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: Audrey set herself a time limit of a year to succeed as an actress and fame came calling when the film Venus Beauty Institute won her a French Caesar award. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet had wanted Emily Watson for his romantic comedy Amelie but when she was unavailable, he opted for Tautou instead. That became one of the most successful French films of all time. She has also appeared in Dirty Pretty Things, A Very Long Engagement (reuniting with Jeunet), The Da Vinci Code, Priceless and Coco Before Chanel.

Career: McKellen started out on stage, gaining acclaim in Britain and America, and winning a prestigious Tony award for his performance in the original Broadway production of Amadeus. He didn't become a household name until his film career took off with hits such as Scandal, Richard III, and X-Men and its sequels. He received Oscar nominations for Gods and Monsters and the first part of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. More recently, he reprised the role of Gandalf in The Hobbit movies. He continues to appear on stage.

Career: Bettany worked steadily in theatre, but it took a back seat when the TV work poured in. Roles in Sharpe and miniseries David Copperfield helped boost his profile, but it was the leading role in indie flick Gangster No 1 which really set him on the road to stardom. The success of his next venture, medieval romp A Knight's Tale, led to Paul making his first collaboration with Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. Since then, he has featured in Dogma, reunited with Crowe for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, took the lead in romcom Wimbledon and explored his darker side in The Da Vinci Code. His recent work includes The Secret Life of Bees, The Young Victoria, Legion, and The Tourist.

Career: Reno's career began in French cinema, where he appeared in many of Luc Besson's films, including Besson's first short film, L'Avant dernier. All of the films they have done together have achieved critical and commercial success, including Nikita (1990), the English-language films The Big Blue (1988), and Léon (1994) which features a young Natalie Portman. Reno has starred in such high-profile American films as French Kiss (1995) with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline, Mission: Impossible (1996) with Tom Cruise, Ronin (1998) with Robert De Niro, and Godzilla (1998). Reno turned down the role of Agent Smith in the The Matrix. He has not neglected to work in French productions either—e.g., Les Visiteurs (1993) and The Crimson Rivers (2000). He also portrayed Captain Bezu Fache in the Ron Howard film The Da Vinci Code. More recent work includes Margaret, Les Seigneurs, and TV police drama Jo.

Career: Molina's movie breakthrough came in 1987 when he played Kenneth Halliwell, the tragic lover of playwright Joe Orton, in Stephen Frears' Prick Up Your Ears (1987). He also appeared in Enchanted April (1991), The Perez Family (1995), Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina (1997) and Chocolat (2000). A superb turn in Salma Hayek vehicle Frida (2002) saw him cast as Doctor Octopus in big-budget blockbuster Spider-Man 2 (2004). Other film credits include An Education (2009), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) and The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010), while his stage credits are numerous. In 2010, he featured alongside Dawn French in BBC sitcom Roger and Val Have Just Got In, and began starring in Law & Order: Los Angeles. His more recent credits include the films Love is Strange (2014) and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016). He has also had roles in TV series Matador, Feud and Angie Tribeca.

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.