Career: Encouraged by a girlfriend, he made his stage debut as a stand-up comic in 1989. Foxx changed his name to something androgynous after learning that women were first on the bill at open-mic nights in comedy clubs. By 1991 he was a star in the US thanks to TV show In Living Color. His first film was 1992's Toys. Since then he's had his own, self-titled show, and featured in movies The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Any Given Sunday, Ali and Collateral. His leading role in Ray Charles biopic Ray propelled him onto Hollywood's A-list. He's also released several albums, and collaborated with Kanye West on hit single Gold Digger.

Career: The band scored a breakthrough hit in 1998 with the single No No No from their self-titled album, and had their first US number one a year later with the single Bills Bills Bills. Despite several line-up changes, the group continued to be hugely popular until they announced their split in 2005. Beyonce released her first solo album in 2003 and topped the UK single charts for the first time in the same year with Crazy in Love. She released her third solo album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, in 2008. Her fourth album, 4, was released in June 2011 debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, though its later sales were said to be disappointing. Away from singing, she's branched out into acting, starring in a hip-hop update of Carmen, Austin Powers in Goldmember, The Fighting Temptations, The Pink Panther, Dreamgirls and Cadillac Records.

Career: In 1980, Murphy became a regular on comedy show Saturday Night Live, and was a huge hit with viewers. At 21, he received his first major film role in box-office smash 48 Hours, followed by the equally successful Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop and its sequels, and Coming to America. However, his 1989 directorial debut, Harlem Nights, was a flop. His popularity received a big boost thanks to The Nutty Professor in 1996. Murphy has since appeared in that film's sequel, two Dr Dolittle movies, Bowfinger, The Haunted Mansion, Dreamgirls and lent his voice to Donkey in four Shrek films - becoming an unlikely family-friendly star along the way. He's also appeared in several flops, including The Adventures of Pluto Nash and Norbit.

Career: Following some stage work, he made his film debut in 1979's Escape from Alcatraz. Later the same year he had a small role in an episode of Lou Grant - his first TV appearance. A regular role in the series Palmerstown, USA came soon after. Other projects followed, and by the mid-1980s he was a familiar face to audiences thanks to Places in the Heart, Witness, Lonesome Dove (for which he received an Emmy nomination) and The Color Purple. The first Lethal Weapon movie made him a household name. He's appeared in all three sequels. He has also appeared in The Royal Tenenbaums and Be Kind Rewind, and gave an award-winning turn in disaster movie 2012.