Velvet Goldmine

Christian Bale (Actor) .. Arthur Stuart

Born: January 30, 1974 in Haverfordwest

Best Known For: Portraying Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.

Early-life: Christian Charles Philip Bale was born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on January 30, 1974. He has three older sisters. His father was a commercial pilot, his mother a circus dancer. Performing runs in the family - his grandfather was a comedian and children's entertainer, while his great uncle was an actor and John Wayne's stand-in for two movies. Christian was raised in England, Portugal and California, and made his acting debut in a cereal commercial in 1983.

Career: At the age of 10, Christian made his West End debut in The Nerd, opposite Rowan Atkinson. He was hand-picked from 4,000 auditionees to take the lead role in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun in 1987. Unlike many child stars, he has successfully made the transition to serious grown-up actor. Films since include Little Women, The Portrait of a Lady, Velvet Goldmine, American Psycho, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Shaft, Reign of Fire, Equilibrium and The Machinist. His status soared after playing Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins and its sequels. His other recent films have included The Prestige, 3:10 to Yuma, Terminator Salvation, Public Enemies, The Fighter (for which he won an Oscar) and American Hustle.

Quote: 'What the hell kind of man decides to dress up as a bat and run around the city? There's got to be something a little bit loose in there.'

Trivia: Bale lost a more than four stone to play the emaciated lead character in The Machinist, then had to bulk up immediately for his role in Batman Begins.

Ewan McGregor (Actor) .. Curt Wild

Born: March 31, 1971 in Crieff, near Perth, Scotland

Best Known For: Trainspotting and Star Wars.

Early-life: Ewan Gordon McGregor was born on March 31, 1971, in Perth, Scotland, and was raised in nearby Crieff. He's the son of two teachers and the nephew of actor Denis Lawson. His brother is a former RAF pilot. His parents encouraged him to leave school at 16 to do whatever made him happy. Inspired by his uncle, he studied drama for a year at Kirkcaldy in Fife, before joining London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Shortly before graduating, he landed a role in Dennis Potter's 1993 series Lipstick on Your Collar.

Career: Shallow Grave kick-started McGregor's film career in 1994, then Trainspotting made his name on both sides of the Atlantic two years later. He went on to make Brassed Off, A Life Less Ordinary, Little Voice and the three Star Wars prequels. He formed production company Natural Nylon with friends Jonny Lee Miller, Sean Pertwee, Jude Law and Sadie Frost, but that has since disbanded. Other movies include Moulin Rouge!, Black Hawk Down, Young Adam, Big Fish, Deception, Angels & Demons, The Ghost and Mortdecai. The prolific actor always has a number of films in the pipeline, and occasionally tackles theatre work.

Quote: 'Film-making is like a series of problems that need to be solved. And the excitement, the adrenaline that you get from making a small film is that you all have to pull together. I love that.'

Trivia: Away from movies, he is active in several charities, including UNICEF, and has travelled the globe alongside pal Charley Boorman in the Long Way series.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Actor) .. Brian Slade

Born: July 27, 1977 in Dublin

Best Known For: The Tudors.

Early-life: Born Jonathan Michael Francis O'Keefe on July 27, 1977, in Dublin. Meyers is his mother's maiden name. He's the oldest of four brothers. He suffered from a serious heart problem at birth and spent the first few months of his life in hospital. When he was three, his musician father left home. Jonathan was then raised by his mother with one of his siblings, while his other two brothers lived with their father. At 16, he was expelled from school.

Career: Meyers was spotted playing pool and invited to audition for a film role. He didn't get it, but was encouraged to try acting as a career. His first role was in A Man of No Importance in 1994, but it was Michael Collins two years later than got him noticed. He's worked steadily since, first gaining public attention with Velvet Goldmine in 1998, despite the film's critical failure. TV series Gormenghast was his first major success, while Bend it Like Beckham launched him in the US. Since then he's played the lead in Elvis, and The Tudors, as well as roles in Alexander, Match Point and Mission: Impossible III. He is currently playing the lead role in TV horror drama Dracula.

Quote: 'I think I'd really like to be someone who would be known for being a nice guy.'

Trivia: His first acting work was in a commercial at the age of 15 for which he was paid £500.

Toni Collette (Actor) .. Mandy Slade

Born: November 01, 1972 in Sydney, Australia

Best Known For: Playing the lead in Muriel's Wedding.

Early-life: Antonia Collette was born on November 1, 1972, in Sydney, Australia, the first of three children to truck driver Bob and his wife Judy, a customer service representative. After leaving school at 16, she enrolled in the National Institute of Dramatic Arts, and supported herself by delivering pizzas. After studying for 18 months, she left to star in the Russell Crowe movie Spotswood. She was nominated for the Australian Film Institute plaudit of Best Supporting Actress.

Career: In 1994, Collette landed the lead role in Muriel's Wedding, gaining 40 lbs for the part. She made her Hollywood debut in hit-and-miss 1995 comedy The Pallbearer. However, her Oscar-nominated role in The Sixth Sense really put her on the map in Tinseltown. Toni has also appeared in Shaft, About a Boy and won critical acclaim for her work in 2006 comedy drama Little Miss Sunshine. Later projects include Tsunami: The Aftermath, The Black Balloon, and Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger. Between 2009 and 2011 she starred in the American comedy drama United States of Tara in a role that saw her win an Emmy and Golden Globe. Away from acting, she also plays in her band Toni Collette and the Finish.

Quote: 'The better you know yourself, the better your relationship with the rest of the world.'

Eddie Izzard (Actor) .. Jerry Devine

Born: February 07, 1962 in Aden, Yemen

Best Known For: His whimsical stand-up routines.

Early-life: Born Edward John Izzard on February 7, 1962, in Aden, Yemen, while his father was on business there for BP. His mother was a midwife who died of cancer in 1968, after which he and his older brother, Mark, were sent to boarding schools. The family moved around a lot, living in Northern Ireland, then South Wales, before settling in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex. After attending boarding school, he studied accountancy at Sheffield University, but dropped out. He claims that by four he knew he was a transvestite, and by seven that he wanted to be an actor.

Career: Izzard was a street performer before tackling stand-up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and London's comedy clubs. He then began touring the country. Sell-out gigs led to acting roles. He's since become a star in the US and his movie credits include Velvet Goldmine, Mystery Men, Shadow of the Vampire, Ocean's Twelve and Thirteen, My Super Ex-Girlfriend and Valkyrie. He starred alongside Minnie Driver in two seasons of US drama The Riches. Izzard also played Grandpa in Mockinbird Lane, a revamp of classic series The Munsters, and has had a regular role in Hannibal. He continues to tour with his stand-up routines.

Quote: 'I can go from blokey to girlie in 15 minutes and then I'm out the door. But that's the fastest I can do it. Becoming a woman takes work.'

Trivia: He won a special BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2009 after raising money for Sport Relief by completing 43 marathons in 51 days despite having no prior history of running.

Emily Woof (Actor) .. Shannon

Michael Feast (Actor) .. Cecil

Micko Westmoreland (Actor) .. Jack Fairy

Todd Haynes (Director)

11:25 pm - 01:50 am, Friday, July 24 on Film4 (14)

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