Career: Castellaneta started working at The Second City, an improvisational comedy theatre, in 1983 and stayed until 1987. During this time, he did voiceover work for various radio stations. He was hired to work on The Tracey Ullman Show and he started voicing Homer Simpson in The Simpsons, which was initially aired as a series of animated shorts. The Simpsons has since become a half-hour show and Castellaneta has continued to provide the voice of Homer. He has also voiced many other characters, including Grampa Simpson, Barney Gumble and Krusty the Clown. Castellaneta and his wife, Deb Lacusta, have also written several episodes of The Simpsons. He has done voice acting for a number of other animated series too, including Back to the Future, Aladdin, Earthworm Jim, Hey Arnold!, The Batman and Futurama. Besides voice acting, Castellaneta has had on screen parts in such series as Entourage, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, Greek, Parks and Recreation, How I Met Your Mother and Desperate Housewives. He has appeared in such films as K-9 (1989), The War of the Roses (1989), The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Super 8 (2011) and Fantastic Four (2015).

Career: Kavner won her first notable role on popular comedy series Rhoda as Brenda Morgenstern in 1974 and stayed on until it finished four years later, winning an Emmy award for her performance. She then moved on to guest stints on The Tracey Ullman Show, in which a number of animated shorts were to be included. Producers were looking for voices for the cartoons and enlisted the actress. This just happened to turn into The Simpsons, which proved a runaway success. Despite voicing Marge since 1988 (and reportedly earning more than $400,000 per episode), Kavner has fitted in several film roles over the years, including her first starring role in This Is My Life from 1992.

Career: Cartwright's first professional voice acting role was in the animated series Richie Rich. She went on to appear on-screen in the leading role in TV film Marian Rose White (1982) and her first feature film was Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983). In 1987, she auditioned for a role on The Simpsons while it was a series of animated shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show. She voiced Bart Simpson for three seasons on The Tracey Ullman Show and has retained the role ever since The Simpsons became a half-hour show. Cartwright also voices other characters on The Simpsons, including Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum and Todd Flanders. Besides The Simpsons, Cartwright has voiced Chuckie Finster in Rugrats and All Grown Up!, Mindy in Animaniacs, Rufus in Kim Possible and many other characters. She has also appeared on-camera in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 24, Empty Nest and Godzilla (1998).

Career: Smith appeared in a number of Broadway productions before landing her first film roles in Heaven Help Us (1985) and The Legend of Billie Jean (1985). She moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and landed a recurring role in the TV series Brothers. In 1987, she auditioned for The Simpsons shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show. She has voiced Lisa Simpson ever since and the series was spun into a half-hour show in 1989. Away from The Simpsons, Smith played Louise in the sitcom Herman's Head. She has also appeared in such series as Dharma & Greg, Dead Like Me, Mad Men, The Big Bang Theory and The Mindy Project. Her film credits include City Slickers (1991), Jingle All the Way (1996) and As Good as It Gets (1997).

Career: A few bit parts in comedy series were to be Hank's first roles, but it was his voice that earned him the attention of The Simpsons' bosses; he has provided his vocal talents for the iconic show since its launch in 1989. Azaria's comedy credentials earned him roles in Pretty Woman and Point Blank. He would give a memorable performance in Robin Williams' The Birdcage, playing a Guatemalan cleaner named Agador Spartacus. He also had a small cameo in Along Came Polly in 2004, guested on Friends and was seen in British comedy Run Fat Boy Run, as well as Mystery Men, Godzilla and Night at the Museum 2. Azaria has four Emmys to his name and a reputation as being one of the most talented and versatile actors in the business.

Career: One of Duchovny's earliest roles was in a beer advert. Before making his debut as Mulder in The X Files in 1993 he was best known as Dennis/Denise, a transvestite FBI agent in cult TV drama Twin Peaks. He also hosted The Red Shoe Diaries series. On the big screen he has starred in Kalifornia, movie versions of The X Files, as well as Return To Me, Evolution, Zoolander, Steven Soderbergh's Full Frontal, Connie and Carla, My Dark Places and House of D. In 2007 he began a seven-year stint alongside Natascha McElhone in US comedy drama Californication. He is due to star in a new, 1960s-set drama called Aquarius, about the police's investigation into cult leader Charles Manson.

Career: Anderson's first big break came when she won an award for her performance in the off-Broadway play Absent Friends. After settling in Los Angeles, she had a guest appearance in TV series Class of 96, then landed the role of Dana Scully in The X Files. She won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her portrayal of the FBI agent; she's also appeared in two X Files movies. Anderson's other projects include The Mighty, The House of Mirth, The Last King of Scotland, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, Bleak House, Great Expectations, The Crimson Petal and the White, and Hannibal. She's also the female lead in the hugely acclaimed BBC Two series The Fall, and contains to appear on stage.

Career: After small roles in two little-seen films, Nimoy landed the lead in the 1952 movie Kid Monk Baroni. He appeared briefly in cult classic Them! before spending two years in the US Army. When he returned to acting, he supplemented his income with odd jobs. His big break came in 1965 when Gene Roddenberry offered him the part of Mr Spock in the TV series Star Trek. When the show ended, he starred in the TV series Mission: Impossible and various long-forgotten movies and TV shows. From 1979 onwards, he returned to play Mr Spock in various projects and turned to directing, making Three Men and a Baby in 1987. He died on February 27, 2015, at the age of 83.