Anna and the King

Jodie Foster (Actor) .. Anna Leonowens

Born: November 19, 1962 in Los Angeles

Best Known For: Winning Oscars for The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs.

Early-life: Born Alicia Christian Foster in Los Angeles on November 19, 1962, but nicknamed Jodie by her three older siblings. Her father was a US Air Force officer-turned-real estate agent who left his wife, Brandy, before Jodie was born. She made her professional debut aged three in an advert; her first film, Disney movie Napoleon and Samantha, came seven years later. After her appearance in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Martin Scorcese cast her as teen prostitute Iris in Taxi Driver, for which she received her first Oscar nomination in 1977. Other early roles came in Bugsy Malone and Freaky Friday. She briefly turned her back on Hollywood to study literature and film at Yale University.

Career: Foster resumed her career after graduating, but failed to match her success as a child star until she won an Oscar in 1989 for her portrayal of a rape victim in The Accused. She won a second Oscar for her performance in the 1991 blockbuster The Silence of the Lambs. In the same year she made her directorial debut with Little Man Tate, the story of a child prodigy. She received another Academy Award nomination for Nell and has subsequently appeared in Contact, Anna and the King, Panic Room, Flightplan, Elysium and Carnage. She's also acted in an executive capacity in a handful of projects, such as 2007's The Brave One (in which she also starred) and 2002's The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys.

Quote: "I've been in the public eye pretty much since I was conscious, and I'm sure that makes me completely neurotic."

Trivia: In 1981, John Hinckley Jr claimed he tried to assassinate then-US President Ronald Reagan in an attempt to impress Foster.

Chow Yun-Fat (Actor) .. King Mongkut

Born: May 18, 1955 in Lamma Island, Hong Kong

Best Known For: A string of thrillers, including Hard Boiled.

Early-life: Chow was born on Lamma Island, Hong Kong, on May 18, 1955. His mother was a cleaning lady, his father worked for Shell. He grew up helping his mother sell dim sum on the streets and also worked in the fields. His family later moved to Kowloon. He left school at 17 and helped support his relatives by taking a variety of jobs, working as a bellboy, postman, camera salesman and taxi driver. His life changed when he replied to a newspaper advertisement looking for actors.

Career: Chow signed a three-year deal with a local TV station, and became a star thanks to hit TV series The Bund, but it was his first collaboration with action maestro John Woo that brought him an international following. A Better Tomorrow (1986) (and its two sequels), The Killer (1988) and Hard Boiled (1992) cemented his reputation as a cult star. Hollywood flicks The Replacement Killers (1998) and The Corruptor (1999) flopped, but a remake of Anna and the King (1999) fared better. He enjoyed enormous success with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). In 2008, he starred in hit sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. His recent film credits include The Assassins (2012) and The Monkey King (2014).

Quote: "As an actor we're just like workers in a factory, we provide our services to directors. But I must do my job perfectly, and I love what I do."

Trivia: In 2008, Yun-Fat published a photo collection that included pictures taken on film sets. Proceeds from the sales of the book were donated to Sichuan earthquake victims.

Ling Bai (Actor) .. Tuptim

Tom Felton (Actor) .. Louis Leonowens

Born: September 22, 1987 in Epsom, Surrey

Best Known For: Playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series.

Early-life: Thomas Andrew Felton was born in Epsom, Surrey, on September 22, 1987 to Sharon and Peter. He is the youngest of four sons. He was a member of four school choirs. He began appearing in commercials when he was eight for the likes of Commercial Union and Barclaycard.

Career: Felton landed his first film role in 1997 when he starred in Peter Hewitt's The Borrowers. Roles followed in the TV movie Second Sight and Hollywood film Anna and the King (1999). Felton is best known for playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series. He started his own official fan club in 2004. Since the Harry Potter films ended, Felton has starred in The Woman in Black (2012), Kill Your Darlings (2013), What If (2013) and Trainwreck (2015). He also had a recurring role in A Young Doctor's Notebook.

Quote: "Whatever life throws at me I'll take it and be grateful for it as well."

Trivia: Felton performed the voice of James in the TV series Bugs.

Syed Alwi (Actor) .. The Kralahome

Randall Duk Kim (Actor) .. Gen Alak

Lim Kay Siu (Actor) .. Prince Chowfa

Melissa Campbell (Actor) .. Princess Fa-Ying

Keith Chin (Actor) .. Prince Chulalongkorn

Mano Maniam (Actor) .. Moonshee

Andy Tennant (Director)

6:57 pm - 9:00 pm, Sunday, January 25 on Great! TV (34)

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