Trivia: An actor whose strong features and sinewy 6'4" physique appear to have been chiseled from a slab of testosterone, Vince Vaughn is Hollywood's closest human approximation of a Chevy pick-up. Born March 28th, 1979, Vaughn's roles invariably reflect these qualities, and have given him a genial affability among middle Americans. Thanks to Vaughn's skills as a performer, however, he continues to resist typecasting, lending effortless portrayals to characters ranging from slick bachelors to raging psychopaths to morally conflicted limo drivers. A tried-and-true Midwestern boy, Vaughn was born in Minneapolis on March 28, 1970, and raised in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Lake Forest. The son of a self-made businessman and a stock and real-estate broker, Vaughn diverged from the upwardly mobile path forged by his parents. A hyperactive teen (and lackluster student), Vaughn spent time in special ed. and ran with a fast crowd (though he later claimed that he never felt the need for all-out rebellion). Despite his poor scholastic performance, Vaughn derived ambition from his interest in acting -- an interest that first blossomed at the age of seven -- and even served as senior class president. Upon graduation, with only his diploma and a role in a Chevy commercial as his credentials, Vaughn headed for Hollywood. Upon arrival, he proceeded to work in almost complete obscurity for the next seven years.During this period, Vaughn made the acquaintance of Jon Favreau, another struggling actor who hailed from the East. Their ensuing friendship and real-life adventures provided the inspiration for their ticket to the bigtime, 1996's Swingers. Directed by Doug Liman, the comedy stars Vaughn and Favreau (who also co-wrote the script) as two amiable, Rat Pack-obsessed, "so money" bachelors prowling the streets and bars of L.A. for "beautiful babies" and the occasional job opportunity. This irreverent-but-insightful Miramax release became a bona-fide sleeper hit. Vaughn, whose character, Trent, was the film's resident fast-talking ladies' man, emerged as a sex symbol in the making. A supporting role in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park heightened the actor's profile and revealed his ability to transition with great fluidity between indie films and box-office blockbusters. Nevertheless, Vaughn subsequently took the small, quiet film route, starring in The Locusts (1997), an overheated but half-baked melodrama in debt to both Tennessee Williams and East of Eden, and A Cool, Dry Place, a family drama that garnered a cool, dry reception from both audiences and critics. In 1998, the actor fared substantially better with his turn as a limo driver who is called upon to make a great sacrifice for a friend in Joe Ruben's Return to Paradise, and he brought a fine admixture of dark humor and sublimated menace to his part as a charismatic sociopath in Clay Pigeons. Vaughn evoked colossal mental dysfunction as Norman Bates in Gus Van Sant's truly ugly and ill-advised remake of Psycho that same year. Critics and viewers regarded his performance -- like the film itself -- with a tepid blend of indifference and bewilderment. After that egregious misfire, Vaughn wisely took a couple of years off before re-emerging with a number of projects in 2000. These included The Cell, a surrealistic horror picture co-starring Jennifer Lopez and Vincent D'Onofrio, Prime Gig, with Vaughn as California's best telemarketer, and South of Heaven, West of Hell, an ensemble western that marked the directorial debut of country singer Dwight Yoakam. Following-up with a part in writer Favreau's Made, Vaughn's next big role arrived in the form of a deceptive stepfather harboring a dark secret in the thriller Domestic Disturbance. Unfortunately, the film bombed on a critical front. Vaughn again ducked out of sight for several years, but Todd Phillips's 2003 comedy Old School brought him back to the top of the heap. Teaming Vaughn with Will Ferrell and Luke Wilson as a trio of over-the-hill party animals who relive their Animal House days by returning to frat house life, Old School became a sleeper hit, and inspired the press to term Vaughn, Wilson, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Jack Black and others as The Frat Pack. The next of the "Frat Pack" vehicles arrived in 2004, with Todd Phillips's spoofy retread of the 1970s hit Starsky & Hutch, featuring Vaughn as the slimy villain, Reese Feldman. The picture (predictably) became a mega-hit, and the actor's newfound momentum continued to build when, only a few months later, he starred in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Apparently channeling Bill Murray circa-1985, Vaughn received positive reviews for playing the good-guy opposite muscle-bound baddie Ben Stiller.Vaughn next graced the Will Ferrell vehicle Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) with a small but memorable role, before he made an about-face for the comedy-drama Thumbsucker. Vaughn impressed critics with his characterization and received praise for his funny and heartfelt performance. He returned to the popcorn humor that initially made him a star, however (and joined the $200-million-gross club in the process) with a leading part in the comedy The Wedding Crashers, a raunchy, R-rated film that proved once and for all the actor could open a movie.Throughout 2006, rumors swarmed about Vaughn's offscreen life, and alleged romantic relationship with newly divorced Jennifer Aniston -- a relationship that blossomed on the set of The Break-Up (ironically, a comedy about an couple ending their two-year relationship and trying to divide their possessions, friends and condo without killing each other). Gossip amped up anticipation and heightened curiosity. Meanwhile, Aniston aggressively denied rumors of an engagement. Upon release, The Break-Up bolstered Vaughn's reputation as a strong comic lead, and became another surprise hit.In the holiday comedy Joe Claus -- which marks Vaughn's third outing with director David Dobkin -- he plays the title character, the no-account, loser brother of Santa Claus who teams up with his more famous sibling at the North Pole to defeat villain Kevin Spacey. Vaughn undertook a personal venture for the documentary Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show, tooling around the country on a tour bus with four aspiring stand-up comics as they travel from gig to gig. And he stayed true to form with another "Frat Pack" comedy, Outsourced. In the years to come, Vaughn would remain an ever present force in the comedy world, appearing in movies like Four Christmases, Couples Retreat, and The Watch, as well as producing projects like The Internship and the sitcom Sullivan & Son.

Trivia: The younger brother of Family Ties star Justine Bateman, actor Jason Bateman has been a mainstay on television since the 1980s, starring in countless sitcoms of varying success. He first displayed his scene-stealing propensity in the role of young sharpster Derek Taylor, best friend of star Ricky Schroder, on Silver Spoons. The audience response to Bateman was so positive that the 15-year-old was given his own sitcom vehicle in 1984, as "teenaged con man" Matthew Burton on It's Your Move. When this series was cancelled after one season, Bateman moved to the long-running role of wise-guy teen David Hogan on the mid-1980s series Valerie, which of course later changed names (and leading actresses) to emerge as The Hogan Family. During this period, Bateman also found time to star or co-star in a handful of feature films, such as the 1985 made-for-TV summer-camp comedy Poison Ivy, Teen Wolf, Too, and 1991's Necessary Roughness. However, none of the projects were successful enough to give Bateman a springboard to bigscreen stardom.Following the conclusion of The Hogan Family in 1991, Bateman embarked on a decade plagued by failed TV outings. On top of several pilots that never even saw the light of day, he was the lead in no less than four ill-fated sitcoms, Simon, George and Leo, Chicago Sons, and Some of My Best Friends. Fortunately, as the new millenium was ushered in, things started to look bright for Bateman. After a supporting turn in the Cameron Diaz comedy The Sweetest Thing, his first major theatrical feature in a decade, he was tapped to lead the eclectic ansemble cast of the Ron Howard-produced Fox sitcom Arrested Development. Acclaimed for its smart humor and fresh concept, the show became a hit with critics and viewers.In the wake of Arrested Development's success, Bateman continued to increase his presence in the world of comedy, but henceforth on the silver screen. He made memorable appearances in 2004 comedies like Starsky and Hutch and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, as well as more serious fare, like the 2007 Iraq War movie The Kingdom, but Bateman's next major hit seemed to come later that year, with a memorable supporting role in the comedy Juno. He would continue to be a mainstay in comedy, however, with appearances in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Invention of Lying, Extract, Couples Retreat, and The Switch, but the actor would continue to surprise audiences with more dramatic films as well, like 2009's State of Play and Up in the Air. For comedy fans, Bateman couldn't be avoided in 2011, with roles in Horrible Bosses as well as The Change-Up. Soon, he was signing up to star alongside Olivia Wilde and Billy Cruddup in The Longest Week, and Alexander Skarsgard in Disconnect.

Trivia: A plus-sized actor of Afro-Cuban descent whose killer smile and infectious laugh can liven up any comedy, Faizon Love got his start in such well-received African-American comedies as Fear of a Black Hat and Friday before getting wide recognition in such high-profile comedies as Money Talks, The Replacements, and Elf. It was during high school in New Jersey that the aspiring comic first became interested in performing for a crowd; his English teacher recognized Love's skill for comedy and allowing the student to perform for his classmates on days when lessons went especially well. Following graduation, Love moved to New York and made a bid for the big time in the East Coast entertainment capitol; it didn't take long for the performer to land an off-Broadway role in the Harlem National Black Theater production of Bitter Heart Midtown (a modernized retelling of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations). The subsequent death of beloved comic Robin Harris during the production of the animated comedy BeBe's Kids provided the emerging performer with his first big break in film, and though it was strictly a vocal affair, Love performed admirably under pressure. He could next be seen alongside Robert Townsend, Rusty Cundieff, Ice Cube, and Shawn Wayans in a series of low-budget but well-received comedy features. Love later parlayed his connection with Townsend into an extended television role on the small-screen sitcom The Parent 'Hood, and he continued to climb the credits until his role as a gridiron giant in The Replacements punted him into the mainstream. It was following his appearance in the Keanu Reeves sports comedy that Love's career truly took off, with a 2001 performance opposite Sean "Puffy" Combs in Jon Favreau's Made marking the beginning of a working relationship between the director and the actor that would continue when Love appeared opposite Will Ferrell in Elf (2003). Love's role as a surfing football player in Blue Crush in 2002 allowed the actor to overcomed his duel fears of sharks and water to brave the waves. And after attempting to remain in control of a prison as the warden in The Fighting Temptations, it was time to hit the road in Torque, a two-wheeled thrill ride starring Love's former Friday co-star Ice Cube. Video-game players with an ear for detail would recognize Love's substantial role in the hit 2004 release Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, with additional roles opposite Lindsay Lohan in Just My Luck and in the long-awaited OutKast musical Idlewild effectively serving to mark the arrival of a comedic actor whose versatility continued to impress.

Trivia: An actor whose solid everyman quality has endeared him to audiences and critics alike, Jon Favreau first made his name with 1996's Swingers. The story of a group of rat pack-obsessed, out-of-work actors slumming amiably through life in L.A., the indie-comedy was one of the year's biggest sleeper hits and made a star out of Favreau, who also wrote the script.A native of Queens, NY, where he was born on October 19, 1966, Favreau was raised as the only child of two educators. After attending the Bronx High School of Science, he did an abbreviated stint at Queens College before heading to Chicago to pursue a comedy career. In Chicago, he studied improvisational comedy with Del Close and was a member of the ImrovOlympic troupe. Favreau's time in Chicago ended when he decided to head to L.A. to try and break into film; his experiences as a lovelorn, out-of-work actor would later provide the inspiration for Swingers.After years of false hopes and false starts that took the form of supporting roles in such disappointing films as Rudy and P.C.U., Favreau began channeling his experiences and those of his friends (who included fellow Swingers star Vince Vaughn) into a rudimentary script for Swingers. Encouraged to make his script into a film, the actor despaired of securing enough funding for the project until he met fledgling director Doug Liman, who convinced him that the film could be made for 250,000 dollars. Costs were cut by filming largely without permits and making use of inexpensive shooting locations such as Favreau's own apartment. The film's low-budget charm was sufficient enough to sway the powers-that-be at Miramax who picked it up for distribution. When Swingers was eventually released in 1996, it was hailed by critics as a funny and painfully accurate account of the L.A. scene and its various faux-hipster denizens, as well as the dynamics at work amongst a group of guys (Favreau, Vaughn, and company) and the women they try so desperately to impress. In the wake of the film's success, Favreau, who was being hailed as the latest in the long line of Hollywood "Next Big Things," chose to star in Very Bad Things (1998), a black comedy directed by actor-turned-director Peter Berg. The film, in which Favreau played a soon-to-be married man whose Las Vegas bachelor party goes disastrously wrong, received very mixed reviews, although most critics praised the actor's performance as a "suburban Joe" caught up in circumstances that rapidly spiral beyond his control. After playing the eponymous boxing legend in the made-for-TV Rocky Marciano in 1999, Favreau returned to the screen in 2000 to star as a football player in The Replacements, a sports comedy directed by Howard Deutch. That same year, he returned to the indie scene with Love & Sex, a take on urban romance. In 2001, Favreau re-teamed with Vaughn for Made, a crime comedy that cast the two actors as aspiring mobsters and marked Favreau's feature directorial debut. Also in 2001, Favreau made the jump to the small screen, producing and hosting IFC's Dinner for Five, a candid roundtable program featuring fellow actors and filmmakers. In 2003, not only did Favreau show up in supporting roles in the hits Daredevil and Something's Gotta Give, his sophomore directorial effort, the Will Ferrell holiday comedy Elf proved to be one of the season's biggest crowd-pleasers, grossing over 100 million dollars at the box office. He followed up that success by bringing Chris Van Allsburg's Zathura to the big screen, although it did not match Elf's box office success. After making a few cameos on TV shows like My Name Is Earl and Monk, Favreau re-teamed with Vince Vaughn once again for a supporting role in the 2006 comedy The Break-Up. He also lent his vocal talents to the animated film Open Season. That same year he announced he would be taking on directorial duties for the big screen adaptation of the comic book Iron Man. Though it wouldn't be released until 2008, Iron Man was a huge success, and helped further Favreau's already solid reputation as a director. Favreau went on to direct Iron Man 2 (2010), which enjoyed similar success.Favreau returned to the screen to play a role in the 2009 comedy Couples Retreat (which he also wrote), which follows a group of married adults who realize their inclusion in a tropical vacation depends on taking part in intense, mandatory therapy sessions. The same year, Favreau appeared in the buddy comedy I Love You, Man, and lent his voice to the cast of the animated children's adventure G-Force. In 2011, Favreau directed and produced the popular sci-fi Western Cowboys & Aliens, and worked as an Executive Producer for 2012's blockbuster hit Marvel's The Avengers.

Trivia: Malin Akerman was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1978, but her European life turned a surprising corner when she and her family packed up and moved to Canada before her third birthday. Akerman's ravishing looks seemed harbingers of a successful acting and modeling career, and indeed, at five years old she began to snag a myriad of commercials and small acting roles. Her popularity and recognition was boosted by a win of the Ford Supermodel of Canada search at age 17, and she was soon tackling print and runway work across Europe, followed by an enrollment in York University in Toronto. In 2001, the actress moved to Los Angeles and secured almost instant representation. She landed a series of guest spots on TV shows including Entourage, Doc and Witchblade, as well as a regular role as Juna on the short-lived but critically acclaimed HBO comedy The Comeback, with Lisa Kudrow. She also had a memorable bit part in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) as the attractive wife, Liane, of a disgusting truck driver known only as Freakshow (Christopher Meloni).Akerman achieved her first major acting coup when she signed on as one of the leads in the Farrelly Brothers' remake The Heartbreak Kid (2007), a comedy about a dissatisfied fortysomething newlywed named Eddie (Ben Stiller) who jilts his wife, Lila, only a few days into his honeymoon and instead snags a feisty and independent young free spirit named Miranda. In what seemed to those familiar with the 1971 film like a surprising casting choice, the Farrellys selected the alluring blonde Akerman to play not Miranda (as might be expected) but Lila -- a character no longer dowdy (or Jewish) in their hands. That same year, Akerman also essayed a part in the gag-laden comedy The Brothers Solomon, about a couple of socially impaired losers (Will Arnett, Will Forte) desperate to find a woman to have their baby.Her exposure in those two films soon led to steady work as a major supporting player in a variety of movies. She played the bride-to-be/sister Tess to Katherine Heigl's perpetual bridesmaid in 27 Dresses (2008), and had a busy 2009, with the release of big-budget superhero film Watchmen, followed by Couples Retreat and The Proposal. She showed off her singing chops playing a Rolling Stone reporter in the jukebox musical Rock of Ages in 2012.Akerman has also done extensive television work, playing Dr. Valerie Flame in Adult Swim's Childrens Hospital and a homeless bachelorette in the first season of the web series Burning Love. In 2012, she joined the cast of Suburgatory in the recurring role of Alex, Tessa's (Jane Levy) birth mother before nabbing the lead in her own show, Trophy Wife, the following year.

Trivia: For some actors, success just seems to come naturally. In the case of talented stage and screen beauty Kristen Bell, it wasn't so much a matter of if she was going to be a star after realizing her dream during an early performance as a banana in Raggedy Ann and Andy at the tender age of 12 -- but when she would finally make the big time. Paralyzed with stage fright as she waited for her cue off-stage, Bell was offered a word of encouragement by her supportive mother that would ultimately give her the drive to realize her life's calling. A native of Detroit whose early stage experiences eventually led her to study at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Bell saw early success when she was chosen to portray Becky Thatcher in a Broadway production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Realizing that she had what it took to find success onscreen as well as on-stage, Bell was soon packing her bags for Los Angeles and landing small supporting roles in such features as Polish Wedding and Pootie Tang. In 2003, Bell impressed television viewers with a solid performance in the made-for-television dramas The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay and Gracie's Choice. She next appeared in David Mamet's 2004 thriller Spartan, before landing the lead as a sort-of new-millennium Nancy Drew on UPN's Veronica Mars. If the show's ravenous cult following wasn't enough to make young Bell a household name, even after its much mourned cancellation in 2007, her subsequent performance in the awesomely successful comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall cinched it for her. Bell would go on to play a recurring role on the landmark TV series Heroes, before appearing in a number of comedies over the next few years, like Fanboys, Couples Retreat, and When in Rome. Bell would even appear in slightly less prestigious movies, like Burlesque and Scream 4, but remained one of the most in-demand young actresses in Hollywood, especially in the realm of comedy. She would play a memorable role on Don Cheadle's comedy series House of Lies, and co-produced and starred in an action-oriented romcom with Bradley Cooper called Hit and Run (which was written and co-directed by Bell's real-life love, Dax Shepard).In 2013, Bell and Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas launched a Kickstater campaign to raise funds for a Veronica Mars movie. The campaign proved to be wildly successful, raising more than was needed to fund the film, which was released in 2014. Bell also voiced Anna in the Disney film Frozen, which significantly raised her profile, and showcased her singing voice, holding her own opposite Broadway heavyweight Idina Menzel.

Trivia: Kristin Davis first earned recognition as the pretentiously rich "schemer" she played on Fox's Melrose Place in the mid-'90s. As Brooke, she was constantly creating problems for the more regular characters, and just a year after gaining full-time character status, she had to be written off the show because of viewer dissatisfaction. However, doe-eyed Davis would find an abundance of work on television and in film, and demonstrate more versatility than she had as the "meanie" on Melrose. She was born on February 24, 1965, in Boulder, CO. After moving to Columbia, SC, with her family, she attended Rutgers University. She then moved to New York City, where she worked in theater and commercials for some time. In order to work on Melrose Place, starting in 1994, she relocated to Los Angeles. Davis made many television miniseries and movie appearances after her bout with Melrose Place, including appearances on ER and General Hospital. She had a bit part in Nine Months in 1995, and was featured in a TNT made-for-TV movie, The Heidi Chronicles, also starring Jamie Lee Curtis, that same year. In 1998, she had a small part in Sour Grapes, a comedy by Seinfeld writer Larry David. She then starred in two television motion pictures: Atomic Train in 1999, as Megan Seger, and Take Me Home: The John Denver Story in 2000, as Annie Denver, and co-starring with Chad Lowe. Also in 2000, she starred in the feature film Blacktop, and in 2001, appeared in a TV movie called Three Days with comedian Tim Meadows.When Sex and the City came to an end, she appeared in a handful of films including The Shaggy Dog and Deck the Halls before next appearing in the big-screen version of her iconic HBO series. She then appeared in Couples Retreat before taking part in the Sex and the City movie sequel. In 2012 she was the clueless mother in the family adventure movie Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.On the HBO series Sex and the City, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Davis played the innocent and adorable Charlotte York, a sweet and sensitive counterpart to the more blunt crassness of the program's three other female main characters. A striking contrast to the role she played on Melrose Place, Charlotte has provided Davis with a more diverse character range within the genre of drama-comedy on television.

Trivia: Made his first television performance in a commercial at age 6. Moved to Miami from Puerto Rico in 1986. Signed with EMI Latin and released his first album in 1997. His debut album, Carlos Ponce, spent nine weeks at #1 on the Latin Billboard charts. Made his American television debut in 1999 on the series Beverly Hills, 90210.

Trivia: Offbeat, highly individualistic British character player Peter Serafinowicz broke into film courtesy of radio, with a head-turning contribution to a tongue-in-cheek documentary about the music industry on England's Radio 1, entitled The Knowledge. That led, in turn, to a wealth of voice assignments on various Radio 4 series, including Grievous Bodily Radio, Harry Hill's Fruit Corner, and Weekending. Serafinowicz segued into features with a plum role in 1997's Murder Most Horrid before making a splash as Brian May on the spoof-heavy BBC sketch comedy program Comedy Nation in the late '90s, alongside Sacha Baron Cohen and others; unfortunately, it was somewhat short-lived, though successive projects afforded Serafinowicz greater exposure. He found his bread and butter on British television, in series including Spaced and World of Pub, but broke into features with roles in the outrageous horror comedy spoof Shaun of the Dead (2004) and the gentle period coming-of-age drama Sixty Six (2006).

Trivia: With mournful eyes that suggest deep contemplation lurking beneath a sometimes imposing exterior, French actor Jean Reno (born July 30th, 1948) has carved a particular niche in cinema by portraying men who prefer to define themselves through action rather than words. Though his characters may often resort to violence without pause when necessary, that isn't to say that they are without the sort of honor or dignity that has served to define some of the screen's most memorable action stars. Born Juan Moreno Errere y Rimenes in Casablanca, Morocco, the future star spent his early, more carefree days roaming the beaches with friends to escape the searing summer heat. Reno was captivated by the likes of such screen legends as John Wayne, Marlon Brando, and Jean Gabin, who would form the foundation of his screen persona much later in life. An early stint in drama school found Reno exploring his acting abilities, but little did the aspiring talent know that his life would soon take a new and unexpected turn. Though Reno's life to that point had been somewhat idyllic, Morocco's increasing instability forced Reno's family to flee to France to start anew. Unfortunately, his new homeland was in the midst of turbulent civil unrest. In order to gain his citizenship, Reno had to sign up with the national service, and he was quickly recruited into the army. When his superiors noticed that he had previously been to drama school, they placed him in charge of arts and entertainment, and after a year of service, Reno set his sights on Paris. More drama school was soon to follow, and throughout the 1970s, Reno gained experience through stage and television work. After being singled out by critics for memorable appearances in such plays as Costa-Gavras' Clair de Femme (a role that he would later revisit in the 1979 film of the same name) and touring Europe with Didier Flamand's theater troupe, Reno made his screen debut in the 1979 Raúl Ruiz film The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting. Throughout the 1980s, Reno made a name for himself playing screen heavies with little dialogue, and in 1981, things began to look up for the rising star when he teamed with hot young French director Luc Besson for the short film L'Avant Dernier. In the years that followed, Reno and Besson not only became close personal friends, but Reno would also appear in almost every one of the director's films. With small parts in Le Dernier Combat (1983) and Subway slowly elevating his star status, it was only a matter of time until Reno landed his breakout role. Of course, it came as no surprise to many that that particular role was in one of Besson's films, and with the release of Besson's Le Grand Bleu in 1988, Reno's time finally came. Cast as the comic rival of diver Jacques Mayhol (Jean-Marc Barr), Reno received international exposure when the film became a worldwide hit with both critics and audiences. In his home country of France, Reno was even nominated for a Best Supporting Actor César. He took a somewhat darker turn two years later when he was cast as a taciturn hit man in Besson's art-house action hit Nikita. By the time Reno took the lead in the 1993 time travel comedy Les Visiteurs (which quickly became the most successful film in French box-office history), he had truly established himself as a lucrative box-office draw. Though the film was indeed a massive success in France, it was deemed "too French" for U.S. distribution, and only the most die-hard fans and critics outside of Reno's native country were truly aware of his star power. If Reno's rise in France had been successfully boosted thanks, in part, to old friend Besson, so would his international exposure thanks to Besson's masterful 1994 effort Léon (released stateside as The Professional). With Reno once again cast in the role of a hit man, Léon told the remarkably tender tale of a sympathetic killer who befriends a young orphan named Mathilda (memorably portrayed by screen newcomer Natalie Portman) after her family is wiped out by a corrupt DEA agent (an unhinged Gary Oldman). Despite the fact that the heart of Léon and Mathilda's relationship was edited out of the U.S. release after being deemed too intense for stateside audiences (the film would eventually find release in the U.S. uncut thanks to a 2000 DVD release of the original version), the movie still possessed a soulful display of character generally lacking in the action genre, and audiences took to the film in droves. Reno was now a bankable star worldwide, though his unpredictable film choices continued to surprise audiences while also informing them that he was capable of much more than high-octane gunplay. In the years that followed, Reno made it a point to act in one French film for each American film in which he appeared, and with stateside roles in French Kiss (1995), Mission: Impossible (1996), and Roseanna's Grave (1997), Reno successfully pleased both his testosterone-driven male fan base and his more sensitive female followers. 1998 would prove a remarkably successful year for Reno in both the U.S. and his native France when, after completing the sequel Corridors of Time: The Visitors II, he turned up in both the disastrous wannabe summer blockbuster Godzilla (for which he turned down the role of Agent Smith in The Matrix) and Manchurian Candidate director John Frankenheimer's masterful action thriller Ronin. Holding his own opposite screen legend Robert De Niro, Reno was clearly a talent to be reckoned with. Before adapting The Visitors for U.S. audiences (as Just Visiting), Reno faced unspeakable danger in the Seven-esque French thriller The Crimson Rivers (2000). In between such action efforts as the Besson-produced Wasabi (2001) and the misguided sci-fi remake Rollerball (2002), Reno found time for love in the romantic comedy Jet Lag (also 2002) with Juliette Binoche. Despite the fact that action in such efforts as 2001's Wasabi and 2003's Ruby & Quentin tended to lean toward the comic angle, Reno proved he wasn't afraid to get a little dirty by once again facing danger in Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse (2004). Roles in the French-language flicks L'Corse Enquête and L'Empire des loups were quick to follow in 2004 and 2005 respectively, and shortly after starring opposite Roberto Benigni and Tom Waits in Benigni's 2005 effort The Tiger and the Snow, Reno would head back into blockbuster territory stateside with supporting performances in The Pink Panther and The Da Vinci Code. In 2006 Reno would take to the skies with some determined American fighter pilots in the World War I war adventure Flyboys. Reno continued to work in films throughout the 2000s, appearing in The Pink Panther 2, Flushed Away, and Couples Retreat.

Trivia: Boasting brooding good looks which have allowed him to play both edgy heroes and fearsome villains, Temuera Morrison is one of New Zealand's best-recognized actors, and perhaps the most visible Maori performer in the world. Morrison was born in the tourist community of Rotorua; his instincts as a performer came naturally, given his father's career as a musician and the fact his uncle, Sir Howard Morrison, was one of the nation's best-loved entertainers. After completing high school, Morrison briefly worked with his uncle, but before long he decided to go into acting, and studied drama through New Zealand's Special Performing Arts Training Scheme. Morrison's SPATS training led to his first film role, in the drama Other Halves, and in 1988 he got to show some comic flair in the James Bond parody Never Say Die. In 1993, Morrison was hired as the Maori dialogue advisor on the international hit The Piano, but his big break came a year later, when Morrisonwas cast as Jake Heke, an alcoholic and abusive Maori husband and father, in the acclaimed drama Once Were Warriors. Morrison's vivid performance won him the Best Actor trophy at the 1994 New Zealand Film and TV Awards, and the attention brought Morrison to Hollywood. However, Morrison's initial American roles were in a handful of would-be blockbusters which died on the vine commercially speaking, including Barb Wire, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and Speed 2: Cruise Control. However, Morrison fared better at the box office with 2000's Vertical Limit, and the year before he made a triumphant return to New Zealand to star in the sequel to Once Were Warriors, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? The film did not receive the same degree of international attention as the original, but it was popular and well-reviewed in New Zealand, and Morrison's second turn as Jake won him another Best Actor prize from the New Zealand Film and TV Awards. Morrison landed his biggest hit in 2002, when he was cast as Jango Fett in the eagerly anticipated Star Wars: Episode Two -- Attack of the Clones. ~ Mark Deming

Trivia: Her first job was selling shoes and her first job in the film industry was working at WIN News editing TV news.Studied at the UCLA professional program.Holds a PhD degree.A fan created an IMDB page of her daughter after she appeared in a scene in Neighbours.Played hockey when she was a teenager, which helped her relate in some way to the sports story in Back of the Net (2019).Splits her time between Los Angeles and her native Australia.

Trivia: Born February 12, 1963, John Michael Higgins is a character player who evinced a flair for comedic portrayals of middle-aged types, actor John Michael Higgins jump-started his career with a dead-on evocation of David Letterman in the made-for-cable comedy The Late Shift -- a picture about the cutthroat war between Letterman and Jay Leno to be crowned "King of Late Night Talk." Higgins followed this auspicious and covetable assignment with small roles in Barry Levinson's scathing political satire Wag the Dog (1997) and a guest appearance as one of Elaine's issue-ridden boyfriends on Seinfeld, but made his most substantial impression as an occasional character on Ally McBeal -- that of Steven Milter, an attorney who doubled as a psychoanalyst of Ally's. Beginning with Best in Show (2000), Higgins enjoyed a multi-film run on the big screen with Christopher Guest and his regular mockumentary collaborators that also included the farces A Mighty Wind (2003) and For Your Consideration (2006). He also had a recurring role as an attorney Wayne Jarvis on the critically acclaimed sitcom Arrested Development and supplied the voice of Mentok the Mindtaker for the animated comedy series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. Back on the big screen, Higgins essayed two A-list supporting roles in 2007, in the Steve Carell-headlined farce Evan Almighty and the holiday-themedFred Claus starring Vince Vaughn. Higgins joined Vaughn again in Couples Retreat (2009), a romantic comedy following a group of couples who arrive on a tropical island only to find out they are required to participate in couples therapy in order to stay. He appeared on the FX television series Wilford in 2011, and joined the cast of the sitcom Happily Divorced, in which he co-stars with Fran Drescher (his real life ex-wife) as a man who amicably ended his marriage after coming to terms with his homosexuality. After working with Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz in the moderately successful comedy Bad Teacher in 2011, the actor played a small role in the 2012 adventure drama Big Miracle, which follows the plight of a journalist and volunteer who go to extreme lengths to save a beached whale.

Trivia: Was born in Detroit but raised in Greensboro, NC; he is the son of Korean immigrants. During high school, he played violin and was elected to the student council. Graduated at 16 and earned Greensboro's Youth of the Year award. Won the Big Easy Laff Off comedy contest in New Orleans while completing his medical residency. Made his feature-film debut as Dr. Kuni in Judd Apatow's 2007 comedy Knocked Up. His wife, Tran, is also a physician, as well as a breast-cancer survivor.

Trivia: Hosted her own travel show, Amy's Japan, while living in Japan. Worked with the Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco. Trained at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Appeared in Lincoln Center's stage production of Twelfth Night. Created and performed a three-part one woman show in the 1990s, based on her childhood and her mother's life.

Trivia: Moved to Toronto from India with her family when she was a year old. Studied jazz and gospel at Berklee College of Music on a scholarship. Made her professional acting debut in the West End musical Mamma Mia!. Released her first EP, The Live Sessions, in 2008. Was injured on the set of Castle while performing a stunt. Released a charity Christmas album, My Christmas List, in 2010 to raise money for a housing and homelessness shelter.

Trivia: Received classical training in dance, musical theatre and opera as a child. In 2008, hosted Project Lore's Community Wrap-Up, a series spotlighting the online role-playing game World of Warcraft. Made her film debut in Couples Retreat (2009); was originally cast as an extra before given a role. Took part in the 18 for 18 Campaign, a project that raises money for the Somaly Mam Foundation to help the fight against sex trafficking.

Trivia: Is Irish-Korean. His father met his mother while doing a tour of duty in South Korea. Worked at Caroline's Comedy Club in Manhattan sweeping floors and answering phones before he actually did stand-up at a nearby club. His 2003 documentary 13 or Bust chronicles 13 shows he did in one night in Manhattan. Has done USO tours in Iraq (2004), Afghanistan (2005, '08 and '10) and Japan and Guam (2009). Did an NFL promo with Prince for Super Bowl XLI in 2007. An irate patron hit him in the head with a barstool once during a stand-up routine and a college-football team in South Carolina chased him to his car after he insulted them during a set. On his sitcom Sullivan & Son, his mother's name is Ok Cha, which is his real-life mother's name. Performed with his TV costars Owen Benjamin, Ahmed Ahmed and Roy Wood Jr. on the Sullivan & Son Comedy Tour.

Trivia: Actor James Ferris achieved his first cinematic breakthrough with a key supporting role in Rolfe Kanefsky's supernatural horror outing Nightmare Man (2007). In that film, Ferris plays Jack, a young man who endures the evening from hell when he and his female friends begin an evening of Truth or Dare at a cabin in the woods -- and fall prey to the designs of a killer in a horned demon mask.