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: Duncan's role in the movie Armageddon (1998) led to his breakthrough performance in The Green Mile (1999) when his Armageddon co-star Bruce Willis called director Frank Darabont, suggesting Michael for the part of convict John Coffey. He received critical acclaim for his performance. That led to several other key parts including a role alongside Willis in The Whole Nine Yards, and box-office successes in Daredevil and The Scorpion King. He went on to star in Sin City, The Island, School for Scoundrels, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, and Delgo. He suffered a heart attack in July 2012 and remained hospitalised for several weeks. He died on September 3, 2012, at the age of 54.

Career: Morse made his big-screen debut in 1980 Oscar-nominated comedy Inside Moves. After appearing in the projects Our Family Business and Nurse, he was cast in TV medical drama St Elsewhere. The show helped boost the profiles of Morse and co-star Denzel Washington. He stayed with the series for six years, and went on to feature in Midnight Caller and Cross of Fire, before the 1990s brought a string of high-profile roles, including the movies Desperate Hours, The Indian Runner, Twelve Monkeys, The Rock, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Contact and The Green Mile. Over the past few years, Morse has featured on the big screen in Dancer in the Dark, Hearts in Atlantis, 16 Blocks, The Hurt Locker, Mother and Child and Collaborator and on TV in Hack, House, John Adams, Medium and Treme.

Career: He made his first TV appearances in 1974 with roles in long-running sitcom All in the Family and hit detective show The Rockford Files. His first film, Murder by Death, was released two years later. He continued to work in theatre, films and TV, cropping up in The Man with Two Brains, Revenge of the Nerds and Dream West, before landing an Oscar nomination for Babe in 1995. The film made him a famous face, and since then, he's starred in Star Trek: First Contact, The People vs Larry Flynt, Babe: Pig in the City, The Green Mile, Space Cowboys, and I, Robot.

Career: In 1994, a Miller Ice beer commercial finally enabled him to quit his other jobs to concentrate on his acting career, which culminated in him having five movies out by 1996. In 1997 he found himself the star of another critically lauded film, Lawn Dogs. He had larger parts in two of the bigger hit movies to emerge in 1999: The Green Mile and Galaxy Quest, wowing audiences and critics alike. Big-budget films such as Charlie's Angels gave way to more subtle independent films like Welcome to Collinwood and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. More recent roles include Moon, Iron Man 2, Conviction, Cowboys & Aliens, Seven Psychopaths and The Way, Way Back.

Career: Almost 50 years after making his film debut in Tomahawk Trail, he has appeared in more than 150 projects, including Revolt at Fort Laramie, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Have Gun - Will Travel, Rawhide, The Fugitive and The Wild Wild West. He's also featured in cult films Cool Hand Luke, Kelly's Heroes, The Godfather Part II, Alien, Escape From New York, Pretty in Pink, Paris, Texas, Repo Man and The Green Mile. Popped up in Ant and Dec vehicle Alien Autopsy and had a recurring role on US drama Big Love.