Trivia: Holly Robinson Peete began her career in show business in 1969 when she was five years old with an appearance on the children's series Sesame Street, on which her father played non-Muppet cast member Gordon. In adulthood, she would go on to appear on shows like 21 Jump Street and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, and later on Love, Inc. She became one of the co-hosts of The View knockoff The Talk, and in 2012 she spoofed her breakthrough part by appearing in the big-screen comedy 21 Jump Street. She is married to former NFL quraterback Rodney Peete.

Trivia: While many make a beeline for the stage from the time they're walking on two feet, James Lesure took a slightly more varied path. He studied at the Air Force Academy before going on to the University of Southern California, where he earned a B.F.A. in theater. He then traveled abroad, where he not only participated in stage productions of everything from Broadway musicals to Shakespeare, but also pursued his dream of being an amateur boxer. Settling back in the States, Lesure began making the rounds on TV, making small appearances on shows like NYPD Blue and Seinfeld. Then, in 2004, Lesure was cast as a member of an elite surveillance team on the hit series Las Vegas. Audiences loved his charming screen presence, and he stayed with the series for multiple seasons.

Trivia: The younger sister of actress Michelle Pfeiffer, DeDe Pfeiffer began making the casting rounds in 1984, just before Michelle matriculated to superstardom. As was the case of most celebrity siblings, the bulk of DeDe's film work has been in crime melodramas, horror films and direct-to-video offerings. She has, however, been seen to good advantage in several A pictures, notably Into the Night (1985), Tune in Tomorrow (1990) and Falling Down (1993); in the opening scenes of 1991's Frankie and Johnny, DeDe has a piquant cameo as the cousin of the character played by her sister Michelle. In 1994, DeDe Pfeiffer was cast as Rachel Blanders, daughter of fortysomething actress Cybill Sheridan (Cybill Shepherd), in the popular CBS TV sitcom Cybill.

Trivia: Born Donald Warren Moffett. Supporting actor, occasional lead, onscreen from the '80s.

Trivia: Actress Tamala Jones launched her career as a model, appearing in magazine ads and television commercials, before landing her first acting job on an episode of the preteen sitcom California Dreams, but her interest in the craft goes back to early childhood, when Jones and her cousin would stage backyard shows. Los Angeles-born and raised, Jones first studied drama in the sixth grade. As a young woman, she guest starred on series ranging from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to E.R. to The Wayans Brothers. She had her first regular television role playing a student in the ABC network's short-lived drama Dangerous Minds. Jones entered feature films with a small role in How to Make an American Quilt (1995) and had her first starring film role in Booty Call (1997). In 1998, Jones starred in the short-lived NBC summer replacement sitcom For Your Love. After appearing in Blue Streak and The Wood the following year, Jones began to gain even more momentum in 2000 with roles in Ice Cube's Next Friday and the Tim Meadows SNL vehicle The Ladies Man. Jones would later share the limelight with a talented cast in Kingdom Come in 2001. She continued to work steadily in a variety of projects including Head of State, Daddy Day Camp, Who's Your Caddy?, and What Love Is before being cast on the television show Castle as Lanie Paris. In 2010 she starred in and co-produced the romantic comedy 35 & Ticking.

Trivia: The reigning queen of the 1970s blaxploitation genre, Pam Grier was born May 26, 1949, in Winston-Salem, NC. An Air Force mechanic's daughter, she was raised on military bases in England and Germany. During her teen years the family settled in Denver, CO, where at the age of 18, Grier entered the Miss Colorado Universe pageant. Named first runner-up, she attracted the attention of Hollywood agent David Baumgarten, who signed her to a contract. After relocating to Los Angeles, Grier struggled to mount an acting career, and worked as a switchboard operator at the studios of Roger Corman's American International Pictures. Finally, with Corman's aid, she made her film debut in the 1970 Russ Meyer cult classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, followed by an appearance in Jack Hill's 1971 cheapie The Big Doll House. For several years, Grier languished virtually unnoticed in grindhouse fare like 1971's Women in Cages and 1973's Arena (aka Naked Warriors) before winning the title role in Hill's 1973 action outing Coffy. Playing a nurse seeking vengeance against the drug dealers responsible for her sister's descent into heroin addiction, Grier immediately rose to the forefront of the so-called "blaxploitation" genre, a group of action-adventure films aimed squarely at African-American audiences. Portraying the 1974 superheroine Foxy Brown, she became a major cult figure, as her character's fierce independence, no-nonsense attitude, and empowered spirit made her a role model for blacks and feminists alike. At the peak of her popularity, Grier even appeared on the covers of Ms. and New York magazines. Her films' often racy content also made her a sex symbol, and additionally she posed nude for the men's magazine Players. Successive action roles as gumshoe Sheba Shayne in 1975's Sheba, Baby and as the titular reporter Friday Foster further elevated Grier's visibility, but fearing continued typecasting she shifted gears to star opposite Richard Pryor in the fact-based 1977 auto-racing drama Greased Lightning. She did not reappear onscreen for four years, resurfacing to acclaim in 1981 as a murderous prostitute in Fort Apache, the Bronx; however, no other major roles were forthcoming, and she spent much of the decade appearing on television and in straight-to-cable features. A major role in the 1988 Steven Seagal action hit Above the Law marked the beginning of a comeback, and after appearing in 1993's Posse, Grier starred with fellow blaxploitation vets Jim Brown, Richard Roundtree, and Fred "the Hammer" Williamson in 1996's Original Gangstas, a throwback to the films of the early '70s. In 1997, the actress' career resurgence was complete with the title role in Jackie Brown, written in her honor by director and longtime fan Quentin Tarantino. Grier's tough, sexy portrayal of a jaded flight attendant earned praise from critics far and wide, as well as the promise of steady work. She could subsequently be seen in a consistently wide range of films, like Jawbreaker (1999), Holy Smoke (1999), The Invited, and Larry Crowne, in addition to a host of successful TV roles on shows like Smallville and The L Word.