Career: Brosnan's first roles came on stage at York Theatre Royal. He was chosen by Tennessee Williams to star in the West End debut of his play The Red Devil Battery Sign. He followed by his movie debut in Resting Rough in 1979. He made appearances in The Professionals, Hammer House of Horror, The Long Good Friday and Manions of America before moving to Hollywood. He was in the TV show Remington Steele for five years, which prevented him taking over from Roger Moore as 007 in 1986. Low-budget movies followed until Bond came calling again in 1995. His last 007 movie, Die Another Day, was released in 2002. He runs his own production company, Irish DreamTime. Among his best non-Bond movies are The Thomas Crown Affair remake, The Matador, Seraphim Falls, The Ghost, Love is All You Need, The Love Punch, A Long Way Down and Mamma Mia!

Career: Berry had a regular role in TV series Living Dolls in 1989, followed by a two-year stint in Dallas spin-off Knots Landing. Early films include Jungle Fever, Boomerang, and The Flintstones. She received acclaim for her performance in Bullworth in 1998, and a year later won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for playing the lead in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. Projects since include Swordfish, Die Another Day, X-Men and its sequels, and Monster's Ball, for which she won a Best Actress Oscar. In 2005, she was given a worst actress Razzie award for Catwoman - and is one of the few stars to turn up to the ceremony to accept it. Other projects include Perfect Stranger, Things We Lost in the Fire, Frankie and Alice, Could Atlas, The Call and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Career: Stevens first professional work came as a stage hand at the Chichester Festival Theatre, where he eventually won small roles. In 1992 he got his big break in TV series The Camomile Lawn and made his film debut in Orlando. He spent the next four years gaining rave reviews in theatre. Since then, he's appeared in Twelfth Night, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Photographing Fairies, Poirot, The Great Gatsby, and Cambridge Spies. He also played the young Clint Eastwood in Space Cowboys. His biggest role to date was as the villain in the James Bond movie Die Another Day. He also played the super spy himself in radio productions of Dr No and Goldfinger. He was an acclaimed Mr Rochester in an adaptation of Jane Eyre, played Prince John in the third series of Robin Hood, and has an acclaimed stage career.

Career: Cleese's showbiz break came with The Frost Report. By 1969, he and Chapman were working alongside Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam on Monty Python's Flying Circus, which made them household names. He left the group in 1972, although they reunited for several films. In 1975, Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth wrote and starred in Fawlty Towers, which was a worldwide hit. Projects since include A Fish Called Wanda, which he co-wrote, two Bond movies, and two Harry Potter films. He has also appeared in 3rd Rock from the Sun and Will & Grace. His stand-up show, The Alimony Tour, proved hugely popular in 2010; his most recent film, God Loves Caviar, was released in 2012.

Career: Dench made her professional debut with the Old Vic Company before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961, and has frequently worked on stage ever since. She became a household name in the 1980s thanks to sitcom A Fine Romance, for which she won a Bafta. She's also won the award for Four in the Morning, Talking to a Stranger, Iris, The Last of the Blonde Bombshells, Shakespeare In Love (for which she picked up an Oscar too), A Handful of Dust, Mrs Brown and A Room With a View. Other notable productions include Chocolat, Notes on a Scandal, J Edgar, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel, and several Bond movies, including Skyfall, in which she bowed out as M.

Career: Madonna was signed to Sire in 1982 as a solo performer and her eponymous debut album was released in 1983. The bubbly hit Holiday became her first top 40 single, followed by Borderline, which hit the top 10. A string of film roles followed in Desperately Seeking Susan, Dick Tracy, Body of Evidence, A League of Their Own, and a cameo appearance in Die Another Day. She also landed the coveted role of Evita, winning a Golden Globe for her performance. In her musical career, Madonna has won numerous awards with her multi-million-selling records. In 2003 she published her first children's book, The English Roses. She continues to tour and release albums.