Favorite Actors

Matthew Paige Damon was born on October 8, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Kent Damon, a stockbroker, realtor and tax preparer, and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, an early childhood education professor at Lesley University. Matt has an older brother, Kyle, a sculptor. His father was of English and Scottish descent, and his mother is of Finnish and Swedish ancestry. The family lived in Newton until his parents divorced in 1973, when Damon and his brother moved with his mother to Cambridge. He grew up in a stable community, and was raised near actor Ben Affleck.

Damon attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and he performed in a number of theater productions during his time there. He attended Harvard University as an English major. While in Harvard, he kept on skipping classes to pursue acting projects, which included the TNT original film, L'école de la vie (1990), and prep-school drama, La différence (1992). It was until his film, Geronimo (1993), was expected to be a big success that he decided to drop out of university completely. Arriving in Hollywood, Matt managed to get his first break with a part in the romantic comedy, Mystic Pizza (1988). However, the film did not do too well and his film career failed to take off. Not letting failure discourage him from acting, he went for another audition, and managed to get a starring role in La différence (1992). Up next for Matt was a role as a soldier who had problems with drug-addiction in the movie, À l'épreuve du feu (1996). Matt had, in fact, lost forty pounds for his role which resulted in health problems.

The following year, he garnered accolades for Will Hunting (1997), a screenplay he had originally written for an English class at Harvard University. Will Hunting (1997) was nominated for 9 Academy Awards, one of which, Matt won for Best Original Screenplay along with Ben Affleck. In the year 1998, Matt played the title role in Steven Spielberg's film, Il faut sauver le soldat Ryan (1998), which was one of the most acclaimed films in that year. Matt had the opportunity of working with Tom Hanks and Vin Diesel while filming that movie. That same year, he starred as an earnest law student and reformed poker player in Les Joueurs (1998), starring opposite Edward Norton and John Malkovich. The next year, Matt rejoined his childhood friend, Ben Affleck and fellow comedian, Chris Rock, in the comedy Dogma (1999).

Towards the end of 1999, Matt played "Tom Ripley", a working-class young man who tastes the good life and will do anything to live it. Both Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow also starred in the movie. Le talentueux Mr. Ripley (1999) earned mixed reviews from critics, but even so, Matt earned praise for his performance. Matt lent his voice to the animated movie, Titan A.E. (2000) in the year 2000, which also earned mixed reviews from the public. He also starred in two other movies, De si jolis chevaux (2000) and the golf comedy-drama, La légende de Bagger Vance (2000), starring alongside Will Smith. In the year 2003, he signed on to star in The Informant! (2009) by Steven Soderbergh and the Farrelly Brothers' Deux en un (2003). He also starred in Gerry (2002), a film he co-wrote with his friends, Gus Van Sant and Casey Affleck. One of Matt's most recognizable work to date is his role in the "Bourne" movie franchise. He plays an amnesiac assassin, "Jason Bourne", in La Mémoire dans la peau (2002), La Mort dans la peau (2004) and La Vengeance dans la peau (2007). Another praised role is that as "Linus Caldwell" in the "Ocean's" movie franchise. He had the opportunity to star opposite George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Don Cheadle in Ocean's Eleven (2001). The successful crime comedy-drama eventually had two other sequels, Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's 13 (2007). Among other highly acclaimed movies that Matt has been a part of are Terry Gilliam's Les Frères Grimm (2005), George Clooney's Syriana (2005), Martin Scorsese's Les Infiltrés (2006) and Robert De Niro's Raisons d'état (2006).

In his personal life, Matt is now happily married to Argentine-born Luciana Damon, whom he met in Miami, where she was working as a bartender. They married in a private civil ceremony on December 9, 2005, at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau. The couple have four daughters Alexia, Luciana's daughter from a previous relationship, as well as Isabella, Gia and Stella. Matt is a big fan of the Boston Red Sox and he tries to attend their games whenever possible. He has also formed great friendships with his Ocean's co-stars, George Clooney and Brad Pitt, whom he works on charity projects with. He and actor Ben Affleck have remained lifelong friends and collaborators.

Jason Statham was born in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, to Eileen (Yates), a dancer, and Barry Statham, a street merchant and lounge singer. He was a Diver on the British National Diving Team and finished twelfth in the World Championships in 1992. He has also been a fashion model, black market salesman and finally of course, actor. He received the audition for his debut role as Bacon in Arnaques, crimes et botanique (1998) through French Connection, for whom he was modeling. They became a major investor in the film and introduced Jason to Guy Ritchie, who invited him to audition for a part in the film by challenging him to impersonate an illegal street vendor and convince him to purchase fake jewelry. Jason must have been doing something right because after the success of Arnaques, crimes et botanique (1998) he teamed up again with Guy Ritchie for Snatch : Tu braques ou tu raques (2000), with co-stars including Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina and Benicio Del Toro. After Snatch : Tu braques ou tu raques (2000) came Turn It Up (2000) with US music star Ja Rule, followed by a supporting actor role in the sci-fi film Ghosts of Mars (2001), Jet Li's The One (2001) and another screen partnership with Vinnie Jones in Carton rouge (2001) under Guy Ritchie's and Matthew Vaughn's SKA Films. Finally in 2002 he was cast as the lead role of Frank Martin in Le Transporteur (2002). Jason was also in the summer 2003 blockbuster remake of L'or se barre (1969), Braquage à l'italienne (2003), playing Handsome Rob.

Throughout the 2000s, Statham became a star of juicy action B-films, most significantly Hyper Tension (2006) and Hyper Tension 2 (2009), and also Rogue - L'ultime affrontement (2007), opposite Jet Li, and Braquage à l'anglaise (2008) and Course à la mort (2008), among others. In the 2010s, his reputation for cheeky and tough leading performances led to his casting as Lee Christmas in Expendables : Unité spéciale (2010) and its sequels, the comedy Spy (2015), and as (apparently) reformed villain Deckard Shaw in Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Fast & Furious 7 (2015), Fast & Furious 8 (2017), and Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw (2019). Apart from these blockbusters, he continued headlining B-films such as Homefront (2013).

In 2017, he had his first child, a son with his partner, model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Thomas Jeffrey Hanks was born in Concord, California, to Janet Marylyn (Frager), a hospital worker, and Amos Mefford Hanks, an itinerant cook. His mother's family, originally surnamed "Fraga", was entirely Portuguese, while his father was of mostly English ancestry. Tom grew up in what he has called a "fractured" family. He moved around a great deal after his parents' divorce, living with a succession of step-families. No problems, no alcoholism - just a confused childhood. He has no acting experience in college and credits the fact that he could not get cast in a college play with actually starting his career. He went downtown, and auditioned for a community theater play, was invited by the director of that play to go to Cleveland, and there his acting career started.

Ron Howard was working on Splash (1984), a fantasy-comedy about a mermaid who falls in love with a business executive. Howard considered Hanks for the role of the main character's wisecracking brother, which eventually went to John Candy. Instead, Hanks landed the lead role and the film went on to become a surprise box office success, grossing more than $69 million. After several flops and a moderate success with the comedy Dragnet (1987), Hanks' stature in the film industry rose. The broad success with the fantasy-comedy Big (1988) established him as a major Hollywood talent, both as a box office draw and within the film industry as an actor. For his performance in the film, Hanks earned his first Academy Award nomination as Best Actor.

Hanks climbed back to the top again with his portrayal of a washed-up baseball legend turned manager in Une équipe hors du commun (1992). Hanks has stated that his acting in earlier roles was not great, but that he subsequently improved. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hanks noted his "modern era of movie making ... because enough self-discovery has gone on ... My work has become less pretentiously fake and over the top". This "modern era" began for Hanks, first with Nuits blanches à Seattle (1993) and then with Philadelphia (1993). The former was a blockbuster success about a widower who finds true love over the radio airwaves. Richard Schickel of Time magazine called his performance "charming", and most critics agreed that Hanks' portrayal ensured him a place among the premier romantic-comedy stars of his generation.

In Philadelphia, he played a gay lawyer with AIDS who sues his firm for discrimination. Hanks lost 35 pounds and thinned his hair in order to appear sickly for the role. In a review for People, Leah Rozen stated, "Above all, credit for Philadelphia's success belongs to Hanks, who makes sure that he plays a character, not a saint. He is flat-out terrific, giving a deeply felt, carefully nuanced performance that deserves an Oscar." Hanks won the 1993 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia. During his acceptance speech, he revealed that his high school drama teacher Rawley Farnsworth and former classmate John Gilkerson, two people with whom he was close, were gay.

Hanks followed Philadelphia with the blockbuster Forrest Gump (1994) which grossed a worldwide total of over $600 million at the box office. Hanks remarked: "When I read the script for Gump, I saw it as one of those kind of grand, hopeful movies that the audience can go to and feel ... some hope for their lot and their position in life ... I got that from the movies a hundred million times when I was a kid. I still do." Hanks won his second Best Actor Academy Award for his role in Forrest Gump, becoming only the second actor to have accomplished the feat of winning consecutive Best Actor Oscars.

Hanks' next role - astronaut and commander Jim Lovell, in the docudrama Apollo 13 (1995) - reunited him with Ron Howard. Critics generally applauded the film and the performances of the entire cast, which included actors Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan. The movie also earned nine Academy Award nominations, winning two. Later that year, Hanks starred in Disney/Pixar's computer-animated film Toy Story (1995), as the voice of Sheriff Woody. A year later, he made his directing debut with the musical comedy That Thing You Do! (1996) about the rise and fall of a 1960s pop group, also playing the role of a music producer.

As of 2022, Hanks is 66-years-old. He has never retired from acting, and has remained active in the film industry for more than four decades.

Vikram is an Indian film actor, voice actor and a playback singer. He made his debut in the 1990 film En Kadhal Kanmani, which was followed by a series of Tamil and Telugu films and supporting roles in few Malayalam films throughout the early decade. After the critical and commercial success of Sethu (1999) he has been part of numerous other commercially successful films and has earned major critical acclaim for many of his performances. During his years in the Indian film industry, he has won five Filmfare Awards as well as one National Film Award for Best Actor.

John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II was born on June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky, to Betty Sue Palmer (née Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a civil engineer. He was raised in Florida. He dropped out of school when he was 15, and fronted a series of music-garage bands, including one named 'The Kids'. When he married Lori A. Depp, he took a job as a ballpoint-pen salesman to support himself and his wife. A visit to Los Angeles, California, with his wife, however, happened to be a blessing in disguise, when he met up with actor Nicolas Cage, who advised him to turn to acting, which culminated in Depp's film debut in the low-budget horror film, Les Griffes de la nuit (1984), where he played a teenager who falls prey to dream-stalking demon Freddy Krueger.

In 1987 he shot to stardom when he replaced Jeff Yagher in the role of undercover cop Tommy Hanson in the popular TV series 21 Jump Street (1987). In 1990, after numerous roles in teen-oriented films, his first of a handful of great collaborations with director Tim Burton came about when Depp played the title role in Edward aux mains d'argent (1990). Following the film's success, Depp carved a niche for himself as a serious, somewhat dark, idiosyncratic performer, consistently selecting roles that surprised critics and audiences alike. He continued to gain critical acclaim and increasing popularity by appearing in many features before re-joining with Burton in the lead role of Ed Wood (1994). In 1997 he played an undercover FBI agent in the fact-based film Donnie Brasco (1997), opposite Al Pacino; in 1998 he appeared in Las Vegas Parano (1998), directed by Terry Gilliam; and then, in 1999, he appeared in the sci-fi/horror film Intrusion (1999). The same year he teamed up again with Burton in Sleepy Hollow : La Légende du cavalier sans tête (1999), brilliantly portraying Ichabod Crane.

Depp has played many characters in his career, including another fact-based one, Insp. Fred Abberline in From Hell (2001). He stole the show from screen greats such as Antonio Banderas in the finale to Robert Rodriguez's "mariachi" trilogy, Il était une fois au Mexique... Desperado 2 (2003). In that same year he starred in the marvelous family blockbuster Pirates des Caraïbes : La Malédiction du Black Pearl (2003), playing a character that only the likes of Depp could pull off: the charming, conniving and roguish Capt. Jack Sparrow. The film's enormous success has opened several doors for his career and included an Oscar nomination. He appeared as the central character in the Stephen King-based movie, Fenêtre secrète (2004); as the kind-hearted novelist James Barrie in the factually-based Neverland (2004), where he co-starred with Kate Winslet; and Rochester in the British film, Rochester, le dernier des libertins (2004). Depp collaborated again with Burton in a screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel, Charlie et la Chocolaterie (2005), and later in Alice au pays des merveilles (2010) and Dark Shadows (2012).

Off-screen, Depp has dated several female celebrities, and has been engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss. He was married to Lori Anne Allison in 1983, but divorced her in 1985. Depp has two children with his former long-time partner, French singer/actress Vanessa Paradis: Lily-Rose Melody, born in 1999 and John Christopher "Jack" III, born in 2002. He married actress/producer Amber Heard in 2015, divorcing a few years later.

Christian Charles Philip Bale was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK on January 30, 1974, to English parents Jennifer "Jenny" (James) and David Bale. His mother was a circus performer and his father, who was born in South Africa, was a commercial pilot. The family lived in different countries throughout Bale's childhood, including England, Portugal, and the United States. Bale acknowledges the constant change was one of the influences on his career choice.

His first acting job was a cereal commercial in 1983; amazingly, the next year, he debuted on the West End stage in "The Nerd". A role in the 1986 NBC mini-series Anastasia (1986) caught Steven Spielberg's eye, leading to Bale's well-documented role in Empire du soleil (1987). For the range of emotions he displayed as the star of the war epic, he earned a special award by the National Board of Review for Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor.

Adjusting to fame and his difficulties with attention (he thought about quitting acting early on), Bale appeared in Kenneth Branagh's 1989 adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry V (1989) and starred as Jim Hawkins in a TV movie version of L'île au trésor (1990). Bale worked consistently through the 1990s, acting and singing in Les news boys (1992), Swing Kids (1993), Les quatre filles du Docteur March (1994), Portrait de femme (1996), L'agent secret (1996), Metroland (1997), Velvet Goldmine (1998), All the Little Animals (1998), and Le Songe d'une nuit d'été (1999). Toward the end of the decade, with the rise of the Internet, Bale found himself becoming one of the most popular online celebrities around, though he, with a couple notable exceptions, maintained a private, tabloid-free mystique.

Bale roared into the next decade with a lead role in American Psycho (2000), director Mary Harron's adaptation of the controversial Bret Easton Ellis novel. In the film, Bale played a murderous Wall Street executive obsessed with his own physicality - a trait for which Bale would become a specialist. Subsequently, the 10th Anniversary issue for "Entertainment Weekly" crowned Bale one of the "Top 8 Most Powerful Cult Figures" of the past decade, citing his cult status on the Internet. EW also called Bale one of the "Most Creative People in Entertainment", and "Premiere" lauded him as one of the "Hottest Leading Men Under 30".

Bale was truly on the Hollywood radar at this time, and he turned in a range of performances in the remake Shaft (2000), Capitaine Corelli (2001), the balmy Laurel Canyon (2002), and Le Règne du feu (2002), a dragons-and-magic commercial misfire that has its share of defenders.

Two more cult films followed: Equilibrium (2002) and The Machinist (2004), the latter of which gained attention mainly due to Bale's physical transformation - he dropped a reported 60+ pounds for the role of a lathe operator with a secret that causes him to suffer from insomnia for over a year.

Bale's abilities to transform his body and to disappear into a character influenced the decision to cast him in Batman Begins (2005), the first chapter in Christopher Nolan's definitive trilogy that proved a dark-themed narrative could resonate with audiences worldwide. The film also resurrected a character that had been shelved by Warner Bros. after a series of demising returns, capped off by the commercial and critical failure of Batman & Robin (1997). A quiet, personal victory for Bale: he accepted the role after the passing of his father in late 2003, an event that caused him to question whether he would continue performing.

Bale segued into two indie features in the wake of Batman's phenomenal success: Le nouveau monde (2005) and Bad Times (2005). He continued working with respected independent directors in 2006's Rescue Dawn (2006), Werner Herzog's feature version of his earlier, Emmy-nominated documentary, Petit Dieter doit voler (1997). Leading up to the second Batman film, Bale starred in Le Prestige (2006), the remake of 3h10 pour Yuma (2007), and a reunion with director Todd Haynes in the experimental Bob Dylan biography, I'm Not There (2007).

Anticipation for The Dark Knight : Le Chevalier noir (2008) was spun into unexpected heights with the tragic passing of Heath Ledger, whose performance as The Joker became the highlight of the sequel. Bale's graceful statements to the press reminded us of the days of the refined Hollywood star as the second installment exceeded the box-office performance of its predecessor.

Bale's next role was the eyebrow-raising decision to take over the role of John Connor in the Schwarzenegger-less Terminator Renaissance (2009), followed by a turn as federal agent Melvin Purvis in Michael Mann's Public Enemies (2009). Both films were hits but not the blockbusters they were expected to be.

For all his acclaim and box-office triumphs, Bale would earn his first Oscar in 2011 in the wake of Fighter (2010)'s critical and commercial success. Bale earned the Best Supporting Actor award for his portrayal of Dicky Eklund, brother to and trainer of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg. Bale again showed his ability to reshape his body with another gaunt, skeletal transformation.

Bale then turned to another auteur, Yimou Zhang, for the epic Sacrifices of War (2011), in which Bale portrayed a priest trapped in the midst of the Rape of Nanking. Bale earned headlines for his attempt to visit with Chinese civil-rights activist Chen Guangcheng, which was blocked by the Chinese government.

Bale capped his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Dark Knight Rises (2012); in the wake of the Aurora, Colorado tragedy, Bale made a quiet pilgrimage to the state to visit with survivors of the attack that left theatergoers dead and injured. He also starred in the thriller Les brasiers de la colère (2013) with Crazy Heart (2009) writer/director Scott Cooper, and the drama-comedy American Bluff (2013), reuniting with David O. Russell.

Bale will re-team with Le nouveau monde (2005) director Terrence Malick for two upcoming projects: Knight of Cups (2015) and an as-yet-untitled drama.

In his personal life, he devotes time to charities including Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Foundation. He lives with his wife, Sibi Blazic, and their two children.

Robert Downey Jr. has evolved into one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. With an amazing list of credits to his name, he has managed to stay new and fresh even after over four decades in the business.

Downey was born April 4, 1965 in Manhattan, New York, the son of writer, director and filmographer Robert Downey Sr. and actress Elsie Downey (née Elsie Ann Ford). Robert's father is of half Lithuanian Jewish, one quarter Hungarian Jewish, and one quarter Irish, descent, while Robert's mother was of English, Scottish, German, and Swiss-German ancestry. Robert and his sister, Allyson Downey, were immersed in film and the performing arts from a very young age, leading Downey Jr. to study at the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in upstate New York, before moving to California with his father following his parents' 1978 divorce. In 1982, he dropped out of Santa Monica High School to pursue acting full time. Downey Sr., himself a drug addict, exposed his son to drugs at a very early age, and Downey Jr. would go on to struggle with abuse for decades.

Downey Jr. made his debut as an actor at the age of five in the film Pound (1970), written and directed by his father, Robert Downey Sr.. He built his film repertoire throughout the 1980s and 1990s with roles in Quartier chaud (1985), Une créature de rêve (1985), Coupable ressemblance (1989), and Wonder Boys (2000) among many others. In 1992, Downey received an Academy Award nomination and won the BAFTA (British Academy Award) for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of Chaplin (1992).

In Robert Altman's Short Cuts - Les Américains (1993), he appeared as an aspiring film make-up artist whose best friend commits murder. In Oliver Stone's Tueurs nés (1994), with Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, Downey starred as a tabloid TV journalist who exploits a murderous couple's killing spree to boost his ratings. For the comedy Drôles de fantômes (1993), Downey starred as a young man with a special relationship with four ghosts. In 1995, Downey starred in Le don du roi (1995), with Hugh Grant, Meg Ryan and Ian McKellen, directed by Michael Hoffman. Also that year, he starred in Richard III (1995), in which he appears opposite his Le don du roi (1995) co-star McKellen.

In 1997, Downey was seen in Robert Altman's The Gingerbread Man (1998), alongside Kenneth Branagh, Daryl Hannah and Embeth Davidtz; in Pour une nuit... (1997), directed by Mike Figgis and starring Wesley Snipes and Nastassja Kinski; and in Chaude journée à L.A. (1997), directed by his father, Robert Downey Sr. and starring Sean Penn and Patrick Dempsey. In September of 1999, Downey appeared in Black and White (1999), written and directed by James Toback, along with Ben Stiller, Elijah Wood, Gaby Hoffmann, Brooke Shields and Claudia Schiffer. In January of 1999, he starred with Annette Bening and Aidan Quinn in Prémonitions (1999), directed by Neil Jordan.

In 2000, Downey co-starred with Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire in Wonder Boys (2000), directed by Curtis Hanson. In this dramatic comedy, Downey played the role of a bisexual literary agent. In 2001, Downey made his prime-time television debut when he joined the cast of the Fox-TV series Ally McBeal (1997) as attorney "Larry Paul". For this role, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, as well as the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Comedy Series. In addition, Downey was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

The actor's drug-related problems escalated from 1996 to 2001, leading to arrests, rehab visits and incarcerations, and he was eventually fired from Ally McBeal (1997). Emerging clean and sober in 2003, Downey Jr. began to rebuild his career.

He marked his debut into music with his debut album, titled "The Futurist", on the Sony Classics Label on November 23rd, 2004. The album's eight original songs, that Downey wrote, and his two musical numbers debuting as cover songs revealed his sultry singing voice and his musical talents. Downey displayed his versatility in two different films in October 2003: the musical/drama The Singing Detective (2003), a remake of the BBC hit of the same name, and the thriller Gothika (2003) starring Halle Berry and Penélope Cruz. Downey starred in powerful yet humbling roles inspired by real-life accounts of some of history's most precious kept secrets, including Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly (2006) in 2006 co-starring Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson, and Fur: Un portrait imaginaire de Diane Arbus (2006) co-starring Nicole Kidman, a film inspired by the life of Diane Arbus, the revered photographer whose images captured attention in the early 1960s. These roles exhibited Downey's momentum from the previous year of 2005, in which he starred in the Academy Award®-nominated feature film Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), directed by George Clooney and in Shane Black's action comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) co-starring Val Kilmer. In 2007, he co-starred in David Fincher's suspenseful Zodiac (2007), alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo, about the notorious serial killer who haunted San Francisco during the 1970s.

In May 2008, Downey achieved critical acclaim and worldwide box office success for his starring role in Iron Man (2008), Jon Favreau's big-screen rendering of the Marvel comic book superhero. The film co-starred Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard. In August of 2008, Downey starred with Ben Stiller and Jack Black in the comedy Tonnerre sous les tropiques (2008), and went on to receive an Academy Award®-nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his, Kirk Lazarus.

In December 2009, Downey starred in the action-adventure Sherlock Holmes (2009). The film, directed by Guy Ritchie, co-starred Jude Law and Rachel McAdams and earned Downey a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical in January of 2010. In early Summer 2010, Downey re-teamed with director Jon Favreau and reprised his role as "Tony Stark/Iron Man" in the hugely successful sequel to the original film, Iron Man 2 (2010), starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Mickey Rourke.

Downey next starred in Date limite (2010), a comedy directed by Todd Phillips, in which he plays the role of an expectant father on a road trip racing to get back in time for the birth of his first child. Date limite (2010), starring Very Bad Trip (2009)'s Zach Galifianakis, was released in November 2010.

Downey was honored by Time Magazine's "Time 100" in 2008, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. His laurels include two Academy Award nominations, three Golden Globe wins, numerous other award nominations and wins, and tremendous popular and commercial success, particularly in his roles as Sherlock Holmes and Tony Stark (the latter of which he has so far played in Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), and Avengers : L'Ère d'Ultron (2015). For three consecutive years, from 2012 to 2015, Downey has topped the Forbes list of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, making an estimated $80 million in earnings between June 2014 and June 2015.

In 2005, Downey Jr. married Susan Downey, with whom he has two children. Downey also has another son, Indio Falconer Downey, born 1993, from his first marriage to Deborah Falconer, from whom he was officially divorced in 2004.

Robert has jump-started the Team Downey Production Company with wife Susan Downey.

Liam Neeson was born on June 7, 1952 in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, to Katherine (Brown), a cook, and Bernard Neeson, a school caretaker. He was raised in a Catholic household. During his early years, Liam worked as a forklift operator for Guinness, a truck driver, an assistant architect and an amateur boxer. He had originally sought a career as a teacher by attending St. Mary's Teaching College, Newcastle. However, in 1976, Neeson joined the Belfast Lyric Players' Theater and made his professional acting debut in the play "The Risen People". After two years, Neeson moved to Dublin's Abbey Theater where he performed the classics. It was here that he was spotted by director John Boorman and was cast in the film Excalibur (1981) as Sir Gawain, his first high-profile film role.

Through the 1980s Neeson appeared in a handful of films and British TV series - including Le Bounty (1984), L'espace d'une vie (1984), Mission (1986), and Duo pour une soliste (1986) - but it was not until he moved to Hollywood to pursue larger roles that he began to get noticed. His turn as a mute homeless man in Suspect dangereux (1987) garnered good reviews, as did supporting roles in Le prix de la passion (1988) and High Spirits (1988) - though he also starred in the best-to-be-forgotten Satisfaction (1988), which also featured a then-unknown Julia Roberts - but leading man status eluded him until the cult favorite Darkman (1990), directed by Sam Raimi. From there, Neeson starred in Faute de preuves (1991) and Ethan Frome (1993), was hailed for his performance in Woody Allen's Maris et femmes (1992), and ultimately was picked by Steven Spielberg to play Oskar Schindler in La Liste de Schindler (1993). The starring role in the Oscar-winning Holocaust film brought Neeson Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor.

Also in 1993, he made his Broadway debut with a Tony-nominated performance in "Anna Christie", in which he co-starred with his future wife Natasha Richardson. The next year, the two also starred opposite Jodie Foster in the movie Nell (1994), and were married in July of that year. Leading roles as the 18th century Scottish Highlander Rob Roy (1995) and the Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins (1996) followed, and soon Neeson was solidified as one of Hollywood's top leading men. He starred in the highly-anticipated Star Wars, épisode I : La Menace fantôme (1999) as Qui-Gon Jinn, received a Golden Globe nomination for Dr. Kinsey (2004), played the mysterious Ducard in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (2005), and provided the voice for Aslan in Le Monde de Narnia : Le Lion, la Sorcière blanche et l'Armoire magique (2005).

Neeson found a second surprise career as an action leading man with the release of Taken (2008) in early 2009, an unexpected box office hit about a retired CIA agent attempting to rescue his daughter from being sold into prostitution. However, less than two months after the release of the film, tragedy struck when his wife Natasha Richardson suffered a fatal head injury while skiing and passed away days afterward. Neeson returned to high-profile roles in 2010 with two back-to-back big-budget films, Le Choc des Titans (2010) and L'Agence tous risques (2010), and returned to the action genre with Sans identité (2011), Le Territoire des loups (2011), Battleship (2012) and Taken 2 (2012), as well as the sequel La colère des Titans (2012).

Neeson was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1999 Queen's New Year's Honours List for his services to drama. He has two sons from his marriage to Richardson: Micheal Richard Antonio Neeson (born June 22, 1995) and Daniel Jack Neeson (born August 27, 1996).

Keanu Charles Reeves, whose first name means "cool breeze over the mountains" in Hawaiian, was born September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon. He is the son of Patric Reeves, a showgirl and costume designer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves, a geologist. Keanu's father was born in Hawaii, of Native Hawaiian and Chinese ancestry while Keanu's mother is originally from Essex England. After his parents' marriage dissolved, Keanu moved with his mother and younger sister, Kim Reeves, to New York City, then Toronto. Stepfather #1 was Paul Aaron, a stage and film director - he and Patricia divorced within a year, after which she went on to marry (and divorce) rock promoter Robert Miller. Reeves never reconnected with his biological father. In high school, Reeves was lukewarm toward academics but took a keen interest in ice hockey (as team goalie, he earned the nickname "The Wall") and drama. He eventually dropped out of school to pursue an acting career.

After a few stage gigs and a handful of made-for-TV movies, he scored a supporting role in the Rob Lowe hockey flick Youngblood (1986), which was filmed in Canada. Shortly after the production wrapped, Reeves packed his bags and headed for Hollywood. Reeves popped up on critics' radar with his performance in the dark adolescent drama, Le fleuve de la mort (1986), and landed a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated Les Liaisons dangereuses (1988) with director Stephen Frears.

His first popular success was the role of totally rad dude Ted "Theodore" Logan in L'Excellente Aventure de Bill & Ted (1989). The wacky time-travel movie became something of a cultural phenomenon, and audiences would forever confuse Reeves's real-life persona with that of his doofy on-screen counterpart. He then joined the casts of Ron Howard's comedy, Portrait craché d'une famille modèle (1989) and Lawrence Kasdan's Je t'aime à te tuer (1990).

Over the next few years, Reeves tried to shake the Ted stigma with a series of highbrow projects. He played a slumming rich boy opposite River Phoenix's narcoleptic male hustler in My Own Private Idaho (1991), an unlucky lawyer who stumbles into the vampire's lair in Dracula (1992), and Shakespearean party-pooper Don John in Beaucoup de bruit pour rien (1993).

In 1994, the understated actor became a big-budget action star with the release of Speed (1994). Its success heralded an era of five years in which Reeves would alternate between small films, like Feeling Minnesota (1996) and Suicide Club (1997), and big films like Les vendanges de feu (1995) and L'Associé du diable (1997). (There were a couple misfires, too: Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and Poursuite (1996).) After all this, Reeves did the unthinkable and passed on the Speed sequel, but he struck box-office gold again a few years later with the Wachowski siblings' cyberadventure, Matrix (1999).

Now a bonafide box-office star, Keanu would appear in a string of smaller films -- among them Les remplaçants (2000), The Watcher (2000), Intuitions (2000), Sweet November (2001), and Hardball (2001) - before Matrix Reloaded (2003) and Matrix Revolutions (2003) were both released in 2003.

Since the end of The Matrix trilogy, Keanu has divided his time between mainstream and indie fare, landing hits with Tout peut arriver (2003), Entre deux rives (2006), and Au bout de la nuit (2008). He's kept Matrix fans satiated with films such as Constantine (2005), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and Le Jour où la Terre s'arrêta (2008). And he's waded back into art-house territory with Ellie Parker (2005), Age Difficile Obscur (2005), Les vies privées de Pippa Lee (2009), and Braquage à New York (2010).

Most recently, as post-production on the samurai epic 47 Ronin (2013) waged on, Keanu appeared in front of the camera in Side by Side (2012), a documentary on celluloid and digital filmmaking, which he also produced. He also directed another Asian-influenced project, Man of Tai Chi (2013).

In 2014, Keanu played the title role in the action revenge film John Wick (2014), which became popular with critics and audiences alike. He reprised the role in John Wick 2 (2017), taking the now-iconic character to a better opening weekend and even more enthusiastic reviews than the first go-around.

Hong Kong's cheeky, lovable and best-known film star, Jackie Chan endured many years of long, hard work and multiple injuries to establish international success after his start in Hong Kong's manic martial arts cinema industry.

Jackie was born Kong-sang Chan on April 7, 1954, on Hong Kong's famous Victoria Peak, to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, and the family immigrated to Canberra, Australia, in early 1960. The young Jackie was less than successful scholastically, so his father sent him back to Hong Kong to attend the rigorous China Drama Academy, one of the Peking Opera schools. Chan excelled at acrobatics, singing and martial arts and eventually became a member of the "Seven Little Fortunes" performing troupe and began lifelong friendships with fellow martial artists / actors Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Biao Yuen. Chan journeyed back and forth to visit his parents and work in Canberra, but eventually he made his way back to Hong Kong as his permanent home. In the early 1970s, Chan commenced his movie career and interestingly appeared in very minor roles in two films starring then rising martial arts superstar Bruce Lee: La Fureur de vaincre (1972) (aka "The Chinese Connection"), and the Warner Bros. production Opération Dragon (1973). Not long after Lee's untimely death, Chan was often cast in films cashing in on the success of Bruce Lee by utilizing words like "fist", "fury" or "dragon" in their US release titles.

Chan's own film career was off and running and he swiftly appeared in many low-budget martial arts films that were churned out at a rapid-fire pace by Hong Kong studios eager to satisfy the early 1970s boom in martial-arts cinema. He starred in L'Impitoyable (1976), Le Vengeur (1977), Le Protecteur (1978) and Magnificent Bodyguards (1978), which all fared reasonably well at the cinemas. However, he scored a major breakthrough with the action comedy Le Maître chinois (1978), which has become a cult favorite among martial arts film fans. Not too long after this, Chan made his directorial debut with La Danse du lion (1980) and then "Enter the Dragon" producer Robert Clouse lured Jackie to the United States for a film planned to break Jackie into the lucrative US market. Le Chinois (1980) featured Jackie competing in a "toughest Street fighter" contest set in 1940s Texas; however, Jackie was unhappy with the end result, and it failed to fire with US audiences. In a further attempt to get his name known in the United States, Jackie was cast alongside Burt Reynolds, Sir Roger Moore and Dean Martin in the Hal Needham-directed car chase film L'Équipée du Cannonball (1981). Regrettably, Jackie was cast as a Japanese race driver and his martial arts skills are only shown in one small sequence near the film's conclusion. Stateside success was still a few years away for Jackie Chan!

Undeterred, he returned to East Asia to do what he did best--make jaw-dropping action films loaded with amazing stunt work. Chan and his legendary stunt team were without parallel in their ability to execute the most incredible fight scenes and action sequences, and the next decade would see some of their best work. Chan paired with the dynamic Sammo Kam-Bo Hung to star in Le Gagnant (1983), Le Marin des mers de Chine (1983), Soif de Justice (1984), Le Flic de Hong-Kong (1985) (aka "Winners & Sinners 2"), Le Flic de Hong-Kong 2 (1985) (aka "Winners & Sinners 3"). Chan then journeyed back to the United States for another shot at that market, starring alongside Danny Aiello in Le Retour du Chinois (1985), filmed in Hong Kong and New York. However, as with previous attempts, Jackie felt the US director--in this case, James Glickenhaus--failed to understand his audience appeal and the film played to lukewarm reviews and box-office receipts. However, Jackie did decide to "harden" up his on-screen image somewhat and his next film, Police Story (1985) was a definite departure from previously light-hearted martial arts fare, and his fans loved the final product!

This was quickly followed up with the Les Aventuriers de l'arche perdue (1981)-influenced Mister Dynamite (1986), during filming of which Jackie mistimed a leap from a wall to a tree on location in Yugoslavia and fell many quite a few feet onto his head, causing a skull fracture. It was another in a long line of injuries that Chan has suffered as a result of doing his own stunt work, and he was soon back in front of the cameras. Le Marin des mers de Chine 2 (1987), Police Story 2 (1988), Big Brother (1989) (aka "Mr. Canton and Lady Rose)", Opération Condor (1991) (aka "Armour of God 2") and Police Story 3: Supercop (1992) (aka "Police Story 3") were all sizable hits for Jackie, escalating his status to phenomenal heights in Asia, and to his loyal fanbase around the globe. US success was now just around the corner for the hard-working Jackie Chan, and it arrived in the form of the action film Jackie Chan dans le Bronx (1995) (though it was actually filmed in Canada) that successfully blended humor and action to make a winning formula in US theaters.

Jackie did not waste any time and went to work on Contre-attaque (1996) (aka "Police Story 4"), Mister Cool (1997), Who Am I? (1998), which all met with positive results at the international box office. Jackie then went to work in his biggest-budget US production, starring alongside fast-talking comedian Chris Tucker in the action comedy Rush Hour (1998). The film was a bigger hit than "Rumble in the Bronx" and firmly established Jackie as a bona fide star in the United States. Jackie then paired up with rising talent Owen Wilson to star in Shanghaï Kid (2000) and its sequel, Shanghaï Kid II (2003), and re-teamed with Tucker in Rush Hour 2 (2001), as well as starring in Le Smoking (2002), Le mdaillon (2003) and the delightful Le Tour du monde en 80 jours (2004). Not one to forget his loyal fanbase, Jackie returned to more gritty and traditional fare with New Police Story (2004) and The Myth (2005). The multi-talented Chan (he is also a major recording star in Asia) shows no sign of slowing down and has long since moved out of the shadow of Bruce Lee, to whom he was usually compared early in his career.

Chan is truly one of the international film industry's true maverick actor / director / stuntman / producer combinations - he has done this the hard way, and always his way to achieve his dreams and goals to be an international cinematic star. Off screen, he has been directly involved in many philanthropic ventures providing financial assistance to schools and universities around the world. He is a UNICEF GoodWill Ambassador, and he has campaigned against animal abuse and pollution and assisted with disaster relief efforts to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami victims.

Jake Gyllenhaal was born on December 19, 1980 in Los Angeles, California as Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal, the son of producer/screenwriter Naomi Foner and director Stephen Gyllenhaal, and the younger brother of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. He is of Ashkenazi Jewish (mother) and Swedish, English, and German (father) descent.

He made his movie debut at 11 in La vie, l'amour... les vaches (1991). From the late 1990s through the early 2000s, he starred in Ciel d'octobre (1999) & Donnie Darko (2001), receiving an Independent Spirit Award Best Actor nomination for the latter. He followed up w/ roles in Bubble Boy (2001), The Good Girl (2002), Moonlight Mile (2002) & Le Jour d'après (2004).

He made his theater debut in a revival of This Is Our Youth in London. The play was well-received & played for 8 weeks on West End. He then starred in Jarhead: La Fin de l'innocence (2005) & Proof (2005). However, it was his performance in Le secret de Brokeback Mountain (2005) that won him critical acclaim. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role while also being nominated for the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role SAG Award, the Best Supporting Actor-Motion Picture Satellite Award & the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. Afterwards, he starred in Zodiac (2007), Brothers (2009), Prince of Persia: Les Sables du temps (2010) & Love, et autres drogues (2010). For Love, et autres drogues (2010), he was nominated for the Best Actor-Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Golden Globe Award.

In the 2010s, he starred in Source Code (2011), End of Watch (2012), Prisoners (2013), Night Call (2014), La rage au ventre (2015) & Demolition (2015). For Night Call (2014), he was nominated for the Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Golden Globe, the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role SAG & the Best Actor in a Leading Role BAFTA Award. Leading Role BAFTA Award.

Konidela Ram Charan is an Indian actor, producer and entrepreneur who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema and has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2013. Ram Charan is the recipient of several National & International awards. Ram Charan was born in a Telugu family to influential Indian Telugu film actor Chiranjeevi and his wife Surekha. Ram Charan's family hails from Andhra Pradesh. Ram is an equestrian has learnt horse-riding in his childhood. In September 2011, he started his own polo team Ram Charan Hyderabad Polo Riding Club.

Ram Charan made his acting debut with the action film Chirutha (2007), a box office hit, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut - South. He rose to prominence starring in S.S.Rajamouli's fantasy action film Magadheera (2009), the highest-grossing Telugu film of all time at the time of its release. Charan achieved further commercial success with the blockbusters Rangasthalam (2018),Telugu, and RRR (2022), which currently ranks as the third-highest-grossing Indian film of all time and his highest grosser. Charan emerged as a Pan-Indian star with RRR and earned international recognition, including a nomination at the Critics' Choice Super Awards for Best Actor.

In 2016, Charan launched his own production house Konidela Production Company. Beyond his film career, he owns the polo team Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club and was a co-owner of the Airline service TruJet.

Ram Charan takes part in the 41-days-long Ayyappa Deeksha (Vratham), which is done on a yearly basis in Sabarimala. He started this practice in 2008. Charan stated that "this spiritual living is like a detox holiday for him to de-stress, take healthy and simple food and maintaining inner peace from his chaotic shooting schedules and uncertain mundane things" and said that his father Chiranjeevi had inspired him in following the Deeksha.

Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974), known mononymously as Vijay, is an Indian actor, dancer, playback singer and philanthropist who works predominantly in Tamil cinema and also appeared in other Indian languages films. Referred to by fans and media as "Thalapathy" (commander), Vijay is the highest paid actor in Tamil cinema. He has significant fan following globally. He has won numerous awards, including eight Vijay Awards by Star India, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards by Government of Tamil Nadu, and a SIIMA Award. He has been included several times in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, based on the earnings of Indian celebrities.

Foray into Films - He began his career in the film industry as a background actor, taking on minor supporting roles for over five years in films such as M Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi, Dishyum, Pudhupettai, Lee, Venila Kabadi Kuzhu, Naan Mahan Illah, and several short films including Athiyayam, Neer, Thuru, Wind, Maa Thavam, Kadhalithu Paar, The Angel, Bench Talkies, and Petti Case. His first leading role came in Seenu Ramasamy's Thenmerku Paruvakaatru (2010), an action-drama that won three National Awards. He further showcased his versatility by playing a villain in Sundarapandian (2012), followed by breakthrough roles in Pizza (2012), a horror-thriller, Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom (2012), a comedy, and Soodhu Kavvum (2013), a comedy-thriller. With over 16 years of dedicated experience, he became one of the most sought-after actors in the Indian film industry.

Early Life / Childhood - Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi Kalimuthu, professionally known as Vijay Sethupathi, was born on January 16, 1979, in Rajapalayam. He grew up there before relocating to Chennai during his early school years. He attended MGR Higher Secondary School in Kodambakkam. Sethupathi has mentioned that he was a "below-average student" throughout his school years, showing little interest in sports or extracurricular activities. At the age of 16, he ventured into acting by auditioning as a junior artist for the film Nammavar (1994), but was rejected due to his short height. Despite these early setbacks, his persistence in pursuing acting eventually led to a successful career.

Vijay Sethupathi completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dhanraj Baid Jain College in Chennai. Initially, he worked as an accounts assistant at a wholesale cement business, and later moved to Dubai, UAE, where he continued his work as an accountant.

Odd Jobs / Uncertain times - Unfulfilled with his job in Dubai, Sethupathi returned to India in 2003, where he got married to Ms. Jessi. He briefly ventured into the interior decoration business with friends before joining a marketing company dealing with readymade kitchens. However, his passion for acting led him to take up a job as an accountant with the Chennai-based theatre group Koothupattarai. This role allowed him to immerse himself in the theater world, where he had the chance to observe actors up close, further fueling his desire to pursue acting.

Family - Sethupathi and his wife Jessi have two children, a son named Surya and a daughter named Shreeja. He named his son in honor of his late school friend, Surya, who passed away during their school days.

As a Writer / Lyricist - In addition to acting, Sethupathi also dabbled in writing. He penned the dialogues for his film Orange Mittai - (2015), showcasing his creativity beyond the camera.

Vijay Sethupathi is turning lyricist with Raju Jeyamohan's Bun Butter Jam. Interestingly, he has penned the lyrics for the song titled Eternal Subway (Yedho Pesathaney - ), which has been sung by another notable actor, Siddharth, along with Shilpa Rao.

Ranganathan Madhavan was born on June 01, 1970, to businessman R. Iyengar and his wife R. Saroja in a Tamil family. He is an Indian actor, writer, film director and producer.

At the age of 18, his college entrusted him with the responsibility of representing India as a Cultural Ambassador to Canada.

A year later, he and three others from his college were sent to Britain as army cadets and received training in the royal army, navy, and Air Force.

While conducting courses on public speaking, he met Saritha, an Air Hostess and both got married 7 years later. Their first child, a son, Vedaant, was born in 2005.

A vegetarian and animal lover, he is a brand ambassador for PETA. He is fluent in English, Hindi, and Tamil.

Before making his appearance on the tinsel screen, he was popular on the idiot box on Sony's Deal Ya No Deal (2005). Having done close to 1800 episodes of various soaps on varied National Networks, he subsequently also appeared as the main character in a mobile game.

He made his debut with Inferno (1997) in 1998, and since then acted in nearly 48 movies in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada. He is popularly known as the 'chocolate hero', and his most popular film is 3 Idiots (2009) where he starred opposite Aamir Khan and Sharman Joshi.

Mohanlal was born to Viswanathan Nair (father) and Santhakumari (mother) in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, which is located in the southern part of India on the 21st May 1960. Starting his career with a classic villain role, he has now become an outstanding actor in Malayalam Cinema. Without a doubt, Mohanlal is today's one of the best actors India has ever produced. He is also rated as one of the most talented actors in India. His ranges of movies are enviable, his comedy roles are incomparable and his unique style of dialogue delivery is effortless. Not many actors can portray both comedy and serious roles with the same ease. And with all these rare talents he has received "Padma Shri" and "Padma Bhushan", the nation's highest civilian honors. He has also won 5 National Film Awards, including Best Actor twice for Bharatham (1991) and the highly acclaimed Vaanaprastham (1999), as well as numerous other awards and honors.

He has reached this position with his hard work and devotion to the movie industry. As far as his acting is concerned, it's been acknowledged many times that he's the most gifted actor in the Indian movie field.