Career: McCormack made her film debut in little-seen Australian movie Loaded in 1994, the same year she appeared on TV for the first time in Wycliffe. Her performance in Braveheart looked set to make her a star, but instead of heading for Hollywood, she preferred to stay in Europe to make Deacon Brodie, The Land Girls, Dancing at Lughnasa, This Year's Love, and Love in the 21st Century. She has also starred in Shadow of the Vampire, Born Romantic, The Tailor of Panama and Spy Game. In 2004 she returned to TV with Gunpowder, Treason and Plot and in 2007 she appeared in horror sequel 28 Days Later.

Career: Friel made her TV debut in Alan Bleasdale's classic 1991 drama GBH, following it up with appearances in Emmerdale and Medics. She became a household name playing Beth in Brookside. Her first film, The Land Girls, was released in 1998. She turned down a US sitcom in 1999, preferring instead to make Rogue Trader and Mad Cows. Projects since have included award-winning play Closer and movies Sunset Strip, The War Bride, Me Without You, Goal! and its sequel. Her US TV comedy drama Pushing Daisies ran for two seasons. In 2009, she played the lead role in a West End adaptation of Truman Capote's novella Breakfast at Tiffany's. Since then she has starred in the films London Boulevard and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, as well as various high-profile TV roles.

Career: Following a number of low-key movies, Weisz appeared in 1996 big-screen hit Chain Reaction, then in Stealing Beauty, before more commercial success arrived with The Land Girls in 1998. She then starred in blockbuster The Mummy with Brendan Fraser, and its sequel The Mummy Returns, as well as giving critically acclaimed performances in Beautiful Creatures, About a Boy, Enemy at the Gates, Confidence, Runaway Jury, Constantine, and The Constant Gardener. More recently, she has starred in Eragon, Fred Claus, Definitely, Maybe, The Lovely Bones, The Whistleblower, Dream House and The Deep Blue Sea. Weisz occasionally appears on stage, and won an Olivier Award for her performance in a 2010 production of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Career: Mackintosh made his TV debut in 1983 series Nanny, and went on to appear in Doctor Who, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4,The Bill, Care (for which he won a Royal Television Society Award), London Kills Me, The Buddha of Suburbia, Cadfael, Blue Juice, Prime Suspect, Undercover Heart and The Land Girls. He won Best Actor at the Brussels International Film Festival for his part in gender-bending comedy Different for Girls. Theatre roles have included Brighton Beach Memoirs and My Zinc Bed. His recent work includes Underworld: Evolution (and its second sequel), Shiny Shiny Bright New Hole in My Heart, Criminal Justice, Mo, and Luther.

Career: Bettany worked steadily in theatre, but it took a back seat when the TV work poured in. Roles in Sharpe and miniseries David Copperfield helped boost his profile, but it was the leading role in indie flick Gangster No 1 which really set him on the road to stardom. The success of his next venture, medieval romp A Knight's Tale, led to Paul making his first collaboration with Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. Since then, he has featured in Dogma, reunited with Crowe for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, took the lead in romcom Wimbledon and explored his darker side in The Da Vinci Code. His recent work includes The Secret Life of Bees, The Young Victoria, Legion, and The Tourist.