Career: Early in his career, Washington landed small parts on TV, and made his movie debut in 1981's Carbon Copy. A starring role in St Elsewhere led to bigger projects such as Cry Freedom, Glory (for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), and Mo' Better Blues. The eponymous role of Malcolm X made him a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood in 1992. Since then, he's starred in Philadelphia, Crimson Tide, The Hurricane, Training Day (picking up a Best Actor Oscar for his role as a crooked cop), American Gangster, The Book of Eli, Crimson Tide, Unstoppable, Flight, 2 Guns and The Equalizer. He continues to act on stage whenever his schedule allows.

Career: Following stints as a receptionist and photo researcher, Angela began looking for acting work in New York and one of her first appearances came in 1985 when she appeared in JE Franklin's Black Girl at Second Stage Theatre. In the same year, she made her TV debut as a prostitute in Doubletake and then gained recognition for her role in Boyz n the Hood. This was followed by starring roles in The Jacksons: An American Dream and What's Love Got to Do with It, for which she won a Golden Globe. She has worked steadily ever since, including roles in Alias and ER. More recently, she has appeared in Green Lantern, This Means War and Olympus Has Fallen.

Career: Director Spike Lee gave Lindo's career a boost by casting him as the manic-depressive numbers boss Archie in Malcolm X in 1992. Lindo went on to appear as patriarch Woody Carmichael in Lee's semi-autobiographical comedy Crooklyn two years later. He landed major supporting roles in Get Shorty, Clockers and Feeling Minnesota. In 1997, he played an angel opposite Holly Hunter in Danny Boyle's offbeat romantic fantasy A Life Less Ordinary and another mobster with a heart in Romeo Must Die. Other hits include Heist, The Cider House Rules, Gone in 60 Seconds and Domino. He also featured in American crime drama The Chicago Code, which ran for one season in 2011. He continues to perform on stage on both sides of the Atlantic.

Career: Lee's 1986 comedy She's Gotta Have It turned him into an overnight sensation. Made on a shoestring budget, the film went on to gross more than $7million. He followed it up with mainstream comedy School Daze, but his 1989 movie Do The Right Thing became one of the most acclaimed of the decade. He helped turn Samuel L Jackson into a star with Jungle Fever, and delivered an ambitious biopic of Malcolm X in 1992. Other projects include Crooklyn, Clockers, Girl 6, Summer of Sam and 25th Hour. In 2006, he directed When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, a documentary about how Hurricane Katrina changed the lives of residents in New Orleans. His made a follow-up in 2010 with God is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise.