People: Famous People born in 1972

People in chronological context: 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1972nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 972nd year of the 2nd millennium, the 72nd year of the 20th century, and the 3rd year of the 1970s decade. Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar time [the legal time scale], its duration was 31622401.141 seconds of Terrestrial Time (or Ephemeris Time), which is slightly shorter than 1908). ()

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4,796 people found (page 1/160):

Ben Affleck(51)

Actor | Berkeley, California (US)

Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of many accolades including two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educational series The Voyage of the Mimi (1984, 1988). He later appeared in the independent comedy Dazed and Confused (1993) and several Kevin Smith comedies, including Chasing Amy (1997). Affleck gained wider recognition when he and Matt Damon won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for writing Good Will Hunting (1997), which they also starred in. He established himself as a leading man in studio films, including the disaster film Armageddon (1998), the action crime thriller Reindeer Games (2000), the war drama Pearl Harbor (2001), and the thriller The Sum of All Fears (2002). After a career downturn, Affleck made a comeback by portraying George Reeves in the biopic Hollywoodland (2006), winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. His directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone (2007), which he also co-wrote, was well received. He then directed and starred in the crime drama The Town (2010) and the political thriller Argo (2012), both of which were critical and commercial successes. For the latter, Affleck won the BAFTA Award for Best Director, and the BAFTA and Academy Award for Best Picture. Affleck then starred in the psychological thriller Gone Girl (2014) and played the superhero Batman in the DC Extended Universe (2016–2023). He starred in the thriller The Accountant (2016) and the sports drama The Way Back (2020). Affleck had supporting roles in the dramas The Last Duel (2021), The Tender Bar (2021), and Air (2023), the latter of which he also directed. Affleck is the co-founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative, a grantmaking and advocacy-based nonprofit organization. He is a supporter of the Democratic Party. Affleck and Damon are co-owners of the production company Artists Equity and were also co-owners of Pearl Street Films.

Known for: Argo, Gone Girl, The Town, Good Will Hunting

* 08/15/1972

Cameron Diaz(51)

Actress | San Diego, California (US)

Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including nominations for four Golden Globe Awards and a British Academy Film Award. As of 2018, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S., making her the fifth-highest-grossing actress at the domestic box office. Diaz's roles in comedies and romances cemented her as a sex symbol and a bankable star, and she was named the highest-paid Hollywood actress over 40 in 2013.Born in San Diego, California, Diaz was raised in Long Beach. While still in high school, she signed a modeling contract with Elite Model Management. She made her film debut at age 21 opposite Jim Carrey in the comedy The Mask (1994). Following a supporting role in the romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), she starred as the titular character in the Farrelly brothers' comedy There's Something About Mary (1998), which brought her increased fame and her first Golden Globe nomination. Her following two projects—the sports drama Any Given Sunday and Spike Jonze's fantasy film Being John Malkovich (both 1999)—lent Diaz a reputation as a dramatic actress.Diaz had praised supporting roles in Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky (2001) and Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York (2002) and had greater commercial success in the action comedy Charlie's Angels (2000) and its 2003 sequel, as well as for voicing Princess Fiona in the Shrek franchise (2001–2010). Her subsequent films include the comedies In Her Shoes (2005), The Holiday (2006), What Happens in Vegas (2008), Knight and Day (2010), The Green Hornet (2011), and Bad Teacher (2011). After starring in three critically panned but financially successful films in 2014, The Other Woman, Sex Tape and Annie, Diaz retired from acting to focus on her family and businesses, but made a return to the profession in 2022.Diaz has also written two health books: The Body Book (2013), a New York Times bestseller, and The Longevity Book (2016). Her personal life drew strong media attention throughout the course of her career, mostly regarding her relationships and fashion sense. In 2015, she married Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden; they have a daughter via surrogate in 2019.

Known for: Vanilla Sky, There's Something About Mary, Charlie's Angels, My Best Friend's Wedding

* 08/30/1972

Dwayne Johnson(51)

Actor | Hayward, California (US)

An American and Canadian actor, producer and semi-retired professional wrestler, signed with WWE. Johnson is half-Black and half-Samoan. His father, Rocky Johnson, is a Black Canadian, from Nova Scotia, and part of the first Black tag team champions in WWE history back when it was known as the WWF along with Tony Atlas. His mother is Samoan and the daughter of Peter Maivia, who was also a pro wrestler. Maivia's wife, Lia Maivia, was one of wrestling's few female promoters, taking over Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husband's death in 1982, until 1988. Through his mother, he is considered a non-blood relative of the Anoa'i wrestling family. On March 29, 2008, The Rock inducted his father and his grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame.As of 2014, Johnson has a home in Southwest Ranches, Florida as well as Los Angeles, California. He also owns a farm in Virginia. In 2009, Johnson gained citizenship in Canada in honor of his father's background. Though Johnson was previously registered as a Republican, he voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 United States presidential elections and is now an independent voter. He stated he did not vote in the 2016 U.S. election.In recognition of his service to the Samoan people, and because he is a descendant of Samoan chiefs, Johnson had the noble title of Seiuli bestowed upon him by Malietoa Tanumafili II during his visit there in July 2004. He received a partial Samoan pe'a tattoo on his left side in 2003,and, in 2017, had the small "Brahma bull" tattoo on his right arm covered with a larger half-sleeve tattoo of a bull's skull.Johnson married Dany Garcia on May 3, 1997. Their only child together, a daughter named Simone, was born in August 2001. On June 1, 2007, they announced they were splitting up amicably. Johnson then began dating Lauren Hashian, daughter of Boston drummer Sib Hashian. They first met in 2006 while Johnson was filming The Game Plan. Their first child together, a daughter, was born in December 2015. Their second child, another daughter, was born in April 2018.Johnson attended the 2000 Democratic National Convention as part of WWE's non-partisan "Smackdown Your Vote" campaign, which aimed to influence young people to vote. He also had a speaking role at the 2000 Republican National Convention that same year.In 2006, Johnson founded the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation, a charity working with at-risk and terminally ill children. On October 2, 2007, he and his ex-wife donated $1 million to the University of Miami to support the renovation of its football facilities; it was noted as the largest donation ever given to the university's athletics department by former students. The University of Miami renamed the Hurricanes' locker room in Johnson's honor. In 2015, Johnson donated $1,500 to a GoFundMe to pay for an abandoned dog's surgery. In 2017, he donated $25,000 to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. In 2018, Johnson donated a gym to a military base in Oahu, Hawaii. After the 2018 Hawaii floods, he worked with Malama Kauai, a nonprofit organization, to help repair damages caused by the floods.

Known for: Black Adam, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Baywatch

* 05/02/1972

Idris Elba(51)

Actor | Hackney, London, England (GB)

Idris Elba (born 6 September 1972) is a British television, theatre, and film actor who has starred in both British and American productions. One of his first acting roles was in the soap opera Family Affairs. Since then he has worked in a variety of TV and movie projects including Ultraviolet, The Wire, No Good Deed and Zootopia.

Known for: Beasts of No Nation, The Losers, Thor: Ragnarok, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Luther

* 09/06/1972

Jennifer Garner(52)

Actress | Houston, Texas (US)

Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Company in New York City. She made her screen debut in the television adaptation of Danielle Steel's romance novel Zoya in 1995. She had guest television appearances and supporting film roles, as well as a featured role on the teen drama television series Time of Your Life (1999–2000) and a supporting role in the war drama Pearl Harbor (2001).Garner gained recognition for her leading performance as CIA officer Sydney Bristow in the ABC spy-action thriller television series Alias (2001–2006). For her work on the series, she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Drama and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama, in addition to four consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She received additional praise for her performance in the romantic comedy 13 Going on 30 (2004), and went on to portray Elektra in the superhero films Daredevil (2003) and Elektra (2005). She continued to achieve commercial success with performances in the comedy-drama Juno (2007), and the romantic comedies Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) and Valentine's Day (2010).Garner had starring film roles in the fantasy-comedy The Invention of Lying (2009), the fantasy drama The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012), and the biographic drama Dallas Buyers Club (2013), the latter of which earned her a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. She went on to star in the family comedy Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014), the drama Miracles from Heaven (2016), the romantic comedy-drama Love, Simon (2018), the HBO comedy series Camping (2018), the action thriller Peppermint (2018) and action-comedy The Adam Project (2022). Garner has also produced and starred in the comedy Butter (2011) and the family adventure Yes Day (2021).Garner works as an activist for early childhood education and is a board member of Save the Children USA. She is the co-founder and chief brand officer of the organic baby food company Once Upon a Farm. She is also an advocate for anti-paparazzi campaigns among children of celebrities.

Known for: 13 Going on 30, Daredevil, Juno, Alias

* 04/17/1972

Karl Urban(51)

Actor | Wellington (NZ)

Karl-Heinz Urban (born 7 June 1972) is a New Zealand actor. His career began with appearances in New Zealand films and TV series such as Xena: Warrior Princess. His first Hollywood role was in the 2002 horror film Ghost Ship. Since then, he has starred in many high-profile movies, including as Éomer in the second and third installments of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Vaako in the second and third installments of the Riddick film series, Leonard McCoy in the Star Trek reboot film series, Kirill in The Bourne Supremacy (2004), John "Reaper" Grimm in Doom (2005), Judge Dredd in Dredd (2012), Gavin Magary in Pete's Dragon (2016), and Skurge in Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok (2017). In 2013, he starred in the sci-fi series Almost Human. Since 2019, he has starred as Billy Butcher in Amazon's superhero streaming television series The Boys.

Known for: Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Doom

* 06/07/1972

Gabrielle Union(51)

Actress | Omaha, Nebraska (US)

Gabrielle Monique Union (born October 29, 1972) is an American actress and former model. Among her notable roles is as the cheerleader opposite Kirsten Dunst in the film Bring it On. Union starred opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the blockbuster film Bad Boys II and played a medical doctor in the CBS drama Series City of Angels. She starred with LL Cool J and Meagan Good in Deliver Us from Eva in 2003.Union was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the daughter of Theresa and Sylvester Union. At the age of eight, her family moved to Pleasanton, California, where she grew up and attended Foothill High School. In high school, Union was an all-star point guard in basketball and a year-round athlete, also playing in soccer and running track. She went on to the University of Nebraska before moving on to Cuesta College. She eventually transferred to UCLA and earned a degree in sociology. While studying there, she interned at the Judith Fontaine Modeling & Talent Agency to earn extra academic credits. Invited by the agency's owner, Judith Fontaine, Union started working as a model to pay off college loans.Her acting career started with minor roles. Most were in teen movies such as 10 Things I Hate About You and Love and Basketball. In 1997, Union appeared in a sixth-season episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the Klingon N'Garen. She also appeared in Sister, Sister as Vanessa, in Smart Guy as Denise, and in five episodes of 7th Heaven as Keesha Hamilton. In 2000, Union landed the role of Isis in the cheerleading movie Bring it On opposite Kirsten Dunst. Bring It On helped push Union into the mainstream and she began gaining more exposure. She was cast in her first leading role in the 2003 film Deliver Us from Eva with rapper L.L. Cool J. The film received fair reviews from critics and it showed that Union was a leading lady.Union landed the role of Will Smith's girlfriend Syd in the film Bad Boys II, a box office success grossing over $273 million worldwide. Union starred with Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx in the film Breakin' All the Rules in 2004. She then starred in the short-lived 2005 ABC series Night Stalker. She has also starred in the independent drama films Neo Ned and Constellation, the latter of which was released to theaters. She won an award for Best Actress in Neo Ned at the Palm Beach International Film Festival, and the film received awards at several festivals.

Known for: Bring It On, Bad Boys II, 10 Things I Hate About You, Deliver Us from Eva

* 10/29/1972

Toni Collette(51)

Actress | Sydney, New South Wales (AU)

Toni Collette Galafassi (November 1, 1972) is an Australian actress, producer, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television and independent films, she has received various accolades throughout her career, including a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two British Academy Film Awards.After making her film debut in Spotswood (1992) and being nominated for the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, her breakthrough role came in the comedy-drama Muriel's Wedding (1994), which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination and won her the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Collette achieved greater international recognition for her role in the psychological thriller film The Sixth Sense (1999), and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She received BAFTA Award nominations for her performances in the romantic comedy About a Boy (2002) and the comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine (2006).Collette's films include diverse genres, such as the period comedy Emma (1996), the action thriller Shaft (2000), the period drama The Hours (2002), the romantic drama Japanese Story (2003), the comedies In Her Shoes (2005) and The Way, Way Back (2013), the horror films Krampus (2015) and Hereditary (2018), and the mystery film Knives Out (2019). Her Broadway performances include the lead role in The Wild Party (2000), which earned her a Tony Award nomination. In television, she starred in the Showtime comedy-drama series United States of Tara (2008–2011) and the Netflix drama miniseries Unbelievable (2019). For the former, she won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. She has won five AACTA Awards, from eight nominations.Collette married Dave Galafassi, drummer of the band Gelbison, in January 2003. The couple have two children together. As the lead singer of Toni Collette & the Finish, she wrote all 11 tracks of their sole album, Beautiful Awkward Pictures (2006). The band toured Australia, but have not performed nor released any new material after 2007. In 2017, Collette and Jen Turner co-founded the film production company Vocab Films.

Known for: About a Boy, Hereditary, The Sixth Sense, The Hours

* 11/01/1972

Maya Rudolph(51)

Actress | Gainesville, Florida (US)

Maya Khabira Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. In 2000, she became a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL), and later played supporting roles in the films 50 First Dates (2004), A Prairie Home Companion (2006), and Idiocracy (2006).Since leaving SNL in 2007, Rudolph has appeared in various films, including Grown Ups (2010) and its 2013 sequel, Bridesmaids (2011), Inherent Vice (2014), Sisters (2015), CHiPs (2017), Life of the Party (2018), Wine Country (2019), and Disenchanted (2022). She has also provided voice acting roles for the animated films Shrek the Third (2007), Big Hero 6 (2014), The Angry Birds Movie (2016), The Emoji Movie (2017), The Willoughbys (2020), The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021), and Luca (2021).From 2011 to 2012, Rudolph starred as Ava Alexander in the NBC sitcom Up All Night. In 2016, she co-hosted the variety series Maya & Marty with Martin Short. Since 2017, she has voiced various characters in the Netflix animated sitcom Big Mouth, including Connie the Hormone Monstress, which won her Primetime Emmy Awards in 2020 and 2021. For her portrayal of United States senator and vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesRudolph appeared in the NBC fantasy comedy series The Good Place (2018–2020), for which she received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. From 2019 to 2021, she starred in the Fox animated sitcom Bless the Harts. In 2022, she began starring in the comedy series Loot, also serving as an executive producer.

Known for: Bridesmaids, Away We Go, The Way Way Back, Saturday Night Live

* 07/27/1972

Gabriel Macht(52)

Actor | The Bronx, New York City, New York (US)

Gabriel Macht is an American actor. He was born in the Bronx, New York, to Suzanne, a museum curator and archivist, and actor Stephen Macht. Gabriel has three siblings, and moved with his parents to California when he was young.Gabriel had his first success on screen when he was 8-years-old. He was nominated for a Best Young Motion Picture Actor Award for his performance in the movie Why Would I Lie? (1980). Briefly withdrawing from the business as a child, he returned as an adult with favorable roles that further developed his talents. After high school, Macht studied theatre at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh. Macht remains active in the theater and is involved with the Mad Dog Theater Company in New York where he performed the play "To Whom It May Concern" for the company at the Belgrade International Theatre Festival in 1997. His other theater credits include "Steve Martin's Picasso at the Lapin Agile" at Promenade Theater Off Broadway and Theater on the Square in San Francisco; Roger Kumble's "Turnaround" at the Coast Playhouse in Los Angeles; "La Ronde" directed by Joanne Woodward at Williamstown Theater Festival; "What the Butter Saw" directed by Joe Dowling at Arena Stage in Washington DC. On the big screen, Macht was seen in Edward Zwick's highly acclaimed, "Love & Other Drugs" where he starred opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway who were both nominated for Golden Globes® for their performances. Macht also starred in the comic book inspired film, "The Spirit" as the titular character opposite Samuel Jackson, Scarlett Johannson, and Eva Mendes directed by Frank Miller. He was previously seen in Robert De Niro's critically acclaimed film, "The Good Shepherd" with Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. Macht's additional screen credits include the comic drama "Middle Men" with Giovanni Ribisi and Luke Wilson, the arctic thriller "Whiteout" with Kate Beckinsale, the romantic comedy "Because I Said So" with Diane Keaton; Joel Schumacher's "Bad Company" opposite Anthony Hopkins; "The Recruit" opposite Al Pacino and Colin Farrell; "Behind Enemy Lines" with Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman and "American Outlaws" where he first starred opposite Colin Farrell. His role in "A Love Song for Bobby Long" garnered Macht critical acclaim for his performance as the tormented writer, Lawson Pines' starring opposite John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson in the 2004 film. On television, Macht had guest starring roles on "Sex and the City," and "Spin City" and was a regular on Steven Spielberg's supernatural drama for NBC "The Others," and starred as William Holden in ABC's "The Audrey Hepburn Story".Macht is best known for his role as Harvey Specter in USA drama Suits (2011). He resides in New York, Los Angeles, and the Sunshine Coast, Australia. He is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent on both sides of his family.

Known for: The Good Shepherd, A Love Song for Bobby Long, The Spirit, Suits

* 01/22/1972

Rebecca Romijn(51)

Actress | Berkeley, California (US)

Rebecca Alie Romijn (born November 6, 1972) is an American actress.

Known for: X-Men, Femme Fatale, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand

* 11/06/1972

Eric Dane(51)

Actor | Сан-Франциско, Калифорния, США

Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in Charmed, Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy. Following this, he made appearances in films such as Marley & Me (2008), Valentine's Day (2010), and Burlesque (2010). Dane has since played Captain Tom Chandler in the post-apocalyptic drama The Last Ship and currently stars as Cal Jacobs in the HBO series Euphoria.

Known for: X-Men: The Last Stand, Feast, Burlesque, Grey's Anatomy

* 11/09/1972

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Jonny Lee Miller(51)

Actor | Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England (GB)

Jonathan Lee Miller (AKA Jonny) is an English actor who gained notoriety with roles in Hackers and Trainspotting. The son and grandson of Stage and Film actors, Jonny's first (uncredited) role was at age 10 in an episode of Doctor Who. In 1996 he married Hacker's costar Angelina Jolie, divorcing just 18 months later. He later married and had one child with actress-model Michele Hicks.

Known for: Mindhunters, Æon Flux, Dracula 2000, Trainspotting, Elementary

* 11/15/1972

Jude Law(51)

Actor | Lewisham, London, England (GB)

David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He has received multiple awards including a BAFTA Film Award as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and two Tony Awards. In 2007, he received an Honorary César and was named a knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government.Born and raised in London, Law started acting in theatre. After finding small roles in feature films, Law gained recognition for his role in Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and was nominated for an Academy Award. He found further critical and commercial success in Enemy at the Gates (2001), Steven Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition (2002). He continued to gain praise for starring in the war film Cold Mountain (2003), the drama Closer (2004), and the romantic comedy The Holiday (2006), gaining Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for the first of these.Law played Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), a younger Albus Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), and Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel (2019); all of which rank among his highest-grossing releases. His other notable roles were in Contagion (2011), Hugo (2011), Side Effects (2013), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and Spy (2015); and the television series The Young Pope (2016) and The New Pope (2020).Law has also had an accomplished career on stage, performing in several West End and Broadway productions such as Les Parents terribles in 1994, Hamlet in 2010, and Anna Christie in 2011. He received Tony Award nominations for the first and second of these.Law's Riff Raff Entertainment, founded with business partner Ben Jackson, inked a first-look deal for both feature films and television production with New Republic Pictures on April 13, 2021.

Known for: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Closer, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

* 12/29/1972

Robin Tunney(51)

Actress | Chicago, Illinois (US)

Robin Jessica Tunney (born June 19, 1972, height 5' 4" (1,63 m)) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Teresa Lisbon in the television series The Mentalist (2008–present), as well as previous roles in the films Encino Man (1992), Empire Records (1995), The Craft (1996), End of Days (1999), and Vertical Limit (2000), and the 2005–06 series Prison Break.Early life:Tunney was born in Chicago, Illinois to a car salesman father, and a bartender mother. Tunney is Irish American; her father was born in Straide, County Mayo, Ireland, while her maternal grandparents were from Clare Island. Tunney grew up in Orland Park, a southwest suburb of Chicago. She was raised Roman Catholic, attended Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park and the Chicago Academy for the Arts in Chicago, and resided in Palos Heights, also in the Chicago area. She is a cousin of Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney.Career:At the age of 19, Tunney moved to Los Angeles, California and obtained several recurring television roles on Class of '96, Law & Order, Dream On, and Life Goes On. She gave her breakthrough performance as a suicidal teenager in Empire Records and attracted further attention by playing a witch in The Craft.In 1997, Tunney starred in her husband at the time Bob Gosse's Niagara, Niagara with Henry Thomas in a performance which garnered her the Best Actress award Volpi Cup at the 1997 Venice International Film Festival. Tunney also was featured opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1999 supernatural action film End of Days.She starred in the pilot episode of House as a kindergarten teacher who collapses before her class and descends into aphasia; she was credited as a "special guest star". She portrayed Veronica Donovan on the first season of Prison Break, credited third after two main characters, and left the show after the premiere episode of the second season. She had a minor role in the film August released on July 11, 2008. Tunney is currently starring opposite Simon Baker in the CBS drama series The Mentalist, playing Teresa Lisbon.Personal life:Tunney married producer and director Bob Gosse on October 4, 1997; they divorced in 2006. In 2009, Tunney was engaged to Australian writer and director Andrew Dominik but they called off their engagement by August 2010. Tunney became engaged to interior designer Nicky Marmet on December 25, 2012 while on vacation in Rio de Janeiro.On June 28, 2006, Tunney won the fifth table of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown's eighth season, finishing ahead of Christopher Meloni, Macy Gray, Joy Behar, and Andy Dick, moving on to the final cut. The finale aired on July 5, 2006, where she competed against Jason Alexander, Michael Ian Black, Ida Siconolfi, and Keegan-Michael Key. Tunney came in second, behind Alexander. She played for The Children's Health Fund, which received $200,000 for her efforts. In August 2006, Tunney played in the World Series of Poker after having her entrance fee covered by the online cardroom PokerRoom.com.

Known for: The Craft, Vertical Limit, Empire Records, End of Days

* 06/19/1972

Julie Benz(51)

Actress | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (US)

Julie M. Benz (born May 1, 1972) is an American actress, best known for her role as Rita Bennett on Dexter, for which she won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. She starred on the series No Ordinary Family until it was cancelled on May 13, 2011. Among her previous well-known roles was Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. She will star in the upcoming CBS show A Gifted Man.

Known for: Rambo, Dexter, Hawaii Five-0, Defiance

* 05/01/1972

Missi Pyle(51)

Actress | Houston, Texas (US)

Andrea Kay 'Missi' Pyle (born November 16, 1972) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in several films, including Galaxy Quest, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Bringing Down the House, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. She is also the other half of Smith & Pyle, a desert country-rock band, with actress Shawnee Smith.

Known for: Captain Fantastic, Gone Girl, Galaxy Quest, Bringing Down the House

* 11/16/1972

Wentworth Miller(51)

Actor | Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England (GB)

Wentworth Earl Miller III (born June 2, 1972) is an English-born American actor, model, and screenwriter who rose to stardom following his role as Michael Scofield in the Fox Network television series Prison Break.

Known for: The Human Stain, Stoker, Underworld, Prison Break

* 06/02/1972

Gwyneth Paltrow(51)

Actress | Los Angeles, California (US)

Gwyneth Kate Paltrow Falchuk (born September 27, 1972) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.Paltrow gained notice for her early work in films such as Seven (1995), Emma (1996), Sliding Doors (1998), and A Perfect Murder (1998). She garnered wider acclaim for her performance as Viola de Lesseps in the historical romance Shakespeare in Love (1998) which won her several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actress. This was followed by roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Shallow Hal (2001), and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004).After becoming a parent in 2004, Paltrow significantly reduced her acting workload. She made occasional appearances in films, such as the drama Proof (2005), which earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. In 2009, she received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for the children's audiobook Brown Bear and Friends. In addition, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her guest role as Holly Holliday on the Fox musical television series Glee in 2011. From 2008 to 2019, she portrayed Pepper Potts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Beginning in 1995, Paltrow has been the face of Estée Lauder's Pleasures perfume; she was previously the face of the American fashion brand Coach. She is the founder and CEO of the lifestyle company Goop, which has been criticized for promoting pseudoscience, and has authored several cookbooks.

Known for: Shakespeare in Love, Sliding Doors, Emma, Iron Man 3

* 09/27/1972

Eli Roth(52)

Actor | Newton, Massachusetts (US)

turns 52 today

Eli Raphael Roth is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is part of the group of filmmakers dubbed the Splat Pack, because of their association and their focus on the horror genre.Roth is known for making violent, low-budget horror films that are box office hits worldwide, and for bringing back the R-rating to horror at a time when studios believed only PG-13 horror would work. Roth is also an award-winning actor, most known for his role as Donny Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, for which he won both a SAG Award (Best Ensemble) and also a BFCA Critic's Choice Award (Best Acting Ensemble).Roth was born in Newton, Massachusetts, to Dr. Sheldon Roth, a psychiatrist/psychoanalyst and professor at Harvard University, and Cora Roth, a painter. His grandparents immigrated from Austria, Russia and Poland, and Roth was raised Jewish.

Known for: Borderlands, Inglourious Basterds, Hostel

* 04/18/1972

Mehmet Kurtuluş(51)

Actor | Uşak (TR)

Mehmet Kurtuluş (born 27 April 1972) is a Turkish-German actor. He is best known for his work with German director Fatih Akin.

Known for: Big Game, In July, Short Sharp Shock, Scene of the Crime

* 04/27/1972

Peter Serafinowicz(51)

Actor | Liverpool, England (GB)

Peter Szymon Serafinowicz ( SERR-ə-FIN-ə-witch; born 10 July 1972) is an British actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. Serafinowicz's film roles include the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Pete in Shaun of the Dead (2004), Garthan Saal in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), the voice of Big Daddy in Sing (2016) and Sing 2 (2021), and The Sommelier in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017). On television, Serafinowicz created and starred in the comedy shows Look Around You (2002–2005) and The Peter Serafinowicz Show (2007–2008). He also voiced characters and worked as a creative consultant on South Park (2006–2015), portrayed Edgar Covington in Parks and Recreation (2013–2015), voiced the Fisher King in Doctor Who (2015), and starred as the title character in the live-action adaptation series The Tick (2016). His other television work includes voicing characters in animated series such as Archer, Bob's Burgers, Rick and Morty, The Simpsons, and American Dad! Serafinowicz has voiced characters in video games such as Dark Souls II (2014), LittleBigPlanet 3 (2014), and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016). He has directed music videos for acts such as Hot Chip, and received attention online in the late 2010s for political satire videos in which he dubbed over videos of Donald Trump with various comedic voices.

Known for: Guardians of the Galaxy, Spy, John Wick: Chapter 2, Shaun of the Dead

* 07/10/1972

Nick Frost(52)

Actor | Essex, England (GB)

Nicholas John Frost (born 28 March 1972) is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He has appeared in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy of films, consisting of Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World's End (2013), and the television comedy Spaced (1999–2001). He also appeared in Joe Cornish's film Attack the Block (2011). He co-starred in the 2011 film Paul, which he co-wrote with frequent collaborator and best friend Simon Pegg. He has also portrayed various roles in the sketch show Man Stroke Woman. In 2020, he cocreated and starred in the paranormal comedy horror series Truth Seekers with Pegg.

Known for: The World's End, Paul, Shaun of the Dead, Attack the Block

* 03/28/1972

Sofia Helin(51)

Actress | Hovsta (SE)

Sofia Margareta Götschenhjelm-Helin (born 25 April 1972) is a Swedish actress. She was nominated for a Guldbagge Award for her role in Dalecarlians, and stars as Saga Norén in the Danish/Swedish co-produced TV series The Bridge (Danish: Broen; Swedish: Bron).

Known for: Arn: The Knight Templar, The Snowman, The Bridge, Honour

* 04/25/1972

Alyssa Milano(51)

Actress | Brooklyn, New York (US)

Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and former singer. Her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? made her famous, and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the supernatural series Charmed brought her a new round of fame. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of Jennifer Mancini. Milano has a female sports apparel line, Touch.

Known for: Commando, Fear, Charmed, Who's the Boss?

* 12/19/1972

Justina Machado(51)

Actress | Chicago, Illinois (US)

Justina Milagros Machado is an American actress, known for her roles as Penelope Alvarez on the Netflix and Pop TV sitcom One Day at a Time, Darci Factor in The CW dramedy Jane the Virgin, Vanessa Diaz on the HBO drama Six Feet Under, and Brenda on the USA drama Queen of the South.

Known for: Torque, Final Destination 2, Six Feet Under, One Day at a Time

* 09/06/1972

Thandiwe Newton(51)

Actress | London, England (GB)

Melanie Thandiwe Newton OBE (/tænˈdiːweɪ/ tan-DEE-way; born 6 November 1972) is an English actress. Newton has received various awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to nominations for two Golden Globe Awards. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to film and to charity.Newton is known for starring roles such as the title character in Beloved (1998), Nyah Nordoff-Hall in Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), Tiffany in Shade (2003), Dame Vaako in The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), Christine in Crash (2004), for which she received a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Linda in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Libby in Run Fatboy Run (2007), Stella in RockNRolla (2008), Condoleezza Rice in W. (2008), Laura Wilson in 2012 (2009), Tangie Adrose in For Colored Girls (2010), and Val in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).Since 2016, Newton has played the sentient android, the madam Maeve Millay, in the HBO science fiction-western series Westworld, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and two Critics Choice Awards, as well as nominations for a Golden Globe Award, Saturn Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2017, she portrayed DCI Roz Huntley in the BBC drama series Line of Duty, which earned her a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress.In April 2021, Newton, having been widely known as Thandie Newton for 30 years because of a misspelling of her first name in the credits of her first film, announced she was finally correcting this and would henceforth be known and credited as Thandiwe Newton, her real name, beginning with Reminiscence (2021).

Known for: Crash, Mission: Impossible II, The Pursuit of Happyness, Westworld

* 11/06/1972

John Cho(51)

Actor | Seoul (KR)

John Cho is a Korean American actor best known as playing Harold in the Harold and Kumar film series, as well as playing helmsman Hikaru Sulu in 2009's Star Trek.

Known for: Star Trek, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Searching, Star Trek Into Darkness

* 06/16/1972

Leslie Mann(52)

Actress | San Francisco, California (US)

Leslie Jean Mann (born March 26, 1972) is an American actress. She has appeared in numerous films, including The Cable Guy (1996), George of the Jungle (1997), Big Daddy (1999), Knocked Up (2007), 17 Again (2009), Funny People (2009), This Is 40 (2012), Blockers (2018) and Croods: A New Age (2020).

Known for: Knocked Up, The Other Woman, This Is 40, George of the Jungle

* 03/26/1972

Molly Parker(51)

Actress | Maple Ridge, British Columbia (CA)

Molly Parker (born June 30, 1972) is a Canadian actress, writer, and director. She garnered critical attention for her portrayal of a necrophiliac medical student in the controversial drama Kissed (1996). She subsequently starred in the television thriller Intensity (1997) before landing her first major American film role in the drama Waking the Dead (2000). She gained further notice for her role as a Las Vegas escort in the drama The Center of the World (2001), for which she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. In the early 2000s, Parker had lead roles in several films, including Max (2002), Pure (2002), and Nine Lives (2005). Beginning in 2004, she starred as Alma Garret on the HBO Western series Deadwood, appearing in all three seasons. She subsequently appeared in the post-apocalyptic thriller The Road (2009), and the independent drama Trigger (2010). In 2011, she appeared as a recurring guest star in the sixth season of Dexter, before being cast as politician Jacqueline Sharp on the Netflix series House of Cards in 2014. The role earned Parker a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Her subsequent film roles include the drama American Pastoral (2016) and two Netflix-produced features: the crime drama Small Crimes, and the Stephen King adaptation 1922 (both 2017). She also starred in Errol Morris's docudrama miniseries Wormwood. From 2018 to 2021, she starred as Maureen Robinson in Lost in Space, a Netflix-produced remake of the 1965 TV series.

Known for: The Wicker Man, The Road, Trigger, Deadwood

* 06/14/1972