Despite having all the necessary tools to become a star – looks, talent, presence – actor Christian Bale lacked one necessary ingredient at the start of his career: tolerance for being in the spotlight. After achieving instant celebrity after being tapped by Steven Spielberg to star in his epic period film, “Empire of the Sun” (1987), Bale suddenly discovered that he hated dealing with publicity. Instead of faking his way through interviews and junkets, he mentally bailed out, sometimes sitting through an entire session without answering, and occasionally flat out refusing to participate. But as he got older, he realized that the publicity aspect of acting was vital to his success, so he grew more and more comfortable with every new career landmark – “Little Women” (1994), “American Psycho” (2000) and “Batman Begins” (2005), chief among them.

 Striking Canadian import Carrie-Anne Moss, a dark-haired, alabaster skinned beauty, journeyed to Europe to pursue a modeling career, but instead landed on American television, fulfilling a lifelong goal of working as a professional actress. Despite always wanting to be an actress, nothing prepared Moss for becoming a cultural icon when she landed the career-defining role of Trinity, the cool, leather-clad, sunglasses-wearing heroine from the futuristic sci-fi phenomenon, “The Matrix” (1999). So great was the film’s impact on the cultural zeitgeist that Moss become more unrecognizable withoutsunglasses than with. Labeled by media and geek fandom as an action chick—a term she wholeheartedly embraced—Moss was wise in not letting the role define her career and instead balanced her resume with more feminine roles in low-budget indies.

Arguably the greatest and most accomplished actor of his generation, Al Pacino became a cultural icon thanks to revered performances in a wide range of classic films, including “The Godfather” (1972), “Scarface” (1983) and “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992).

BIOGRAPHY

Despite a short-lived start on series television, actor Heath Ledger moved into features as a heartthrob in teen films, quickly developing into one of Hollywood’s most prominent and gifted talents, as well as a tabloid favorite for his very public relationships with actresses Naomi Watts and Michelle Williams.