Before they were famous...

[NewJeffCT]

Inspired by Kentauros' post in LynneSin's thread on the movie "Trading Places"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=9675041&mesg_id=9675184

But, to summarize his post - Senator Al Franken has a small bit at the end of the movie as a baggage handler. I remember watching the movie last year and going, "Holy Shit - that's Al Franken!" Of course, the movie came out almost 30 years ago.

Can you name a now famous celebrity who appeared in a small/minor role before anybody knew who they were?

I had mentioned one in response to kentauros because I recently saw the movie again. But, at the beginning of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - Indy gets the idol and races back to leave the crypt, only to see his companion leap to the other side of an open pit with Indy's famous whip. The companion says, "Throw me the idol and I'll throw you the whip." The guy betrays Indy, of course, and almost immediately meets his doom. That guy was played by a young Alfred Molina... who later went on to play Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 and also major parts in several other movies. Not a megastar, but a well known actor.

Any others come to mind?

[sarge43]

1. Speaking of Harrison Ford ...

Non credited, non speaking role as a bellhop pager in an easily forgotten flick, Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round.

[geardaddy]

9. Harrison Ford was an officer who briefed Martin Sheen

in Apocolypse Now.

[NewJeffCT]

13. and, both would go on to play presidents

Sheen in The West Wing and Ford in Air Force One.

[geardaddy]

15. True!

Good catch!

[sarge43]

16. Yes, so young looking, both of them

Where did the time go?

[deutsey]

76. But that was after Star Wars, right?

[RedCloud]

18. he also knew a friend of mine from college

And he dumped her on his way to fame.

[geardaddy]

19. Oops, wrong spot.

[Call Me Wesley]

21. He was also in 'The Great Escape.' Probably first on screen display.

Played a Hitler Youth guy sitting in a train. ;)

[Fire Walk With Me]

77. And a tiny role in Apocalypse Now.

[TZ]

2. I think maybe a few people know this but..George Clooney

had a bit recurring role on Roseanne before he hit it big on ER. Back then he was famous for having a famous Aunt...:)

[Dr. Strange]

3. And before he was on Roseanne, he was on E/R.

[WolverineDG]

39. E/R was after Roseanne

and before Roseanne, he was on Facts of Life.

dg

[Dr. Strange]

41. No, no, no.

E/R was before Facts of Life.
Facts of Life was before Roseanne.
Roseanne was before ER.

And most importantly, Return of the Killer Tomatoes! was in 1988, between Facts of Life and Roseanne. That's the role he'll always be remembered for.

[CBGLuthier]

50. Clooney was in two different shows. One called E/R. One called ER

He set you up man. :-)

The first E/R was an Elliot Gould sitcom.

[TZ]

72. Dr. Strange is evil. I knew something wasn't right but didn't know what

so didn't comment. Thanks for clarification

[mucifer]

69. no there were 2 different shows ER and E/R on E/R Clooney played a

nursing assistant.

[ceile]

23. He was also in an episode of Golden Girls

Played a cop.

[chollybocker]

29. Before that, Clooney on The Facts of Life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIZ7ACvfwds

[Dr. Strange]

45. And before that...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL5mmdZFrlI

[TZ]

73. btw

:spank: :spank: :spank: Only by sheer force of will did *I* not fall for your little trick.

[geardaddy]

4. I think people knew who Al Franken was before "Trading Places"

He appeared frequently on SNL.

[deutsey]

75. Yeah, the first time I think he was on TV was in The Rutles (1978 or '79)

(a very small part with John Belushi). He could've been on sooner, but that's the earliest clip of him I can remember.

He was, as you said, frequently on SNL as a commentator (the running gag was he'd say his name throughout his commentary). He and his writing partner (Tom Davis?) came on once during a live broadcast and called for the violent overthrow of the US government. It was a joke, but I was surprised the GOP didn't dig it up and use it against him.

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. Richard Dreyfuss was in "The Graduate" as one of the swarm of college guys'...

.
.
.
...outside Katherine Ross' door in the boarding house. He had
one forgettable line (directed to Norman Fell -- the original
Mr Roper from "Three's Company" -- as the landlord), "You
want me to call the cops?"
.
.
.

[NewJeffCT]

12. good one

didn't know that.

[JonLP24]

6. Brad Pitt

in Thelma & Louise.

I don't know if he was unknown at the time but I remember my mom watching the film for a second time and didn't realize Brad Pitt was in that movie.

[CBGLuthier]

7. Jamie Lee Curtis played a waitress in Columbo

in the episode The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case with Theodore Bikel as the killer.

Funnily enough I just watched The African Queen. Where a very young and as yet unfamous Theodore Bikel played the small part of the First Officer.

There are rumors that Richard Simmons is in Fellini's Satyricon but I don't really think it's him.

Not exactly an appearance but Sissy Spacek is credited in Brian De Palma's film The Phantom of the Paradise as a set dresser. That came about because her newlywed, and still married to, husband Jack Fisk was the Production Designer. This was two years before De Palma directed Carrie.

[NewJeffCT]

11. wow, didn't know that one

interesting - good find.

[dawg]

8. Jennifer Aniston was in Leprechaun.

[NewJeffCT]

10. I think I remember hearing that now

good one

[Tom_Foolery]

25. She was also in an episode of Quantum Leap...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0681147/

[charlie and algernon]

14. Kiefer Sutherland was in Stand by Me

played the leader of the older kids.

[fizzgig]

57. a lot of recognizable faces in that movie

i was in love with river phoenix from the moment i set eyes on him

[Pendrench]

17. Kevin Costner played the corpse (Alex) in the Big Chill....although only his wrists could be seen.

Apparently before that, however, he was Frat Boy #1 in Ron Howard's Night Shift.

Tim

[Call Me Wesley]

22. Such incredible great acting from him!

Never achieved afterwards or beforewards! ;)

[av8rdave]

33. I agree...that was the apex of his acting career

He must have let all those rave reviews go to his head.

[geardaddy]

20. Lisa Kudrow played a waitress on Cheers

She had dark hair in that role.

[PVnRT]

24. Harrison Ford in "Apocalypse Now"

[CBGLuthier]

26. Uhhm, that was two years after Star Wars. I think he was starting to be famous by then

He was however also Bob Falfa the driver who wants to challenge John Milner in American Graffiti.

[geardaddy]

27. That's right!

I forgot about that one.

[Auggie]

28. Clint Eastwood

Revenge of the Creature, 1955. His first film. He played a lab technician.

[csziggy]

30. Michael Keaton - usher (and others) on "Mary"

If I remember correctly, it was originally supposed to be a one time, throw away part, but he was so good, they made him a regular - for the short time that show lasted. It was a skit/variety show, intended to be similar to Carol Burnett's show.

[chollybocker]

31. Jack Nicholson in Little Shop of Horrors.

Or in Easy Rider.

[blogslut]

32. James Dean

A bit part as a fight trainer in the Martin & Lewis movie, Sailor Beware.

Proof!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB02Fjb-0-M

[av8rdave]

34. Robert DuVall in To Kill a Mockingbird

He played Boo Radley. A very short scene with I believe only one line.

His film debut.

[NewJeffCT]

38. wow, good find

i'll have to look for him next time I watch the movie.

[av8rdave]

46. It's at or near the closing scene

[CBGLuthier]

51. Kind of hard to miss him. He's the guy who rescues Scout and her brother

by sticking a knife in the man chasing them.

[dixiegrrrrl]

56. but....to be fair..... he is not visible to the audience until the end of the movie

when he is seen standing in Jem's room.
the actual attack was done ( marvelously well) with lots of shadows and noises, but no actual sighting of Boo.

[Kali]

35. demi moore used to be on general hospital

same with richard simmons

I never saw buffy the vampire slayer but I think the actress was also on a soap - one life to live as one of Erica Kane's various mystery relatives/child or something

yes I used to be an abc soap addict

[NewJeffCT]

37. I watched General Hospital briefly back in the early/mid 80s

for a few months at a time here and there over a year or two. Right after the Luke & Laura thing hit it big. I remember Demi Moore and John Stamos on there, as well as Emma Samms. Samms never was a big star, but she was in a few movies. However, Stamos also went on to do some big things like Moore.

[pscot]

36. Cloris Leachman as the girl on the highway

in Kiss me deadly. Charle Bronson was in Pat and Mike, in which Hepburn warns Tracy, "Watch out for the little guy. He's got a gun."

[WolverineDG]

40. Courtney Cox in Springstein's "Dancing in the Dark" video

she's the one he hauls up on stage to dance with him.

dg

[siligut]

42. The Outsiders had a whole crew of unknowns, or little knowns

And it boosted many careers: The Outsiders is noted for its cast of up-and-coming stars, including C. Thomas Howell, who garnered a Young Artist Award, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, and Diane Lane. The film helped spark the Brat Pack genre of the 1980s. Being directed by Francis Ford Coppola was probably a huge bonus.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outsiders_(film)

[NewJeffCT]

43. I remember that movie

Loved the book as a kid, didn't love the movie. I remember Howell & Lane from the movie, but not all the others. Impressive young cast!

[siligut]

44. I loved the book too and it was her first.

S. E. Hinton was still in her teens when she wrote The Outsiders. ". . .the book has sold more than 14 million copies in print<5> and still sells more than 500,000 a year." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._E._Hinton

The movie wasn't anywhere as good as the book, but young imaginations are tough competition for a director.

[deutsey]

78. The Outsiders was one of those transformative books for me

Read it in 9th grade. It was the first time I read a book that resonated with my working-class sensibility. Although I now kind of think "Ponyboy" and "Sodapop" are goofy names, at the time I read it I really liked them. I was also a big fan of "That Was Then, This Is Now." Reminded me of a friendship I had when I lived in California in the early '70s. Maybe I was growing up, but I wasn't as into her later stuff, like "Rumble Fish" and "Tex."

I was so surprised to learn the "S" in "S.E." stood for "Susan" and not "Steve", btw! Had a chance to meet her once in Oklahoma but the friend I was with didn't want to go. I've always regretted it.

[davsand]

47. Look to the soap operas.

I remember seeing quite a few actors/actresses in the soaps before they hit it big. Meg Ryan was on As the World Turns, Christopher Reeve was on Love of Life, and Nathan Fillion was on One Life to Live. Demi Moore was on General Hospital, and Ricky Martin (aside from being in Menudo when he was a kid) was was also on "Generally Hopeless" as we used to call it.

My personal favorite, however, is Tommy Lee Jones who was on One Life to Live...



Laura

[chollybocker]

63. Julianne Moore also started out in the soaps.

I think.

[canoeist52]

81. yup, she played twins on "As the World Turns", I think.

[Blue-Jay]

48. Jack Nicholson was in a Roger Corman film "The Terror" 1963

Also Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) was a waiter in The Blues Brothers.

[CBGLuthier]

52. He was in at least 3 Corman films

The Terror, The masochistic dental patient in Little Shop of Horrors and my favorite The Raven.

He also played a burglary suspect in a later episode of The Andy Griffith show.

[Divameow77]

49. I've seen lots of now famous people

on re-runs of Beverly Hills 90210. Hillary Swank, Matthew Perry, David Arquette to name a few...

[bikebloke]

53. Benicio del Toro

He played a bad guy in a Bond flick - I think it was during the Roger Moore era.

[provis99]

68. Licence to Kill; Timothy Dalton was James Bond.

Though the first time I remember seeing del Toro was in an episode of Miami Vice. Miami vice's first episode had Jimmy Smits as Don Johnson's partner; he lasted all of five minutes before getting blown up by a car bomb; that was the first time I ever heard of Jimmy Smits.

[mulsh]

54. Phill Collins was in the studio audience in A Hard Day's Night.

not really and actor but he was around 13 years old and it was before Genesis or his power whine act.

[MorningGlow]

55. Matthew Morrison (Glee)

had a bit part as a cop in the '07 Steve Carell movie Dan in Real Life. Movie tanked, but I've always been fond of it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480242/

[alphafemale]

58. Dan Haggerty/Grizzly Adams was one of the Hippies in the commune in Easy Rider. nt

[jpak]

64. Wasn't Toni Basil of 'Mickey' fame in that too?

:shrug:

[alphafemale]

65. Just did a quick check. She played Mary. One of the girls they did the acid trip with. nt

[alphafemale]

59. Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson both had their film debut in Wild Cats

Woody had been on Cheers by that time though I think.

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

60. There is this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P9S-N3IV10

[NewJeffCT]

61. good one

I think she became a bit famous after that.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

62. James Earl Jones

was a B52 crewmember in Dr Strangelove

[fishwax]

66. Patrick Swayze played a soldier with Leukemia on an episode of M*A*S*H

That was 1981, six years before Dirty Dancing and a few years before Red Dawn.

Over the years the show had several other guest (not-quite-yet-)stars who would later become famous. Another memorable one was George Wendt (Norm from Cheers) who played a marine with a billiard ball stuck in his mouth ...

[NewJeffCT]

70. good finds

Norm!

[hifiguy]

80. I remember Lawrence Fishburne

also playing a patient on MASH during the later part of that series' run.

[fishwax]

67. Leonard DiCaprio was a late-series addition to Growing Pains, and Hilary Swank was also on a couple

of episodes.

Here they are together on the show. Between them they have five oscar nominations and two wins (both by Swank), and they got their start here:

[frogmarch]

71. Viggo Mortensen in Witness

starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. Viggo played Daniel Hochleitner's brother Moses, who appears mostly in the barn-raising scenes.

[dembotoz]

74. psycho--the guy who played ted knight on mtm was a cop

[deutsey]

79. Burt Reynolds played a bad guy on the old TV series "Flipper"

I saw the episode in the mid-'70s on a UHF channel. I knew he was a popular actor at the time, so it was weird seeing him on that show.