Danny McBride

After making his film debut in "All the Real Girls" (2003), actor-writer Danny R. McBride kept an exceptionally low profile in Hollywood until 2006, when his starring turn in the indie comedy "The Foot Fist Way" (2006) generated considerable buzz at the Sundance Film Festival. Critics and actors alike queued up to praise the quirky comedy and singled out McBride's starring turn as a deluded martial arts instructor. The film's reputation among comic actors like Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, and Seth Rogen helped land McBride in small but showy parts in big-budget comedies like "Hot Rod" (2006), "The Heartbreak Kid" (2007), and "Superbad" (2007). McBride's profile increased even more after "The Foot Fist Way" was picked up for theatrical release by Ferrell's company, and he enjoyed considerable screen time in the summer of 2008 with roles in the comedy hits, "Tropic Thunder" and "Pineapple Express," while enjoying the fruits of his own successful sitcom, "Eastbound & Down" (HBO, 2009-2012). But his popularity took a hit after the critical and financial disappointments of "Land of the Lost" (2009) and "Your Highness" (2011), though he did branch out into more dramatic fare with "Up in the Air" (2010). Still, McBride continued to please his growing legion of fans while steadily building an impressive résumé.