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British actor Jeremy Irons was born in Cowes, Isle of Wight, a small island off the south coast of England. He is the son of Barbara Anne Brereton (Sharpe) and Paul Dugan Irons, an accountant. Young Jeremy didn't prove very fond of figures. He visited mainland England only once a year. He wound up being grounded when his family settled down in Hertfordshire. At the age of 13 he enrolled in Sherborne School, Dorset, where he could practice his favorite sport, horse-riding. Before becoming an actor, he had considered a veterinarian surgeon's career.

He trained at the Bristol Old Vic School for two years, then joined Bristol Old Vic repertory company where he gained experience working in everything from Shakespeare to contemporary dramas. He moved to London in 1971 and had a number of jobs before landing the role of "John the Baptist" in the hit musical "Godspell". He went on to have a successful early career in the West End theatre and on TV, and debuted on-screen in Nijinsky (1980). In the early 80s, he gained international attention with his starring role in the Granada Television serial adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's classic novel Brideshead Revisited (1981), after which he was much in demand as a romantic leading man. He went on to a steady film career. In 1984, he debuted on Broadway opposite: Glenn Close in Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing" and, in the mid-80s, he appeared in three lead roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Once described as 'the thinking woman's pin up', he has made his name in thought provoking films such as David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers (1988), for which he won the New York Critics Best Actor Award. He gained a Golden Globe Award in addition to an Oscar for Best Actor in 1990 for his role as Claus von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune (1990) alongside Glenn Close. Among his many achievements, his role as Professor Higgins in Loewe-Lerner's famous musical "My Fair Lady" mustn't be forgotten. It was in London, back in 1987.

He is married to actress Sinéad Cusack, with whom he appeared in Waterland (1992) and in the Royal Shakespeare Company plays. He appeared with his son Samuel Irons and his father-in-law Cyril Cusack in the film Danny the Champion of the World (1989). His son Max Irons is also an actor.

Mark King was born and raised on the Isle of Wight. With drummer Phil Gould, he was a member of Reflex and "M" before forming the jazz-funk instrumental band, Level 42, with Phil, Phil's guitarist brother, Roland Gould, and keyboards player, Mike Lindup. King attracted much attention with his distinctive and highly-skilled bass guitar playing and, by the time of the band's first single "Love Meeting Love", he was also the lead vocalist. Level 42 had a series of fairly minor hit singles but, in 1983, "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)" reached the top ten. In September 1985, they released "Something About You", which reached number six and stayed on the chart for an impressive 17 weeks. It was also a top-ten hit in the USA. King had gained more confidence as a distinctive vocalist and their 1985 album, "World Machine", and its 1987 successor, "Running in the Family", firmly established Level 42 as a hugely successful melodic pop band to rival the likes of Phil Collins' Genesis. However, Level 42's increasingly commercial music disappointed some fans of their original jazz-funk style. "Running in the Family" was the final album with the Gould brothers, who left the band during the subsequent tour. Mark continued with Level 42 but the band had lost some of their magic and the singles became less successful. Level 42 disbanded in 1994, having spent 177 weeks on the British singles chart and 228 weeks on the album chart. Mark King lives on the Isle of Wight with his wife, Ria. He has four children. Level 42 will undoubtedly be remembered for producing some of the most skillful and distinctive British pop music of the 1980s.

Cliff Michelmore was born on 11 December 1919 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK. He was a producer and writer, known for Pantomania: Babes in the Wood (1957), This Is the BBC (1959) and All Your Own (1952). He was married to Jean Metcalfe. He died on 17 March 2016 in Petersfield Community Hospital, Petersfield, Hampshire, England, UK.

Billie Bristow was born on 5 January 1897 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK. She was a writer and actress, known for Self Made Lady (1932), Night Mail (1935) and Gay Love (1934). She was married to Michael Pleydell-Bouverie and William Husband. She died on 14 March 1981 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK.

Ivor Vintnor was born on 8 August 1896 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Variety Parade (1936) and The Arcadians (1927). He was married to Doris Bentley. He died on 17 January 1970 in Gillingham, Kent, England, UK.

Anna Fruen was born on 2 October 1987 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK.

Bert Byrne was born on 11 January 1878 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK. He was an actor. He died in 1948 in Lambeth, London, England, UK.