Career: After several TV roles, Hanks made the transition to movies and became one of the biggest stars of the past three decades. His breakthrough came in 1984's Splash, and was followed by hit after hit, including Bachelor Party and Dragnet. When he took the lead in Oscar-nominated Big in 1988, he transformed a simple comedy into something much more powerful, before truly proving his acting credentials with an Oscar-winning turn as an Aids-afflicted laweyer in Philadeplhia. He gave terrific turns in romantic comedies like Sleepless in Seattle, then another Oscar followed for Forrest Gump. Many expected him to garner a third for Saving Private Ryan. He has been a successful director of several projects and helped bring iconic TV projects like Band of Brothers to the screen. Recent hits include The Da Vinci Code and its follow-up, and the Toy Story films.

Career: Bacon's professional debut came in an off-Broadway production of Forty Deuce, for which he won a coveted Obie award. His first Broadway play, Slab Boys, came in 1983, five years after he made his debut movie Animal House. Other early projects include films Starting Over, Diner and Friday the 13th, as well as soap opera The Guiding Light. Footloose made him a star in 1984, but he refused to be typecast in the teen idol roles. Initially, his career stalled, but over the years he has won widespread recognition as a reliable character actor. His CV includes JFK, The River Wild, A Few Good Men, Apollo 13, Hollow Man, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Frost/Nixon and X-Men: First Class. Away from acting, he sings in the band The Bacon Brothers, with his sibling Michael.

Career: Paxton returned to Los Angeles, and began winning parts in movies including Stripes, Weird Science and Streets of Fire, as well as making the acclaimed short film Fishheads. During the early 1980s, he struck up a friendship with aspiring director James Cameron, who would go on to cast him in The Terminator, Aliens, True Lies and Titanic. His other notable flim appearances include Predator, Apollo 13, Twister and Spy Kids 2. He reportedly turned down the lead role in The Da Vinci Code to star in the acclaimed American TV series Big Love. On February 25, 2017, Paxton died of a stroke following complications from heart surgery.

Career: Sinise's stage career took off in the 1970s; he also began directing during this time. Steppenwolf's production of Sam Shepard's True West transferred from Chicago to New York, allowing the actor to make his Broadway debut. He returned to directing to make episodes of TV's Crime Story and thirtysomething. His first film behind the camera was Miles from Home in 1988. Sinise's movie debut as an actor was A Midnight Clear in 1992. Big-screen outings since include Forrest Gump (for which he was Oscar-nominated), Apollo 13, The Quick and the Dead, The Green Mile and Ransom. It is as Mac in CSI:NY that he is now best known, though in recent years he has established a sideline as TV documentary narrator.

Career: He initially worked as a house-painter to make ends meet, but acting jobs soon started flooding in, mainly in theatre and TV. He bagged his first leading movie role in the cult film Knightriders in 1981, but it was his performance as John Glenn in the acclaimed The Right Stuff that marked him out as a rising star. In 1995, another fact-based drama about astronauts, Apollo 13, earned him his first Oscar nod. He's been nominated three more times for The Truman Show, Pollock (which he also directed) and The Hours. His other notable films include The Abyss, The Rock, Nixon, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence and Man on a Ledge.

Career: Films such as The Courtship of Eddie's Father and American Graffiti turned Howard into one of the most reliable young actors of his generation. Sitcom Happy Days made him a major star around the world, but by then he was already interested in directing after being encouraged by Henry Fonda, his co-star in TV series The Smith Family. After making several short films, he wrote, directed and starred in Grand Theft Auto in 1977. Since then he's made several successful movies, including Splash, Cocoon, Parenthood, Backdraft, Apollo 13, The Grinch, A Beautiful Mind (for which he won an Oscar) and The Missing. He was also the narrator on TV series Arrested Development. His most recent work as a director includes The Da Vinci Code, Frost/Nixon, Angels & Demons and The Dilemma.