Career: After deciding to become an actor, Stallone struggled to find decent roles. After running out of money and being made homeless he appeared in soft-porn flick The Party at Kitty and Stud's and had bit parts in several mainstream movies before writing Rocky. He persuaded producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler to not only buy it, but also let him star in it. The film was a massive success, won three Oscars and was followed by five sequels. He's directed several other movies and had hits with the Rambo series, Cliffhanger and Cop Land. Other films include a remake of Get Carter, Paradise Alley and Judge Dredd. More recently he's starred alongside other macho stars in The Expendables and its sequel. He was also behind TV series The Contender.

Career: In 1992, Banderas made his Hollywood debut with The Mambo Kings. Because he didn't then speak English, his dialogue was taught to him phonetically. He shot to international fame with his sensitive performance as Tom Hanks' lover in Philadelphia, then played opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire in 1994. He established himself as one of Hollywood's leading men after co-starring with Madonna in Evita in 1996. In 1998 he won acclaim for his performance in Zorro, opposite Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and later returned to the role in The Legend of Zorro. In 1999 he made his directorial debut in Crazy in Alabama and showed his comic ability as the voice of Puss in Boots in the Shrek franchise and its spin-off. He is a hugely busy actor.

Career: Gugino had a recurring role in the soap opera Falcon Crest and played Michael J Fox's love interest during the first season of the sitcom Spin City. She is perhaps best known for playing family matriarch Ingrid Cortez in three Sky Kids films (2001-2003). She played the title role in short-lived crime drama Karen Sisco and played the lead role in another short-lived project, sci-fi drama Threshold. More recently, she has starred on the big screen in Watchman (2009), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Sucker Punch (2011), Mr Popper's Penguins (2011) and San Andreas (2015). Her TV credits include recurring roles in Californication, Political Animals, Wayward Pines, and The Brink.

Career: It was in Vancouver where Marvin met his future comedy partner Tommy Chong. As part of Cheech & Chong, Marin released a number of comedy albums and starred in several movies during the 1970s and 1980s. After the duo parted ways in 1985, Marin went on to star in a number of films, including Born in East LA, Tin Cup, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and appeared in the TV series The Golden Palace, and Nash Bridges. He has also voiced characters in several Disney animated films such as The Lion King and the Cars movies. Cheech & Chong reunited in 2008 for a comedy tour and lent their voices in 2013 to Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie.

Career: Clooney lived with his aunt Rosemary while attending auditions, working as her chauffeur. His TV debut was 1984's Riptide, following it up with, ironically, a short-lived sitcom called ER. A string of disastrous projects followed before medical drama ER turned him into a major star in 1994. After five years Clooney left to concentrate on films. Projects include O Brother Where Art Thou?, Three Kings, The Perfect Storm, Intolerable Cruelty, Out of Sight, Ocean's Eleven, Up in the Air, The American and Gravity. Clooney's directorial debut was Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and he has backed numerous projects as a producer. Away from showbusiness, he is involved with humanitarian causes.

Career: Buscemi's early roles included several in experimental theatre, co-written by himself and fellow actor/writer Mark Boone Jr. He also appeared in Miami Vice, The Equalizer, and films The Way It Is, Tommy's and Parting Glances. He received excellent reviews for the latter, which led to parts in Lonesome Dove and New York Stories. He's since become a stalwart of indie movies thanks to his scene-stealing appearances in Reservoir Dogs, Miller's Crossing, Fargo and The Big Lebowski. Bigger-budget films include Armageddon, Con Air and The Wedding Singer. Buscemi has also written, directed, and produced several projects, and appeared in TV show The Sopranos. More recently he's played Enoch "Nucky" Thompson in acclaimed drama Boardwalk Empire, for which he won a Golden Globe in 2011.

Career: Hayek made her name in Mexican TV through soap operas such as Un Nuevo Amanecer, and Teresa. She hit the big time when director Robert Rodriguez cast her in 1995 adventure Desperado. She subsequently appeared in From Dusk Till Dawn, Dogma, Wild Wild West and Timecode. She also produced and starred in acclaimed biopic Frida, and was Oscar-nominated for her role as the titular artist Frida Kahlo. In 2005, she directed a music video for Prince, and the following year, was executive producer and occasional star on Ugly Betty. Her more recent films have included Across the Universe, Grown Ups, Puss in Boots and The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists.

Career: Wood's first film was Back to the Future Part II in 1989, and he quickly gained larger roles in the likes of Avalon, Forever Young, The Adventures of Huck Finn and The Good Son. North was a huge flop in 1994, and Flipper didn't fare much better, but 1997's The Ice Storm enabled him to prove he could make the transition from child roles to more mature projects. Deep Impact and The Faculty followed, but it was The Lord of the Rings trilogy that turned him into a global superstar. Since then he's appeared in such acclaimed productions as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Everything Is Illuminated and Sin City. He appeared in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Frodo Baggins in 2012. From 2011 to 2014, he starred in FX TV comedy Wilfred.