The Day the Earth Stood Still

Keanu Reeves (Actor) .. Klaatu

Born: September 02, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon

Best Known For: The Matrix.

Early-life: Keanu Charles Reeves, whose first name means 'cool breeze over the mountains' in Hawaiian, was born in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 2, 1964. His mother, Patricia, was a showgirl; his father, Samuel Nowlin Reeves, was a geologist. After his parents' marriage dissolved, Keanu moved with his mother and younger sister Kim to New York City, then Toronto. He eventually dropped out of school to pursue an acting career.

Career: After a few stage gigs and a handful of made-for-TV movies, he scored a supporting role in the Rob Lowe hockey flick Youngblood (1986), which was filmed in Canada. His first popular success came in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure three years later. He then showed his range with more dramatic roles in My Own Private Idaho and Much Ado About Nothing. He truly hit the big time with action flick Speed and struck box-office gold again a few years later with the Wachowski siblings' cyber-adventure The Matrix and its sequels. Reeves' first film as director, Man of Tai Chi, was released in 2013.

Quote: 'What would happen if you melted? You know, you never really hear this talked about much, but spontaneous combustion? It exists!'

Trivia: In 2005, Reeves received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Jennifer Connelly (Actor) .. Dr Helen Benson

Born: December 12, 1970 in New York

Best Known For: A Beautiful Mind.

Early-life: Jennifer Lynn Connelly was born in New York on December 12, 1970 to Ilene and Gerard. Jennifer began modelling for print advertisements from a young age and her mother took her to acting auditions. Her introduction to movie-making was playing an aspiring dancer in Sergio Leone's gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America (1984). While filming Once Upon a Time in America, she also made her first small-screen appearance in an episode of British TV series Tales of the Unexpected.

Career: Connelly's first leading role was in Phenomena (1985), where she played a girl who could communicate with insects. She followed this up with Seven Minutes in Heaven (1985). She first came to the public's attention after starring in Jim Henson's Labyrinth (1986). She went on to star in a number of films during the 1980s and 1990s, including Some Girls (1988), The Rocketeer (1991), Mulholland Falls (1996) and Inventing the Abbots (1997). More recently, Connelly gave an Oscar-winning performance in A Beautiful Mind (2001) and featured in Hulk (2003), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), The Dilemma (2011), Salvation Boulevard (2011), Winter's Tale (2014) and Noah (2014).

Quote: 'I so much enjoy being able to completely allow myself to be consumed by a role, and really grow in the process, once you've done that, it's hard to go back working on things you don't care about.'

Trivia: She is fluent in French and Italian.

Kathy Bates (Actor) .. Regina Jackson

Born: June 28, 1948 in Memphis, Tennessee

Best Known For: Breaking James Caan's ankles in Misery.

Early-life: Born Kathleen Doyle-Bates on June 28, 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee, the youngest of three sisters. Her father, Langdon, was a mechanical engineer, while her mother, Bertye, was a housewife. She became hooked on acting at an early age and, after graduating from White Station High School in Memphis, enrolled at Dallas's Southern Methodist University. She originally intended to study English, but opted for theatre instead. Her parents weren't supportive of her career choice at first, but changed their minds after seeing her on stage.

Career: During the 1970s, Bates concentrated on New York stage work. Her first film was 1971's Taking Off, and she continued to work steadily on TV and in movies until her big break in 1990's Misery. She won an Oscar for her portrayal of a psychotic nurse in the production. Bates disrobed for the films At Play in the Fields of the Lord and About Schmidt (which also landed her an Oscar nomination), and won acclaim for Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and Primary Colors. She's also appeared in Titanic, Dolores Claiborne and The Waterboy. She had a lead role in David E Kelley's American TV legal comedy-drama Harry's Law.

Quote: 'Every time an Oscar is given out, an agent gets his wings.'

Trivia: Bates has fought ovarian cancer and breast cancer.

Jaden Smith (Actor) .. Jacob Benson

Born: July 08, 1998 in Malibu, California

John Cleese (Actor) .. Professor Barnhardt

Born: October 27, 1939 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset

Best Known For: Monty Python and Fawlty Towers.

Early-life: Born John Marwood Cleese on October 27, 1939, in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, the son of an insurance salesman who had changed the family name from Cheese. At school, Cleese was captain of the cricket team, but by the age of 13, his interest in comedy had developed and he kept a notebook of jokes. In 1960, he began studying law at Cambridge and joined the famous Footlights entertainment troupe, where he met Graham Chapman.

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.

Quote: 'My mum died at the age of 101, and just towards the end, as she began to run out of energy, she did actually stop trying to tell me what to do most of the time.'

Trivia: He published his autobiography, So, Anyway, in 2014.

Jon Hamm (Actor) .. Michael Granier

Born: March 10, 1971 in St Louis, Missouri

Best Known For: Playing Don Draper in Mad Men.

Early-life: Jonathan Daniel Hamm was born in March 1971 in Missouri. His parents split up when he was two, and he was raised by his mother until her death from cancer when he was 10. He studied theatre at college, but took jobs as a waiter and a teacher before moving to LA in 1995. It took five years of hard graft before Hamm landed his first TV role, as a firefighter in the TV series Providence.

Career: In 2001, Hamm was asked to feature in a play, which then evolved into the critically acclaimed Kissing Jessica Stein. Around the same time he landed a small role in the comedy Space Cowboys. A series of recurring TV roles in shows such as Providence, The Division, What About Brian and The Unit boosted his CV, before he finally landed the role of Don Draper in Mad Men. In 2008, Hamm won the Golden Globe for his performance in the period drama. His film credits include The Day the Earth Stood Still, A Single Man, Sucker Punch, Friends with Kids and Million Dollar Arm. On the small screen, he has also starred in Black Mirror.

Quote: 'I'm not the kind of actor that craves attention 24-7 - but it's part of the deal. You're the leader on the set.'

Trivia: He voices the character Herb Overkill in Minions (2015).

Kyle Chandler (Actor) .. John Driscoll

James Hong (Actor) .. Mr Wu

Scott Derrickson (Director)

4:50 pm - 6:55 pm, Saturday, March 7 on Film4 (14)

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