Actors Who've Played Real People!

Jack was born in 1985 and grew up in his native London, attending Westminster School and the Hall School, Hampstead, where he got into acting. From Oxford University he went to study acting at LAMDA but left when he was spotted and cast as Benvolio at the Globe Theatre, taking part in other productions there, as well as at the Orange Tree, Richmond and the Royal Court. Here he was seen by casting director Andy Pryor who got him into television, with a small role in the period drama 'Dancing on the Edge' and a more substantial, recurring part as Freddie, daft son of the house in 'Blandings'. Now an established television face he has appeared in the likes of 'Poirot' and the remake of 'Poldark'.

Elizabeth Berrington is an English actress and graduate of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, she is best known for her roles as Ruby Fry in Waterloo Road, Paula Kosh in Stella, Mel Debrou in Moving Wallpaper and Dawn Stevenson in The Syndicate. She has also featured in British television series such as The Bill, Doctor Who, The Office, Casualty, The Lakes, The Grimleys, Rose and Maloney and Stella.

An artist of international range and reputation, Richard Sammel is fluent, and has acted in, English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. He has starred in some forty films and sixty television films, shot on locations ranging from Sweden to Italy, Portugal to Slovakia, England to the Balkans, but also Canada, South Africa, and the United States, for such directors as Quentin Tarantino, Luc Besson, Martin Campbell, Bertrand Tavernier, Claude Lelouche, Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Roberto Begnini, Dario Argento, McG and Michel Hazanavicius. He has acted, danced and directed for the stage in theaters all over Europe, Russia and Canada.

The prolific actor has recently completed "A Day Like a Week", a supernatural thriller in which Sammel stars opposite Armand Assante for director Kader Ayd. Sammel returns for the seventh season of "The French Village", an enormously popular French TV series in which he has had a leading role since its beginning. Sammel also stars as 'Thomas Eichhorst' in the hit FX series "The Strain", for director Guillermo Del Toro and Carlton Cuse.

Sammel made his professional acting debut in 1981 on stage in Hildesheim, Germany. From 1983, he worked in France, as a musician, dancer and actor where his breakthrough came in 1987, with an acclaimed performance in Catch, by the Company Nelson Dumont. Beginning in 1989, he worked in Rome with theater director Giorgio Barberio Corsetti, and met Susan Strasberg, who assisted him in securing his film debut, the lead role in Il Piacere Delle Carni, for director Barbara Barni. In 1993, Sammel moved to Paris and landed the lead role in the musical film version of the Brecht-Eisler opera The Lindberghs Flight. An indelible performance in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds in 2009 brought Sammel international recognition. In 2012, he won "Best Actor" at the Syracuse International Film Festival for his performance in Ruggero Dipaola's Apartment in Athens.

His other film credits include Les Miserable du XX Siècle for director Claude Lelouche; Life is Beautiful for director Roberto Begnini; the original Taxi written by Luc Besson; Casino Royale for director Martin Campbell; Beauty and the Beast opposite Vincent Cassel and Léa Seydoux for director Christophe Gans; and most recently McG's Three Days to Kill opposite Kevin Costner.

Richard Sammel was born in Heidelberg, Germany. He studied music, especially the violin, and then went on to follow his true passion, which was acting. He studied both music and acting in Hildesheim, Germany; acting and directing in Aix en Provence; and acting with both Susan Strasberg and Francesca de Sapio in Rome. He is drawn to roles that require physical play, rhythm and timing, a reflection of his dance training; and those that require a deep emotional inner life, a reflection of his intense training in method acting. He lives in Paris and Berlin.

Amy Manson was born on 9 September 1985 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK. She is an actress, known for The Nevers (2021), Spencer (2021) and Beats (2019).

Richard Roxburgh is an Australian actor, writer and producer who is known for portraying Dracula in the 2004 cult classic monster movie Van Helsing starring Hugh Jackman, Hugh Stamp in Mission: Impossible 2 and for his collaborations with Baz Luhrmann, particularly Moulin Rouge. He is married to his Van Helsing co-star Silvia Colloca since 2004 and has three children with her.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. was born on 23 July 1994 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for It Comes at Night (2017), Waves (2019) and Elvis (2022).

Most known for playing "Young Elvis" in the ELVIS movie directed by Baz Luhrmann. Chaydon, of Australian, English, and Maori descent, was born in Sydney, Australia, and moved to the Gold Coast when he was 2. He started acting when he was eight and has received several academic and acting scholarships. His experience extends to national and international credits in feature films, short films, TV series and commercial projects. Chaydon has a younger brother, Lokota Kayn, and a younger sister, Kaiya Thayn. He is an AFI/AACTA Youth Ambassador.

Helen Thomson is known for Elvis (2022), Kangaroo Jack (2003) and Colin from Accounts (2022). She has been married to David Roberts since 2000. They have two children.

Alton Mason (born 1997) is an American male model. Mason was born in Nebraska. His father, Alton Mason Snr, was a professional basketball player and his mother was a model. He is the eldest of 4 children. Due to his father's career, the family moved regularly, living in several European countries. When he was 17, he moved away from Arizona to study dancing and acting at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, California. Through choreographer Laurieann Gibson, he was able to obtain a position as backup dancer for P Diddy at the BET Awards 2015, which eventually led to being signed by a modeling agency. Mason was then discovered on Instagram and cast for Kanye West's Yeezy Season 3 show at Madison Square Garden. Two years later, he walked for the Gucci Fall 2017 show at the Milan Fashion Week. He was the first black male model to walk for Chanel.

Quincy Isaiah is known for Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022), Grassland (2024) and Nemesis.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, DeVaughn Nixon has been working in the industry for over twenty years. He began with roles in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "The Bodyguard" and over the years was featured in several TV series including "JAG," "The Unit," "The Game" and more. His father is former NBA player Norm Nixon and step-mother is dancer/choreographer Debbie Allen.

Solomon Hughes was born on 28 February 1979 in Orange County, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Sweet Santa Barbara Brown, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022) and Guns Up (2025).

Sean Patrick Small was born on 8 August 1992 in Mountain View, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022), The Just (2018) and Utensils (2018).

Carina Conti's notable credits include a leading role in the not-yet-released indie movie "Foibles," a supporting role in the 2024 Sundance award-winner "Little Death," recurring roles on Hulu/Freeform's "Good Trouble" (as Luca's love interest Riley) and on HBO's "Winning Time" as Paula Abdul, and a memorable guest star appearance in OWN's "All Rise." Favorite theater performances include Roxie Heart in Chicago and Lucile in an award-winning translation of Moliere's The Bourgeois Gentleman at the City Garage in Santa Monica. Born in Germany to a German mother and Italian father, Carina moved to Orlando, Florida at the age of six. As a child, she starred in over 30 commercials for brands like Disney, Universal, Chevy, and Chiquita, and her early film credits include leading roles in Barney and the Land of Make Believe and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Jr. Carina graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in Romance Languages (she speaks French, Italian, German, and English) and a minor in Theater. She has also studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in NYC, The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and at Anthony Meindl's Actor Workshop in LA.

Jessica Biel has become one of Hollywood's most sought-out actresses. She was born in Ely, Minnesota, to Kimberly (Conroe) and Jonathan Edward Biel, who is a business consultant and GM worker. Biel was raised in Boulder, Colorado. She is of Hungarian Jewish, Danish, English, and German descent.

As a child, Biel initially pursued a career as a vocalist, performing in musical theater. Beginning at age nine, she starred in such productions as "Annie," "The Sound of Music," and "Beauty and the Beast." Biel soon turned to modeling and commercial work by competing in The International Modeling and Talent Association's Annual Conference in 1994.

Her film debut was in the Kid's Rock Opera It's a Digital World (1994) where she demonstrated her acting and singing abilities. Her television series acting debut, playing Mary Camden on the WB's #1-rated show, 7th Heaven (1996), helped her emerge as a breakout star. She terrified moviegoers with her portrayal of Erin, "Leatherface's" greatest nemesis to date, in New Line Cinema's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), a remake of the original. Having finished filming Blade: Trinity (2004) in Vancouver with Wesley Snipes, Ryan Reynolds, and Kris Kristofferson, she then portrayed a jet-fighter pilot in Stealth (2005), starring Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx, and Sam Shepherd, for director Rob Cohen. Biel's film career began at age 14 when she played alongside Peter Fonda in his Golden Globe-winning performance in Ulee's Gold (1997). Her other film credits include I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998), Summer Catch (2001), Roger Avary's The Rules of Attraction (2002), and Cellular (2004), which stars Chris Evans, Kim Basinger, and William H. Macy.

In her spare time, Biel is involved with charities such as Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and PETA. Her hobbies include ballet, soccer, running, yoga and hiking with her dog "East." She resides in Los Angeles.

In 2012, she married actor and singer Justin Timberlake. The two have a son.

While still in high school, Melanie Lynskey dazzled the film industry with an eruptive star turn in Peter Jackson's revered true crime masterpiece, Heavenly Creatures (1994). Her ferocious embodiment of teenage misfit Pauline Parker - whose impassioned rapport with her only friend (a pre-fame Kate Winslet) spiralled perilously out of control in 1950s Christchurch - was deemed "perfect" by TIME's Richard Corliss and won the debuting New Zealander a Best Actress trophy in her motherland.

In the wake of a prolonged sabbatical - spent studying at university and relocating to Los Angeles - Lynskey resurfaced on the silver screen when she was cast as the refreshingly kind stepsister of Drew Barrymore in Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), a girl-power twist on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. A steady mixture of teen movies and romcoms - Detroit Rock City (1999), But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), Abandon (2002), Sweet Home Alabama (2002) - came next, as did more serious fare such as Snakeskin (2001), Shattered Glass (2003), and the Clint Eastwood war epic Flags of Our Fathers (2006).

Starting with an esteemed quartet of supporting parts in the late 2000s - Sam Mendes's Away We Go (2009), Jason Reitman's Up in the Air (2009), Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! (2009), Tim Blake Nelson's Leaves of Grass (2009) - and continuing with vital appearances in Win Win (2011), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), and Adam McKay's Don't Look Up (2021), Lynskey has emerged as one of the most distinctive and lauded actresses of her generation; a niche that was solidified by top-billed roles in a slew of exemplary indies: Hello I Must Be Going (2012), Happy Christmas (2014), The Intervention (2016) - for which she scored a Special Jury Prize at Sundance - and the genre-bending pulp jewel, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017).

Since entering the annals of 21st century pop culture with her riotous portrait of Rose - on the toweringly successful Two and a Half Men (2003), where she appeared for over a decade as Charlie Sheen's duplicitous admirer - Lynskey has injected her scene-stealing prowess into a multitude of small-screen gigs: among them, HBO's exalted tragicomedy Togetherness (2015), which showcased her "sublime, deeply felt" (Vanity Fair) depiction of a dissatisfied stay-at-home mom; macabre Stephen King spookfest Castle Rock (2018), where she headlined as pill-popping psychic Molly Strand; and the all-star political period piece Mrs. America (2020), in which she joined forces with Cate Blanchett.

For her valiant work on Showtime's Yellowjackets (2021) - where she's front-and-centre as Shauna, a crazed housewife consumed by horrific secrets - Lynskey collected the coveted Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series (2022), with Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall describing her performance in the runaway cult smash as the "dark, messy, charismatic part she's been waiting her whole career to play". Further still, her innate flair for dismantling surface-level sweetness was brought thrillingly to the fore by acclaimed turns in Hulu's Candy (2022) - as troubled real-life murder victim Betty Gore - and mega-budgeted zombie saga The Last of Us (2023), where she guested as a cold-blooded war criminal.

Sarah Peirse is known for Heavenly Creatures (1994), The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) and The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988).

William Russ was born on 20 October 1950 in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Boy Meets World (1993), Wiseguy (1987) and Cruising (1980). He is married to Clare Wren. They have two children.

David James Elliott was born on 21 September 1960 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for Trumbo (2015), JAG (1995) and Exploding Sun (2013). He has been married to Nanci Chambers since 8 October 1992. They have two children.

Sarah Lancashire was born on 10 October 1964 in Oldham, Lancashire, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Happy Valley (2014), Yesterday (2019) and Clocking Off (2000). She has been married to Peter Salmon since 22 August 2001. They have one child. She was previously married to Gary Hargreaves.

This moody, baby-faced hunk had the slick, sullen, magnetic good looks and rebel attitude of an Elvis Presley, not to mention a startling resemblance. Sure enough, the timing would prove right for Michael St. Gerard, making a killer impression on teenage girls first on film, then TV -- as greaser types and even Elvis himself -- in the early 90s.

Born in New York Mills, New York, he developed an early interest in acting and first found work in Japanese commercials and the off-Broadway stage. He made a strong impression in an otherwise mediocre teen film Senior Week (1988), then really set the wheels in motion with his second film, the John Waters' retro classic Hairspray (1988) in which Ricki Lake pines for the St. Gerard amid an American Bandstand type setting circa 1962. The amiable and tuneful satire worked perfectly and St. Gerard managed to stand out among the cult figures who appeared, including Divine, Sonny Bono and Debbie Harry.

St. Gerard got to play Presley twice in films with Heart of Dixie (1989) and Great Balls of Fire! (1989), the latter film a biopic on Jerry Lee Lewis, played all-out by Dennis Quaid. So much attention was placed on St. Gerard's Elvis imitation that the producers of a new TV series looking to recapture Elvis' early years had to look no further. The highly ambitious Elvis (1990) ran for 10 episodes and St. Gerard was magnificent in the role, with Millie Perkins and Billy Green Bush equally terrific as his parents, Gladys and Vernon Presley. The show, however, was canceled despite the critical praise heaped upon it.

Michael moved ahead to the popular teen show Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), playing an acting teacher in it second season, but this time Luke Perry and Jason Priestley grabbed the sexy attention. From there a few insignificant direct-to-video exports materialized, such as Into the Sun (1991), Live Wire (1992) and Replikator (1994), but his career had simmered.

In 1994, St. Gerard had a spiritual awakening after leading a Sunday School class, and, with it, decided to retire and focus his energies on religious instruction. He subsequently became a pastor in the Harlem area of New York City, extending himself and his church in particular to inner-city youths, and spends little time reflecting on his past stardom.

Amiable and exceptional character actor Billy Green Bush appeared in a handful of offbeat and enduring cult classic features made in the early '70s. Tall, handsome and rangy, Bush often portrayed engaging good ol' boy types, rugged cowboys and stern police officers. He was born as William Warren Bush in 1935. Billy was terrific as lazy hillbilly oil rig worker Elton in Bob Rafelson's wonderful Five Easy Pieces (1970). He was likewise excellent as cop Robert Blake's affably dimwitted partner Zipper in the splendid Electra Glide in Blue (1973). Bush gave another outstanding performance as tough-as-nails trail boss Frank Culpepper in the superbly gritty Western The Culpepper Cattle Co. (1972). Other memorable roles include a hard-nosed sheriff in Welcome Home Soldier Boys (1971), no-nonsense Warden Earl Gulliver in the powerful made-for-TV movie The Jericho Mile (1979), gruff state trooper Donner in The Hitcher (1986), and resolute farmer Jay Brown in the immensely enjoyable creature feature Critters (1986). Among the TV shows Bush has done guest spots on are Hill Street Blues (1981), The A-Team (1983), CHiPs (1977), The Incredible Hulk (1977), The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), Starsky and Hutch (1975), Baretta (1975), M*A*S*H (1972), Gunsmoke (1955), Banyon (1971), Bonanza (1959), The Outer Limits (1963), and Renegade (1992). Bush also played the sheriff in the ninth installment of the slasher series, 'Friday the 13th', entitled Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993). He has since retired from acting. Billy is the father of actor Clay Greenbush and twin actresses Sidney Greenbush and Rachel Lindsay Greenbush.

Blake Gibbons was born in Bakersfield, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Seinfeld (1989), General Hospital (1963) and Dexter (2006).

Jesse Dabson was born on 16 November 1961 in Pecatonica, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for One False Move (1991), Those the River Keeps (1999) and Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987).

Mary Elle Fanning was born on the 9th of April 1998 in Conyers, Georgia, USA, to Heather Joy (Arrington) and Steven J. Fanning. Her mother played professional tennis, and her father, now an electronics salesman, played minor league baseball. She is of German, Irish, English, French, and Channel Islander descent.

Elle's ascent into stardom began when she was almost three years old, when she played the younger version of her sister, Dakota Fanning's, character Lucy in the drama film I Am Sam (2001). She then played younger Dakota again in Taken (2002) as Allie, age 3. But her first big independent movie without her sister was in 2003's Daddy Day Care (2003) as Jamie. She then had two guest appearances on Judging Amy (1999) and CSI: Miami (2002).

Elle was becoming more successful and she got another role, in 2004's The Door in the Floor (2004) with Kim Basinger. Her career kept improving, as she had two movies in 2005, Because of Winn-Dixie (2005) and I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006).

She has since starred in a number of prominent films, including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Super 8 (2011), We Bought a Zoo (2011), and Maleficent (2014).