Career: Pacino made his film debut in 1969's Me, Natalie, but it was his performance as a junkie in The Panic in Needle Park two years later that prompted director Francis Ford Coppola to cast him as Michael Corleone in The Godfather. The film was a huge hit and earned Pacino his first Oscar nomination. He followed it up with more hits including Serpico (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and Scarface (1983), but as his movie career appeared to be on the wane during the 1980s, he took a break to return to the theatre. He returned to the screen in 1989 with Sea of Love and, after seven previous nominations, went on to win an Oscar for Scent of a Woman (1992). He continues to combine movies, TV, theatre and directing work - recent projects include Danny Collins (2015) and Misconduct (2016).

Career: Williams started out as a stand-up comedian, making his TV debut in 1977 on The Richard Pryor Show. His big break came playing the alien Mork in Happy Days, and its hugely successful spin-off Mork and Mindy. Movie success was difficult to come by, despite starring roles in Popeye and The World According to Garp. His first box-office hit was 1987's Good Morning Vietnam. Success in Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, Awakenings and Mrs Doubtfire followed. He was also the voice of the genie in Disney's popular animated film Aladdin. He went on to win an Academy Award for Good Will Hunting in 1997. He followed that up with critically acclaimed fare such as Insomnia and One Hour Photo, and a one-man Broadway show. His other film credits include the Night at the Museum franchise. He returned to TV in 2013 in the sitcom The Crazy Ones. After a long battle with depression, he took his own life on August 11, 2014, at the age of 63.

Career: In California, Swank enrolled in South Pasadena High School and started acting professionally. In 1997, she was cast as a single mother on Beverly Hills, 90210. After her part was cut, she auditioned for the role of Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry. Many critics hailed hers as the best female performance of 1999, and she won the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Actress. She won the same Oscar five years later, for playing a female boxer in 2004's Million Dollar Baby, a role for which she underwent extensive training and gained 19 pounds of muscle. Her recent work includes Conviction (2010), New Year's Eve (2011), Mary and Martha (2013) and The Homesman (2014).

Career: Tierney's acting career took a while to take off. She landed parts in TV series The Van Dyke Show and 704 Hauser, but both shows were cancelled after a few episodes. However, in 1995 she won a role in the successful US sitcom NewsRadio, while her performances in the films Primal Fear, Liar Liar, and Forces of Nature brought her to the attention of UK audiences. In 2000, she joined the cast of ER as Abby Lockhart, and was nominated for an Emmy award the following year. She's also appeared in the movies Insomnia and Welcome to Mooseport. Her recent output includes Semi-Pro, Baby Mama, Finding Amanda, Rescue Me, and The Whole Truth.

Career: The success of Following, made for £3,000, led to Nolan directing Memento (2000), which he co-wrote with his brother Jonathan. The film was a box-office success and was nominated for two Academy Awards. He followed this up with box-office success Insomnia (2002). In 2005, he rebooted the Batman franchise with Batman Begins. It was a critical and commercial success. The sequel, The Dark Knight (2008), cemented Nolan's position as a leading director when it took more than $1billion at the worldwide box office. His trilogy of Batman movies ended with The Dark Knight Rises (2012), which also generated more than $1billion at the box office. Nolan has also had success with The Prestige (2006), Inception (2010) and Interstellar (2014).