Spider-Man 3 - The Actors Behind the Most Anticipated Movie of the Season

The release of Spider-Man 3 has generated a lot of media hype. The expectations are that the third movie of the franchise will surpass the gross net of the previous two films. Now, before you rush off to see the if the movie lives up to expectations, take a look at the backgrounds of the actors who made the Spider-Man franchise so successful.

Leading man Toby Maguire was born June 27th, 1975 in Santa Monica, California. While he best known for his portrayal of Peter Parker aka Spider-man, Toby has been in many familiar films. Toby had leading roles in Pleasantville, The Cider House Rules, and Wonder Boys. In his personal life, Toby has recently made the jump into fatherhood. His daughter, Ruby Sweetheart Maguire, with fiance Jennifer Meyer, was born November 10th, 2006. Co-star James Franco said that Toby is a great father and "obsessed" with little Ruby. While not acting or spending time with his daughter, Toby plays poker and can often be seen in tournaments on ESPN.

In regards to Spider-Man 4, Toby is said to be the most reluctant of the cast to get back into his "Spidey" character, sparking rumors that the fourth movie would have fellow actor Jake Gyllenhal in his place. Maguire has denied these rumors, saying, "I feel like the stories all deserve to be told, and, you know, if... the whole team wants to get back together, and we feel like we can make a good movie that's worth making, then I'm up for it."

Kirsten Dunst, who plays Mary Jane Waston, was born April 30th, 1982. Dunst has been well known in Hollywood since she was twelve years old after playing Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. She went on to star in the children's film Jumanji with Robin Williams. She has starred in numerous "teen" flicks, such as; Dick, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Crazy/Beautiful and most notably the cheer-leading movie Bring it On. However, Dunst is not your typical "teen" flick actor, she has also tackled more mature projects such as The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette and Mona Lisa Smile starring Julia Roberts.

Kirsten dated fellow actor Jake Gyllenhal on and off for 4 years until finally calling it quits in December of 2005. It has been said that she and Spider-man co-star Toby Maguire had a fling during the filming of the movie. She is currently dating British rocker Johnny Borrell the frontman of the band Razorlight.

James Franco plays Harry Osborn Spider-man's sometimes best friend and sometimes nemesis, Franco is best known not for his acting, but for his uncanny resemblance of the legendary James Dean. In fact, Franco received a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Dean in the made for television movie, James Dean. Prior to Spider-Man, Franco starred in the short-lived but critically acclaimed television series, Freaks and Geeks. Since his Spider-Man fame, Franco has been hard at work and has seven movies coming out in 2007.

The Villain in Spider-Man 3, Venom, is played by Topher Grace. Topher is well-known for his role as Eric Foreman in the television series, That 70's Show. Topher was discovered by a producer of That 70's Show while performing in the school play, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". It has been said that Grace was detached from the rest of the otherwise close cast of That 70's Show, which eventually led to his departure. Since he left That 70's Show in 2005, Grace has been in several successful movies, including; Traffic, Oceans Eleven, Oceans Twelve, and Mona Lisa Smile with Spider-Man3 co-star Kirsten Dunst.

Other actors in the film include; director Ron Howard's daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, veteran actress Rosemary Harris, and Academy Award nominee Thomas Haden Church.

So there you have it. Now you can go out and enjoy the movie without wondering where you've seen these actors before!