring fan-boy-makes-good backstory that proves a testament to the old adage about hard work and dedication paying off in the long run, Underworld writer/star Kevin Grevioux went from comic book-collecting bouncer to Hollywood hot property by bringing the vampire versus werewolf action-horror hybrid Underworld to the big screen in 2003. Though movie lovers may not yet recognize his name, chances are you've seen his face in such efforts as The Mask and Men in Black II. Born in Chicago, Grevioux's somewhat nomadic childhood found him and his family frequently moving from city to city. It was around the age of 11 that Grevioux developed an enduring addiction to comic books, and though the self-professed "Marvel zombie" could often be found escaping into lovingly framed flights of fancy by such legends as Stan Lee, his Harvard-educated parents influenced him to relegate his favorite pastime to a hobby and pursue a more sensible career in microbiology at Howard University. It was while studying genetic engineering in grad school (and working nights as a bouncer to support himself) that Grevioux found his mind constantly wandering into comic book fantasies, and when his writing began to interfere with his scientific studies, he abandoned grad school to chase his dreams to Hollywood. Initially writing by night and educating himself in the business of movies by day, work as an extra on the film Stargate found Grevioux making the acquaintance of aspiring director Len Wiseman -- then working as a prop boy. The two genre fans hit it off immediately, and it wasn't long before they were collaborating on what initially was going to be a simple werewolf film. As Grevioux hit the books to research the history of lycanthropes, his comic book and science backgrounds collided, and the story eventually became a racial allegory with vampires and werewolves locked in a never-ending struggle for power. In the end, Grevioux not only served as a writer for the film, but one of the main werewolves as well; his background in bouncing and stunts providing the required physical groundwork. Though Grevioux had been appearing in such capacity -- as well as minor supporting roles -- since his feature debut in 1994's Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, Underworld proved to be the Hollywood breakthrough he had been looking for. The film was such a success that both a prequel and a sequel were immediately green-lighted for production. That same year, Grevioux lived out a childhood dream by providing stunt work for the long-awaited feature The Hulk.

Trivia: Was in the same grade as journalist Carl Bernstein in high school; Goldie Hawn was one year behind them. In the 1970s, worked as a speech writer and lawyer for presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Early big-screen roles included small parts in the comedies Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Beginning in 1997, hosted the Daytime-Emmy-winning Comedy Central quiz show Win Ben Stein's Money for several years. Has written columns for a number of major publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The American Spectator. Has authored, co-authored and published dozens of fiction and nonfiction books.