About The Cast

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. (Tony Stark) has evolved into one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. Downey received an Academy Award® nomination and won the BAFTA (British Academy Award) Best Actor for his performance in the title role of "Chaplin," released in 1992.

Downey recently completed a starring role alongside Ben Stiller and Jack Black in the DreamWorks comedy "Tropic Thunder." Written and directed by Stiller, the film is slated for release on August 15, 2008.

Downey was most recently seen as the high school principal in "Charlie Bartlett"; in David Fincher's "Zodiac" alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo; in Richard Linklater's 2006 summer hit "A Scanner Darkly," co-starring Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson; and "Fur," opposite Nicole Kidman in a film inspired by the life of Diane Arbus, the revered photographer whose images captured attention in the early 1960s.

In 2005, Downey was in the Academy Award®-nominated film "Good Night and Good Luck" directed by George Clooney. He was also seen in the action comedy "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang," directed by Shane Black and co-starring Val Kilmer.

In 2003, Downey starred in two very different films: "The Singing Detective," a remake of the popular BBC hit musical drama featuring Downey singing and dancing alongside Adrien Brody, Katie Holmes and Robin Wright-Penn; and "Gothika," starring Halle Berry and Penelope Cruz, in which Downey played a psychiatrist who works in a mental institution.

Downey made his primetime television debut in 2001 when he joined the cast of the Fox-TV series "Ally McBeal," playing the role of attorney Larry Paul. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries 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.

In 2000, Downey co-starred with Michael Douglas and Toby Maguire in "Wonder Boys" directed by Curtis Hanson, in which he played a bisexual literary agent. In April 2000, he appeared alongside Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy in the hit comedy "Bowfinger."

In 1999, he starred in "Black and White" written and directed by James Toback and co-starring Ben Stiller, Elijah Wood, Gaby Hoffman, Brooke Shields and Claudia Schiffer. "Black and White" is about a group of white high school teens and their excursions into the lives of Harlem's black hip-hop crowd. He also played the villain opposite Annette Bening and Aidan Quinn in "In Dreams," directed by Neil Jordan.

In 1998, Downey co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes in "U.S. Marshals" directed by Stuart Baird, and with Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner in the critically acclaimed "Two Girls and a Guy," directed by James Toback.

In 1997, Downey was seen in Robert Altman's "The Gingerbread Man," along with Kenneth Branagh, Daryl Hannah and Embeth Davitz, as well as "One Night Stand" directed by Mike Figgis and starring Wesley Snipes and Nastassja Kinski.

Other film credits include "Restoration," "Richard III," "Natural Born Killers," "Short Cuts," "The Last Party," "Soapdish," "Air America," "Chances Are," "True Believer," "Johnny Be Good," "Less Than Zero," "The Pick-up Artist," "Back to School," "Weird Science," "Firstborn" and "Pound," in which he made his feature film debut and which was directed by Robert Downey Sr.

On November 23rd, 2004, Robert Downey Jr. released his debut album, "The Futurist," on the Sony Classics label. The album, which contains eight original songs, showed off his sultry singing voice.

Academy Award® nominee TERRENCE HOWARD (Rhodey) exploded onto the Hollywood scene after delivering powerful performances in a number of film and TV productions. Howard has garnered multiple nominations including Academy Award® and Golden Globe nominations, as well as awards for Breakthrough Actor by the National Board of Review, Movieline and the Gotham Awards. Crowned as the "Indie Film King" by Entertainment Weekly, he has also received the Rising Star Award from the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Renaissance Artist Award from the Diversity Awards and the Career Achievement Award from the Chicago International Film Festival.

For his leading role in John Singleton's "Hustle & Flow," Howard received nominations for an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe, an Image Award and an Independent Spirit Award; he won the Satellite Award for Best Actor.

Howard's memorable performances are of scene-stealing characters such as Cameron in the Oscar®-winning Best Picture "Crash," Cowboy in the Hughes brothers' "Dead Presidents" and as Quentin in Malcolm D. Lee's "The Best Man." Other film credits include "Pride" with Bernie Mac; "The Brave One" with Jodie Foster; "The Hunting Party" with Richard Gere; "August Rush" with Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers; "Awake" with Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen; "Angel Eyes"; "Mr. Holland's Opus"; "Harts War"; "Four Brothers"; "Idlewild" and "Get Rich or Die Tryin'."

He recently completed production on Dito Montiel's "Fighting" with Channing Tatum.

In television, Howard appeared in the HBO film "Lackawanna Blues" with Jeffrey Wright and S. Epatha Merkerson. In 2006, he took on a new role as host of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series "Independent Lens," a showcase for independent filmmakers that introduced a new drama or documentary every episode.

Howard recently made his stage debut in the Broadway revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" starring opposite Phylicia Rashad, James Earl Jones and Anika Noni Rose, under the direction of Debbie Allen.

A self-taught musician Howard plays both the piano and the guitar. His musical talents were seen on the big screen opposite Jamie Foxx in 2004's "Ray," for which they both earned a SAG nomination. A promising songwriter, he recently joined some of the industry's top musicians at the famed Sony Columbia music label and will be releasing his original debut album in September 2008.

JEFF BRIDGES (Obadiah Stane) recently wrapped production on "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People." He last starred in "Stick It" for Touchstone Pictures, in which he played the coach of a team of rule-abiding gymnasts. He is one of Hollywood's most successful actors and is a four-time Academy Award® nominee. He earned his first Oscar® nod in 1971 for Best Supporting Actor in Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" co-starring Cybill Shepherd. Three years later he received a second Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in Michael Cimino's "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot." In 1984, he landed top kudos with a Best Actor nomination for "Starman." That performance also earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

In 2001, he was honored with another Golden Globe nomination and his fourth Oscar® nomination for his role in "The Contender," Rod Lurie's political thriller co-starring Gary Oldman and Joan Allen, in which Bridges played the President of the United States.

Last summer, Bridges lent his voice in "Surf's Up," from Sony Pictures Animation, a film that went behind the scenes of the high-octane world of competitive pro-penguin surfing. Bridges voiced the lead character, Geek (a King Penguin) a cantankerous, washed-up surfer living the life of a recluse until a hot-shot kid named Cody (Shia LaBeouf) enters his world and disrupts his life. In 2005, Bridges appeared in "The Moguls" a comedy written and directed by Michael Traeger, and "Tideland" directed by Terry Gilliam.

Bridges' multi-faceted career has encompassed all genres. He has starred in numerous box office hits, including Gary Ross's "Seabiscuit," Terry Gilliam's offbeat comedic drama "The Fisher King" (co-starring Robin Williams), the multi-award nominated "The Fabulous Baker Boys" (co-starring his brother Beau Bridges and Michelle Pfeiffer), "Jagged Edge" (opposite Glenn Close), Francis Ford Coppola's "Tucker: The Man and His Dream," "Blown Away" (co-starring his father Lloyd Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones), Peter Weir's "Fearless" (with Isabella Rossellini and Rosie Perez), and Martin Bell's "American Heart" (with Edward Furlong, produced by Bridges' company AsIs Productions). That film earned Bridges an IFP/Spirit Award in 1993 for Best Actor.

In the summer of 2004, he appeared opposite Kim Basinger in "The Door in the Floor," for director Todd Williams and Focus Features, which earned him an IFP/Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor. He has also appeared in the suspense thriller "Arlington Road" (co-starring Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack, directed by Mark Pellington.)

He played a major featured role in "The Muse" (an Albert Brooks comedy starring Brooks, Sharon Stone and Andie McDowell), and starred in "Simpatico," the screen version of Sam Shepard's play (with Nick Nolte, Sharon Stone and Albert Finney). In 1998, he starred in the Coen brothers' cult comedy "The Big Lebowski." Before that, he starred in Ridley Scott's "White Squall," Walter Hill's "Wild Bill," John Huston's "Fat City" and Barbra Streisand's romantic comedy "The Mirror Has Two Faces."

Bridges' other acting credits include "K-PAX," "Masked and Anonymous," "Stay Hungry," "Bad Company," "Against All Odds," "Cutter's Way," "The Vanishing," "Texasville," "The Morning After," "Nadine," "Rancho Deluxe," "See You in the Morning," "Eight Million Ways to Die," "The Last American Hero" and "Hearts of the West."

In 1983, Bridges founded the End Hunger Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to feeding children around the world. Bridges produced "End Hunger," a three-hour live television broadcast focusing on world hunger. The television event featured Gregory Peck, Jack Lemmon, Burt Lancaster, Bob Newhart, Kenny Loggins and other leading film, television and music stars in an innovative production designed to educate and inspire action.

Through his company, AsIs Productions, he produced "Hidden in America," which starred his brother Beau. The television movie, produced for Showtime, received a Golden Globe nomination in 1996 for Best TV/Cable Film and garnered a Screen Actors Guild nod for Best Actor for Beau Bridges. The film was also nominated for two Emmy Awards. Current AsIs projects in development include "The Giver," based on Lois Lowry's Newbery Award-winning novel.

One of Bridges' true passions is photography. While on the set of his movies, he takes behind-the-scenes pictures of the cast, crew and locations. After completion of each motion picture, he edits the images into a book and gives copies to everyone involved. His photos have been featured in several magazines, including Premiere and Aperture, as well as in other publications worldwide. He has also had gallery exhibits of his work in New York at the George Eastman House, and in Los Angeles, London and San Diego.

The books, which have become valued by collectors, were never intended for public sale but, in the fall of 2003, PowerHouse Books released Pictures: Pictures by Jeff Bridges, a hardcover book containing a compilation of photos taken on numerous film locations over the years, to much critical acclaim.

Proceeds from the book are donated to the Motion Picture & Television Fund, a non-profit organization that offers charitable care and support to film-industry workers.

A few years ago, Bridges fulfilled a lifelong dream by releasing his first album, "Be Here Soon," on Ramp Records, the Santa Barbara, CA label he cofounded with Michael McDonald and producer/singer/songwriter Chris Pelonis. The CD features guest appearances by vocalist/keyboardist Michael McDonald, Grammy-nominated Amy Holland, and country-rock legend David Crosby. Ramp Records also released Michael McDonald's album "Blue Obsession."

Jeff, his wife Susan and their three children divide their time between their home in Santa Barbara, California, and their ranch in Montana.

SHAUN TOUB (Yinsen) was raised in Manchester, England. At the age of 14, he moved to Switzerland and, after a two year stay, crossed the Atlantic to Nashua, New Hampshire where he finished his last year of high school. After completing his education at USC, he broke into the Hollywood scene with a memorable role on the much loved television series "Hunter." His filmography includes a lead in the Golden Globe Best Picture nominee "The Kite Runner", his gripping performance as Farhad in Paul Haggis's Oscar®-winning film "Crash" and the critically acclaimed film "The Nativity Story." As a comedic performer he shined in Michael Bay's "Bad Boys" with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. He made his mark on HBO as well, both in Mick Jackson's "Live from Baghdad" starring Michael Keaton and Helena Bonham Carter and the controversial "Path to Paradise" opposite Marcia Gay Harden. He appears often in television mini-series, most recently in the ABC Emmy nominated "The Path to 9/11." Toub has received accolades for several of his appearances in over 100 television episodes including "Seinfeld," "The Sopranos," "ER," "Just Shoot Me," "Nash Bridges," "JAG" and "Married with Children."

Toub is very proud of his Persian heritage and very active in the community. Through various charity events and public speaking engagements, he inspires the community to embrace the arts, as the arts enhance everyday life.

A Hollywood legend in the making, GWYNETH PALTROW (Pepper Potts) has defied the odds by remaining one of today's most prolific and celebrated actors in the ever-changing film industry. A testament to her undeniable talent, her role in "Shakespeare in Love" catapulted her into awards stardom with Best Actress honors at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Academy Awards®. Her career has been studded with both critically acclaimed independents and studio blockbusters that have made her a fixture for this generation's film audience.

Paltrow recently completed production in James Gray's romantic drama "Two Lovers" with Joaquin Phoenix. She was also seen in her brother Jake Paltrow's directorial debut, "The Good Night," as the wife of a former pop star who's been reduced to writing jingles. The film also starred Penelope Cruz and Danny DeVito.

Paltrow's recent film credits include "Proof," the film adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play in which Paltrow recently finished a successful run at London's Donmar Warehouse Theatre. This performance as a harassed young woman struggling to care for her eccentric math genius father reunited her with her "Shakespeare in Love" director John Madden, who also directed the film costarring Anthony Hopkins, Jake Gyllenhaal and Hope Davis. She received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress for her work in the play, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for her work in the film.

Paltrow was also recently seen in "Running with Scissors," the adaptation of Augusten Burroughs' novel directed by Ryan Murphy. She also makes a cameo in "Infamous" by "Emma" director Douglas McGrath, as a Peggy Leeesque nightclub chanteuse.

Her other film credits include "The World of Tomorrow," an adventure film co-starring Jude Law and Angelina Jolie; "Sylvia," the Focus Features film that tells the story of the relationship between Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes; Neil LaBute's "Possession," a romance also starring Aaron Eckhart; a cameo appearance in the New Line comedy "Austin Powers 3"; and the critically acclaimed Wes Anderson film "The Royal Tenenbaums," in which she starred opposite Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston and Ben Stiller. She also starred in the Peter and Bobby Farrelly-directed "Shallow Hal," co-starring Jack Black and Jason Alexander.

Additional credits include roles in Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming's "The Anniversary Party" opposite Cumming, Leigh, John C. Reilly, Kevin Kline and Parker Posey, as well as "Duets," a film directed by her father Bruce Paltrow, and Miramax Films' "Bounce" opposite Ben Affleck. Paltrow has appeared in director Anthony Minghella's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" opposite Matt Damon, Jude Law and Cate Blanchett, and the hit film "A Perfect Murder" opposite Michael Douglas and Viggo Mortensen, as well as the critically acclaimed and international box office hit film "Sliding Doors."

Her other film credits include "Emma" directed by Douglas McGrath, "Great Expectations" opposite Ethan Hawke, "The Pallbearer" opposite David Schwimmer, "Se7en," "A View from the Top," "Moonlight and Valentino," "Jefferson in Paris," "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle," "Malice," "Hook" and "Shout."

Paltrow's first role was her remarkable performance in the critically acclaimed "Flesh and Bone" opposite Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid. She has also received rave reviews in a sell-out run of the Williamstown Theater Festival's production of "As You Like It," in the role of Rosalind.

Paltrow recently made her directorial debut, co-writing and co-directing (with her friend Mary Wigmore) a short film, "Dealbreakers."

In 2005, Paltrow entered into a multi-year contract with Estée Lauder. Since then, she has appeared in global print and television advertising campaigns for Pleasures and Pure White Linen fragrances. In 2006, Estée Lauder introduced a newPleasures by Gwyneth Paltrow limited edition collection, inspired by her favorite pampering rituals. In future seasons, Paltrow will appear in additional Estée Lauder fragrance, makeup and skincare advertising campaigns.

Born in Los Angeles, where she spent the first 11 years of her life, Paltrow comes from a very close-knit family deeply entrenched in the entertainment industry. Her father, Bruce Paltrow, was a highly successful producer ("St. Elsewhere," "The White Shadow") and her mother is the award-winning actress Blythe Danner. While Paltrow and her younger brother, Jake, lived in Los Angeles, she attended St. Augustine by the Sea (now known as Crossroads).

Subsequently, her family moved to New York and she graduated from the Spence School before enrolling in the University of California at Santa Barbara to major in Art History. She quickly learned that college life was not something she felt committed to and withdrew from school despite her father's strong recommendation to remain. It wasn't until he caught her moving performance in the Williamstown Theater Festival production of "Picnic," starring opposite her mother and Tony Goldwyn, that he lent his support in her pursuit of an acting career.

Paltrow currently resides in New York City and London.

Movie search