Career: Ryan made her film debut in 1981's Rich and Famous, opposite Candice Bergen. She became a famous face on US TV thanks to a two-year stint on soap As the World Turns. International recognition followed her role in 1986's Top Gun. A year later, Innerspace consolidated her position as a rising star. When Harry Met Sally made her a force to be reckoned with in 1989, and since then, she's appeared in such blockbusters as Sleepless in Seattle, French Kiss, You've Got Mail and controversial thriller In the Cut. Recent projects include The Deal, My Mom's New Boyfriend and The Women.

Career: Cusack made his film debut at 16 in Class and went on become a 1980s teen film regular, starring in the likes of Sixteen Candles, Stand By Me, The Sure Thing and Say Anything, before moving on to more adult fare with the 1990 movie The Grifters. He continued to work steadily, but his career really took off again in 1997, when he starred in the blockbuster Con Air and the acclaimed Grosse Pointe Blank, which he also co-wrote and co-produced. Since then, his credits include Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, America's Sweethearts, Serendipty, 2012 and The Raven.

Career: Determined to become a serious actor, Grammer spent two years at New York's Juilliard School. He then worked in theatre before making his TV debut in 1983 miniseries Kennedy. He had a stint in soap Another World, and in 1984 began playing Dr Frasier Crane in Cheers. After Cheers ended in 1993, he launched the hugely popular spin-off series Frasier. In addition to starring in 264 editions of the sitcom, he directed more than 30 episodes. Grammer has also starred in X-Men: The Last Stand, short-lived sitcoms Back to You and Hank, and the dramas Boss and Partners. He is also the voice of Sideshow Bob in The Simpsons.

Career: A few bit parts in comedy series were to be Hank's first roles, but it was his voice that earned him the attention of The Simpsons' bosses; he has provided his vocal talents for the iconic show since its launch in 1989. Azaria's comedy credentials earned him roles in Pretty Woman and Point Blank. He would give a memorable performance in Robin Williams' The Birdcage, playing a Guatemalan cleaner named Agador Spartacus. He also had a small cameo in Along Came Polly in 2004, guested on Friends and was seen in British comedy Run Fat Boy Run, as well as Mystery Men, Godzilla and Night at the Museum 2. Azaria has four Emmys to his name and a reputation as being one of the most talented and versatile actors in the business.

Career: Her debut movie was 1989's New York Stories. Roles in Bonfire of the Vanities and TV series Loving followed. Her breakthrough year was 1994, when she starred in Interview with the Vampire, Jumanji, and Little Women. In 1996, she had a recurring role in ER and since then has become one of Hollywood's top young actresses. Dunst's most acclaimed work has been in such movies as The Virgin Suicides, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Bring It On, Spider-Man and its sequel, Mona Lisa Smile, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Wimbledon. Recent projects include romantic comedy Elizabethtown, as well as the lavish Marie-Antoinette and Spider-Man 3.

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.