Career: After his business failed, Van Dyke was a radio announcer for a local station and performed comedy routines. His popularity led to him being signed by CBS. After making his TV acting debut in The Phil Silvers Show, he hosted several long-forgotten game shows before hitting the big time with Broadway hits The Girls Against the Boys and Bye Bye Birdie. That led to The Dick Van Dyke Show, which was a smash hit and ran for five years. Among his other famous projects are Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Van Dyke and Company, and Diagnosis Murder. He continues to act.

Career: Cranston became active in local theatre but his parents had mixed feelings about their son entering the profession. In the 1980s, he began landing guest roles on a number of TV shows, including CHiPs, Loving, Airwolf, Hill Street Blues and Falcon Crest. His career continued to be built on a steady stream of guest roles until his first big break came in 2000 when he landed a recurring role as Hal in the hugely popular sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. It ran for seven seasons, clocking up 151 episodes. Two years after Malcom ended, Cranston secured what turned out to be a landmark role in AMC drama Breaking Bad as high school chemistry teacher Walter White. For his work on the series, Cranston won a Golden Globe and four Emmys. Since starring in Breaking Bad, Hollywood producers have been beating a path to his door. He has starred in The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), Drive (2011), Larry Crowne (2011), Contagion (2011), John Carter (2012), Rock of Ages (2012), Total Recall (2012), Argo (2012) and Godzilla (2014). In 2014, he won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Lyndon B Johnson in the play All the Way.