John Goodman

Born: June 20 1952
Where: St Louis, Missouri, USA

The former bouncer is best known as the frank and outspoken husband in the American TV series Roseanne.

On the big screen, he has impressed with a fertile working relationship with the Coen Brothers and as Fred Flinstone in the live action caper.

After attending Affton High School in Missouri he gained a drama degree from Southwest Missouri State (after originally attending as a football player).

Moving to New York in 1975, he supported himself by performing in children's theatre and working as a waiter and bouncer.

He made his TV debut in a commercial that required him to bite enthusiastically into a Burger King Whopper...but he was given no lines.

Goodman made his off-Broadway debut in a 1978 staging of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and, a year later, graduated to Broadway in Loose Ends.

His first TV appearance required him to enthusiastically bite into a Burger King Whopper...but he was given no lines.

He made his big screen debut in the forgettable 1978 romantic drama Jailbait Babysitter.

Early appearances included Revenge of the Nerds before he attracted attention for his performance as Louis Frye in the 1986 comedy True Stories.

The following year he began his love affair with the state of Louisiana, playing a murderously crooked cop in The Big Easy with Dennis Quaid.

But it wasn't until a year later that Goodman made his breakthrough screen performance as a larcenous lout in the Coen bothers' comic gem Raising Arizona.

In 1988, he began his stint as Dan Conner in the long-running TV sitcom Roseanne while starring on the big screen in Sea of Love opposite Al Pacino.

Two years later he appeared in the horror movie Arachnaphobia and landed his first starring role in the generally disappointing King Ralph.

Re-teaming with the Coens, he starred in Barton Fink and went on to play legendary basketball star Babe Ruth in 1992's The Babe.

Subsequent appearances included Matinee and The Hudsucker Proxy before he was cast as Fred Flintstone in the 1994 comedy vehicle.

Health complications for the Roseanne character Dan Conner near the end of his nine-year run on Roseanne reduced his responsibilities to the show and aided his blossoming film career.

He played a fine villain in The Borrowers, based on the children's classic, and was even better as the Vietnam vet bowling buddy of Jeff Bridges in the Coen's The Big Lebowski.

Next up was thriller Bringing Out The Dead, which he followed with The Runner and What Planet Are You From?

He reunited with the Coens for O Brother Where Are You in 2000 and played the Oklahoma cop in the Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Goodman provided voices for Pacha in The Emperor's New Groove, Sulley in the well-received Monsters. Inc. and Baloo in Jungle Book 2.

In live action features, he appeared in the generally disappointing Coyote Ugly and One Night at McCool's.

Switching styles, he played Marty Livingston in Todd Solondz's bleak comedy Storytelling.

Recent work includes Kevin Spacey's Bobby Darin tribute Beyond The Sea.