Career: After deciding to become an actor, Stallone struggled to find decent roles. After running out of money and being made homeless he appeared in soft-porn flick The Party at Kitty and Stud's and had bit parts in several mainstream movies before writing Rocky. He persuaded producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler to not only buy it, but also let him star in it. The film was a massive success, won three Oscars and was followed by five sequels. He's directed several other movies and had hits with the Rambo series, Cliffhanger and Cop Land. Other films include a remake of Get Carter, Paradise Alley and Judge Dredd. More recently he's starred alongside other macho stars in The Expendables and its sequel. He was also behind TV series The Contender.

Career: Reynolds found fame with TV series Gunsmoke and Hawk. In 1972 he became a movie star thanks to the acclaimed thriller Deliverance, while 1977's Smokey and the Bandit gave him wider appeal. He has since worked continuously with differing amounts of success on features such as The Cannonball Run, Sharky's Machine, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Striptease, as well as his own brainchild, the sitcom Evening Shade. However, it was his turn as porn mogul Jack Horner in Boogie Nights that revived his fortunes and bagged him his only Oscar nomination to date. More recently, he's appeared in The Dukes of Hazzard and alongside Adam Sandler in a remake of his own 1974 hit The Longest Yard.