AL PACINO, DUSTIN HOFFMAN, TOM HANKS, DON CHEADLE, TIM ALLEN AND ROBERT DOWNEY JR. ARE AMONG THOSE SCHEDULED TO SHARE THEIR CAREERS AND CRAFT ON BRAVO'S 'INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO' THIS SPRING

DUSTIN HOFFMAN TO BE HISTORIC 200TH GUEST ON 'INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO'

TOM HANKS RETURNS AS THE SERIES' FIRST EVER ENCORE GUEST

NEW YORK -- March 13, 2006 -- Bravo announces some of the silver screen's most influential and intriguing stars to continue the twelfth season of the eleven time Emmy-nominated "Inside the Actors Studio." Scheduled to share the stage with host James Lipton this spring are Actors Studio Co-President Al Pacino, Don Cheadle, Tim Allen, Robert Downey Jr., Dustin Hoffman as a milestone 200th guest, and Tom Hanks as the first ever encore guest on "Inside the Actors Studio."

"The fact that acclaimed actors such as these continue to come and share their craft with us is a testimony to the enduring strength of this franchise," said Frances Berwick, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production, Bravo. "We are also proud to welcome back Tom Hanks, who appeared on the show over seven years ago. His body of work since then - on both sides of the camera - is enormous, and we anticipate this next chapter will be as entertaining as the first."

Below are brief bios on our upcoming guests:

AL PACINO: A native New Yorker, Pacino was first given the chance to cultivate his craft when he was accepted into the prestigious Actors Studio. His Tony Award-winning performance in "Does the Tiger Wear a Necktie?" earned Pacino critical acclaim throughout the theater world and catapulted him into film. Nominated for an Academy Award eight times for his work in "The Godfather," "Serpico," "The Godfather, Part II," "Dog Day Afternoon," "And Justice for All," "Dick Tracy," and "Glengarry Glen Ross," he finally took home top honors for his performance in "Scent of a Woman." Pacino rounded out his career by bringing home an Emmy Award for his work in "Angels in America" and broadened his grasp on Hollywood by writing, directing, producing and acting in "Looking for Richard."

DUSTIN HOFFMAN: Widely considered one of the most prominent actors of his time, Hoffman has dotted the film landscape with his memorable performances and landmark roles. Born in Los Angeles, Hoffman originally planned to be a concert pianist before turning to acting. He gained experience at the Pasadena Playhouse for two years, honing his craft before moving to New York City. There Hoffman worked a series of odd jobs before landing bit parts in Broadway and off Broadway shows. He made his film debut with "The Tiger Makes Out", but didn't gain infamy until his break-out role in "The Graduate." His performance earned him an Oscar nomination, and led to other memorable and Oscar-nominated roles in "Midnight Cowboy," "Rainman" and "Kramer vs. Kramer." Hoffman also went on to produce and star in many movies such as "Tootsie" and "Wag the Dog," and also returned to Broadway as Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman."

TOM HANKS: One of the most sought after actors in Hollywood, Hanks is known as one of America's most popular actors. Hanks rose to stardom as a romantic comedy lead in 80s and 90s films that have become cinema classics such as "The Money Pit," "Splash," "Big," "The 'Burbs" and "Sleepless in Seattle." Not one to be type-cast, Hanks moved seamlessly into drama, scoring back-to-back Oscars for his landmark role as a gay man infected with AIDS in "Philadelphia" and for his simple and honest portrayal of the title role in "Forrest Gump." Hanks continues to be one of the most in demand actors of today, having starred in recent blockbusters such as "Cast Away," "Catch Me If You Can" and "The Polar Express." He also plays the title role in the to be released adaptation of the best selling novel "The Da Vinci Code."

DON CHEADLE: Originally known for his portrayal of the district attorney on the popular show "Picket Fences," Cheadle has risen to fame steadily in some of Hollywood's biggest films. Roles in prominent films such as "Boogie Nights," "Out of Sight," "Traffic," "Swordfish," "Ocean's Eleven," and "Ocean's Twelve" made Cheadle a household name and a name at the top of many director's lists. Steven Soderbergh, his director for multiple films during his career, has been quoted as saying Cheadle is one of his favorite actors to work with. His performance in "Hotel Rwanda" earned him best actor nominations for both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards in 2005. Most recently he appeared in the critically acclaimed ensemble drama "Crash."

TIM ALLEN: One of America's favorite funny men, Tim Allen has stretched the landscape of entertainment - in TV, film and literature throughout his career. Though he started off as a stand-up comedian, Allen found notoriety in TV. At one point in the mid '90s, Allen was the star of the most watched TV show, "Home Improvement", the #1 movie in America, "The Santa Clause", and the best-selling book "Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man" simultaneously. "Home Improvement" had a successful run from 1991-1999 and won Allen a Golden Globe for best performance by an actor in a TV series. Allen was able to shift easily into other major films such as "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," "The Santa Clause" and "The Santa Clause 2," "Joe Somebody," "Christmas with the Kranks" and starred in the just recently released "Shaggy Dog."

ROBERT DOWNEY JR.: Born in New York City as the son of an underground filmmaker, Downey was exposed to film and the arts at a young age. He held down a number of odd jobs in New York before joining the cast of "Saturday Night Live" when he was just 20 years old. After one season, he moved to Hollywood to pursue film, and quickly became a teenage heartthrob. After roles in movies like "Weird Science," "Less Than Zero," and "Chances Are," Downey was ready to leave behind his teen image and show his serious side in the title role of the "Chaplin." He was rewarded with an Oscar nomination. Though his career is peppered with drug addiction and trouble with the law, Downey rebounded with his successful stint on the popular TV series "Ally McBeal," was able to make his mark in films such as "Wonder Boys," "Gothika," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," and "Good Night, and Good Luck."

Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture with original programming, acclaimed off-network dramas, comedy and music specials, movies and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 80 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed and award-winning original programming includes "Inside the Actors Studio," "Project Runway," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," and "Blow Out" as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye." The network's latest hits include "Being Bobby Brown" and "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List."

Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been a NBC Cable Network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information visit www.bravotv.com.