Hank Azaria

Born: 25 April 1964,
Where: Queens, New York

The name is seen on millions of TV screens world-wide every single day (at least once!) when the credits of The Simpsons role.

Azaria has won three Emmys for voicing Apu, Moe, Lou and Police Chief Clancy Wiggum in the long-running cartoon comedy.

On the big screen, he has received plaudits for his Guatamalan houseboy Agador Spartacus in Mike Nichol's Birdcage and his role as a TV producer in Quiz Show.

After attending Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, he went on to train at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

Funding his studies with some bartending at the Arcadia, he made his feature debut in the comedy thriller Cool Blue alongside Woody Harrelson.

Subsequent roles included Pretty Woman and Quiz Show opposite Ralph Fiennes as well as Michael Mann's heist thriller Heat.

Other roles have included Grosse Pointe Blank, the monster blockbuster Godzilla and Tim Robbins' drama Cradle Will Rock.

Azaria starred opposite Julia Roberts and John Cusack in America's Sweethearts and appeared in the drama Shattered Glass with Hayden Christiansen and Chloe Sevigny.

On stage, he starred in the London West End production of David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago opposite Matthew Perry and Minnie Driver.

On TV, he was Emmy-nominated for role of Phoebe's scientist boyfriend David in the hit comedy Friends.

Recent work includes Along Came Polly with Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston he also made his directorial debut with the short Nobody's Perfect.