Cameron

How many one-time professional party clowns have also played on the offensive line for a Big Ten school? We know of at least one. Yes, Cameron Tucker was a center for the Fighting Illini as well as a classically-trained Auguste clown named Fizbo. But we know and love him as Mitchell Pritchett's longtime boyfriend and the adoptive father of a Vietnamese baby named Lily. Cam's bubbly, carefree personality proves to be a perfect complement to Mitchell's slightly uptight ways. Cameron says, "I'm sort of like Costco. I'm big, I'm not fancy and I dare you not to like me." We'd never take that dare because we know people love the Cam show.

Eric Stonestreet

Born and raised in Kansas City, Eric Stonestreet grew up far from the bright lights of Los Angeles. As a young man raising pigs, he never would have imagined that he would end up an actor in Los Angeles. But while at Kansas State University, studying to be a prison administrator, a friend dared him to audition for the play Prelude to a Kiss. Stonestreet was cast in the play (in the smallest role) and was, as they say, bitten by the bug.

After graduating with a degree in Sociology, he moved to Chicago to study and perform theatre and improv, spending two years doing television commercials and studying with IO Chicago and The Second City before moving further west. While he continued doing commercial work, Stonestreet built an impressive resume of memorable characters on shows including Dharma & Greg, Malcolm in the Middle, Party of Five, Spin City, ER, The West Wing, American Dad, Providence, Close to Home, Crossing Jordan and Bones. His most notable character is from his recurring turn as Ronnie Litre, the questionable documents tech on the original CSI. Stonestreet was a series regular in the Fox pilot 13 Graves and has most recently guest starred in The Mentalist, NCIS, Nip/Tuck and Pushing Daisies.

On the big screen he played Sheldon, the hotel desk clerk, in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous, and in 2003 he starred in IFC'S cult classic Girls Will Be Girls, which was an official selection to the Sundance Film Festival.