James Van Der Beek is not so different in his real life as the characters he has portrayed. Born in a privileged family in Cheshire, Connecticut on March 8, 1977, his father Jim, is a cellular phone executive and a former pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. His mother Melinda is a gymnastics instructor and a former dancer on Broadway.

The acting bug bit Van Der Beek when he was about 13 years old. An athlete first, he got injured when he was about 13. He suffered a concussion, and the doctors told him to discontinue football for about a year to let his body fully recover. During that year, he discovered acting and singing. He played Danny Zuko in a community theatre production of Grease. He talked his parents into letting him commute into New York after that to attend professional auditions while he finished his formal schooling at the private Cheshire Academy. He landed a role in the film Angus in 1995 that everyone told him would be his stepping stone to stardom. The film never really went anywhere, and Van Der Beek's career stalled.

While he was still attending auditions, he decided to start college. In 1998, his luck changed with the fledgling WB Network. He auditioned for lead role in Dawson's Creek and won it. This part led to his first leading feature film role in Varsity Blues, where he played a high school football hero who is a little preoccupied with things other than football. This role won Van Der Beek an MTV Movie Award as the Breakthrough Male Performer. His role in Dawson's Creek has won the status of a bonafide teen idol.
Work History
(c. 1990) Sustained a football injury, so turned to acting. Played DannyZuko in Community Theatre production of Grease; (1994) professional stage debut in Edward Albee's Finding the Sun; Had a role in the musical revival of Shenandoah for the Goodspeed Opera House; (1995) Feature film debut in Angus; (1998) Television debut in the WB Network's Dawson's Creek;(1999) First feature film leading role in Varsity Blues.
Awards
James Van Der Beek has also won numerous Awards

The oldest of six children, actor Ralph Fiennes (pronounced “Rafe Fines”) was born on December 12, 1962, into a highly creative family. His mother, Jini, was novelist and painter Jennifer Lash. His farmer father was also a published photographer. In addition to his other artistic siblings, brother Joseph is also a well-known actor.

Although he was born in Suffolk, England, the Fiennes clan moved a great deal when the children were young, and Ralph’s ability to adapt quickly to new situations became very helpful to his future profession. Originally, Fiennes did not start out to become a thespian. He attended the Chelsea College of Art and Design, originally planning to be a painter, but felt unfulfilled and left to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. It was there he met fellow student and future wife Alex Kingston, and finally found his career niche.

Fiennes went on to become a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and tried his hand at television and feature films. He became a American film star when he portrayed the dark and evil Nazi concentration camp warden in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List, for which he garnered his first Academy Award nomination. Fiennes went on the star in such films as Robert Redford's Quiz Show and The English Patient, for which he earned his second Oscar nod.

Despite his film success, Fiennes hasn't left the classical theatre behind. In 1995, he made his Broadway debut in Hamlet, and became the first of a dozen actors to portray him to win a Tony Award. In 1998, Fiennes because a producer/actor in the film Onegin that was directed by his sister, Martha.
Work History
(1987) Joined Britain's Royal National Theatre; (1989) Spent two years as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company; (1991) British TV debut in Prime Suspect; (1991) Feature Film Debut in Wuthering Heights; (1993) American Film debut in Schindler's List (Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination); (1994) Starred in Robert Redford's Quiz Show; (1995) Broadway debut in Hamlet (won Tony for Best Actor in a Play); (1996) Oscar nomination for The English Patient; (1998) Produced and acted in Onegin which was directed by his sister, Martha.
Awards
Ralph Fiennes has also won numerous Awards

Work History
Kentucky

nger, which he then shortened to Milton Berle. He began his career very early as a model for the Buster Brown Shoe Company. His mother, who had dreams of being an actress, focused all her drive and energies into his career and had him appearing in films by the age of six.

Berle is rumored to have been the youngest master of ceremonies to work in vaudeville, but he went on to achieve his mega-stardom through television. He came into America's living rooms every Tuesday night at 8:00, even before owning a television became fashionable. (He took the Texaco Star Theatre from radio to television in 1948.) America came to know him as Mr. Television. Children of that day thought of Berle as "Uncle Miltie," the television personality who, more often than not in some outrageous costume, reminded them to go to bed as soon as the broadcast was over.

Berle’s brand of comedy has served to be the inspiration for many of the comics that came after him. He has continued his career guest starring in virtually hundred of television series, specials, and movies, and has written songs, books, and even founded Milton Magazine, a guide to the "Milton" lifestyle that includes tips on gambling, food and his trademark cigar. The magazine is truly a family affair, published by his wife and edited by his adopted daughter.
Work History
(1913) Won a Charlie Chaplin impersonation contest; (1914) Film Acting debut in The Perils of Pauline; also featured in Tillie's Punctured Romance which was directed by Charlie Chaplin; Reportedly played bit roles for more than 50 silent films, mostly Biographs; (1920) Broadway debut in Floradora; (1936) Appeared on stage with Ziegfeld Follies;(1948) Hosted and starred on the radio show The Texaco Star Theatre;(1953) Hosted and starred on the television show The Milton Berle Show.
Affiliations
"American Guild of Authors and Composers; American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Grand Street Bodies; Friar's Club"
Awards
Milton Berle has also won numerous Awards

Whitney Houston’s career spanning just a little over ten years has earned her an Emmy, five Grammys, and 11 American Music Awards, as well as numerous other awards. She has shattered records set by musical icons such as the Beatles and the Bee Gees as well as setting the standard for many other artists. She has long been considered a “diva” with the likes of such female artists as Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, and Roberta Flack. Her voice and style made even The Star Spangled Banner, normally a low-charting single, go gold. It was #20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and peaked at #3 on the sales charts in 1991.

Houston's mother is the renowned gospel singer Cissy Houston and her cousin is pop singer Dionne Warwick, so the musical influence had been around her all her life. She made her first solo performance in her church at the age of eight, and she brought the congregation to tears even then. As a teen, she performed backup for not only her mother, but also artists such as Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls. Her exotic beauty graced the covers of both Seventeen and Glamour magazines before her voice appeared in commercials for AT&T and Diet Coke. Houston signed a contract with Arista Records in 1983 with legendary agent Clive Davis, who was known for taking his time and allowing an artist to mature. It was two years before her debut album Whitney Houston was released, but well worth the wait. Her second solo album, Whitney, debuted #1 in 1987, the first time ever for a female artist.

Houston has graced the big screen three times. Her first role was in The Bodyguard with actor Kevin Costner, who saved the role just for her. He asked her to be his costar many times, and told her the role would be hers whenever she was ready. It took her more than two years to accept. The film did moderately well at the box office, but the soundtrack, including the single I Will Always Love You, has sold more than 4,600,000 copies in the United States alone and won three Grammys for Houston. She also had a role in Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher’s Wife, a film that brought her back to her religious roots.

Houston’s “good girl” image has been tested in recent years. Her 1992 marriage to bad boy singer Bobby Brown has landed the star in the tabloids more than once. His alleged abuse, frequent entanglements with the law and womanizing have earned Houston everything from sympathy to criticism. Her own diva-like behavior has also made her a subject of criticism that she is difficult to work with. It is not uncommon for her to be late or to cancel appearances only hours before she was due to perform.

Whitney Houston lives in a multimillion-dollar estate in Mendham, New Jersey, and is the founder of Nippy, Incorporated (named after her childhood nickname), a New Jersey based production company. She is the mother of daughter Bobbi Kristina and has recently released her third solo album after nearly eight years of doing other projects. She is also the founder of the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, a charitable organization to support homeless children, as well as children with AIDS and cancer.
Work History
(c. 1978) model; appeared on the covers of Seventeen and Glamour magazines.

(1983) Signed with Arista Records and Clive Davis.

(1985) made her professional solo debut performance at a club in New York.

(1985) Debut album released Whitney Houston.

(1992) Feature film debut as star in The Bodyguard with Kevin Costner; formed Nippy, Incorporated, a New Jersey-based production company.

(1997) Co-executive producer and costar of the television remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
Affiliations
United Negro College Fund; Children's Diabetes Fund; St. Judes Children's Hospital; many Aids related organizations; elected to the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross in 1991; began the Whitney Houston Foundation that supports homeless children and children with cancer and aids.
Awards
Whitney Houston has also won numerous Awards

John Hume, Northern Ireland's most influential and outspoken Catholic politician, has been described as the Martin Luther King, Jr. of his war-torn homeland. He has been a political activist for this region for over 30 years and has represented its people in several ways. He has most recently been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in brokering what is called the Good Friday Peace Agreement, which established a sharing of power for the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.

Hume's major influence in his life has been his religion and his family. He attended three years of seminary to become a priest before abandoning that and going into teaching. He gave up his teaching post in 1968, and became a political activist. At the time, the Unionists, the party representing the Protestants, controlled the region. After a while, Hume and his supporters were able to muster a proportional representation for their district by working through the system and favoring peaceful politics. It was about this time that the IRA was born and, through both conventional politics and terrorism, began to make its message of Irish self-rule known.

In 1983, Hume was elected to the British Parliament. It was thought that he was such a forceful and eloquent speaker that he could get even the most unsympathetic of the members to at least listen to what he had to say. He maintains his stand of non-violence, despite the fact that his home has been bombed and his hometown is covered with graffiti branding him a traitor. He has also made it known that his supporters will not be intimidated by the violence that the IRA at times advocates.

After several years of constant determination to win an end to the violence in his homeland, in 1998, it seemed that Hume might have accomplished his dream. The Good Friday Peace Agreement, for which he and Unionist leader David Trimble both won the Nobel Peace Prize, was signed. This agreement called for a ruling administration made of both Catholics and Protestants to come into power in Northern Ireland. In this agreement, there was an understanding that there was to be a gradual disarmament of the now-outlawed IRA. But there has been some difficulty in making that a reality because of some dissident groups not agreeing with the policy and continuing the violence that has now plagued the region for almost 80 years.
Climb to Fame
Famous for his efforts to bring about peace and self rule in Northern Ireland.
Work History
(02/07/2000) Calls for the immediate disarmament of the IRA after an attack on a hotel near Belfast.

(12/1998) Receives a Nobel Peace Prize along with David Trimble for his part in brokering the Northern Ireland Good Friday Peace accord.

(04/10/1998) The Good Friday Peace accord, a peace agreement between the different factions in Northern Ireland is signed.

(1983-present) Member of Parliament for the Foyle region.

(1983-1984) Member of the New Ireland Forum.

(1979-present) Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party.

(1970-1979) Founder, member and deputy leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party.

(1979 - present) Member of the European Parliament for Northern Ireland.

(1975-1976) Member of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention.

(1974) Northern Ireland Minister of Commerce.

(1973-1975) Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(1969-1973) Member of the Northern Ireland Parliament for the Foyle Region.

(1960) Founder of the Credit Union League of Ireland.

(????) Research fellow for Trinity College in Dublin; as well as the Center of International Affairs at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

(????) French and History Teacher at St. Columb's College in Ireland.
Affiliations
Irish Transport and General Workers Union
Awards
John Hume has also won numerous Awards

Warren Beatty's first impression on the world of motion pictures was as a nefarious ladies man, the infinite "bad boy." It wasn't long, however, before he was recognized as a multi-talented artist.

Born Henry Warren Beaty (he added the extra "T" to his name) on March 30, 1937, in Richmond Virginia, Beatty began his rise in the television sitcom The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis, as Milton Armitage. He only stayed 3 episodes, as his agent pulled him to star opposite Natalie Wood in Splendor in the Grass. All eyes became fixed on the neophyte actor, the younger brother of stage and screen star Shirley MacLaine.

From there, Beatty branched out into producing, directing and writing, and even tried his hand at writing music and lyrics for 1987's Ishtar. In addition, he has authored, produced, directed and starred in such award winning films as Reds and Heaven Can Wait. Notorious for dating his leading ladies, Beatty has been romatically linked to Julie Christie, Natalie Wood and Madonna, who starred opposite him in Dick Tracy. Actress Annette Bening put an end to his bachelor days in 1992.

His favorite role these days, Beatty says, is dad to their three children.
Work History
(1951) Daytime Drama Love of Life; (1959-60) TV Series Many Lives of Dobie Gillis (pulled after three episodes); (1960) Broadway debut in A Loss of Roses; (1961) Film acting debut Splendor in the Grass; (1967) Producer debut; Bonnie and Clyde, also actor; (1975) First film as co-writer Shampoo; (1978) Film directing debut Heaven Can Wait (also co-writer); (1981) Produced, directed, co-wrote and starred in Reds; (1990) Directed and starred in Dick Tracy; (1991) Co-produced and also starred in Bugsy; (1998) Co-wrote, co-produced, directed and starred in Bulworth.
Affiliations
"Screen Actors Guild; Writers Guild of America, Director's Guild of America; Sigma Chi"
Awards
Warren Beatty has also won numerous Awards

Bette Davis, the grand dame of what is known as "The Golden Age of the Silver Screen", looked anything like the leading lady of the time. Not a beauty, she more than compensated by being able to play complex, strong women in the roles that she had.

Born Ruth Elizabeth David on April 5, 1908 in Lowell, Massachussetts, she had anything but a happy childhood. Her father was angry when her mother got pregnant, and ordered her to give up the baby. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and her mother instilled in her the desire to perform. She had been a dancer, but gave that up when the acting bug bit her. Her mother took a second job to put her and her sister through an exclusive private school, and Davis was devastated when she was rejected for a respected acting school run by Eva la Gallienne, upon completion of high school.

Her mother was able to gain her admission to the John Murray Anderson School of Theatre, where her true range of talent began to be recognized. At 21, she had her first opportunity to perform on stage and truly amazed the audience. She caught the attention of Universal Studios executives. However, when they finally came face to face, they were somewhat appalled by her lack of glamour. She was offered a contract regardless, but not the choicest of roles. She left Universal and signed a long term contract with Warner Brothers. There she had a string of successful roles, but was still not satisfied with the quality of them. She tried unsuccessfully to break her contract with Warner Brothers and signed to do a film in England. This led eventually to a lawsuit, which Davis lost, but it did manage to gain her the respect of the studio heads.

Her personal life was just as dramatic as her early film career. She was married four times and had several affairs over the years, with one marriage resulting in allegations of spousal abuse. She is the mother of one daughter, Barbara Davis (BD), who wrote a book describing her mother as a controlling egomaniac. She is also the mother of two adopted children, Michael and Margot. Margot was found to have severe mental retardation and was institutionalized shortly after she adopted her.

Ms. Davis' career has spanned almost six decades, yielding more than 80 movies and 10 Oscar nominations. It has stalled a number of times, only to be jump-started by films such as Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, All About Eve and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?. When Davis seemed to be past her prime in the motion picture business, she turned to television, where she earned three Emmy nominations with one win for her performance in Strangers: A Story of a Mother and Daughter.

Despite suffering from breast cancer and a stroke in 1983, Davis fought back and continued to perform until the year of her death. Just three days prior to her death on October 6, 1989, she attended the San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award. Her final days were spent as she always liked, glowing in the applause and attention of the world.
Work History
(1928) Stage debut with Provincetown Players; (1929) Broadway debut in Broken Dishes; (1931) Feature Film debut in The Bad Sister; (1936) Wanted to break her contract with Warner in protest of the quality of the roles she had been given, travelled to England to make a movie and Warner Brothers sued her; eventually lost the case, but the company paid her legal expenses and took notice; (1949) After several unsuccessful movies, obtained a release from her contract at Warner Brothers (1950) Career comeback as Margo Channing in All About Eve; (c. 1960) Placed an ad with Variety to announce she was available for work; (1962) Career again revived with starring role opposite Joan Crawford in the horror film, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?; Retained her popularity through television roles; (1989) Last film, Wicked Stepmother.
Awards
Bette Davis has also won numerous Awards