Named one of 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2014 and is among the highest-paid actresses in the world.

One of the New York theater world's most honored actresses and a winner of every major prize for her work on Broadway and off.

Hugely successful stand-up comic, actor, and author, who at one time had the #1 TV series, movie, and best-selling book in the country.

Beloved star of such classics as The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins; gifted with an astounding 4-octave singing voice.

Academy Award-winning actor (for Little Miss Sunshine) and acclaimed director, producer, author, singer and composer.

Fast-talking original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on Saturday Night Live (1975–1979).

Prolific film and TV actor and famous for the concept of interconnectedness via the game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon".

Renowned for his ability to physically transform himself in service of disappearing into his character.

First melted filmgoers' hearts at the age of 6 in Steven Spielberg's beloved blockbuster E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

One-time Breck Girl model who made her mark in Hollywood as Vicki Vale in the blockbuster hit Batman.

Multi-talented southern actress who rose from cashier and waitressing stints to acclaimed star of such films as Misery and Titanic.

Four-time Academy Award nominee for The Grifters, American Beauty, Being Julia, and The Kids Are All Right.

Her combination of looks, talent, and tenacity propelled her from beauty pageant queen phenom to acclaimed actress.

Actor, musician, and cult idol; known for both his flamboyant film characters and as one of the driving forces of Tenacious D.

Rose to fame as the wholesome preacher's daughter on the WB's longest-running family drama, 7th Heaven.

Regal and elegant, she ascended to the ranks of Hollywood stardom with her Academy Award-nominated turn as Queen Elizabeth.

The best-known Shakespearean actor of the late 20th century, he began his career in London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

He made his film debut as an infant in the arms of his real mother Dorothy, in the 1950 melodrama The Company She Keeps.

Youngest-ever Best Actor Oscar winner, for his performance in Roman Polanski's The Pianist at the age of 29.

Has won over filmgoers and critics alike with her wholesome, buoyant portrayals of ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances.

As the nephew of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, Cage altered his last name to avoid accusations of nepotism

British icon in the 1960s, leading action star in the late '70s, and knighted in 1993, Michael Caine has built an amazing career.

Offbeat, off-kilter, outlandish actor with a strangely childish comic persona, enhanced by deceptively straight-laced looks.

One of the most popular film stars in the world, he came from an impoverished Hong Kong family.

Acclaimed character actor of stage, screen, and television, he often steals the scenes in which he appears.

Born into a lower-income California family, she escaped poverty by entering show business as a go-go dancer at the age of 16.

One of Britain's best-known actors, writers, and comedians, he is most famous for his work with Monty Python.

This son of journalist Nick Clooney and nephew of singer Rosemary Clooney has always had show business in his blood.

Brainy and beautiful, she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in A Beautiful Mind.

Truly a Superstar of Superstars, he was born into a middle-class Scottish family in the first year of the worldwide Depression.

After spending his youth on his father's cattle ranch, it's not surprising that he often plays cowboys and ranchers.

Earthy and modern, with the glamorous aura of a silent-era film starlet, she has achieved fame in her home country of France.

One of the Britain's most famous stars, he waited tables as a struggling teenage actor, and went on to star as James Bond.

This Oscar winner is equally at home in tough guy roles such as L.A. Confidential (1997) and gentler roles such as Proof (1991).

Studied ballet at Spain's Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid and volunteered at Mother Theresa's mission in Calcutta.

The daughter of film stars Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, she launched her film career as a "scream queen" in horror movies.

The son of actor Richard Cusack and brother of actress Joan Cusack, he started his career at the age of 8.

Known for playing darkly eccentric characters, he's one of the screen's more provocative, distinctive, and engaging actors.

This model-turned-actress seemed to come out of nowhere in 1994 when she debuted opposite Jim Carrey in The Mask.

He went from obscure actor to Hollywood golden boy when he and Ben Affleck co-wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting.

Audiences have watched since 1994 as she matured from awkward teen to one of the most popular actresses of her generation.

This former Victoria's Secret model and MENSA member earned her place in Hollywood by playing quirky protagonists.

One of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, he's won an unprecedented three Best Actor Oscars.

One of Britain's most respected and popular actresses, her career encompasses the stage, screen, and television.

A former teen idol, he survived the perils of adolescent heartthrob status to earn a reputation as a respected adult actor.

Specializes in portraying characters who are simultaneously obnoxious jerks yet somehow, amazingly, lovable.

From relatively humble beginnings, few actors in the world have had careers as successful and diverse as his.

Hailed by many critics as one of the most brilliant and versatile actors of his generation.

One of Hollywood's most versatile, charismatic, and energetic leading men for more than 40 years.

Starting with Bonnie & Clyde, she helped usher in a new golden era in American films, appearing in many of the greatest films of the '70s.

One of the leading actors of her generation, she made her name in teen films without becoming typecast in the teen film ghetto.

One of Hollywood's most distinguished, popular, and versatile actors, he's able to totally immerse himself in his roles.

With his rugged good looks and icon status, he's long been one of the few actors whose name on a marquee virtually guaranteed a hit.

Known for his superhero roles as the Marvel Comics characters Steve Rogers / Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

One of Ireland's best rising stars, with memorable roles ranging from failing writer, to conflicted hit man, to Alexander the Great.

A member of the SNL Screen Actors Guild, he made his film debut as one of the amazingly clueless brothers in A Night at the Roxbury.

Got her start with fluffy '60s sitcoms before growing steadily into a respected and Academy Award winning actress.

One of the highest profile actors in the world, he's made his indelible mark in such films as Schindler's List and the Harry Potter series.

Part of the "Brit Pack" of rising, young British actors in the late '80s, his films have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide to date.

Won great acclaim and an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ike Turner in the Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got to Do With It.

If he'd listened to studio heads early in his career, he'd still be a carpenter and never become one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

One of the most popular black comedians of the late '90s, he was born Eric Marlon Bishop in the small town of Terrell, Texas.

His enviable versatility allows him to be equally convincing in comedies, dramas, and adventure films alike.

He rose to fame and a beloved place in American culture as part of the cast of the 1970s children's program The Electric Company.

Anxious yet likable, this character actor is the son of Yale president and Major League Baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti.

Best known as an action hero in such movies as the Lethal Weapon cop series, and the first three installments of Mad Max.

Tall, gangly, and oddly handsome, he's an unlikely heart throb, but for women fond of eccentric intellectuals, he fills the bill perfectly.

With a talent as hefty as his girth, he's proven himself as both a distinguished character actor and an engaging leading man.

The daughter of a former ship captain, she knew she wanted to act after witnessing a performance by stage actress Hazel Dawn.

He escaped his humble Bristol environs and tumultuous home life by joining a troupe of acrobats, where he became a stilt-walker.

His classic good looks make him a shoo-in for romantic leads, but he's also justly famous for his comic abilities and eccentricities.

Show business and the arts run strongly in her family — her parents are filmmakers and her brother is, like her, a successful actor.

One of America's leading actors, he spent much of his childhood moving about with his father, who was an itinerant cook.

Son of a convicted murderer, veteran of multiple arrests, and tireless proponent of hemp, he's colorful even by Hollywood standards.

With his sharp blue-eyed gaze and blue-collar demeanor, he has a quiet charisma and electric intensity that can erupt without warning.

Her first big screen gig, in The Princess Diaries, was also her breakthrough, and she became familiar to millions of moviegoers.

He was a favorite in his native country in his pre-teens, starring in Australian TV shows like Neighbours and Home and Away.

Magical screen presence and tireless crusader for children's rights, she was one of the most enduring screen icons of the 20th century.

One of the most original, versatile, and prolific actors in Hollywood, he made a name for himself playing dysfunctional characters.

Daughter of Goldie Hawn, she bears a distinct resemblance to her famous mother in both looks and performance vivacity.

A precociously talented child star, she was drawing paychecks as a TV actress from the age of ten.

A star in his native Australia thanks to his TV work, he became known in America via his role as Logan/Wolverine in the X-Men movies.

After a series of character parts in the '80s, he emerged in the '90s as one of the most prominent and respected actors in Hollywood.

Universally regarded as one of the sexiest women in Hollywood, she has actually been acting professionally since the age of eight.

He earned an enduring place in the zeitgeist with his portrayal of Matthew Broderick's outwitted foe in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

An eighth-generation Texan, he attended Harvard University, where he roomed with future U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Though she trained for an operatic career, she found her most gainful employment in musical comedy and revue work.

After rising to fame in a series of Woody Allen comedies, she went on to enjoy a successful film career as an actress and as a director.

Equally adept at thoughtful drama and over-the-top comedy, he has a knack for giving ordinary guys an idiosyncratic twist.

Once trapped in decorative parts, she spent the latter half of the '90s and the new millennium earning much-deserved critical respect.

Brilliant and chameleon-like, he can play just about anyone, from Nazi war criminals to Jewish Holocaust survivors to quiet bookshop owners.

Despite his obvious talent, it wasn't until his amazing performance as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors that the world took notice.

One of those rare actors whose onscreen characterizations are not overshadowed by his offscreen antics.

He decided in his preteen years to launch himself as an actor, and stories abound concerning how far he was willing to go to that end.

The daughter of an acting coach and nightclub singer/centerfold, she made her stage debut at the tender age of six.

First came to international attention for his performance in Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Ledger received numerous posthumous accolades for his critically acclaimed performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

A private school-educated everyman who could play outrageous comedy and wrenching tragedy, his career spanned 50 years.

Dreamy eyed and radiating a kind of lo-fi intensity, he was a natural for the Thoughtful Young Man roles he made his name with.

One of the leading actors of his generation and an important figure in world cinema, he is renowned for his trademark "icy calm".

Given to playing shambling, cantankerous cynics, his jowly features and seedy, rumpled demeanor were his calling cards.

Blessed with stylish good looks worthy of fashion magazines, she started on Canadian TV before rising to Hollywood features.

One of the few to win acting's Triple Crown: an Oscar (for Fargo), a Tony (for Good People), and an Emmy (for Olive Kitteridge).

Rocketed to fame thanks to his turns as a heroin addict in Trainspotting and as young Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode I.

The ultimate thinking man's sex symbol, she's also one of the most respected actresses of British stage, screen, and television.

Had a successful modeling career with plans to pursue a path in journalism, before switching to a successful acting career.

The daughter of a military judge and a social worker, she's proven herself adept in both blockbusters and smaller, more cerebral films.

Among the most successful and unpredictable SNL alums, forging an eccentric career spanning low-brow slapstick farce and adult drama.

With charismatic versatility and quiet forcefulness, he lays claim to being one of the most compelling actors of the late 20th century.

A classic anti-hero, he helped define the new breed of Hollywood star — rebellious, contentious and fiercely non-conformist.

Won almost instant stardom with his film debut in 1996's Primal Fear, with a chilling performance as an altar boy accused of murder.

Whether playing a punk rocker, an assassin, a war vet, or a ghoul, he amazes viewers with his ability to disappear into his roles.

Blessed with immense talent, he chalked up one of the most formidable and heatedly honored acting resumes of the 20th century.

One of a handful of stars who, though best known for his art house films, can handle more mainstream films with equal grace and skill.

Volcanic and intense, he's one of Hollywood's premier actors — whose list of credits includes many of the finest films of his era.

Her breakthrough role came in 2007 when she played the title character in Jason Reitman's comedy film Juno (2007).

Justly acclaimed for her classic beauty, she had to toil for years before earning respect for her acting talent.

He began his career under the name of "Leaf," and lived for a long time in the shadow of his older brother, River.

Son of a trucking company manager, he was raised in Missouri, the oldest of three children, and brought up in a strict Baptist home.

From his 1950 debut onward, he's been considered one of the most brilliant Canadian actors of his generation.

With an Oscar before she was 30, she's emerged as one of the most promising actresses of her generation.

The providential intervention of a close friend at a key moment made all the difference for this handsome, high-flying actor.

One of the few child stars to successfully transition to adult roles, she's been impressing audiences since debuting in 1990's Mermaids.

While he made his name playing ruthless villains, he proved himself equally remarkable in romantic, comic, and good-guy dramatic roles.

He tapped into his skills as a comedian when he was just 13, signing up for comedy classes and honing his deadpan style.

As a youth, he aspired to follow the footsteps of his father, who, in addition to being a big league baseball player, was also an actor.

Initially getting her start on television, Ryan became a star with her titular role in the smash 1989 comedy When Harry Met Sally.

Though his polarizing antics divide audiences, his films have performed consistently well at the box office despite critical disfavor.

Will forever be associated with the '70s "American film renaissance" thanks to The French Connection, Klute, Jaws, and All That Jazz.

Has always said that the secret to a successful career is not taking off like a rocket, but to "always keep the engine running."

Is there a theatergoer or film fan alive who hasn't, at some point, fallen in love with this sublimely brilliant British comedic actress?

His formidable success in many industry arenas demonstrate without question that he qualifies as a "Renaissance man."

Enigmatic and brilliant, he says that "The less you know about me, the easier it is to convince you that I am that character on screen."

Curly haired and sandy-voiced, she's a natural when it comes to playing Southerners, because she hails from the South herself.

A quintessential Everyman who parlayed his easygoing persona into one of the most successful and honored careers in film history.

As the son of comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, his decision to pursue a career as a comic writer and actor surprised almost no one.

Her combination of deadpan comic timing and undeniable beauty made her an instant hot property in Hollywood.

Widely considered the most gifted film actress of the late 20th century, she represents the essence of onscreen dramatic art.

American audiences first caught this suave and dashing British actor in the hallucinatory Beatles drama Across the Universe (2007).

Bearing the most enjoyably sinister face this side of Vincent Price, he made his name in some of the most influential films of the '70s.

From the honed subtleties he has shown in supporting roles, to his screen command as a star, he's covered abundant ground.

She won both acclaim and recognition for her lead role in Kimberly Peirce's searing independent drama Boys Don't Cry.

As legend has it, she was discovered by an agent while fighting with a bank manager on Hollywood Boulevard.

One of the first ladies of contemporary British stage and cinema, she's won equal acclaim for her work as an actress and a screenwriter.

Noted as much for her near otherworldly beauty as her considerable talent, she's one of the most renowned actresses of her age.

As Vinnie Barbarino, a dim-witted high school Lothario, he shot to overnight superstardom in the Welcome Back Kotter series in 1975.

His strong yet genial features and 6'4" physique appear to have been carved from an outsized slab of testosterone.

He made a successful transition from music to film, garnering particular early praise for his role in Boogie Nights.

A versatile character actor whose intense demeanor and slightly off-kilter delivery serve him well in both comedies and dramas.

One of Hollywood's most magnetic leading men, his poise, presence, and radiantly sane intelligence permeate whatever film he's in.

English actress known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, acting in the eight feature films from 1999 to 2011.

She first earned notice as a promising newcomer in David Lynch's Cannes Film Festival prizewinner Mulholland Drive in 2001.

Best known for her portrayal of the steel-jawed, alien-butt-kicking space crusader Ellen Ripley, from the four Alien movies

A British actress whose name and darkly alluring looks effortlessly conjure up Eastern European exoticism.

He got his big break when he appeared in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money (both in 1986).

A volatile energy, a mad spark in the eye, and a tendency to explode into manic hilarity lies beneath his milquetoast mannerisms.

She first came to the public's attention as bad girl Jen Lindley in the television series Dawson's Creek (1998).

An improvisational master with a style comparable to Danny Kaye, his words would rush forth in torrents of manic energy.

Well known for playing wisecracking or hard-edged characters, often in spectacular action films.

His brilliantly quirky acting work exudes an insouciant yet earnest charm and eccentric comic sensibility.

One of a handful of actresses who carries such a wellspring of inner grace and presence that they seem destined for celebrity from birth.

One of the most formidably talented members of the New Hollywood, she can do far more than pose winsomely for the camera.

This one-time child performer has grown up to be one of the most well-respected and steadily working actors of his generation.

Her first major film role came in the horror sequel Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994).

Both exotic and classic, this Wales-born actress began acting as a child and by 18 was performing professionally in London's West End.