Career: Myers was snapped up by Toronto's Second City comedy ensemble on the day of his final high school exam in 1981. He later moved to the UK, where he did stand-up and had a regular slot on The Wide Awake Club. In 1989 he began a six-year stint on Saturday Night Live, where he created Wayne's World. Two hit film versions followed, but it was the three Austin Powers movies which really made him a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood, although his magic touch deserted him in The Love Guru, a film that was panned by critics and struggled at the box office. On a more positive note, he lent his voice to Shrek in all four hugely successful Shrek movies.

Career: For the next few years, Walken appeared in musical productions. After 1966's Barefoot in Athens, small roles in The Anderson Tapes and Annie Hall followed. His big break came in 1978 when he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for The Deer Hunter. He's been in demand ever since. Other films include A View to a Kill, Batman Returns, True Romance, Pulp Fiction and Catch Me If You Can. He continues to be an in-demand character actor, excelling in both comedy and serious drama. Dancing in Fat Boy Slim video Weapon of Choice introduced him to a new generation of fans. More recent work includes Wedding Crashers, Man of the Year, Hairspray and Seven Psychopaths.

Career: Basinger was constantly in demand throughout the 1970s, but hated modelling so began taking acting lessons and sang under the stage name Chelsea. In 1976, she moved to Los Angeles and appeared on TV, most notably in an episode of Charlie's Angels. Her movie debut came in 1981's Hard Country. She had bigger roles in Never Say Never Again, The Natural and Nine 1/2 Weeks - the latter made her a star. Basinger famously pulled out of the 1993 film Boxing Helena; the resulting court case cost her so much money that she was declared bankrupt. She won an Oscar for 1997's LA Confidential; other major projects include Batman, Wayne's World 2, The Getaway, Cellular, 8 Mile, Charlie St Cloud and Grudge Match.

Career: After the war, Heston worked as a model and honed his skills while running a theatre in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1947, he made his Broadway debut in Antony and Cleopatra. His first film was 1950's Dark City. Other major movies include Ben-Hur (for which he won an Oscar), Touch of Evil, The Big Country, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Ten Commandments, Planet of the Apes and Earthquake. He also appeared in The Colbys, Wayne's World 2, and provided a voice for Cats and Dogs. Heston died of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills on April 5, 2008, at the age of 84.

Career: Started out in commercials as a child, appeared in two TV movies, then hit the big time as Gertie in ET when she was just seven. In the same year, 1982, she became the youngest person to host Saturday Night Live. She missed out on a role in Poltergeist, but starred in Firestarter, See You in the Morning and Far from Home. She found it difficult to make the transition to adult roles, but gained plaudits for 1992's Poison Ivy. Bad Girls and a short but attention-grabbing turn in Scream helped her cause, before The Wedding Singer made her a major star all over again. Since then, Barrymore has appeared in such hits as Ever After, Never Been Kissed, Donnie Darko, two Charlie's Angels movies, 50 First Dates and Going the Distance. She is also a respected producer and has branched out into directing with 2009's critically admired Whip It.