Career: Shallow Grave kick-started McGregor's film career in 1994, then Trainspotting made his name on both sides of the Atlantic two years later. He went on to make Brassed Off, A Life Less Ordinary, Little Voice and the three Star Wars prequels. He formed production company Natural Nylon with friends Jonny Lee Miller, Sean Pertwee, Jude Law and Sadie Frost, but that has since disbanded. Other movies include Moulin Rouge!, Black Hawk Down, Young Adam, Big Fish, Deception, Angels & Demons, The Ghost and Mortdecai. The prolific actor always has a number of films in the pipeline, and occasionally tackles theatre work.

Career: Bremner is best known for his portrayal of Spud in Danny Boyle's film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting (1996). Since then, he has had roles in Julien Donkey-Boy (1999), Snatch (2000), Pearl Harbor (2001), Black Hawk Down (2001), Alien vs Predator (2004), Around the World in 80 Days (2004), Death at a Funeral (2007), Snowpiercer (2013), Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) and Get Santa (2015).

Career: Carlyle co-founded the Raindog theatre group in Glasgow in 1990 and his big break came in the same year when director Ken Loach cast him in the film Riff-Raff. Four years later, he won a Scottish Bafta for his performance as murderer Albie Kinsella in a three-part episode of Cracker. The lead role in Hamish Macbeth followed in 1995. He caught Hollywood's attention after appearing in Trainspotting and The Full Monty. He has also starred in Plunkett and Macleane, Angela's Ashes, The Beach, Bond film The World Is Not Enough, and The 51st State, as well as 28 Weeks Later.

Career: Made his TV debut in a 1983 adaptation of Mansfield Park. He then had small roles in Itch, Inspector Morse, Keeping Up Appearances, and Prime Suspect 3. He spent a year in EastEnders as Jonathan Hewitt, then made movies Hackers and Trainspotting, which introduced him to a wider audience. Although he hasn't enjoyed the same success as friends Jude Law and Ewan McGregor, Miller remains at the forefront of young British actors. His other credits include Regeneration, Plunkett and Macleane, Love, Honour and Obey, and Byron. Since 2012, he has had a lead role in the American drama Elementary.

Career: After studying engineering at an Edinburgh College he switched to drama. He landed a part before the course ended, in the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow. Other roles followed, including his breakthrough performance as the ill-fated Tommy in Trainspotting. Subsequent movies have included Regeneration, Hideous Kinky, Dog Soldiers and Mike Leigh's Topsy Turvy. On TV he has played Anna Karenina's love interest, Count Vronsky, in Channel 4's classic adaptation, and more recently, Mary Queen of Scots' lover in Gunpowder, Treason & Plot.

Career: Macdonald thought about going to drama school, but changed her mind when an open audition led to her landing the role of schoolgirl temptress Diane in Trainspotting. Her nude scene with Ewan McGregor brought her lots of attention and led to roles in Stella Does Tricks, Cousin Bette, and Elizabeth. Her most impressive performance to date came in Oscar-winning drama Gosford Park in 2001, alongside the likes of Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon. She will be seen on the big screen later this year with Colin Farrell in Intermission, and Johnny Depp in Neverland.

Career: During his time at university, Mullan began acting, and continued after graduating. His CV includes appearances in hit films including Riff-Raff (1991), Shallow Grave (1994), Trainspotting (1996), Braveheart (1995), My Name Is Joe (1998), for which he won Best Actor at Cannes, and On a Clear Day (2005). Mullan also has plenty of small-screen appearances to his name, including the Channel 4 drama Boy A. An accomplished director, his most famous work is 2002 offering The Magdalene Sisters, which he also scripted. His other acting work includes Red Riding, The Fixer and Steven Spielberg's War Horse (2011). His most recent directing work is Neds, a project that won the best film award at the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2010. In 2013, he starred in the miniseries Top of the Lake.