Career: While working in a department store in LA, Lansbury met a casting director through her mother. He offered her a role in the 1944 film Gaslight; she was just 18, but it landed her an Oscar nomination. Roles in National Velvet, Blue Hawaii and Bedknobs and Broomsticks followed. She gained further Academy Award nominations for The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Manchurian Candidate. She's also worked extensively on stage, winning a record five Tony Awards. But it was playing Jessica Fletcher in the long-running TV series Murder, She Wrote, that turned her into a household name. More recently, Lansbury has appeared in Nanny McPhee and Mr Popper's Penguins.

Career: Rooney starred as Mickey McGuire between 1927 and 1934, then began appearing in full-length films. He signed to the studio MGM, where he was partnered with Judy Garland for several pictures. He found fame as the character Andy Hardy, playing the role in 18 films until 1946, and made a big-screen name for himself aged 18 when he starred opposite Spencer Tracy in 1938's Boys Town. After working on military radio during the Second World War, Rooney found his career had stalled and he moved into TV and radio work. He created a successful stage show with his wife Jan, and was still working into his nineties. The films made in the twilight of his career included Night at the Museum, The Yesterday Pool and Driving Me Crazy. He made his British pantomime debut in 2007 when he played Baron Hardup in Cinderella. He reprised the role in 2009. Although he never really regained star status, his diligence and longevity earned him several honorary awards and other recognition. He died in Los Angeles on April 6, 2014 at the age of 93.