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4[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cage.png]]
5[[caption-width-right:300:Top: Creator/NicolasCage as a bit-part BurgerFool in ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'' (1982).\
6Bottom: Cage, fresh off the critical and commercial success of ''Film/LeavingLasVegas'' (1995).]]
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11A creator's first work is often not the one that makes them famous: actors may start with bit-parts; writers may have minor credits; dancers may spend time in the chorus; and so on. And in these small roles, with no fame to draw attention to them, it can be easy to overlook their presence.
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13Then fame comes, and with fame, recognition.
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15And with that recognition, suddenly the presence of that creator in one of those earlier works becomes distinctly noticeable. Now, where they were overlooked, their presence is striking--indeed, surprising. An audience-member may find themselves saying: "Wait, is that...?"
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17This is Retroactive Recognition: The sudden discovery of a creator's presence in an earlier work, made noticeable by their later fame.
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19The most prominent manifestation of the trope is perhaps when you watch an older work and suddenly realize that a small role is played by an actor who became big well after the performance. You had previously seen them, but only now recognize them.
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21This can sometimes occur across media, when a celebrity in one medium had a brief and less-celebrated career in another.
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23When you just can't shake the image of the other roles, that's JustForFun/RoleAssociation. If the older work is repackaged to accentuate the actor's later successes, it falls into BillingDisplacement. Somewhat similar to VindicatedByHistory: in both cases, something or someone becomes more notable due to later fame.
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25----
26!!Examples (sorted by last name):
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28[[index]]
29* [[RetroactiveRecognition/AToF A to F]]
30* [[RetroactiveRecognition/GToL G to L]]
31* [[RetroactiveRecognition/MToR M to R]]
32* [[RetroactiveRecognition/SToZ S to Z]]
33[[/index]]
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