Career: Damon dropped out of Harvard to concentrate on acting. He struggled to get roles and made his film debut in 1988's Mystic Pizza. Playing a troubled soldier in 1996's Courage Under Fire got him noticed. A year later, Good Will Hunting, based on a story by Damon and Affleck, became a major success and won them Best Screenplay Oscars. Since then, Damon has appeared in several hits, including Saving Private Ryan, Dogma, The Talented Mr Ripley, Stuck On You, The Departed, True Grit, Invictus and the Ocean's Eleven and Bourne franchises. He is now among the world's most bankable stars.

Career: Blunt made her TV debut in 2003 in Boudica, and in the same year, she starred on the small screen in two-part drama Henry VIII. She received praise for her performance in the critically acclaimed low-budget British film My Summer of Love and won a Golden Globe for her role in Stephen Poliakoff's TV drama Gideon's Daughter. Her rise to international prominence began in 2006 when she starred on the big screen opposite Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada. Notable films since then have included Charlie Wilson, The Young Victoria, Gnomeo & Juliet, The Adjustment Bureau, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, The Muppets, The Five-Year Engagement, Looper and Edge of Tomorrow.

Career: Stamp and his flatmate Michael Caine struggled to make ends meet for years. Then, in 1962, Stamp landed the title role in the film Billy Budd, for which he gained an Oscar nomination. He became one of the faces of the 1960s thanks to his roles in the likes of The Collector, Poor Cow, and Far from the Madding Crowd. He rarely worked during the 1970s, preferring to spend time in India. He returned to form playing the villainous General Zod in Superman and its sequel. Since then, Stamp has appeared in such movies as The Hit, Wall Street, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace, Bowfinger and The Limey. More recent work includes Get Smart, Valkyrie, The Adjustment Bureau and Song for Marion.

Career: Mackie made his film debut in 8 Mile (2002) and his first starring role was in Brother to Brother (2004). In the same year, he played the lead role in Spike Lee's box-office flop She Hates Me and starred in the Oscar-winning movie Million Dollar Baby. He went on to play rapper Tupac Shakur in Notorious (2009) and received critical acclaim for his role in The Hurt Locker (2009). He has successfully made the transition to big-budget Hollywood movies and his recent credits include The Adjustment Bureau (2011), Real Steel (2011), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012), Gangster Squad (2013), The Fifth Estate (2013), Runner Runner (2013) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).

Career: His first break as an actor came in 1988 when he landed a role in Dirty Dozen: The Series. He has worked steadily ever since. His TV credits include China Beach, Homefront, Law & Order, Will & Grace, Sex and the City, Jack & Bobby, Arrested Development, Desperate Housewives and 30 Rock. In 2007, he began playing Roger Sterling in the critically acclaimed AMC drama Mad Men. His film credits include Traffic (2000), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Iron Man 2 (2010) and The Adjustment Bureau (2011).