Geostorm

Gerard Butler (Actor) .. Jake Lawson

Born: November 13, 1969 in Glasgow

Best Known For: Taking the lead in sword and sandals epic, 300

Early-life: Born on November 13, 1969, in Glasgow, he's the youngest of three children. His parents divorced when he was young, and he had little contact with his father until he was 16, when they became close; Gerard was devastated when his dad died of cancer six years later. He attended the University of Glasgow, where he studied law, eventually becoming president of the school's Law Society. He also spent a year living in California. Gerard landed a trainee lawyer's position at an Edinburgh law firm, but was fired a week before gaining his qualifications.

Career: Butler's first role of note was in a stage production of Coriolanus directed by Steven Berkoff. After playing the character of Renton in the stage adaptation of Trainspotting, he made his big-screen debut in Mrs Brown. Small roles in James Bond outing Tomorrow Never Dies and Tale of the Mummy followed. His sensuous turn as Dracula in Wes Craven's horror caught the eye, and he's been busy ever since. Among his biggest projects since are the lead role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, 300, RocknRolla, PS I Love You and Law Abiding Citizen. Butler is clearly a man who likes to keep busy - he usually has lots of films in various stages of production.

Quote: "During some of the most miserable periods of my life, people thought I was very happy. And now that I'm actually happier, I don't have to show it. I'm more comfortable with myself."

Trivia: Butler is a big fan of Celtic FC and owns a stake in the Jamaica Tallawahs cricket team.

Jim Sturgess (Actor) .. Max Lawson

Born: May 16, 1978 in London

Best Known For: Across the Universe and One Day.

Early-life: James Anthony Sturgess was born in London on May 16, 1978, but grew up in Farnham, Surrey. His first taste of acting came at the age of eight when he auditioned for a local theatre group. His main interest, however, was music and he started his first band when he was 15. He went on to study media performance at Salford University and it was here that he began to seriously consider acting as a career. He began making short films and wrote and performed a one-man show, which led to him being signed by an agent.

Career: Sturgess moved to London in 2000 and joined the band Called Saint Faith. He took small acting roles to fund his musical adventures. His big break came in 2007 when he won a leading role in Julie Taymor's musical film Across the Universe. He followed this with parts in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), 21 (2008), Crossing Over (2009), Heartless (2009) and The Way Back (2010). His breakthrough came in 2011 when he starred alongside Anne Hathaway in One Day. His recent work includes Cloud Atlas (2012) and Upside Down (2013).

Quote: "British actors come at acting from a slightly different angle."

Trivia: He voiced an owl in Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010).

Abbie Cornish (Actor) .. Sarah Wilson

Born: August 07, 1982 in Lochinvar, New South Wales, Australia

Best Known For: A string of film and TV roles.

Early-life: Abbie was born in Lochinvar, New South Wales, Australia on August 7, 1982 to Shelley and Barry. She grew up on a farm, and began modelling as a teenager. In 1999, she won an Australian Film Institute award for her role in TV show Wildside.

Career: Cornish made her film debut in The Monkey's Mask (2000) and went on to star in One Perfect Day (2004), Somersault (2004), Candy (2006), A Good Year (2006) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). She won a number of awards for her performance in Bright Star (2009). More recently, she has appeared in Limitless (2011), Sucker Punch (2011), Seven Psychopaths (2012), RoboCop (2014) and miniseries Klondike.

Quote: "When you create a character, you have to trust they're in your DNA, unzip the suit that you've acquired and leave yourself raw to the possibility of anything that might happen."

Trivia: In 2006, she became an ambassador for animal rights group Voiceless, the animal protection institute.

Andy Garcia (Actor) .. President Andrew Palma

Born: April 12, 1956 in Havana, Cuba

Best Known For: The Godfather: Part III.

Early-life: Born Andrés Arturo Garcia Menéndez in Havana, Cuba, on April 12, 1956, his family was relatively affluent. When he was five years old, Fidel Castro came to power, and the family fled to Miami Beach. Forced to work menial jobs for a while, the family started a fragrance company that was eventually worth more than a million dollars. Although a talented sportsman, as a teenager Andy turned his attention to acting. He first began acting at Florida International University, but soon he was headed out to Hollywood. His first break came as a gang member on the very first episode of the popular TV series Hill Street Blues.

Career: Garcia's breakthrough role came in The Untouchables (1987) and notable roles followed in Black Rain (1989), Internal Affairs (1990) and The Godfather: Part III (1990). By now, many believed he was of Italian descent. As a leading man, he has starred in such films as Jennifer 8 (1992) and Accidental Hero (1992). He won rave reviews for his role as Meg Ryan's husband in When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) and gave another charismatic gangster turn in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995). More recent hits include the Ocean's movies.

Quote: "They say a lot of women would like to see me naked, but there's not a lens long enough for that."

Trivia: Garcoa voiced the character Eduardo in the animated movie Rio 2 (2014).

Ed Harris (Actor) .. Leonard Dekkom

Born: November 28, 1950 in New Jersey

Best Known For: Being the best actor not to yet win an Oscar.

Early-life: Born in New Jersey, in 1950. His father Robert was a singer with the dance-band leader Fred Waring and made many TV and radio appearances. Growing up, Ed preferred sport to performing - his prowess on the American football field won him a scholarship to Columbia University. However, he eventually realised that he didn't want to be a professional athlete and dropped out to join his parents, who had relocated to Oklahoma. That's where he first started appearing in local theatre productions, and realised he wanted to be an actor. He returned to college, this time to study drama.

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.

Quote: "I don't feel like I've sacrificed my career for my family or vice-versa. It's been a pretty good balancing act."

Trivia: Harris has directed a number of theatre productions.

Robert Sheehan (Actor) .. Duncan Taylor

Born: January 07, 1988

Best Known For: Misfits and Killing Bono.

Early-life: Robert Michael Adam Sheehan was born on January 7, 1988, in Portlaoise, Ireland. He's the youngest child of policeman Joe and his registrar wife Maria. As a youngster he played various musical instruments, and became interested in acting while playing the lead in his primary school's production of Oliver with a Twist. At 14 he spent three months shooting the film Song for a Raggy Boy; two years later he appeared on stage in Cripple of Innishmaan, but dropped out of acting to study film and TV at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

Career: Sheehan left his course after a year, deciding he didn't want to work behind the camera. Despite his lack of acting training, he began getting roles again, including regular stints in TV series Foreign Exchange and Young Blades. Appearances in The Clinic and The Tudors, and on the big screen in Ghostwood followed, but it was Rock Rivals that first made people sit up and take notice. The Red Riding trilogy was a huge success for Sheehan, and Misfits and Killing Bono sealed his reputation as a young actor of note. More recently he has featured in Love/Hate and The Borrowers.

Quote: "I'm not sure if I want to be an actor. I'd like to do it to see where it takes me, so I'll keep at it. As long as I can keep getting a few jobs, I will be grateful. It is great fun and wonderfully rewarding for a young fella. I will continue as long as I keep getting work."

Trivia: In 2013, he was honoured by University College Dublin's Literary and Historical society.

Dean Devlin (Director)

5:00 pm - 5:10 pm, Wednesday, December 31 on 5STAR (32)

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