Career: Within five years of his big-screen debut, Cruise was one of the hottest actors of his generation, having starred in the likes of Risky Business and Top Gun. The likes of Rain Man, The Color of Money, Interview with the Vampire and Days of Thunder followed. He has also turned his hand to producing and made the smart move of taking a share of several of his film's profits, making him one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. Recent hits include Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Jack Reacher, Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow. He has been Oscar-nominated three times, for his performances in Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire and Magnolia, but has yet to win. His next major film is Mission: Impossible 5.

Career: Over the next three years, she honed her acting skills in such low-budget independent films as The Last Supper, Feeling Minnesota, and Head Above Water. She returned to mainstream films in My Best Friend's Wedding, in which she held her own against veteran actress Julia Roberts. She earned full-fledged star status in 1998 for her performance in the box office smash There's Something About Mary. Since then she's had top billing in such smashes as Charlie's Angels, Gangs of New York and Knight and Day, provided the voice of Princess Fiona in the Shrek movies and TV specials and gained critical acclaim for her performance in Being John Malkovich. She reunited with former boyfriend Justin Timberlake on the big screen in 2011 in Bad Teacher.

Career: Davis had guest roles in a number of TV shows before landing a part in short-lived medical drama City of Angels. Her career received a boost in 2001 when she won a Tony Award for her work on Broadway in King Hedley II. She won a second Tony award in 2010 for her role in Fences. Two years earlier, she starred on the big screen in Doubt (2008), a role that garnished her an Oscar nomination. She received her second Oscar nomination for her performance in The Help (2011). More recently, she has starred in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011), Prisoners (2013) and Ender's Game (2013).

Career: Sarsgaard made his movie debut in Dead Man Walking (1995) alongside Sean Penn. He followed this up with roles in a number of independent films. His first big role came in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998). He enjoyed critical praise for Boys Don't Cry (1999) and his first leading role came in The Center of the World (2001). He went on to reach wider audiences in the likes of K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Shattered Glass (2003), Garden State (2004), Kinsey (2004), Jarhead (2005), Flightplan (2005), An Education (2009), Orphan (2009), Knight and Day (2010), Green Lantern (2011), Lovelace (2013) and Blue Jasmine (2013). On the small screen, he had a main role in the third season of American crime drama The Killing.

Career: Dano was 17 when he appeared in his first major film, L.I.E. (2001). He rose to prominence in 2006 when he starred in Little Miss Sunshine. He went on to play identical twin brothers in There Will Be Blood (2007), for which he earned a Bafta nomination. More recently, he has starred in Knight and Day (2010), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), Looper (2012), Prisoners (2013), 12 Years a Slave (2013) and Love & Mercy (2014).