Trivia: Actor, producer, writer, and director Vin Diesel had a charmed entry into the world of screen acting: after seeing Multi-Facial, a short that Diesel wrote, produced, financed, directed, and starred in, Steven Spielberg created the role of Private Caparzo specifically for the talented young newcomer in his Saving Private Ryan (1998).Born in New York City on July 18, 1967, Diesel made his stage debut at the age of seven in "Theatre for the New City," which was produced in Greenwich Village. He continued to be involved with the theatre throughout his adolescence, and he went on to attend the city's Hunter College, where his studies in creative writing led him to begin writing screenplays. Diesel became active in filmmaking in the early '90s, first earning notice for the short Multi-Facial, which was selected for screening at the 1995 Cannes Festival. He followed up Multi-Facial with his first feature-length film, 1997's Strays, an urban drama in which he cast himself as a gang boss whose love for a woman inspires him to try to change his ways. Written, directed, and produced by Diesel, the film was selected for competition at the 1997 Sundance Festival, which led to a deal with MTV to turn it into a series.Following the success of Saving Private Ryan, Diesel could be heard voicing the title character of the animated The Iron Giant (1999), another critically praised feature. He then starred with fellow young actors Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Affleck, Jamie Kennedy, and Nicky Katt in Boiler Room, an off-Wall Street drama that cast him as one of the members of a shady brokerage firm. He also flexed his sci-fi muscles in Pitch Black (2000), an interplanetary thriller that featured him and fellow Earthlings doing battle with a host of nasty alien mutants. Diesel jumped genres yet again as a devious, determined hot-rodder in The Fast and the Furious (2001), a cheeky, action-packed street racing picture in the vein of '50s exploitation flicks. The low-profile, star-free summer release left skid marks at the box office as it grossed over $40 million dollars in its first weekend alone -- more than enough to cover its production costs, and enough to lead many to believe that Diesel had finally arrived as a bankable leading man.Indeed Diesel was growing increasingly comfortable in his role as a tough guy action icon, though the ex-NYC club bouncer's prominent smirky scowl (usually accompanied by a hearty smile and laugh) proved almost a wink to his fans that while it worked well for him, he didn't take the image altogether seriously. The following year found Diesel teetering on the edge of mega-stardom with the release of his eagerly anticipated reteaming with The Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen, XXX. With images of a bulky Diesel adorning movie theaters nationwide and an advertising campaign that left almost no viable stone unturned, the duo were undoubtedly aiming to repeat the success of the muscle-car extravaganza. This time setting their sights on breathing life into the ailing secret agent action adventure genre, XXX's protagonist, a former extreme sports athlete recruited by the government to take on a dangerous mission, would prove a large-scale attempt at bringing James Bond style thrills into the 21st century. With his reputation set in stone, Diesel would spend the 2000's enjoying a steady stream of similar work, starring in action adventure films like The Chronicles of Riddick (a sequel to 2000's Pitch Black) and Babylon A.D., as well as occasional comedic turns, like The Pacifier. He eventually rejoined the Fast & Furious franchise, reprising his role of Dom Toretto in numerous sequels, and also working as a producer on the films. In 2014, he voiced the role of Groot in the smash hit Guardians of the Galaxy, and also recorded his iconic line "I am Groot" in numerous languages for international versions of the film.

Trivia: Success came early for actress and singer Eiza González, who made her screen debut at age 16, playing Lola in the Cinderella-story teen telenovela Lola Érase una Vez. Her work in the popular 2007 adaptation was honored with a 2008 TVyNovelas award for Best Female Debut. The Caborca, Mexico, native followed up her splash entrance with her 2009 debut album, Contracorriente, which would earn her 2009 Lo Nuestro honors for Top Breakout Artist.A lead role in the 2010 teen-oriented drama Sueña conmigo was followed by the 2012 release of her sophomore album, Te Acordarás de Mí. 2014 saw González assume a regular role on Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, a horror drama based on the 1996 movie of the same name and airing on El Rey Network in the U.S. In addition to acting and singing, González has also served as a spokesmodel for cosmetics and skincare brands.

Trivia: Grew up in a converted stable in the grounds of Kenmure castle in Scotland. Performed in many plays while at school. Before graduation, was one of four students chosen to represent the RSAMD at the BBC Carlton Hobbs radio talent competition. Auditioned numerous times for Game of Thrones, but was never cast in the series. Played Batman in touring stage show Batman Live in 2011 and 2012. Made a citizen's arrest in a London record shop after catching a shoplifter in 2012. Presented an award at the 2013 Scottish British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. Was a prominent supporter of Scottish independence during the 2014 referendum, believing it would result in more democracy for the people of Scotland. Established the charitable foundation My Peak Challenge in 2015, a training, nutrition and support programme, which provides a sense of community to the participants as they work towards personal goals and raise money for charity. Took part in the Great North Run in 2016 to raise funds for Bloodwise which he has supported since 2011, and became president of Scotland Bloodwise. Was named Global Brand Ambassador by English clothing label Barbour in 2016, and has released several collections since his initial autumn/winter line in 2017, all of which he co-designed. Ran both the Stirling and EMF Edinburgh Marathons in less than a month to raise money for Cahonas Scotland and their Testicular Cancer Education and Awareness Programme in 2018, raising more than £38,000 for the charity.

Trivia: A Briton with a long face and a slightly roguish look, Toby Kebbell's appearance might have led one to believe -- at the outset of his career -- that he would have been predestined for aggressive and slightly menacing character roles. Such is exactly what happened, though few could have foreseen the breadth that Kebbell imparted to his characterizations. The actor grew up in Newark, England, as the fourth of five children, and endured a parental divorce at the age of two; when he reached 15, he decided to drop out of school. It marked a risky bid, but within a few years his path intersected with that of the Carlton Television Workshop; he witnessed a performance by actor Johann Myers, and -- feeling deeply impressed -- decided to give acting a go by attending one of Carlton's "over 16" auditions. That gave Kebbell the direction and structure he needed to launch an acting career, while his formal training at Carlton under the aegis of the legendary Ian Smith imparted him with a need for exhaustive role preparation.Kebbell landed his first prominent role in Hollywood as Pausanius in Oliver Stone's flawed but successful epic Alexander (on Alexander the Great); he truly ascended to stardom and began drawing critical praises with top-tiered billing as Anthony, a mentally challenged young man whose older sibling (Paddy Considine) takes psychotic and violent revenge on the thugs who wronged his brother in the thriller Dead Man's Shoes (2004). The actor landed a bit part as a policeman in Woody Allen's thriller Match Point (2005) and eked out a memorably colorful role as a profanity-spewing DJ responsible for lifting Joy Division to stardom in Anton Corbijn's Ian Curtis bio Control (2007), then signed on to work for Guy Ritchie playing mercurial punk rocker Johnny Quid in Ritchie's explosive crime comedy RocknRolla (2008).

Trivia: Her acting break came after attending an open audition in London for TV detective show Poirot in 2003. In 2011 was named a Brit To Watch by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Once took a zero-gravity flight over California with then-husband Elon Musk and Titanic director James Cameron. A life long writer, she released novel Acts Of Love in 2016 and claimed she was inspired by the reaction to Fifty Shades Of Grey to create a female Christian Grey character. Co-founded app Forge that allows low paid retail and restaurant staff to schedule their own working hours.

Trivia: Studied acting at the College of DuPage on a Chris Farley Memorial Scholarship. Started performing at the Second City and Improv Olympic in 2003. Did advertisements for Miller Lite and McDonald's, among many others. Has hosted BET shows and the Cartoon Network's game show BrainRush.

Trivia: With classic, square-jawed good looks, Australian actor Guy Pearce brings to mind the leading men of Hollywood's Golden Age; however, the actor is a thoroughly modern one, using his talents to play characters ranging from flamboyant drag queens to straight-arrow Los Angeles policemen. Pearce was born October 5, 1967, in Cambridgeshire, England. His father, who was a member of the Royal Air Force, moved his family to Australia when Pearce was three. Following the elder Pearce's tragic death in a plane crash, Pearce's mother decided to keep her family in Australia when young Pearce was eight, and it was there that he grew up. Interested in acting from a young age, he wrote to various members of the Australian television industry requesting a screen test when he was 17. His efforts proved worthwhile, as he was invited to audition for a new soap called Neighbours. Pearce won a significant part on the show and was part of it from 1986 to 1990. Following his stint on Neighbours, Pearce found other work in television and made his screen debut in the 1992 film Hunting. He acted in a few more small films and in My Forgotten Man, a 1993 TV biopic of Errol Flynn, before coming to the attention of film audiences everywhere in the 1994 sleeper hit The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. As the flamboyant and often infuriating Adam/Felicia, Pearce gave a performance that was both over the top and immensely satisfying. The role gave him the international exposure he had previously lacked and led to his casting in Curtis Hanson's 1997 adaptation of James Ellroy's L.A. Confidential. The film was an all-around success and drew raves for Pearce and his co-stars, who included Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, Kim Basinger (who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance) and fellow Australian Russell Crowe.After the success of L.A. Confidential, Pearce went on to make the independent A Slipping Down Life, which premiered at Sundance in 1999. He followed that with the highly original but fatally unmarketable Ravenous (1999), Antonia Bird's tale of chaos and cannibalism which cast Pearce alongside the likes of David Arquette and Robert Carlyle. Though his role in the following year's military drama Rules of Engagement would offer a commendable performance by the rising star, it was another film that same year that would cement his status as one of the most challenging and unpredictable performers of his generation. Cast as a vengeance seeking, tattoo-covered widower whose inability to form new memories hinders his frantic search for his wife's killer, Pearce's unforgettable performance in the backwards-structured thriller Memento drove what would ultimately become one of the biggest sleepers in box office history. Pearce was now officially hot property on the Hollywood scene, and producers wasted no time in booking him for as many upcoming blockbusters as they could. A memorable performance as the villain in The Count of Monte Cristo found Pearce traveling back in time for his next film, and his subsequent role in The Time Machine would find him blasting so far into the future that mankind had reverted to the days of prehistoric times. A trip to the land down under found Pearce next appearing as a hapless bank robber in the critically panned crime effort The Hard Word, and the popular actor would remain in Australia for the elliptical drama Till Human Voices Wake Us (2002). In 2004, Pearce played a lion hunter in the family-oriented epic Two Brothers.Yet despite his increasing prominence as an international movie star, Pearce continued to display a flair for unusual, often demanding roles that would send lesser actors running. His performance as an outlaw tasked with killing his own brother in John Hillcoat's The Proposition earned Pearce a well-deserved AFI nomination for Best Lead Actor in 2005 (an honor he would share with his co-star Ray Winstone, though the award ultimately went to Hugo Weaving for Little Fish), and on the heels of an appearance as Andy Warhol in George Hickenlooper's Factory Girl he could be seen as famed magician Harry Houdini in Gillian Armstrong's Death Defying Acts -- a role which found a second AFI award slipping though his fingers. Though Pearce's turn as a military man in 2008's The Hurt Locker found him in fine form, it was Jeremy Renner who stole the show in Katherine Bigelow's multiple Oscar-winner and, curiously enough, the actor's next AFI nomination would come from his appearance in the Adam Sandler fantasy/comedy Bedtime Stories. A brief reunion with Hillcoat in The Road preceded a grim turn as a grieving father in the harrowing 2009 true crime drama In Her Skin, and in 2010 Pearce lost yet another AFI award to a talented co-star when Joel Edgarton took home the Best Supporting Actor award for his memorable performance in Animal Kingdom (which found Pearce cast in the role of an honest cop reaching out to a troubled youth). As if to balance out all of the awards disappointment in recent years, Pearce nabbed an Emmy for his performance opposite Kate Winslet in the made-for-cable drama Mildred Pierce following a brief appearance as KIng Edward VIII in the Oscar-winning historical drama The King's Speech, with additional roles in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and Lockout proving that respected actors can still have a bit of fun on the big screen from time to time. Meanwhile, after an almost unrecognizable appearance in Ridley Scott's quasi-Alien prequel Prometheus, Pearce prepared to team up with his frequent collaborator Hillcoat once again, this time as a special agent determined to get his piece of the bootlegging pie in Lawless, which also starred Tom Hardy and Shia LeBeouf. He played the main antagonist, Aldrich Killian, in Iron Man 3, and earned an AACTA nomination for Best Lead Actor for his work in the dystopian film The Rover (2014).