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: Earned her Equity card at Manchester's Library Theatre in 1979. Two years later, she made her TV debut in sitcom Agony, while her first movie was Underworld in 1985. Her big break came later that year, playing Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain, in Dance with A Stranger, but it was the role of Queen Elizabeth I in Blackadder that made her a household name. She turned down the Glenn Close role in Fatal Attraction, and has since played numerous tough or unusual women in projects such as The Crying Game and Sleepy Hollow. Miranda provided the voice of Mrs Tweedy in Chicken Run, and gained Oscar nominations for Tom & Viv and Damage. She appeared in the acclaimed, Oscar-nominated movie The Hours, while recent offerings include The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle and Made in Dagenham. TV successes include thriller Rubicon.

Career: After minor roles in Steven Spielberg's film 1941 (1979) and a number of TV movies, Rourke first made an impact as an actor in Body Heat (1981). He went on to star in Diner (1982), Rumble Fish (1983), Nine ½ Weeks (1986), Angel Heart (1987) and Wild Orchid (1989). After falling out of favour in Hollywood, he became a professional boxer in 1991at the age of 39 and retired undefeated after eight fights in 1995. He went back to acting but starred in a number of largely forgettable movies. He returned to the spotlight in 2008 when he won a Golden Globe for his role in The Wrestler. Since then, he has appeared in Iron Man 2 (2010) and The Expendables (2010).

Career: Caine worked on stage and appeared in small roles on TV, often struggling to make ends meet. He was good friends with Terence Stamp during the early 1960s, before either became famous, and they often shared digs. Caine decided if he wasn't successful by the age of 30 he'd quit acting. Days before this milestone he landed the role in Zulu which made his name. The Harry Palmer spy movies, The Italian Job and Alfie secured his star status. Since then, he's made many films, many forgettable and, by his own admission, done for the money. Highlights include Get Carter, Sleuth (plus a remake), The Man Who Would Be King, Educating Rita, Little Voice, Mona Lisa, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Harry Brown and Interstellar. He won Oscars for Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules. He claims he will retire from showbusiness when he's 90.

Career: Cumming's cabaret act, Victor and Barry, with Forbes Masson, was critically acclaimed, winning numerous awards. TV roles quickly followed, but he continued working on the stage. Stints with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre raised his profile, as did his accolades following his film debut in the drama Prague (1992). In 1994, he starred in TV sitcom The High Life, closely followed by the movies Circle of Friends (1995), GoldenEye (1995) and Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (1997). More recently, he has worked on three Spy Kids films (2001-2003), X-Men 2 (2003), The Tempest (2010), Burlesque (2010) and TV drama The Good Wife. A firm favourite on Broadway, Cumming won a Tony Award in 1998 for playing the MC in Caberet. He returned to the role in 2014.