Trivia: New York City native Rachel True longed to be an actress from her youngest years, watching the performances of her stepmother, renowned stage actress Verona Barnes. True's own first break came when she was cast for several episodes of The Cosby Show in 1991, as a friend of Theo's. She would later score recurring television roles on Beverly Hills 90210, The Drew Carey Show, Once and Again, and HBO's Dream On.In 1993, True moved to Los Angeles, which kick-started her film career. Her first notable appearance was opposite Chris Rock in the rap parody CB4 (1993). She next starred alongside Alyssa Milano in Embrace of the Vampire (1994), then stayed with the occult theme for the more widely seen witch flick The Craft (1996). True plays the most underwritten of four young Wiccan worshipers (opposite Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, and Neve Campbell), one of several roles she has taken that was originally written for a white actress. She and Campbell became best friends as a result of working together on the project.True ventured into indie filmmaking with Gregg Araki's Nowhere, the third installment in his "teen apocalypse trilogy," in which she won some acclaim for her portrayal of Mel, a sexually confused central cog of Araki's dystopian soap opera. She returned briefly to more commercial fare with Half Baked (1998), in which she plays Dave Chappelle's love interest and one of the few non-stoned characters. Since then it's been back to lesser-seen films -- most notably as a veteran rave girl in Greg Harrison's Groove (2000) -- as well as her television work.

Trivia: Actress Essence Atkins began appearing onscreen in the late '80s, with small appearances on shows like Saved By the Bell and The Cosby Show. She would go on to land a series of starring roles on short-lived series throughout the '90s like Under One Roof and Smart Guy before finding lasting success with a starring role on the comedy series Half and Half, which she stayed with from 2002 to 2006. After the show ended its run, Atkins made a number of appearances in movies like Love for Sale and Dance Flick.

Trivia: A Broadway actress by training, Valarie Pettiford earned a Tony nomination for her role in the principal cast of the musical Fosse. She would also earn critical acclaim for roles in shows like Chicago, but most viewers would become acquainted with Pettiford for her film at TV work. Beginning with appearances on shows like Another World and Walker, Texas Ranger, Pettiford spent the '90s building up her résumé. In 2002, she was cast in the recurring role of Gayle Noland on the crime drama The District. Around the same time, she took on the role of Big Dee Thorn on the comedy series Half and Half, which she'd stay with for the next four years. In 2008, she began a professional relationship with Tyler Perry, playing Sandra on the sitcom House of Payne, and playing weary wife Harriet in Perry's 2010 dramedy Why Did I Get Married Too?

Trivia: A tall, tough, muscle-bound Hollywood actor of mixed ethnicity (which doubtless increased his perceived versatility among casting agents), Coby Bell first gained audience recognition during the late '90s, via scattered appearances on such hit series as ER and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A short time later, Bell began to find more prominent TV roles, starting with a recurring part as Patrick Owen on L.A. Doctors (1998-1999). After moving on from that series, he scored his first major role, playing Officer Tyrone "Ty" Davis Jr. throughout all six seasons of the emergency-services drama Third Watch (1999-2005). Not long after that series folded, Bell was back on prime-time television with the football-themed comedy drama The Game. On that show, Bell played Jason Pitts, an African-American NFL player and the resolutely unfaithful husband of a white "trophy wife" (Brittany Daniel). He also parlayed his television success into one of the main roles (and co-production status) on director Amy Glazer's indie feature drama Drifting Elegant (2006), in which he portrayed Renny, an African-American man investing in a gated community for middle-class blacks.

Trivia: Grew up on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Won a statewide talent competition in Hawaii singing Usher's "Pop Ya Collar" with 6 back up dancers. Was in a high school production of The Crucible in which he played John Proctor. Attended the same Hawaiian high school as former U.S. President Barack Obama, though years later than Obama attended.