Career: While still a bodybuilder, Sean was offered the chance to appear in a West End production of South Pacific, which kick-started his acting career. His film debut came in 1955's Lilacs in the Spring, but he didn't become a major star until he appeared as Bond in 1962's Dr No. It remains his most famous role, despite hits including The Man Who Would Be King, Rising Sun, A Bridge Too Far, Time Bandits, Highlander, The Rock, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Entrapment. He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for The Untouchables in 1987.

Career: Basinger was constantly in demand throughout the 1970s, but hated modelling so began taking acting lessons and sang under the stage name Chelsea. In 1976, she moved to Los Angeles and appeared on TV, most notably in an episode of Charlie's Angels. Her movie debut came in 1981's Hard Country. She had bigger roles in Never Say Never Again, The Natural and Nine 1/2 Weeks - the latter made her a star. Basinger famously pulled out of the 1993 film Boxing Helena; the resulting court case cost her so much money that she was declared bankrupt. She won an Oscar for 1997's LA Confidential; other major projects include Batman, Wayne's World 2, The Getaway, Cellular, 8 Mile, Charlie St Cloud and Grudge Match.

Career: In 1973, von Sydow was cast in The Exorcist, which became one of his biggest hits to date. He didn't land another career-defining role until 1980 when he played Ming the Merciless in a much loved version of Flash Gordon. A string of hit-and-miss movies followed, including Conan the Barbarian, Never Say Never Again, Dune and Hannah and Her Sisters. He also turned his hand to directing in 1988 with the movie Ved vejen. In recent years he made a return to the world of blockbusters with Minority Report and Rush Hour 3, and also added dramatic weight to TV series The Tudors. His recent work includes Shutter Island, Robin Hood, and Truth & Treason.

Career: Fox was an extra in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (which featured his brother James), and had a bigger role in 1963's This Sporting Life, the same year he made his TV debut in Suspense. He quickly became famous in the UK thanks to Edward & Mrs Simpson, The Jokers, The Portrait of a Lady, Oh! What a Lovely War, and The Go-Between, but it was The Day of the Jackal in 1973 which brought him international acclaim. Since then, Fox has appeared in A Bridge Too Far, The Duellists, Gandhi, Never Say Never Again, A Passage to India, Lost in Space, Stage Beauty and Oliver Twist. He continues to act on stage.

Career: Atkinson's first professional success came in 1978 via the radio show The Atkinson People; it was co-written by Curtis and produced by Griff Rhys Jones. He then became part of the Not the Nine O'Clock News team before creating the character of Edmund in The Black Adder 1983. The sitcom ran for four series and a number of specials. He also created the affable idiot Mr Bean, who appeared in a number of one-off TV specials and two hugely successful films. Other projects include Johnny English and its sequel, The Thin Blue Line, The Witches, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Rat Race. Atkinson also appeared at the Olympics opening ceremony and returned to the West End stage to star in Quartermaine's Terms. He was awarded a CBE in 2013.