Ving Rhames

Where it all began
As a very big baby in May 1961 in Harlem. "I grew up on the same neighbourhood as drug kings and gangsters. I saw that crime pays but I never got involved," says the actor who, instead won a scholarship to the prestigious Juilliard school of drama: "I graduated on Friday and by Monday, I was doing Shakespeare in the park." He made his Broadway debut with Matt Dillon in The Winter Boys in 1985.

The role that made him
Rhames was Marsellus Wallace, baddest of many bad men in Pulp Fiction. Travolta wasn't the only one whose career wasn't quite the same after it. He topped that up nicely with Con Air, as Nation of Islam convict Diamond Dog and, as George Clooney's best mate in Out Of Sight.

Memorable dialogue
"I'm going to get medieval on your ass" - an unfortunate choice of words as Marsellus Wallace was to discover when Tarantino adapted Deliverance's nastiest moment in a claustrophobic basement.

Roles he'd rather keep off the CV
Rhames had to suffer through two of the 90s' worst: he was in both Stallone's most desperate attempt at comedy, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot and Demi Moore's most embarrassing outing yet in Striptease. Rhames was the strip club's bouncer - and the only cast member to emerge with dignity intact.

Next role
In Entrapment, out on July 2, with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones, which should be followed by Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out The Dead, with his Con Air co-star Nicolas Cage.

USP
The gigantic tattoo that almost managed to cover a mighty Rhames bicep in Con Air. It's not real though.

Role we'd like to see him play
He's the only possible Sonny Liston (the massive ex-con heavyweight champ who preceded Muhammad Ali) in the same way Morgan Freeman has to play Kofi Annan some day and the Liston role is "in development." He has already done well in the boxing world, winning a Golden Globe for his role as Don King in a mini-series. Rhames gave the trophy to Jack Lemmon who he felt was more deserving. He also plans to produce, direct and star in an adaptation of Macbeth.

Family life
Rhames discovered an older brother, a Vietnam vet, who had lost contact with the family but turned up on a New York film set in 1993.

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