Career: In 1992, Banderas made his Hollywood debut with The Mambo Kings. Because he didn't then speak English, his dialogue was taught to him phonetically. He shot to international fame with his sensitive performance as Tom Hanks' lover in Philadelphia, then played opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire in 1994. He established himself as one of Hollywood's leading men after co-starring with Madonna in Evita in 1996. In 1998 he won acclaim for his performance in Zorro, opposite Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and later returned to the role in The Legend of Zorro. In 1999 he made his directorial debut in Crazy in Alabama and showed his comic ability as the voice of Puss in Boots in the Shrek franchise and its spin-off. He is a hugely busy actor.

Career: Hayek made her name in Mexican TV through soap operas such as Un Nuevo Amanecer, and Teresa. She hit the big time when director Robert Rodriguez cast her in 1995 adventure Desperado. She subsequently appeared in From Dusk Till Dawn, Dogma, Wild Wild West and Timecode. She also produced and starred in acclaimed biopic Frida, and was Oscar-nominated for her role as the titular artist Frida Kahlo. In 2005, she directed a music video for Prince, and the following year, was executive producer and occasional star on Ugly Betty. Her more recent films have included Across the Universe, Grown Ups, Puss in Boots and The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists.

Career: It was in Vancouver where Marvin met his future comedy partner Tommy Chong. As part of Cheech & Chong, Marin released a number of comedy albums and starred in several movies during the 1970s and 1980s. After the duo parted ways in 1985, Marin went on to star in a number of films, including Born in East LA, Tin Cup, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and appeared in the TV series The Golden Palace, and Nash Bridges. He has also voiced characters in several Disney animated films such as The Lion King and the Cars movies. Cheech & Chong reunited in 2008 for a comedy tour and lent their voices in 2013 to Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie.

Career: Buscemi's early roles included several in experimental theatre, co-written by himself and fellow actor/writer Mark Boone Jr. He also appeared in Miami Vice, The Equalizer, and films The Way It Is, Tommy's and Parting Glances. He received excellent reviews for the latter, which led to parts in Lonesome Dove and New York Stories. He's since become a stalwart of indie movies thanks to his scene-stealing appearances in Reservoir Dogs, Miller's Crossing, Fargo and The Big Lebowski. Bigger-budget films include Armageddon, Con Air and The Wedding Singer. Buscemi has also written, directed, and produced several projects, and appeared in TV show The Sopranos. More recently he's played Enoch "Nucky" Thompson in acclaimed drama Boardwalk Empire, for which he won a Golden Globe in 2011.

Career: In 1990, Tarantino sold the script for True Romance for $50,000 and he was going to use most of this money to make a low-budget version of his screenplay for Reservoir Dogs. However, a friend of a friend showed a copy to Harvey Keitel, who raised the extra money needed to increase the budget to $1.5million. The film was released in 1992 to critical acclaim. Tarantino's second film as a director, Pulp Fiction, was a huge commercial success, winning the Palme D'Or at the Cannes film festival and an Oscar for Best Screenplay. Projects since then include From Dusk Till Dawn, Jackie Brown, the Kill Bill movies, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, and Django Unchained. He has also directed work for TV, notably earning an Emmy nomination for directing an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.