Career: After making the decision to get into acting in 1956, Hackman joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California (where incidentally, he struck up a friendship with Dustin Hoffman). After performances in several off-Broadway plays, Hackman's first movie was Lilith alongside Warren Beatty, who then cast him in his breakthrough film, Bonnie and Clyde. Hackman was soon in demand, showcasing his talents in everything from comedy (in Young Frankenstein) to villainy (as Lex Luthor in Superman). He's also won two Oscars - Best Actor for The French Connection, and Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven. He retired from acting in 2004 to concentrate on writing novels.

Career: Bottle Rocket was so well-received, the writers were asked to turn it into a full-length feature. Although it wasn't a hit, it launched Wilson's acting career - his frequent collaborator Ben Stiller offered him a small role in The Cable Guy after seeing the movie. He went on to star in films including Armageddon, The Haunting, Shanghai Noon, Meet the Parents and Zoolander, although he gained more critical acclaim for co-writing Anderson's films Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, for which he was Oscar-nominated. Since then, he's taken starring roles in Starsky and Hutch, Wedding Crashers, Drillbit Taylor, Marley and Me, Midnight in Paris and Hall Pass, as well as reuniting with Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Darjeeling Limited.