Career: On a visit to Los Angeles, Depp met Nicolas Cage who took him to see his agent. Depp made his movie debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street, but didn't become a star until the TV series 21 Jump Street. Despite gaining fame via the series, he quit to concentrate on offbeat movies. He has since gained critical acclaim in Edward Scissorhands (where he began his long association with director Tim Burton), Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood, Blow, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Finding Neverland, Chocolat, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and the Pirates of the Carribean movies - he received his first Oscar nomination for his role in the original film. He always has a number of films in the pipeline and his recent movies include Alice in Wonderland, The Tourist, Dark Shadows, The Lone Ranger and Transcendence.

Career: Rush's film debut was a bit part in 1981's Hoodwink and he didn't have a major role on the big screen until he played Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night six years later. He had a small role as a dentist in a 1993 episode of Lovejoy, but his big break came in 1996 with Shine, for which he won an Academy Award. He has received further nominations for Shakespeare in Love (1998), Quills (2000) and The King's Speech (2010). His other film credits include Elizabeth (1998), The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004), Munich (2004) and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Throughout his film career, Rush has continued to work on the stage.

Career: In 1999, two days after graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he landed the role of Legolas in Peter Jackson's hugely successful The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Bloom's other film credits include Black Hawk Dawn (2001), Ned Kelly (2003), The Calcium Kid (2004), Troy (2004), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), The Three Musketeers (2011), Zulu (2013) and Romeo and Juliet (2014). He reprised the role of Legolas in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (2014).

Career: By the age of seven, Knightley had made her TV debut in the drama Royal Celebration, but during the 1990s, she was only allowed to act during the summer holidays. Her first high-profile role was playing Natalie Portman's handmaiden in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, but it was Bend It Like Beckham that proved to be her breakthrough. In the same year, she appeared in a mini-series version of Doctor Zhivago, and in 2003 featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, and Love Actually. Subsequent films have included King Arthur, Pride and Prejudice (for which she was Oscar-nominated), two of the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, Atonement, The Duchess, Never Let Me Go, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Begin Again, and Say When.

Career: Nighy honed his craft at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre in the 1970s. He made his TV debut in 1980 in sitcom Agony. His first film, Eye of the Needle, came a year later. He has juggled acclaimed stage appearances with TV and film work. His role as a randy lecturer in 1991's The Men's Room made him a heart-throb, but he didn't become familiar to audiences until a string of hits beginning with 1998's Still Crazy, followed by Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, State of Play, and Love Actually. He also starred in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, Stormbreaker and Underworld: Evolution. Other projects include Valkyrie, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, The Boat That Rocked, G-Force, Wild Target. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and playwright David Hare's Worricker trilogy.

Career: Hollander read English at Cambridge where fellow student Sam Mendes directed him in several plays (including a controversial staging of Cyrano de Bergerac) before graduating. He spent nine months as a toy demonstrator at Hamley's before theatre work began rolling in. He won the Ian Charles Award for his performance in The Way of the World in 1992, and hasn't looked back since. When encouraged to try films, he appeared in True Blue and Some Mother's Son and while the films got mixed responses, Hollander stood out as their true star. He went on to appear in Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence, Gosford Park, The Lost Prince, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pride and Prejudice, In the Loop, and Any Human Heart. He's also returned to the stage on numerous occasions. Hollander co-created the sitcom Rev, in which he also stars.

Career: Harris' first break came in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later (2002). In the same year, she starred in the TV adaptation of Zadie Smith's White Teeth. Since then, Harris has appeared on the big screen in A Cock and Bull Story (2005), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Miami Vice (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010). In 2012, she starred alongside Daniel Craig in the hugely popular James Bond movie Skyfall. A year later, she starred opposite Idris Elba in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013). She returned to the James Bond franchise in 2015 in Spectre.

Career: Chow signed a three-year deal with a local TV station, and became a star thanks to hit TV series The Bund, but it was his first collaboration with action maestro John Woo that brought him an international following. A Better Tomorrow (1986) (and its two sequels), The Killer (1988) and Hard Boiled (1992) cemented his reputation as a cult star. Hollywood flicks The Replacement Killers (1998) and The Corruptor (1999) flopped, but a remake of Anna and the King (1999) fared better. He enjoyed enormous success with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). In 2008, he starred in hit sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. His recent film credits include The Assassins (2012) and The Monkey King (2014).

Career: Richards and Jagger renewed their friendship after meeting on a train. They began playing in the same group which, following various line-up and name changes, became The Rolling Stones. By 1965, they were international superstars. Richards released solo single Run Rudolph Run in 1978, and had more success with album Talk is Cheap 10 years later. He still releases solo work, but the Stones remain his major project, and they continue to perform at sell-out concerts around the globe. He was also the inspiration for Johnny Depp's performance in Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and made an appearance as Captain Jack's father in the third instalment of the franchise.

Career: Verbinski followed up the success of Mouse Hunt with action comedy The Mexican (2001) and horror film remake The Ring (2002), which grossed more than $200million worldwide. His big break came in 2003 when he directed Johnny Depp in the hugely popular Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. It grossed more than $650million worldwide. His next film, The Weather Man (2005), was his first box-office failure. He bounced back by directing two Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. The animated comedy western Rango followed in 2011 and box-office disaster The Lone Ranger arrived in 2013.