Tony Shalhoub

Born: October 9, 1953
Where: Green Bay, Wisconsin

It was the directorial debut of actors Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott - Big Night - that made audiences take notice of Shalhoub.

Until then, he had been known primarily as the Italian cab driver Antonio TV sitcom Wings and had bit parts in movies such as Barton Fink and Addams Family Values.

Support roles in Men in Black, Gattaca and A Life Less Ordinary followed and then his featured role in Tucci's solo directing and writing debut The Impostors brought him more critical praise.

Galaxy Quest and Spy Kids raised his profile until his spirited performance as a big-city lawyer in the Coen brothers' The Man Who Wasn't There.

Other roles include the man who inherits a haunted house in Thir13en Ghosts, opposite Gary Sinise in Impostor and Men in Black II.

Tony has also gained some experience behind the lens - he directed Made Up which won an award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Recently, he appeared in the dismal rom-com Life or Something Like It and Spy Kids II: The Island of Lost Dreams.

Upcoming projects include the female boxing promoter biopic Against The Ropes with Meg Ryan.