Trivia: The quiet yet dynamic screen presence of actor Joe Mantegna has made him one of the most powerful supporting actors in Hollywood. Born in Chicago, Mantegna made his acting debut in the 1969 production of Hair. He then joined Chicago's Organic Theatre Company. In 1978, he debuted on Broadway in Working; he also helped write Bleacher Bums, an award-winning play. Still, he did not become well-known until he played a recurring role on the TV show Soap. By 1983 he'd returned to Chicago, where he began working with playwright David Mamet. While playing the lead in Mamet's play Glengarry Glen Ross (1983), Mantegna won a Tony. When Mamet began making films, Mantegna became his actor of choice in works such as House of Games (1987) and Homicide (1991). Prior to that, the actor had played small roles in a number of other films. He also continues to play in a variety of movie genres, working with some of Hollywood's top directors. Mantegna turned producer in 1998 with the crime comedy Jerry and Tom. That trend continued on the small screen as Montenga produced such shows as Midway USA's Gun Stories, Shooting Gallery, and QuickBites, but it was his role as a regular on the CBS series Joan of Arcadia that really kept him in the public eye. Continually returning to his recurring role as Fat Tony on The Simpsons over the next decade, Montegna joined the cast of the hit television series Criminal Minds in 2007, and recieved an Emmy nomination for his performance in the successful mini-series The Starter Wife that same year.

Trivia: Curly haired, sandy-voiced actress Mary Steenburgen is a natural when it comes to playing Southerners, probably because she hails from the region herself. Born in Arkansas on February 8, 1953, Steenburgen was the daughter of a railroad employee. Pursuing drama in college, she headed to New York in 1972, where she worked with an improvisational troupe. She was spotted by Jack Nicholson, who cast her as his feisty "in name only" frontier wife in 1978's Goin' South. Two years later, she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Melvin Dummar's inamorata in Melvin and Howard (1980).Able to convey a wide age and character range, Steenburgen was effectively cast as a free-spirited Frisco girl in Time After Time (1979), the corseted matriarch of a turn-of-the-century household in Ragtime (1981), prim authoress Marjorie Rawlins in Cross Creek (1983), a long-suffering suburban housewife in Parenthood (1989), and a Marcia Clark-like attorney in Philadelphia (1993). She also portrayed the Jules Verne-loving Western schoolmarm Clara in Back to the Future 3 (1990), a role she perpetuated (via voice-over) on the Back to the Future TV cartoon series. In 1988, she was executive producer of End of the Line, in which she also appeared. Steenburgen's film appearances throughout the 1990s were erratic: some highlights, in addition to Philadelphia, include What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Nixon (1995), and The Grass Harp (1995). In 1999, she starred as Noah's wife in the biblical epic Noah's Ark, sharing the screen with the likes of Jon Voight, F. Murray Abraham, James Coburn, and Carol Kane. As the 21st century began, Steenburgen continued to work steadily in projects such as Life as a House, I Am Sam, Sunshine State, and Elf. She was cast in the CBS drama Joan of Arcadia in 2003. In 2006 she appeared in David Lynch's Inland Empire, and the next year she starred opposite Jodie Foster in the vigilante drama The Brave One. She was cast in the comedies Step Brothers and Four Christmases in 2008, and in 2011 she was the editor who inspires the main character to write the book in The Help.Formerly married for several years to actor Malcolm McDowell, Steenburgen married former Cheers star Ted Danson in 1995. The two have collaborated on a number of projects, including 1994's Pontiac Moon and the made-for-TV Gulliver's Travels in 1996.

Trivia: As the daughter of American child star-turned-cult favorite Russ Tamblyn (Peyton Place, Twin Peaks), Hollywood heartthrob and ingenue Amber Tamblyn inherited the stunning red hair, fair complexion, and acting chops of her famous dad. Born in the early '80s to Russ and wife Bonnie Murray, Tamblyn was discovered by an agent at her school during her preteen years, and soon landed a prominent role as the maniacal tot Emily Quartermaine on General Hospital -- a turn she sustained from 1995 to 2001.Tamblyn guested on such series as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Boston Public in the early 2000s, and tackled a small role in Gore Verbinski's 2002 shocker The Ring (as one of Samara's unfortunate victims), but the actress failed to generate a sizeable fan base prior to the advent of the fantasy-tinged drama series Joan of Arcadia in 2003. Tamblyn received first billing in that program as Joan Girardi, a seemingly average high school teenager who is tapped by the Almighty to perform various assignments. Joan drew a substantial cult following and outstanding critical assessments (USA Today pegged it as the most promising dramatic series of 2003), but unfortunately, its popularity failed to spread beyond a small enthusiastic band of adherents and it folded within two years.Tamblyn then segued back into film work, with first billing in Ken Kwapis' coming-of-age comedy drama The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in 2005, as one of four teenage girlfriends (alongside America Ferrera, Blake Lively, and Alexis Bledel) who make a good-luck pact; the picture received outstanding reviews and ensured continued stardom for Tamblyn. In 2006, the young actress essayed the title role in Hilary Brougher's fine psychological drama Stephanie Daley, about a troubled teenager accused of killing her newborn child. Tamblyn also traveled the programmer route that year with a turn in the horror sequel The Grudge 2. The following year, the actress starred in Beth Schacter's teen comedy Normal Adolescent Behavior and Rigoberto Castaneda's indie thriller Blackout. In the latter -- a high-wire suspense picture about a bunch of people trapped in a hospital elevator -- Tamblyn played a young woman desperate to reach her grandmother before the elderly woman dies. In 2008, she reprised her Traveling Pants role in the sequel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.Amber Tamblyn is also a prolific poet and runs her own website, The Rebel Asylum, with postings of her work. Her volume of poetry Free Stallion was published by Simon & Schuster in 2005.

Trivia: Since actor Jason Ritter hails from a long line of successful entertainers, it seemed only natural that he would eventually try his hand at performing. The son of late Three's Company star John Ritter and the grandson of Hollywood Western star Tex Ritter, young Jason has proven more than capable of carrying on his family's impressive showbiz legacy with roles in such features as Mumford and Freddy vs. Jason. Born in Los Angeles in February of 1980, Ritter made his screen debut opposite father John in the 1990 made-for-television L. Frank Baum biopic The Dreamer of Oz. Though he remained relatively inactive on the screen for much of the 1990s, Ritter continued to train as an actor at both New York University and London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts before founding New York City's Irreputable Theater Company. Subsequent roles in the MTV series Undressed and the fantasy-flavored CBS drama Joan of Arcadia quickly elevated Ritter to teen-icon status. A segue into feature territory followed with parts in Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and Swimfan (2002), with his continuing role on Joan of Arcadia serving well to balance his feature and television careers. Unfortunately, personal tragedy struck in 2003 when his father died suddenly of a previously undetected heart condition. Performances in the made-for-television Who's Your Mama? and the Hilary Duff movie Raise Your Voice were quick to follow, and Ritter could also be seen opposite such screen heavies as Steve Coogan, Tom Arnold, and Maggie Gyllenhaal in director Don Roos' ensemble comedy drama Happy Endings. Meanwhile, the rising star continued to rack up impressive credits on both stage and screen, including tackling a sitcom role in the short-lived CBS series The Class (2006-07) and headlining the NBC action thriller The Event in 2010.

Trivia: Sporting a clean-cut, all-American look, Los Angeles-born actor Michael Welch entered the limelight well before his teens and balanced feature and television work with about equal weight. Early small screen projects included guest appearances and recurring roles on series such as Frasier (as a young version of David Hyde Pierce's Niles), Veronica's Closet, and Touched by an Angel, while Welch's feature work invariably emphasized teen-oriented material and often found him cast as a young heartthrob. These big screen endeavors included the teen slasher movie All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006), the gore-soaked shocker Day of the Dead (2007), the family-friendly political comedy Choose Connor (2007), and the gothic vampire outing Twilight (2008). Welch also starred as Luke Girardi on the offbeat fantasy series Joan of Arcadia (2003-5).

Trivia: A show business veteran well before his 10th birthday, Secaucus, NJ, native Christopher Marquette covered virtually all the bases of acting at a tender age, making a name for himself in such diverse venues as feature film, Broadway theater, Barney videos, and print advertisements. Marquette and his mother, Tisha, temporarily moved to Los Angeles to accommodate his burgeoning acting career in the fall of 1995 (thus coinciding with TV pilot season), and indeed, he made his biggest splash with guest spots in television programs during the late '90s and early 2000s, including Law & Order, ER, and Touched By an Angel, before scoring a regular role as Marc Delgado (son of doctor Luisa Delgado) on the Lifetime network medical drama Strong Medicine (2001-2006). Meanwhile, Marquette staked out feature territory in such projects as the guilty pleasure slasher opus Freddy Vs. Jason (2003), the crime drama Alpha Dog (2006), and musician-turned-director Fred Durst's gritty drama The Education of Charlie Banks (2007).

Trivia: The similar cognomen is not coincidental: actress Sydney Tamiia Poitier is indeed the daughter of legendary stage and screen icon Sidney Poitier. Born to the famous thespian and actress Joanna Shimkus in 1973 (the youngest of Sidney's six daughters), Sydney attended New York University beginning in 1991, then started to chalk up acting assignments in the late '90s, including the telemovie Free of Eden (opposite her dad), the Clint Eastwood thriller True Crime, and the miniseries Noah's Ark (all three in 1999). In time, Poitier also landed the lead (and title character) on the 2003 UPN sitcom Abby, co-starring Kadeem Hardison (A Different World), but that program folded soon after it bowed; the actress fared better with her role as Mallory Dent on the teen-oriented detective series Veronica Mars (2004). Poitier achieved her breakthrough, however, with two roles: that of Jungle Julia, a young vixen hunted down and slain by psychopathic Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof segment of the exploitation tribute Grindhouse (2007), and FBI agent Carrie Rivai in Knight Rider (2008), director Steven Shill's made-for-television tribute to the iconic 1980s series of the same name.

Trivia: Received his SAG card during a Shakespeare Festival in Los Angeles. Performed in the national stage tour of Six Degrees of Separation. Made his TV debut on Bodies of Evidence. Made his film debut in Sour Grapes in 1998. Served on the SAG Hollywood board.

Trivia: In the early years of her career, African-American actress Erica Hubbard primarily did voice-overs for such brands as McDonald's, Sears, and Reebok. She studied at Columbia College as an undergraduate -- graduating a year ahead of schedule -- then established herself as a bona fide star by headlining her own television program on WPWR, a Windy City UPN affiliate. Involvement in the children's series Up 'N Running and parts in numerous films followed, with a slight demonstrated preference for family-oriented pictures, notably A Cinderella Story (2004), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), and Akeelah and the Bee (2006). Hubbard is best known, however, for her voice-over work on the animated series The Replacements and for her portrayal of Cassie Sutton on the family-oriented series drama Lincoln Heights. Over the coming years, Hubbard would go onto star on the series Let's Stay Together.

Trivia: Born in 1985, actress Jessica Szohr earned her laurels as a frequent presence on U.S. television during the 2000s. A native of Wisconsin, Szohr experienced her first taste of show-business life when discovered by a modeling scout at age 16 and tapped to do print ads for Kohl's department store. She then moved to Los Angeles, secured representation as an actress, and began signing for guest spots on various series including Joan of Arcadia and That's So Raven, as well as recurring roles on CSI: Miami, What About Brian, and Gossip Girl. Her role of Vanessa Abrams on the latter series was later expanded to regular status. In the years to come, Szor would remain active on screen, appearing in movies like Tower Heist.

Trivia: Began working in the entertainment industry at the age of 5. Was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 1999 for his work in Brother's Keeper. Performed with the Gold Medal Award-winning Madrigal Choir in high school. Appeared in commercials for Big Lots, Honda and Acer laptops.

Trivia: Texas-born actress Meredith Monroe is best known to many as the sweet-faced Andie McPhee from '90s TV series Dawson's Creek. Early in her career, Monroe worked as a model, appearing on Nancy Drew book covers and packaging for products like a Conair hair crimper. She eventually branched into movies and TV, playing the famous role of Andie and wracking up a large number of appearances over the years on everything from House to Californication.