Career: Landed a role in soap Love of Life to help pay his college fees, and appeared on stage with Katharine Hepburn. He became so busy he was forced to quit Julliard in his final year. Made his big-screen debut with a small role in 1976 movie Gray Lady Down, then landed the part which would make him famous - Superman. He played the comic-book hero four times, but because of its enormous popularity, he found it difficult to escape its shadow and his career suffered. In 1995, he was paralysed in a horse riding accident. Subsequently, he worked tirelessly, lobbying for better treatment for disabled people and improved research. Reeve continued to act, appearing in TV movie Rear Window and TV series Smallville, based on the Superman mythology, before his death in 2004.

Career: After making the decision to get into acting in 1956, Hackman joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California (where incidentally, he struck up a friendship with Dustin Hoffman). After performances in several off-Broadway plays, Hackman's first movie was Lilith alongside Warren Beatty, who then cast him in his breakthrough film, Bonnie and Clyde. Hackman was soon in demand, showcasing his talents in everything from comedy (in Young Frankenstein) to villainy (as Lex Luthor in Superman). He's also won two Oscars - Best Actor for The French Connection, and Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven. He retired from acting in 2004 to concentrate on writing novels.

Career: Stamp and his flatmate Michael Caine struggled to make ends meet for years. Then, in 1962, Stamp landed the title role in the film Billy Budd, for which he gained an Oscar nomination. He became one of the faces of the 1960s thanks to his roles in the likes of The Collector, Poor Cow, and Far from the Madding Crowd. He rarely worked during the 1970s, preferring to spend time in India. He returned to form playing the villainous General Zod in Superman and its sequel. Since then, Stamp has appeared in such movies as The Hit, Wall Street, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace, Bowfinger and The Limey. More recent work includes Get Smart, Valkyrie, The Adjustment Bureau and Song for Marion.