History Main / RetroactiveRecognition

This is what happens when you watch an older work and suddenly realize that a small role is played by an actor who got big well after the performance. You already saw him or her, but only now recognize him or her. This usually results when a former bit player finally lands a breakout role. It may also include a few minor roles before their StarMakingRole.

When you just can't shake the image of the other roles, it's JustForFun/RoleAssociation. If the older work is repackaged to accentuate the actor's later successes, it falls into BillingDisplacement.

This is what happens when you watch an older work and suddenly realize that a small role is played by an actor who got big well after the performance. You already saw him, but only now recognize him. This usually results when a former bit player finally lands a breakout role. It may also include a few minor roles before their StarMakingRole.

[[quoteright:348:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cage.png]]
[[caption-width-right:348:Top: Creator/NicolasCage as a bit-part BurgerFool in ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'' (1982).\\

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/Batman1966 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/retroactive_recognition.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[TheSixties '60s]]: Ward, [[Creator/AdamWest West]], Williams, some guy.\\
[[TheSeventies '70s]] onwards: "Wait, is that ''Creator/BruceLee''?!"]]

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[[folder:A to F]]
* '''Creator/JensenAckles''' was on an episode of ''Series/{{Wishbone}}'' back in 1995.
** The following year, he guest starred as Brad, aspiring photographer and love interest for Jessica, on ''Series/SweetValleyHigh''.
** He guest starred in a wedding-themed episode of ''Series/{{Cybill}}'' as the groom, David. His voice is so high he almost sounds pubescent compared to the booming bass he currently uses.
** He was a CampGay prisoner in the pilot of ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit''.
** He was also in season 4 of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' as Jason Teague, Clark's football coach and Lana's boyfriend. However, in season 5, we see a newspaper announce he was killed off-screen in a meteor shower (and the actual death is depicted in a deleted scene from the Season 4 finale where he takes Jonathan and Martha hostage before their house is hit by a meteor). In reality, Ackles was cast in his now-signature role as Dean Winchester in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''.
* Before he shot to stardom thanks to ''Series/LukeCage'' and ''Film/{{Moonlight}}'', '''Creator/MahershalaAli''' had a bunch of bit parts and one-off roles in police procedurals like ''Series/{{CSI|Crime Scene Investigation}}'', ''Series/NYPDBlue'' and ''[[Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit Law and Order: SVU]]''.
** He was also the Sierra Leonean death squad soldier in ''Film/{{Predators}}'' and Boggs in the ''[[Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjay Mockingjay]]'' movies.
* '''Creator/AmyAdams''' made her debut in ''Film/DropDeadGorgeous'' as a ditzy cheerleader before [[HilariousInHindsight guesting in an episode of]] ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', and had a short stint on ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' before receiving some critical acclaim for ''Film/JuneBug'' and later ''Film/{{Enchanted}}''.
** She also played one of Tara's hick relatives in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "[[Recap/{{BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E6Family}} Family]]".
** Also appeared in a episode of ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' as the unlucky Maggie Murphy.
** And she was on ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill''.
** And she played the resident bitch in ''Cruel Intentions 2'', a sequel to ''Film/CruelIntentions'' so obscure there isn't even a TV Tropes page for it.
** She had a guest starring role in a two-part episode of ''Series/TheWestWing''.
* '''Joey Lauren Adams''' had her first big break on the ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' spinoff ''Top of The Heap'', where she played the jailbait neighbor with a crush on Creator/MattLeblanc.
* '''Creator/BenAffleck''' had a small role as a basketball player in the original ''Film/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' movie, several years before he broke out in Creator/KevinSmith movies and ''Film/GoodWillHunting''.
** He had a {{Jerkass}} high school senior role in ''Film/DazedAndConfused''.
** Even before that, he was the young kid and main character in ''Series/TheVoyageOfTheMimi''.
** Or as the teenage son of [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Kate Mulgrew]] in Danielle Steele's ''Daddy''.
** His first Askewniverse appearance in ''Film/{{Mallrats}}'' also predated his stardom.
* '''Chris Agos''', whom Creator/{{NBC}} viewers might well recognize as Assistant State's Attorney Steve Kot in ''Series/ChicagoPD'' and ''Series/ChicagoFire'', a decade and a half earlier did the irritating AnnouncerChatter for the irritating UsefulNotes/PlayStation game ''Irritating Stick''.
* Long before she jumped to fame in ''Series/DarkAngel'', '''Creator/JessicaAlba''' played a supporting role in ''Series/TheSecretWorldOfAlexMack''. [[BillingDisplacement When the DVD set was released in 2011, her appearance was promoted on the box art.]] She also guest-starred in episodes of ''Series/ChicagoHope'' and ''Series/BeverlyHills90210''.
** Her first credited role was as one of the kids in ''Film/CampNowhere''.
** And she starred in a remake of ''Series/{{Flipper}}''.
* '''Creator/JaimieAlexander''', known for her roles in the ''Film/{{Thor}}'' [[Film/ThorTheDarkWorld movies]] and ''Series/{{Blindspot}}'', showed up in a Season 1 episode of ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' as a high school student who seduces Dennis and as Jessi in ''Series/{{Kyle XY}}''.
** She also appeared as a suspect in a season 4 episode of ''Series/{{Bones}}''.
* '''Creator/JasonAlexander''' is the hardware store clerk Creator/HarrisonFord annoys in the beginning of ''Film/TheMosquitoCoast''.
* A young '''Tatyana Ali''' appeared in the drawing segments of the Creator/JimHenson Play-Along Video "Wow, You're A Cartoonist!".
** Speaking of Franchise/TheMuppets, a young '''Raven-Symoné''' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fspvvzM8I6A sang to Kermit]] in the special ''The Muppets At Walt Disney World''.
* In a variant of this, '''Creator/KirstieAlley''' was a contestant on the game shows ''Series/MatchGame'' and ''Series/{{Password}} Plus'' before her career started. Both of these episodes have occasionally rerun on Creator/{{GSN}}.
* '''Simon Amstell''' appeared as a contestant on ''[[Series/CatchPhrase Family Catch Phrase]]'' and ''Series/GamesMaster'' before becoming a presenter on T4 and then hosting ''Series/NeverMindTheBuzzcocks''.
* '''Nicole Anderson''' from ''Series/{{JONAS}}'', played Tasha in the "iNevel" episode of ''Series/ICarly''.
* '''Samuel Anderson''', who played Danny Pink in Series 8 of ''Series/DoctorWho'', had previously been a model, with his face on food trucks transporting Ginster's Cornish Pasties.
* '''Creator/JenniferAniston'''
** Her first film was the 1988 ''[[Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial E.T.]]'' ripoff film ''Film/MacAndMe,'' as an uncredited dancer in [=McDonald's=].
** She had a minor role in an episode ''Series/QuantumLeap'' as the future love interest of Sam's current host.
** She also played Creator/MayimBialik's evil stepsister in the very short-lived series ''Molloy'' (it was cancelled in favor of Bialik's other vehicle, ''Series/{{Blossom}}'').
* '''Creator/AzizAnsari''' had guest roles on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' and ''Series/FlightOfTheConchords'' and starred in ''Series/HumanGiant'' before becoming a recognized name through ''Series/ParksAndRecreation''.
* ''ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable'' once featured a column called "A Gamer's Rant on the Movies", in which a guy named '''Creator/NoahAntwiler''' would give snarky reviews of bad movies. If that name sounds familiar to you, it's because you might know him today as [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment Spoony]].
* Filipino actor '''John Arcilla''' first starred in a 90s Philippine TV commercial for a brand of bacon in which he uttered "Coffee na lang, dear" (Just coffee, dear) before landing his iconic role of historical figure Gen. Antonio Luna in the [[Film/HeneralLuna eponymous 2015 biopic]].
* '''Ashley Argota''' (Lulu) from ''Series/TrueJacksonVP'', was a classmate of the PowerTrio in the ''Series/ICarly'' episode "iHave a Lovesick Teacher".
* '''Creator/RichardArmitage''' had two lines in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', followed by several years of minor supporting roles on British television that have since been almost entirely forgotten, as well as a minor role in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger''. All of this years before his international breakout role as Thorin Oakenshield in ''Film/TheHobbit''.
* '''Creator/EdwardAsner's''' fourth-ever role was as a police sergeant in the ''Series/{{Decoy}}'' episode "An Eye for an Eye."
* '''Creator/DiedrichBader''' played an ''Enterprise'' officer in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/{{StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E20TheEmissary}} The Emissary]]", years before playing Oswald on ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow'' and Batman in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''.
* '''Creator/PennBadgley''' did voice work for ''VideoGame/MarioGolf'' and ''VideoGame/MarioTennis'' before his StarMakingRole on ''Series/GossipGirl''.
** He also co-starred in ''Film/DriveThru'' with '''Creator/LeightonMeester'''.
* Before starring as Amy Duncan on ''Series/GoodLuckCharlie'', '''Leigh-Allyn Baker''' had the recurring role of Hannah Webster during the first season of ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''.
* '''Steven W. Bailey''' is a TV actor most prominently cast as Joe TheBartender on ''Series/GreysAnatomy''. His first acting role was as Cyrus in the FullMotionVideo game ''VideoGame/{{Phantasmagoria}}''.
* '''Simon Baker''''s small role as a young and absurdly pretty gay actor ([[spoiler:and murder victim]]) in ''Film/LAConfidential''.
* '''Creator/TomBaker''' ChewingTheScenery as a [[EvilIsHammy hammy, evil]], [[PlaysGreatEthnics vaguely-Arab]] wizard is always a fun experience for ''Series/DoctorWho'' fans in ''Film/TheGoldenVoyageOfSinbad'', which (like all the Creator/RayHarryhausen special effects movies) often gets repeated on British television.
* '''Creator/AdamBaldwin''' was already a fairly seasoned actor before he gained a widespread following as [[Series/{{Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]] and [[Series/{{Chuck}} John Casey]]. Some of his previous roles included:
** Ricky Linderman, the titular bodyguard in ''Film/MyBodyguard''.
** Animal Mother from ''Film/FullMetalJacket''.
** Major Mitchell, a minor yet important role in ''Film/IndependenceDay''.
** He was also the lead in ''Film/DCCab''.
** One of the military techs in the trailer in ''Film/{{Predator 2}}''.
** And he had a recurring role as Knowle Rohrer, an alien-enhanced supersoldier, in the final season of ''Series/TheXFiles''.
* '''Creator/ChristianBale''' was a child actor before his star-making role in ''Film/AmericanPsycho''
** He starred in Creator/StevenSpielberg's ''Film/EmpireOfTheSun'', among other soon-to-be-more-famous actors.
** He played Jim Hawkins in the 1990 adaptation of ''Film/{{Treasure Island|1990}}'' with Creator/CharltonHeston as Long John Silver.
** He also can be seen in Creator/KennethBranagh's adaption of ''Theatre/HenryV''.
** Also in the much-regretted ''Film/{{Newsies}}''.
* '''Creator/JamieBamber''' played a [[Series/HoratioHornblower heroic sailor]] before he played a heroic pilot on ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' and he played both before he played a heroic detective on ''Series/LawAndOrderUK''
* '''Creator/IainBanks''' appeared as an extra in ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' as one of Arthur's knights in the conclusion of the film.
* '''Creator/JonathanBanks''' played the boy in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTEOpEGvcKA&t=84s an educational film on menstruation]] before he played Frank [=McPike=] on ''Series/{{Wiseguy}}'' and he played both before he became best known as Mike Ehrmantraut on ''Series/BreakingBad'' and ''Series/BetterCallSaul''.
** He played an ill-fated cop in ''Film/FortyEightHours'' and the main henchman in ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop''. Curiously, Creator/EddieMurphy was a criminal in the former and a cop in the latter.
* '''Creator/DanteBasco''' played Rufio in ''Film/{{Hook}}'' starring Creator/RobinWilliams but modern audiences know him as [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Zuko]] and [[WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong Jake Long]].
* '''Creator/AngelaBassett''' briefly appears as a stewardess in ''Film/KindergartenCop''.
* '''Creator/KristinBauer''' showed up as one of the members of the bitchy girl clique in ''Film/RomyAndMichelesHighSchoolReunion'', after which she went on to portray a stripper in ''Dancing at the Blue Iguana'', and now she is known worldwide as the bisexual vampire Pam on ''Series/TrueBlood''.
** She was also "Man Hands" on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''.
* '''Creator/BrianBeacock''' is apparently one of the backup singers during the "16 Ways I Love You" number in ''Film/MulhollandDrive''. [[Anime/DigimonTamers That Brian Beacock]].
* Long before his show on Fox News, '''Radio/GlennBeck''' occasionally appeared as an extra in ''Series/{{Cheers}}''.
* Before her StarMakingRole in ''Series/VeronicaMars'', '''Creator/KristenBell''' had a guest spot in an episode of ''Series/TheShield'' as a gang member's girlfriend who gets raped by that season's BigBad, along with another small role in ''Series/{{Deadwood}}'' as a prostitute. To ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' audiences, ''Veronica Mars'' might qualify for this trope as well, thanks to Kristen's voice-acting performance as Princess Anna.
* In the 1991 mini-series, ''Love, Lies and Murder'', Creator/ClancyBrown's character is eventually set up by a Tae Bo-practicing prison snitch oddball [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer (no seriously)]]. Back then, he was just some guy; nowadays upon watching it, you'll notice that he was portrayed by '''Creator/TobinBell.'''
* Prior to his StarMakingRole as Shane Walsh on ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', '''Creator/JonBernthal''' appeared in, among other roles, ''World Trade Center'' and ''Film/NightAtTheMuseumBattleOfTheSmithsonian''.
* '''Creator/JulieBenz''' was Darla first on ''Series/{{Buffy|TheVampireSlayer}}'' before playing Series/{{Dexter}}'s wife. She also appeared on an episode of ''Series/{{Sliders}}''.
* '''Creator/MichaelBiehn''' (''Film/TheTerminator'', ''Film/{{Aliens}}'') appeared as a jock in ''Film/{{Grease}}''.
* '''Creator/RachelBilson''' was a [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer potential Slayer]] before ''Series/TheOC''.
* '''Creator/JackBlack''' had a lot of surprising small roles before hitting it big:
** For movies, he was one of the Wasteland Scraps in ''Film/DemolitionMan'', the pilot in ''Film/{{Waterworld}}'', one of the Nasties in ''Film/TheNeverendingStoryIIIEscapeFromFantasia'', the hero's redneck squaddie brother in ''Film/MarsAttacks'', an arms dealer in ''Film/TheJackal'', a young republican in ''Film/BobRoberts'', a bit part in ''Film/{{Airborne}}'', a weedhead in ''Film/IStillKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer'', Creator/MatthewBroderick's friend in ''Film/TheCableGuy'', and AsHimself in his band Music/TenaciousD in ''Film/BioDome''. He was also in ''Film/EnemyOfTheState'' as one of the bad guys.
** For TV, he had some minor roles in an episode of ''Series/TheXFiles'', and some early episodes of ''Series/MrShow''. He's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfLgSdAAHMA a big fan]] of ''VideoGame/{{Pitfall}}''.
* '''Dan Blocker''' played a space alien in Film/TheThreeStooges short ''Outer Space Jitters''. A couple of years later, he took on his breakthrough role as Hoss Cartwright on ''Series/{{Bonanza}}''.
* Although nowadays he's perhaps best known for his voice acting in video games and cartoons, '''Creator/BrianBloom''' was a teen heartthrob in the 1980s, appearing on shows like ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns'' and ''Series/BeautyAndTheBeast1987.''
* '''Creator/OrlandoBloom''' was a victim on ''Series/MidsomerMurders''. His big screen debut was as a "rent boy" in 1997's ''Wilde''.
* Not that ''Series/BlueHeelers'' was a small show, in fact around the TurnOfTheMillennium it was ''the'' smash hit Australian TV show, but after it's cancellation it would soon be forgotten. Then came ''Series/{{Underbelly}}'' based on the real gangland wars which gained publicity unheard of, introducing much of the Heelers cast to a younger audience and causing many older ones to go, [[JustForFun/RoleAssociation "Wait that's Tess, and there's PJ, and Adam, and wasn't Alphonse and Graham in the show a few times...so was that detective, and that guy, and that girl..."]]
* '''Creator/DavidBoreanaz''' once was the "[[GirlOfTheWeek friend for this episode]]" of [[Series/MarriedWithChildren Kelly Bundy]], and ended up being [[OncePerEpisode beaten up by Al]]. He also played a security guard in ''Film/BestOfTheBest2''. He has no lines, but is recognizable. He gets beaten up.
* Before becoming the voice of Lois Griffin, '''Alex Bornstein''' played Queen Machina in ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'', as well as several background roles in ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''. She also wrote episodes of several cartoons before becoming a voice actress, including ''WesternAnimation/TheSpooktacularNewAdventuresOfCasper'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/PinkyElmyraAndTheBrain''
* Before he was [[Film/FortyTwo Jackie Robinson]] or the Comicbook/BlackPanther, '''Creator/ChadwickBoseman''' had one-off roles in various police procedurals and crime dramas like ''Series/ThirdWatch'', ''Series/LawAndOrder'', ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' and ''Series/{{Justified}}''.
* '''Creator/JohnBoyega''' was a [[OneSceneWonder One Episode Wonder]] as DS Matt Devlin's killer on ''Series/LawAndOrderUK'' and the star of the cult favorite ''Film/AttackTheBlock'' years before playing Finn in ''Film/TheForceAwakens''. He also modeled in some stock photos for schools before he became famous.
** A year and a half before ''The Force Awakens'' came out, he had a recurring role on ''Series/TwentyFourLiveAnotherDay'' as Chris Tanner, a man set up to take the fall for an attack on his fellow soldiers and whose name has to be cleared by Jack Bauer.
* Before ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', '''Creator/ZachBraff''' was in an episode of ''Series/TheBabySittersClub''.
* '''Amy Brenneman''' herself isn't an example, but she has joked that she must have some kind of mojo, as she's had a noticeable pattern of this happening with her love interests. ''Two'' of them now have followed the unique trajectory of becoming DC Comics superheroes on television. When she was on ''Series/JudgingAmy'', one of her love interests was played by [[Series/{{Smallville}} Tom Welling]], and another on ''Series/PrivatePractice'' was played by [[Series/{{Arrow}} Stephen Amell]].
* '''Creator/JeremyBrett''', who was known as ''Series/SherlockHolmes'', is one of the suitors in ''Film/MyFairLady''.
* '''Creator/JimBroadbent''' had small parts in Creator/TerryGilliam films - in ''Film/TimeBandits'' as the host of ''Your Money or Your Life'' and the plastic surgeon in ''Film/{{Brazil}}''.
** He was also one of the arms dealers in ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace''.
* '''Doug Brochu''', prior to joining [[DuelingWorks rival series]] ''Series/SonnyWithAChance'', was Freddie's lab partner in the ''Series/ICarly'' episode "[=iHatch=] Chicks".
* '''Creator/PierceBrosnan''' appeared in ''Film/TheLongGoodFriday'' in a small yet important role, years before he became James Bond.
** He also appeared in an episode of ''Series/TheProfessionals'' as a surveillance operator.
* '''Creator/MillieBobbyBrown''' makes a guest appearance on ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' in 2015, one year before her StarMakingRole in ''Series/StrangerThings''. Creates an extreme sense of deja vu because initially, her Grey's character only appears as a voice on a phone--making it harder to place her, even if you do recognize the voice.
* '''Richard Burgi''', later of ''Series/TheSentinel'', plays a murder suspect and attempted rapist in the ''Series/MannAndMachine'' episode "The Dating Game."
* '''Hannibal Buress''' used to appear in occasional cameos on ''Series/ThirtyRock'' (a show he wrote for), often as a hobo.
* '''Creator/SteveBuscemi''' plays a drug dealer in the ''Series/MiamiVice'' episode "El Viejo."
* '''Creator/GaryBusey''' had a minor role as a construction worker in ''Film/ThunderboltAndLightfoot''.
* '''Creator/RoseByrne''' has a small role in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' as one of Padme's handmaidens.
* '''Andrew Bryniarski''' played [[DumbMuscle Zangief]] in ''Film/StreetFighter'' and [[Creator/ChristopherWalken Max Shreck's]] son in ''Film/BatmanReturns'', but his first "starring" role was as Leatherface in ''Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre2003'' reboot and [[Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacreTheBeginning its prequel]].
** He had a pretty significant and memorable role in 1993's ''The Program'' as the steroid-dependent defensive lineman "Lattimer."
* It's hard to tell on some older televisions, but with HD or some good light you can see '''Creator/GerardButler''' in ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'', on the warship [[spoiler:that is attacked]]. If you can't see him, his voice is almost unmistakable. Almost.
* '''Creator/NicolasCage''' has a small role in ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'', billed under his real name, Nicholas Coppola (he changed it soon afterwards, not wanting to ride the coattails of [[Creator/FrancisFordCoppola his uncle]]).
* Watch the ''Literature/BridgetJones'' films now without being unnerved that her gay best friend is '''[[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 James Callis]]'''.
* '''Creator/PeterCapaldi''': A quarter of a century before he became the [[Series/DoctorWho Twelfth Doctor]], he also appeared as the gawky Knox Oil and Gas Aberdeen office employee Danny Oldsen in ''Film/LocalHero''.
** He also appears on ''Series/MidsomerMurders'' as an example of retroactive [[spoiler: NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognise]].
* '''Creator/JimCarrey''': you might recognize him as the Axl Rose {{Expy}} in the fifth ''Film/DirtyHarry'' film, ''Film/TheDeadPool''.
* '''Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter''' appeared in two ''Series/MiamiVice'' episodes as Crockett's opioid-addicted girlfriend.
* Before she was the voice of [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart Simpson]], '''Creator/NancyCartwright''' voiced several characters on ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids'' and ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks''.
* '''Creator/DanaCarvey''' was "JAFO" in the short-lived TV series adaptation of ''Series/BlueThunder'' before he was on the ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' cast.
** He also played a mime waiter in ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'', alongside the already-well-known Creator/BillyCrystal.
** And an ambulance driver in ''Film/HalloweenII1981''.
* '''Creator/KimCattrall''''s career goes back to the '80s. Highlights include ''Film/BigTroubleInLittleChina'', the first ''Film/PoliceAcademy'', ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'', and even ''Film/{{Porkys}}''.
** She guest starred on ''Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries'' as a woman looking for her missing sister.
** She later appeared in the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "Blindfold" as someone Starsky accidentally shoots and temporarily blinds.
* Before '''Creator/HenryCavill''''s debut as [[Film/ManOfSteel Superman]], he played Charles Brandon in ''Series/TheTudors'' and had a minor role in ''Film/{{Stardust}}'', where his blond hair and moustache render him almost unrecognisable. Even before that, he played Albert in ''Film/{{The Count of Monte Cristo|2002}}''.
* Before she'd booked any onscreen acting roles, '''Creator/GemmaChan''' appeared as one of the models in the first series of ''Project Catwalk'', the British version of ''Series/ProjectRunway''. She later played one of the astronauts in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' special "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E16TheWatersOfMars The Waters of Mars]]," as well as [[YouLookFamiliar two separate bit characters]] in ''Series/TheITCrowd'' (one of whom was the female Sulu in Douglas' ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''-themed sex tape).
* '''Creator/JackieChan''' made his film debut as a mook in ''Film/EnterTheDragon'', getting his neck snapped by Creator/BruceLee himself.
** Speaking of Bruce, Chan also appeared in ''Film/FistOfFury'' as a Chinese martial arts student, as well as doubling for the BigBad when he gets kicked through a window.
* '''Rosalind Chao''', later known as Keiko O'Brien in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' and ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', was Cpl Klinger's Korean bride in the 1983 GrandFinale episode of ''Series/{{MASH}}''.
* '''Creator/MichaelCera''' made his acting debut in ''Series/TheNoddyShop'' episode "Big Bullies". He also voiced Brother Bear in the 2003 version of ''WesternAnimation/TheBerenstainBears'' and the younger version of Uncle Gizmo in ''WesternAnimation/RoliePolieOlie''.
** '''Marc Donato''' and '''Lauren Collins''' of ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'' fame also made their debut on this show. Coincidentally, they were cast as Aunt Agatha's two grandkids, Dewey Lester and Roxanne.
* Before voicing Angelica in ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', '''Cheryl Chase''' did voice-acting for English dubs of anime, with her playing Pinky in ''Anime/TheNoozles'' and Mei in the original English dub of ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro''.
* Long before the ''Film/OceansEleven'' movies, ''Film/HotelRwanda'', ''Film/{{Crash}}'', ''Series/HouseOfLies'', or his role as Comicbook/WarMachine in the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]], '''Creator/DonCheadle''' showed up in a single episode of ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' as one of Creator/WillSmith's old friends.
** Also in a 1st-season episode of ''Series/LALaw'' ("Gibbon Take") as a defendant employing the SODDI ("Some Other Dude Did It") defense, whose lawyer punches him out.
* Before ''Film/AmericanPie'', ''Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle'' and ''Film/StarTrek2009'', '''Creator/JohnCho''' appeared as a murder victim ghost in the ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' episode "Dead Man Dating".
* '''Creator/HaydenChristensen''' starred in ''Series/HigherGround'' before [[Franchise/StarWars he turned to the Dark Side]].
** As well as the ''Series/{{Goosebumps}}'' episode for "Night Of The Living Dummy III".
** As well as a bit part in ''Film/InTheMouthOfMadness''.
** As well as the ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' episode, "The Tale of Bigfoot Ridge".
** As well as the ''Series/TheFamousJettJackson'' episode, "Popularity".
** And ''Life as a House''.
* '''Creator/JulieChristie''' guest starred in ''Series/TheSaint'' episode "Judith" as the titular GirlOfTheWeek.
* '''Creator/GeorgeClooney''' spent a year on the show ''Series/{{Sisters}}'' playing second-oldest sister Teddy's love interest and later husband before being killed off so that he could play Dr. Doug Ross on ''Series/{{ER}}''.
** He also had a recurring role in an 1980s sitcom set in a Chicago hospital, ''E/R''.
** And he was a regular cast member in the earliest seasons of ''Series/{{Roseanne}}.''
* '''Martin Clunes''' played the villain Lon in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E2Snakedance Snakedance]]". One particular clip repeatedly appeared on clip shows for years afterwards because it showed him wearing a rather ridiculous alien religious ceremonial costume.
* '''Creator/KimCoates''' was all over the place in the '90s and '00s before getting recognition in ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy''.
** He was the crazy drifter in ''Film/{{Waterworld}}'', a creepy hitman in ''Film/TheClient'', and an ill-fated Delta in ''Film/BlackHawkDown''.
** Not to mention showing up in all three ''Series/{{CSI}}'' shows, ''Series/PrisonBreak'', ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'', and loads and loads of others.
** He played a biker in the ''Series/MiamiVice'' episode "Viking Bikers from Hell."
* '''Nicholas Colasanto''', better known as Coach from ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', had his first credited role as a gunrunner in the ''Series/{{Decoy}}'' episode "Around the World."
** He also played a henchman in the ''Series/TheManFromUNCLE'' episode "The Indian Affairs Affair."
*** Colasanto's infrequent acting career was offset by his career as a TV director. He had far more credits as a director than as an actor.
*** He previously was an acting coach, whose students included Ben Gazzara and Peter Falk, among others. No surprise that he directed episodes of both Run For Your Life and Columbo.
* '''Creator/StephenColbert''' did the late 1990s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKkowTVpuJU Mr. Goodwrench]] commercials, and appeared in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMnGG2CnefU&t=21s an episode]] of ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway''. He also did voice-over work for shows like ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw''.
** He {{lampshade|Hanging}}d his appearance in the Goodwrench commercials on an episode of ''Series/TheColbertReport'', where he asked [[SelfDeprecation whatever happened to]] the young, handsome guy from those ads.
* One of '''Creator/GaryCole's''' earliest roles was as a smuggler in the ''Series/MiamiVice'' episode "Trust Fund Pirates."
* Before she became famous for her role as Clara Oswald in ''Series/DoctorWho'', '''Creator/JennaColeman''' had a bit part near the beginning of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' as ComicBook/{{Bucky|Barnes}}'s date.
** She also played a lesbian in an ''Series/{{Emmerdale}}'' story arc.
** Video Game fans knew her as the voice of Melia Antiqua in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles''
* '''Creator/JoanCollins''' guest stars in the ''Series/FutureCop'' episode "The Kansas City Kid" as a [[FixingTheGame cheating gambler]].
* '''Creator/MishaCollins''' was in ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', ''Series/{{CSI}}'', ''Series/{{CSINY}}'', and ''Series/TwentyFour'' before landing the role of Castiel in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''.
** He was also in a scene of ''Film/GirlInterrupted''.
** And a season 2 episode of ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''.
* If you have a ''really'' good eye, you can spot a 13-year-old '''Music/PhilCollins''' in Music/TheBeatles' audience in ''Film/AHardDaysNight''.
* Future ''Series/LukeCage'' star '''Creator/MikeColter''' appeared in ''Series/LawAndOrderTrialByJury'', ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' and ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'', [[YouLookFamiliar playing a different character each time]]. He was also Clint Eastwood's former protege in ''Film/MillionDollarBaby'' and Agent J's father in ''Film/MenInBlack3''.
* '''Creator/RobbieColtrane''' appeared in ''Film/FlashGordon1980'' as a man at the air field and was one of the thieves in ''Film/{{Krull}}''.
* '''Creator/SteveCoogan''', best known as inept, sociopathic broadcaster Alan Partridge in the radio series ''On the Hour'' and its TV adaptation ''Series/TheDayToday'' and its many Partridge-centric spinoffs, appeared in the 1989 series of game show ''Series/TheKryptonFactor'' as the "resident comedian" in the specially shot sketches for the Observation round.
* Just like Hayden Christensen above, '''[[Series/CriminalMinds A.J. Cook]]''' was in ''Series/HigherGround''.
** And before that, she played Mary Lisbon in ''Literature/TheVirginSuicides''.
** And had a memorable role as the college student George's father starts an affair with in ''Series/DeadLikeMe''.
** And she was the main lead, as a brunette, in ''Film/FinalDestination 2''.
* '''Creator/DaneCook''' was Waffle Man aka The Waffler in ''Film/MysteryMen'', a character who only appeared in the TerribleIntervieweesMontage.
** He was also a recurring character in the mid-'90s TGIF show ''Maybe This Time'', starring Creator/BettyWhite, Creator/CraigFerguson, and Marie Osmond.
* Before she wrote ''Literature/TheHungerGames'', '''Suzanne Collins''' was a children's television writer and worked on shows such as ''Series/ClarissaExplainsItAll'', ''WesternAnimation/LittleBear'', ''WesternAnimation/GenerationO'', ''[[WesternAnimation/JojosCircus [=JoJo=]'s Circus]]'', ''WesternAnimation/CliffordsPuppyDays'' and ''WesternAnimation/WowWowWubbzy''.
* '''Danny Cooksey''', the guy who plays John's best friend in ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', was Budnick on ''Series/SaluteYourShorts''.
** Before that, he played Arnold's best friend Sam in ''Series/DiffrentStrokes'' and, a few years later, voiced Montana Max in ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''.
* Before he was famous, '''Creator/BradleyCooper''' appeared in an episode of ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' as a guy Carrie met at a bar and almost hooked up with. He also played a [[AmoralAttorney slimy lawyer]] in a two-part crossover between ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' and ''Series/LawAndOrderTrialByJury''.
* '''Creator/MirandaCosgrove''' become widely known due to her role on ''Series/ICarly'', but she was Megan, one of the main characters in the earlier ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', a guest on ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'', Summer Hathaway in ''Film/SchoolOfRock'', and finally Young Lana Lang, at the age of 5, on ''Series/{{Smallville}}''.
* Before '''Creator/NikolajCosterWaldau''''s major role in ''Series/GameOfThrones'', he appeared in two of Creator/RidleyScott's movies: ''Film/BlackHawkDown'' and ''Film/KingdomOfHeaven''.
* Near the end of Season One of ''Series/{{Highlander}}'', in the episode "Nowhere To Run", there's a young woman who's raped by a rich ambassador's son. It's her first-ever acting role. Her name? '''Creator/MarionCotillard'''.
** Creator/JasonIssacs played the immortal VillainOfTheWeek in The Lady and Tiger and it was likely his introduction for American audiences, as he was only really known in the UK as a lowkey TV Actor back in 1993.
* Before she played the role of [[Series/TheBigComfyCouch Loonette]] and started her voice acting career, '''Creator/AlysonCourt''' played Ruthie in ''[[Film/SesameStreetPresentsFollowThatBird Follow That Bird]]''. She also appeared in a few episodes of ''Series/MrDressup'' and was Emily Elizabeth in a series of ''Literature/CliffordTheBigRedDog'' DirectToVideo specials.
* '''Creator/CharlieCox''' got his big break starring as Tristan Thorn in British cult comic-fantasy film ''Film/{{Stardust}}'' (which also featured a young Creator/HenryCavill, and Creator/MarkStrong - not so young, but it was when he started his long-running habit of playing villains), before going on to play the title character in ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}''.
* Yet another GirlOfTheWeek on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'': '''Creator/CourteneyCox'''.
** And Film/AceVentura's girlfriend.
** And one of the main AudienceSurrogate characters in the 1987 live-action ''Film/MastersOfTheUniverse''.
** And before that, she was Alex Keaton's girlfriend during the final season of ''Series/FamilyTies''.
** And before that, she was a conflicted telekinetic teenager in the almost-completely-forgotten series ''Series/MisfitsOfScience''.
** And even before that, she was the girl who got up on stage and danced with the Boss in the "[[Music/BruceSpringsteen Dancing in the Dark]]" video.
* Blink and you'll miss her, '''Nikki Cox''' is the redheaded girl interviewed by the T-1000 in ''Film/{{Terminator 2|JudgmentDay}}''.
** She also played an alien pen pal to Data in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/{{StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E15PenPals}} Pen Pals]]". Given that her people were in crisis, her role is fairly significant.
** She also appeared in the film ''Film/{{Moonwalker}}'' as one of the kid dancers in the Badder segment.
* '''Creator/RonnyCox''' has shown up as the villain in any number of movies, from ''Film/RoboCop1987'' to ''Film/TotalRecall1990''. Before his noted turn as recurring character Senator Kinsey in ''Series/StargateSG1'', he was a good guy in ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop''.
** In ''Film/{{Deliverance}}'' (1972), he plays the guitar with that banjo-playing hillbilly.
** He also played Louden Swain's dad in ''Film/VisionQuest''.
* '''Creator/DanielCraig''' ''and'' Creator/KateWinslet in the OldShame example of ''Film/AKidInKingArthursCourt''.
** He appeared as a minor baddie in the [[Recap/SharpeS1E2SharpesEagle second episode]] of ''Series/{{Sharpe}}''.
** He was also a hood who gets scared off by George in ''Series/DropTheDeadDonkey''.
** Played a WWI-era German officer in ''Series/YoungIndianaJones'', in an episode also featuring Creator/CatherineZetaJones.
* '''Creator/BryanCranston''', before ''Series/BreakingBad'', or even ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'', had guest appearances on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' as recurring character Dr. Tim Whatley and was on three episodes of ''Series/MurderSheWrote'', portraying a different character each time.
** He was also in the ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "[[Recap/TheXFilesS06E02Drive Drive]]" as an anti-Semite, dying a slow and agonizing death as a result of secret US Navy ELF transmitters, who takes Mulder hostage. That episode was written by Vince Gilligan, who would later create ''Series/BreakingBad''; he claims Cranston's performance in that episode is what inspired him to cast him as Walter White.
** He appeared in the ''Series/{{Babylon 5}}'' episode "[[Recap/BabylonFiveS04E05TheLongNight The Long Night]]" as the admiral who went on a suicide mission.
** And, as he revealed on an episode of ''Series/TheColbertReport'', he voiced several [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters of the Week]] in ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''. The original Blue Ranger, Billy Cranston, was named for him. This eventually came full circle when he was cast as Zordon in ''Film/PowerRangers2017''.
** He's even had a handful of anime dub roles (some under the pseudonym "Lee Stone"), Fei Long in ''Anime/StreetFighterIITheAnimatedMovie'', including Matti Tohn in ''Anime/RoyalSpaceForceTheWingsOfHonneamise'', Eddie in ''Anime/ArmitageIII'', and Isamu in ''Anime/MacrossPlus''.
** He's the astronaut "Gus" Grissom on the variety show The Wonders play on near the end in ''Film/ThatThingYouDo'' He plays "not used to the camera celebrity who does awkward scripted bits" really well. Takes a great actor to play a bad one!
** If you go back far enough, he previously had central roles in commercials, selling products such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo_P2QDXrwI Coffee Mate]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1LnLsMW19U Preparation H]].
** Also a noticeable walk-on part in ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''.
** He played a patient who thought he was Jesus Christ in an episode of ''Series/ChicagoHope''. Turns out, his character was an actor who was playing the lead in Jesus Christ, Superstar, and that he was suffering from a brain tumor.
** Another very early role, as a hillbilly car thief in a last-season episode of ''Series/Chips''. His newlywed wife in the episode was played by 1983 Playmate of the Year Kathy Shower.
** Guest-starred twice on ''Series/Matlock'', once as Matlock's client, a poor schlep that violated a restraining order merely to give his adorable young daughter a special Christmas gift, only to wind up being accused of the murder of his bitchy ex-wife, and later as the murder victim, a marriage counselor with a very, let's say, 'hands on' approach with some of his clients.
** Two times on ''Series/DiagnosisMurder'' as well, first as a homeless man who helps Dr. Sloan investigate the murders of his fellow street people, another as a pushy government agent.
* '''Denise Crosby''', a.k.a. [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Tasha Yar]], was in ''Film/FortyEightHours'', hitting Creator/EddieMurphy in the chest with a baseball bat.
* '''Marcia Cross''', a.k.a. [[Series/DesperateHousewives Bree Van De Kamp]], previously played:
** Topanga's mother in ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''.
** Yet another GirlOfTheWeek on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''.
** A RichBitch patient of Lu Delgado in ''Strong Medicine''.
** Rebecca's sister on ''Series/{{Cheers}}''.
** Psycho on the original ''Series/MelrosePlace'' series, which she played oh-so-well.
** A VillainOfTheWeek on ''Series/QuantumLeap''.
* A virtual reality guy that went into the real world and started killing people, facing off with Creator/DenzelWashington: Serious Actor '''Creator/RussellCrowe''' in ''Film/{{Virtuosity}}''.
* Both '''Creator/JohnCusack''' and '''Creator/JoanCusack''' in ''Film/SixteenCandles''. John has a featured role, but Joan is a wacky background extra with no lines--just a neck brace.
* '''Music/MileyCyrus''' had a bit part in ''Film/BigFish'' three years before being catapulted to TeenIdol status as the star of ''Series/HannahMontana''.
** She also played [[RealLifeRelative Billy Ray's daughter]] in ''Doc''.
* '''Creator/WillemDafoe''' made his film debut as an extra in ''Film/HeavensGate''. He's visible in the cock-fight.
** He's also one the youths at the phone booth in ''Film/TheHunger''.
* '''Wrestling/ShawnDaivari''' was interviewed by Mike Tenay on the October 19, 1998 ''Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro'', which was held at the Target Center in Minneapolis, where he praised Wrestling/RicFlair, about a year before he became a {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er himself.
* '''Burak Dakak''' plays Mert as a child during flashbacks in ''Series/{{Ezel}}''. It was his first television role; he would go on to receive larger parts on Turkish television, such as Şehzade Mehmed in ''Series/MagnificentCentury Kösem'', among others.
* '''Creator/TimothyDalton''' was in an episode of ''Series/CharliesAngels'' where, hilariously enough, he was compared to Film/JamesBond.
* '''Creator/MattDamon''' had a very tiny part in ''Film/MysticPizza'' (as the AnnoyingYoungerSibling) before breaking out in ''Film/SchoolTies''.
* It was shocking to see how many Creator/JohnCarpenter films '''Creator/KeithDavid''' was in before ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', ''Film/PitchBlack'', and so on.
** He also played a bartender in ''Film/RoadHouse''.
* Voice actress '''Creator/ElizabethDaily''' ([[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Buttercup]] and [[WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}} Tommy Pickles]]) was the love interest in ''Film/PeeWeesBigAdventure''.
** And had a cameo as a fan of Ellen Aim and Billy Fish in ''Film/StreetsOfFire''.
** And sang the title song in ''Film/BetterOffDead''.
** And had a minor hit single (#70 on the Billboard Hot 100) with "Say It, Say It".
** And had a major part in ''Film/ValleyGirl'' alongside co-star Creator/NicolasCage.
** She also sang "Shake it Up" and "I'm Hot Tonight" on the soundtrack of ''Film/{{Scarface 1983}}''.
* '''Creator/JoshuaDallas''', before he became well-known for portraying Fandral in ''Film/{{Thor}}'' and PrinceCharming in ''Series/OnceUponATime'', had a brief but memorable turn as "[[InterfaceWithAFamiliarFace Node 2]]" in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E8SilenceInTheLibrary Silence in the Library]]". (He was billed as Joshua Dallas at the time; it was one of his first roles after graduating from the Royal Shakespeare Company and before returning to the US.)
* '''Creator/CharlesDance''' made his film debut in ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'' as the henchman Claus.
* Before ''Series/GreysAnatomy'', '''Eric Dane''' was in a PoorlyDisguisedPilot episode of ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', along with Keri Russell.
** He was also Multiple Man, one of ComicBook/{{Magneto}}'s henchmen in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand''.
** He has a very brief role as the DecoyProtagonist of the first ''Film/{{Feast}}''.
* '''Hugh Dancy''', who is known as Will Graham in ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'', played Prince Charmont in ''Film/EllaEnchanted'' starring Creator/AnneHathaway.
* '''Jeremy Davies''' (Daniel Faraday from ''Series/{{LOST}}'') was Upham, the cowardly translator, in ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'' and Lee's fiancé in ''Film/{{Secretary}}''.
** He also had a small part in the 2002 remake of ''Literature/{{Solaris}}'', and as a teen he starred in the film ''Spanking The Monkey''--and also was in an ill-conceived car commercial in which he declared Subaru was "like PUNK ROCK".
** Before those he also had a small role in ''Film/{{Twister}}''.
* '''Creator/GeenaDavis''' is a girl named Larry in ''Film/{{Fletch}}''.
** She was also a ClassyCatBurglar in an episode of ''Series/KnightRider''.
** She was also on ''Series/FamilyTies'' for about two episodes as the Keatons' incompetent housekeeper.
** And as [[SevenDeadlySins the personification of Pride]] in Music/PetShopBoys' "It's A Sin".
** And as a soap actress in ''Film/{{Tootsie}}''.
* '''Kristin Davis''' played a ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' {{girl|OfTheWeek}} before her noted turn in ''Series/SexAndTheCity''.
** Also Billy's doomed young bride Brooke on ''Series/MelrosePlace''.
* '''Creator/PeterDavison''' made a pre-fame guest appearance in an episode of ''Series/TheTomorrowPeople1973'' that involved being manacled half-naked to a wall.
** He was also the Dish of the Day in ''Series/TheHitchHikersGuideToTheGalaxy''.
* '''Creator/FeliciaDay''' appeared in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' well before ''WebVideo/{{Doctor Horrible|sSingALongBlog}}'' and ''WebVideo/TheGuild''.
** She was also depressed dancer Penelope in ''Film/BringItOn Again'' in between the two roles.
* '''Creator/DanielDayLewis''' had a few minor roles before he started hitting it big.
** In the 1980 ''Series/{{Shoestring}}'' episode "The Farmer Had a Wife," he plays a small role as a Radio West DJ.
** In ''Film/{{Gandhi}}'' he has one short scene as an Afrikaaner thug who intimidates a young Mohandas Gandhi.
** In ''Film/TheBounty'', which came out the next year, he has another minor supporting role as one of Captain Bligh's more obnoxious officers. ''The Bounty'', actually, is not only notable for featuring a young Day-Lewis but also featuring '''Creator/LiamNeeson''' in a small role as Churchill, one of the mutineers.
* Before he was a well-known voice actor, particularly famous for his role as [[WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory Mandark]], '''Creator/EddieDeezen''' portrayed Eugene in the movie version of ''Theatre/{{Grease}}'' (and its sequel). He was also in a few less-than-stellar b-movies like ''Film/{{Laserblast}}'', which the cast of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' happily made fun of.
* Before '''Tim [=DeKay=]''' was Peter Burke in ''Series/WhiteCollar'', he was Senator Patrick Kiley in ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', Bizarro Jerry on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', and Jonesy in ''Series/{{Carnivale}}''.
** And as CorruptCorporateExecutive Larry Deon on ''Seaquest 2032''.
* '''Creator/JohnDeLancie''': Who's that debonair guy Alastair who keeps popping up at the party in ''Literature/TheThornBirds''? Why it's none other than Q out of ''Star Trek''.
** And while he was playing Alistair, he was also playing Eugene Bradford in ''Series/DaysOfOurLives''.
* Years before his roles in hit films like ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'', ''Film/{{Traffic}}'' and ''Film/{{Sicario}}'', '''Creator/BenicioDelToro''' played a young thug on an episode of ''Series/MiamiVice'' (and he's not alone in that; there's a slew of actors from that show who fit into this trope, including '''Creator/JohnLeguizamo'''.)
** He also appeared in Music/{{Madonna}}'s "La Isla Bonita" video as a kid sitting on the hood of a car (albeit for a few seconds.)
** Most noticeably, he portrayed James Bond's youngest[[note]]at the tender age of 21, a record that remains to this day[[/note]] (and one of his most ruthless) adversaries in ''Film/LicenceToKill''.
* Like many below examples, '''Creator/JudiDench''' graced BBC's educational show ''Playing Shakespeare'' in the 1970s.
* '''Emily Deschanel''' was a snarky receptionist in ''Film/SpiderMan2''. Many now know her as the titular character in the crime drama ''Series/{{Bones}}''
* Her sister, '''Creator/ZooeyDeschanel''', showed up as the main character's older sister in ''Film/AlmostFamous'', and as Roz's pretentious cousin in an episode of ''Series/{{Frasier}}''.
* '''Creator/DannyDeVito''' plays a bookie in the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "The Collector."
* '''Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio''' had a tiny part as one of Darlene's classmates on ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' before his larger roles on ''Parenthood'' (1990) and ''Series/GrowingPains''. ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' featured a number of people who would later go on to bigger, more recognizable parts. Some examples: Creator/TobeyMaguire, Creator/AlysonHannigan, Stephen Dorff, Creator/JenaMalone, Creator/JosephGordonLevitt, Creator/DotMarieJones, and several others.
* Before playing Amethyst in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', '''Michaela Dietz''' was the voice of Riff in ''Series/BarneyAndFriends''.
* '''Disney Channel Original Movies''' often featured actors that would go on to much bigger things. Not counting those who rose through Disney and Disney Channel, there's:
** '''Emmy Rossum''' in ''Genius''.
** '''Mischa Barton''' in ''A Ring Of Endless Light''.
** '''Alyson''' and '''Amanda Michalka''', as well as '''[[Series/{{Heroes}} Jack Coleman]]''', in ''Cow Belles'', though the former two were starting to make a name for themselves as Music/AlyAndAJ around the same time.
** '''Danielle Panabaker''' in ''Stuck in The Suburbs'' and ''Read It and Weep''. The latter film also starred her sister, '''Kay Panabaker'''.
** '''Sara Paxton''' in ''[[Film/{{Halloweentown}} Return to Halloweentown]]'', unless you knew her from ''Literature/SummerLand'' which she did previously.
** '''Camilla Belle''' in ''Rip Girls''.
** '''Creator/KaleyCuoco''' in ''Alleycat Strike''.
** '''Creator/KatDennings''' in ''The Scream Team''.
** Pre-''Series/HannahMontana'' '''Creator/MitchelMusso''' in ''Life Is Ruff''.
** '''Music/JennetteMcCurdy'''[[note]]as well as Hayden Panettiere below[[/note]] in ''Tiger Cruise''.
* Before getting the lead role in ''Series/BurnNotice'', '''Jeffrey Donovan''':
** Matched wits with [[Series/{{Monk}} Adrian Monk]] as a murderous astronaut.
** Was the sleaze in ''Film/{{Hitch}}'' who likes to "hit it and quit it", who promptly has his ass kicked by the title character.
** Played [[TheDanza Jeffrey]] in ''Film/BookOfShadowsBlairWitch2''.
** Was Jarod's somewhat-unbalanced brother Kyle in a couple of episodes of ''Series/ThePretender''.
* '''Creator/DCDouglas''' appeared in a number of TV shows, such as ''Series/DaysOfOurLives'', ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'', and ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' before he reached voice-acting superstardom as [[Franchise/ResidentEvil Albert Wesker]] and [[Franchise/MassEffect Legion]].
* '''[[Series/LizzieMcGuire Kyle Downes]]''' in the veritable trope breeding ground ''Series/HigherGround''.
* Just before making it big as the conspiracy-believing FBI agent Fox Mulder on ''Series/TheXFiles'', '''Creator/DavidDuchovny''' appeared on ''Series/TwinPeaks'' as the cross-dressing FBI Agent Dennis Bryson.
** Duchovny was also the star and host of the Showtime soft-core anthology series ''Red Shoe Diaries'', several years before he began work on ''X-Files''.
** He also appeared in ''Film/DontTellMomTheBabysittersDead''.
* '''Creator/HilaryDuff''' played in roles in the Hallmark miniseries ''Series/TrueWomen'', as an uncredited extra in the film ''Film/PlayingByHeart'', and in the role of Ellie in ''Film/TheBoneCollector'', as well as playing Wendy in ''Film/CasperMeetsWendy'', before landing the title role in ''Series/LizzieMcGuire''.
* Prior to his StarMakingRole as M'Baku in ''Film/BlackPanther2018'', '''Creator/WinstonDuke''' appeared in several episodes of ''Series/ModernFamily'' as Dwight, a high school football star who briefly moved in with Mitch and Cam. Before that, he played a recurring drug lord in ''Series/PersonOfInterest'', and also showed up as a victim of a [[BedTrick rape by deception]] in an episode of ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit''.
* '''Creator/KirstenDunst''' appeared [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAVbWfAv62E in]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rA25hXCVeo a]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE9o0TC4ANU few]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhchiSFDMQw commercials]].
** She also appears as a child in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/{{StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E6DarkPage}} Dark Page]]".
** She was Creator/TomHanks' daughter in ''Literature/TheBonfireOfTheVanities''.
* '''Creator/ElizaDushku''' (Faith in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'') appeared as Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger's teenage daughter in ''Film/TrueLies''. Also in a fun example, she and Creator/AmberBenson (Tara in ''Series/{{Buffy|TheVampireSlayer}}'') were both in the movie ''Bye Bye Love''.
** Creator/ElizaDushku also played Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio's younger step-sister in ''This Boys Life''.
* Most {{Fan Wank}}y [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E11OutOfMindOutOfSight first season appearance]] on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': '''Clea [=DuVall=]''' as an invisible girl who's recruited as a government spy before going on to play a recurring FBI agent on ''Series/{{Heroes}}''.
** Also part of the FiveManBand in ''Film/TheFaculty''.
* Most people would recognize '''Jason Earles''' as Miley Stewart's brother in ''Series/HannahMontana''. Before that, he played the nerdy Grady in ''Series/PhilOfTheFuture'', and before that, a geeky, virgin bandy trying to get laid and assisted in creating a porn video of his friends in ''Film/AmericanPie: Band Camp''.
* '''Creator/ClintEastwood''' first appears in an uncredited role as a lab technician in ''Film/RevengeOfTheCreature'', which appeared on ''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]]''. This is of course lampshaded by the guys, who jokingly [[ItWillNeverCatchOn pan Eastwood's performance and say "This is his first and last film!"]] He's also the bomber pilot in ''Film/{{Tarantula}}'' who kills the titular spider.
* Before she was [[Series/{{House}} Lisa Cuddy]], '''Lisa Edelstein''' was George's GirlOfTheWeek on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''.
** She can also be seen in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role in ''Film/AsGoodAsItGets'' with [[Series/{{House}} Taub]] and appeared in a couple episodes of ''Series/{{Frasier}}''.
** Appeared in 5 first-season episodes of ''Series/TheWestWing'' as a prostitute.
*** I think you mean "call girl"...
** And in the '90s, she voiced Comicbook/LexLuthor's {{Bodyguard Babe|s}} Mercy Graves in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries''. She reprised the role years later in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''.
** Interestingly, a year before her first appearance as Cuddy, the highly-successful doctor, she played a highly-successful doctor in an episode of ''Series/WithoutATrace''. It gets even weirder, considering that both characters [[spoiler:had a longing for maternity, with the latter role going in search of the child she gave up for adoption in her teens, and the former having an extended storyline about wanting to conceive a child]].
* Years before he broke out big, '''Creator/JoelEdgerton''' appeared in ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' as a younger version of Uncle Owen from the original ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]]'' movie. He also reprised the role in a cameo in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''.
* Before he was [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII Vaan]], '''Bobby Edner''' first appeared in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDl9ZMfj6aE music video]] for Music/AlienAntFarm's cover of [[Music/MichaelJackson "Smooth Criminal"]].
* '''Creator/ZacEfron's''' first acting gig was the role of young Simon in ''Series/{{Firefly}}''.
** And he was caught with a stolen cell phone on ''Series/{{NCIS}}''.
* A year before his breakout role as Stringer Bell on ''Series/TheWire'', '''Creator/IdrisElba''' appeared in an episode of ''Series/LawAndOrder'' as a nightclub owner.
* ''Series/TheGongShow'' contestant and small-time UsefulNotes/LosAngeles musician '''Music/DannyElfman''', before hitting it big through his brother, Pee Wee Herman, and Creator/TimBurton.
* '''Dana Elcar''' appeared on ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'' as a math teacher.
* '''Creator/TomEllis''' appeared on ''Series/MidsomerMurders'', ''Series/DoctorWho'', and ''Series/{{Poirot}}'' before becoming ''Series/{{Lucifer}}''.
* Before '''Creator/MichaelEmerson''' was Ben Linus on ''Series/{{Lost}}'' or Harold Finch on ''Series/PersonOfInterest'', he was serial killer William Hinks on ''Series/ThePractice''.
* '''Alfred Enoch''', who plays law student Wes Gibbons in ''Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder'', is [[Film/HarryPotter Gryffindor Hogwarts student, Dean Thomas]].
* '''Creator/RLeeErmey''' appeared for a few seconds as a helicopter pilot in ''Film/{{Apocalypse Now}}'' before his iconic role as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in ''Film/{{Full Metal Jacket}}''
* ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' and ''Series/{{Jessie}}'' actor '''Chip Esten''' first appeared as a contestant on ''Series/{{Scrabble}}'' (under the name "Chip Puskar").
* '''Creator/ChrisEvans''' did some modeling as a teenager, with his likeness used for a surfer named Tyler in the board game ''Mystery Date''.
* A young '''Creator/MichelleFairley''' appears as the wife of an IRA member who provides information to the protagonists in the 1990 film ''Film/HiddenAgenda''.
* '''Creator/PeterFalk''' guest stars in the 1958 ''Series/{{Decoy}}'' episode "The Come Back."
* Before she was a [[Film/TheHouseBunny house bunny]], or [[WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs Sam Sparks]], for that matter, '''Creator/AnnaFaris''' did voice work for ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' and was in a 1991 TV movie known as ''Deception: A Mother's Secret''.
* Before being [[Film/XMenFirstClass the young Magneto and young Professor X]], '''Creator/MichaelFassbender''' and '''Creator/JamesMcAvoy''' appeared in ''Series/BandOfBrothers''. [[spoiler:But [=McAvoy=]'s character ended up dead on his first episode.]]
** James [=McAvoy=] also appeared in the SciFi 2003 miniseries ''[[Series/ChildrenOfDune Frank Herbert's Children of Dune]]'' as Leto Atreides II.
* '''Creator/FarrahFawcett''' plays a minor role in ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'' episode "The Sound of Money" as a shopper Danny enlists to help prove a FrivolousLawsuit is fraudulent.
* '''Norman Fell''':
** He appeared on ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'' as the disapproving father of a college student with a crush on Shirley.
** He was also in the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "Shootout" as a sad-sack comedian.
* Before he was [[Film/HarryPotter Draco Malfoy]], '''Creator/TomFelton''' played Creator/JodieFoster's son in ''Anna and the King''.
* '''Colin Ferguson''' of ''Series/{{Eureka}}'' had previously played Christopher Titus' doctor in the coma episode of ''Series/{{Titus}}''.
** And Laura Linney's amnesiac love interest in ''More Tales of the City''.
* '''[[Series/TwoAndAHalfMen Conchata Ferrell]]''' played one of the women in the neighborhood in ''Film/EdwardScissorhands''.
** Also appeared as the school nurse in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
** Played Hollywood attorney Susan Bloom in the 6th season of ''Series/LALaw''.
** She played George Clooney's aunt in the 1980s sitcom ''E/R'' set in a Chicago hospital.
** She also had a part in Oscar winning film ''Film/{{Network}}'' back in the '70s.
* '''Creator/TinaFey''' played a couple of parts for the 1997 pinball machine ''Pinball/MedievalMadness''--the Opera Princess and the Cockney Princess--when she was still working for an improv comedy group in Chicago.
* '''Creator/NathanFillion''' is the ''other'' Private Ryan in ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''.
** As well as a well-meaning priest in Creator/WesCraven's ''Film/{{Dracula 2000}}'', before playing an ''evil'' one on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
** And playing alongside Creator/RyanReynolds in ''Series/TwoGuysAGirlAndAPizzaPlace''.
** He plays the {{Jerkass}} ex-boyfriend that tries to sucker punch the protagonist when he turns around in ''Film/BlastFromThePast'' (1999), only to get counterpunched in the nose. Twice.
* '''Jenna Fischer''' was on ''Series/That70sShow'' once.
* '''Creator/LaurenceFishburne''' played a male nurse in a psychiatric ward in ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors''. His name in the credits is given as "Larry Fishburne".
** He was also Cowboy Curtis on ''Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse'', a role later played in [[Theatre/ThePeeWeeHermanShowOnBroadway the 2010 Broadway version]] by Creator/PhilLaMarr.
** He appeared aged 14 in ''Cornbread, Earl, and Me''.
** He's also one of the PBR's crew in ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.
** Was a detective in ''Film/RedHeat''.
** He was also in an episode of ''Series/{{MASH}}''.
** He was also a gangbanger in ''Film/DeathWishII''.
* '''Creator/JeromeFlynn''', who plays the sellsword Bronn in ''Series/GameOfThrones'', was previously a regular in the ITV series ''Soldier, Soldier''. During that time, he also starred as one half of the English pop duo Robson & Jerome, who released a series of hit singles that were covers of SillyLoveSongs. People who read up on the actor are often shocked when they discover him doing stuff like [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAcGUpQJsjQ this]].
* '''Neil Flynn''''s bit part in ''Film/TheFugitive''. It's doubtful that anyone realized it was [[Series/{{Scrubs}} The Janitor]] unless they saw the ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' episode in which JD notices him in the movie.
** Also as the f-bombing construction worker in ''Film/MajorLeague'' and the Cubs' first baseman in ''Film/RookieOfTheYear''.
* '''Creator/HarrisonFord''' was building sets for ''Series/TheStreetsOfSanFrancisco'' when the producers took a liking to his looks, leading to his being cast in several minor roles. He has said his early career was mostly spent playing "the guy who didn't do it" on various cop shows, before he hit it big with ''Franchise/StarWars''. This also makes him a great subversion of NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognize these days.
** Pre-''Star Wars'', he also had a minor role in ''Film/AmericanGraffiti'' and plays a villain in ''Film/TheConversation''.
* '''Creator/JodieFoster''' had a bunch of roles as a kid, before breaking out in ''Film/TaxiDriver'' (while ''still'' a kid), e.g. ''Series/KungFu'', ''The Courtship Of Eddie's Father'' -- and, of course, she was the Coppertone Girl.
** She guest starred in ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'' episode "The Eleven-Year Itch" as a {{fangirl}} with a crush on Danny.
** She also had a voice acting role as the tomboy Anne Chan in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingChanAndTheChanClan''
* '''Creator/MeganFox''' was basically the antagonist as [[AlphaBitch a mean girl]] in the Creator/LindsayLohan feature ''Film/ConfessionsOfATeenageDramaQueen'' about three years before ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' catapulted her to celebrity status.
** Fox also appeared as a dancer during a montage sequence in ''Film/BadBoysII''. She pointed it out an episode of ''The Tonight Show With Jay Leno''.
** She was also the second Sydney on ''Series/HopeAndFaith'' (seasons 2-3).
* One of '''Creator/MichaelJFox''''s first acting roles was a one-episode gig on ''Series/{{Beachcombers}}''.
** He had a role as the lead character's younger brother in the scavenger-hunt comedy ''Film/MidnightMadness''.
** And before that, played "Arthur" in ''Film/ClassOf1984''.
* Pre-''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]'' '''Creator/JonathanFrakes''' was on an episode of ''Series/{{Matlock}}'' in 1986.
** Frakes was also in an early episode (sans beard) of ''Series/HillStreetBlues'', playing a drug dealer.
** He also played one of the main character's brothers in the series ''North and South''.
* '''Creator/AndrewFrancis''', the voice of Shining Armor on ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', was (according to [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} That Other Wiki]]) one of the kids on ''Series/LambChopsPlayAlong'' in the mid-90's.
* '''Creator/JasonDavidFrank''' appeared as a bully in an episode of ''Series/FamilyMatters'', a far cry from fighting evil space monsters as a Franchise/{{Power Ranger|s}}. For that matter, fans of his current MMA career would probably get a good laugh out of the fact that he loses to Urkel in that episode.
* Before he voiced [[Manga/{{Hellsing}} a vampire]] and [[Anime/CodeGeass an overenthusiastic loyalist to a futuristic city-state]], '''Creator/CrispinFreeman''' worked for Creator/CentralParkMedia, one of the premier dubbing companies in TheNineties, and his first official role was as the moody chimera [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Zelgadis]] in ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}''.
** Even though the three actors playing the other three leads (Creator/LisaOrtiz, Creator/EricStuart, and Creator/VeronicaTaylor) were also breaking out at the time, all three of them would wind up working for Creator/FourKidsEntertainment, as did most of the other actors who worked on ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}''; when CPM started to fall under, Freeman rose to stardom working for other anime dubbing companies like Creator/BandaiEntertainment.
* Years before '''Creator/MorganFreeman''' established his acting cred in films like ''Streetwise'', ''Lean on Me'', ''Theatre/DrivingMissDaisy'' and ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'', he starred:
** As Mark (a.k.a. "Easy Reader") on ''Series/TheElectricCompany1971''. He still considers it to be an OldShame, even though he constantly gets approached by fans who loved the character.
** As an uncredited commuter in ''Where Were You When The Lights Went Out?'' (which has the distinction of being the second-to-last film Doris Day ever made).
** As a supporting character in several soapbox operas throughout the '70s and '80s, including ''Ryan's Hope'' and ''Another World''.
** In ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'' episode "Dealer's Choice".
* '''Creator/StephenFry''' represented Queens' College, Cambridge on a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA_3LfuwVyw 1980 episode]] of ''Series/UniversityChallenge''. You can also spot him as an extra in ''Film/ChariotsOfFire'', if you know where to look.
* Before taking on the role of Cure Custard in ''Anime/KiraKiraPrecureALaMode'', '''Haruka Fukuhara''' was the titular character of ''Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main!''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:G to L]]
* '''Creator/JimGaffigan''' had quite a few bit parts in movies before he became a well-known comedian and actor. Highlights include ''Film/ThreeKings'' (the soldier who cuts Sgt. Troy's handcuffs off), ''Film/CryBabyLane'' (the dad who tries to stiff the undertaker on his bill after a viewing), ''Film/SuperTroopers'' (the man the Troopers pull over to pull their "meow" prank on), ''Film/IgbyGoesDown'' (the manager of the Hilton Igby briefly stays at), and ''Film/ThirteenGoingOnThirty'' (the grown-up Chris after the movie's TimeSkip).
* Fans of ''Series/{{Alias}}'' and ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' can find '''Victor Garber''' in the oddest places -- including a few episodes of ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'', on the deck of ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}'', as a well-wisher in ''Film/SleeplessInSeattle'', Chairman of the [[SeriousBusiness Wool Council]] on ''Series/ThirtyRock'' and in one episode of ''Series/{{Frasier}}'' as the eponymous character's very English butler. He even played Liberace and Creator/ErnestHemingway in '80s biopics. Oh, and he was ''Christ'' in ''Film/{{Godspell}}''.
* '''Creator/AndrewGarfield''' appeared in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' double episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E4DaleksInManhattan Daleks in Manhattan]]" / "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E5EvolutionOfTheDaleks Evolution of the Daleks]]" three years before starring in ''Film/TheSocialNetwork''.
* Renowned [[UsefulNotes/ScreamQueens scream queen]] and ''Series/{{Decoy}}'' star '''Creator/BeverlyGarland''' made an early appearance in ''Film/TheNeanderthalMan'' as a waitress who is raped by the titular monster.
* '''Creator/JenniferGarner''' once played a nurse in the 2001 turkey ''Film/PearlHarbor''. Which starred Creator/BenAffleck. See, they knew each other before ''Film/{{Daredevil}}''!
** She was in one episode of ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and also one of the heroes' girlfriends in ''Film/DudeWheresMyCar''
* '''Creator/BradGarrett''' didn't get his big break until he was cast as Robert in ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'', but prior to that, he'd done a fair amount of voiceover work in the 80s and early 90s. Some of his early roles included Hulk Hogan in ''WesternAnimation/HulkHogansRockNWrestling'', Trypticon in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'', Big Dog in ''WesternAnimation/TwoStupidDogs'' and Hydro-Man in ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour''.
** The ball started rolling for Garrett after he became one of the comedy competition champions on ''Series/StarSearch''.
* '''Anthony Geary''' played one of the villains of the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "The Trap," less than ten months before making his first appearance as [[Series/GeneralHospital Luke Spencer]].
** He also guest starred on ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'', in which he has a ChildhoodFriendRomance with Laurie.
** He appeared a few times on ''Series/BarnabyJones'', most notably in the episode "Death Beat", as ''Creator/RobertReed'''s accomplice in creating fake news events. One of their fake news stories, where Geary's character is standing on a bridge ready to jump into the ocean, results in the AccidentalMurder of a priest who saw the story on the news and tried to intervene, but was killed when he and Geary lost their footing and fell into the water below.
* '''Creator/SarahMichelleGellar''' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ss7_5PSnyA ate]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEUDwE1RW7I at]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbtJIiBx3Ls Burger King]] before she donned the Doublemeat Palace uniform.
** [[DyeHard Before she was blonde]], Gellar received her breakout part at age 15 when she originated the role of Kendall Hart, the [[LongLostRelative long-lost daughter]] of Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) on ''Series/AllMyChildren'', whom the teenage Erica had placed for adoption with the Harts before the start of the series. The naturally brunette Gellar was cast due to her physical likeness to Lucci and ability to act like a young Erica since Kendall [[LikeMotherLikeDaughter shares quite a few similarities, both physically and in personality]], with her mother Erica.
* Recognize [[http://photos.posh24.com/p/1554306/z/top_lists/lady_gaga_the_sopranos_2001_se.jpg the blonde girl]] watching A.J. Soprano vandalize a swimming pool in ''Series/TheSopranos'' episode "The Telltale Moozadell"? No? Give up? It's a fifteen-year-old '''Stefani Germanotta''', who would become slightly better known as Music/LadyGaga about seven years after that episode was aired.
* '''Creator/GinaGershon''' was an uncredited dancer in the early Creator/SarahJessicaParker movie ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'', and has a small part as Benny's friend [[EmbarrassingFirstName Trombley]] in ''Film/PrettyInPink''.
* '''Creator/PaulGiamatti''' had a minor role in the FMV video game ''VideoGame/{{Ripper}}'' back when he was still unknown. Ironically, said game had an AllStarCast of people still fairly well-known today, meaning he ended up enhancing it over time.
* '''Kathie Lee Gifford''''s first major role was a singer on ''Series/NameThatTune''.
* '''Creator/KarenGillan''' played a [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E2TheFiresOfPompeii Pompeiian soothsayer]] on ''Series/DoctorWho'' a few years before returning as companion Amy Pond. Amusingly, Peter Capaldi also appeared in this episode and later become the Doctor himself.
* '''Aiden Gillen''' first became notable in the UK for playing Stuart in ''Series/QueerAsFolk''. Beyond this, his memorable roles were limited to those such as the villain Lord Rathbone in ''Film/ShanghaiKnights''. Following this, Gillen received his international television breakthrough in ''Series/TheWire'', wherein he played Tommy Carcetti and later, Gillen went on to play Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish in ''Series/GameOfThrones''.
* '''Creator/ElizabethGillies''' was Young Jenny (Adult was Creator/OliviaWilde ) in Series/TheBlackDonnellys. [[https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethGilliesOfficial/photos/pb.160059308492.-2207520000.1435214737./10152912487478493/?type=3&theater]]
* Gamers nowadays would know ''Jean Gilpin'' from her role as Elenwen in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', as well as subsequent roles in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsOnline'', or as Knight-Commander Meredith in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''. However, over thirty years before ''Skyrim'' came out, British audiences recognised from the ''Series/DadsArmy'' episode "The Making of Private Pike", where she plays Pike's abusive GirlOfTheWeek.
* Peri Gilpin is best known as Doctor Series/{{Frasier}} Crane's radio producer and is a core character in that series; scroll back to parent series ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' and take a close look at the non-speaking extras who crop up in the bar. Peri isn't the only face there who ends up getting an occassional part on ''Frasier''. Later in the series run she gets two speaking parts; first as part of an enthusiastic audience at a TV psychology show who are asked if they are prepared rto sleep with a bad boy like Sam Malone; and secondly in a plot centred on Woody the barman.
* Darla's victim in the opening scene of the ''Series/{{Buffy|TheVampireSlayer}}'' pilot was played by '''Carmine Giovinazzo''' of ''Series/{{CSINY}}''. Carmine also guest starred in the season 2 episode "Revenge is Best Served Cold" of the regular ''Series/{{CSI}}'', two years before his casting in the spinoff. But WordOfGod says they weren't connected.
** He was also one of two murder victims in the very last episode of ''Series/Columbo'', in the episode "Columbo Likes the Nightlife".
* The fantastic '''Creator/SummerGlau''', before becoming [[Series/{{Firefly}} River Tam]] and Cameron from ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'', also featured:
** On an episode of ''Series/{{Angel}}'' as a ballerina.
** On an episode of ''Series/{{CSI}}'' as the crying best friend of a victim.
** On an episode of ''Series/ColdCase'' as the VictimOfTheWeek.
* Before '''Paul Michael Glaser''' starred on ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'', he played the young communist Perchik in the movie version of ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof''.
* Before playing [[TheCaligula Joffrey Baratheon]] in ''Series/GameOfThrones'', '''Creator/JackGleeson''' had a small role in ''Film/BatmanBegins''. It wasn't the first time he'd been onscreen with Creator/ChristianBale though -- he ''also'' had an uncredited part in ''Film/ReignOfFire''.
* Before becoming a household name, '''[[Series/LifeOnMars2006 Philip Glenister]]''' showed up in ''Calendar Girls''.
** He also played a major role one of the final ''Series/{{Sharpe}}'' episodes, "Sharpe's Justice".
* '''[[Series/CagneyAndLacey Sharon Gless]]''' was in ''Series/Switch1975'' as the receptionist Maggie Philbin.
* '''Creator/DannyGlover''' made his film debut in ''Film/EscapeFromAlcatraz'' as an inmate who hands Creator/ClintEastwood a book.
* '''Creator/DonaldGlover''' had several minor cameos in ''Series/ThirtyRock'' before ''Series/{{Community}}'' made him a recognizable star. He was actually a writer and story editor for the series as well, before he left to focus on his acting and rapping.
* '''Creator/JeffGoldblum''' is one of the evil thugs in ''Film/DeathWish''.
** He guest stars in the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "Murder on Stage 17" as a director.
** Goldblum can also be briefly seen in ''Film/AnnieHall''. His only line: "I forgot my mantra!"
** Goldblum also rode around on a motorcycle for most of Creator/RobertAltman's ''Film/{{Nashville}}''.
* '''Music/SelenaGomez''' had roles in ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'' and ''Film/SpyKids3DGameOver'', as well as playing Series/HannahMontana's arch-rival Mikayla, prior to playing Alex Russo on ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace''.
** She and her childhood friend, fellow future Creator/DisneyChannel star '''Music/DemiLovato''' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-keOVH_ivTg appeared together]] on ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'' as young children. According to one teen magazine, they met as early as the audition process -- they were standing next to each other in a lineup of similarly-aged kids.
* It can be a severely weird experience to first see '''Matthew Goode''' as Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias in ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' and then later find him all over the place in quieter fare like ''Literature/BridesheadRevisited'' and ''Film/ASingleMan'', or as the male lead in romantic comedies like ''Chasing Liberty''. (The fact that his ''Watchmen'' role had him being stern, middle-aged and German-American in a very convincing blond wig when he and most of his other characters are affable dark-haired young Brits can make this even weirder.)
* It may seem somewhat surreal to discover that, prior to his turns in films like ''Film/TheNotebook'' and ''Film/{{Drive}}'', '''Creator/RyanGosling''' starred in several cheesy teenage shows. These included the title role in ''Young Hercules'' and as the goofball slacker in ''Breaker High''. He also appeared in episodes of ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' and ''Series/{{Goosebumps}}'' while he was still living in Canada.
* '''Creator/BettyGrable''' appeared in ''Film/TheGayDivorcee'' as Edward Everett Horton's unnamed dancing partner, and was a chorus girl in ''Film/FollowTheFleet'' and several other earlier movie musicals.
* '''Aubrey Drake Graham''' was Jimmy Brooks on seasons 1-7 (2001-2008) of ''Series/{{Degrassi}}''. He now is known as the rapper/singer Music/{{Drake}}.
* Prior to ''Series/GilmoreGirls'', '''Lauren Graham''' was a [[GirlOfTheWeek one-off love interest]] on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''.
** She also had short-lived recurring roles on ''Series/NewsRadio'' and ''Series/CarolineInTheCity'', and was also Benjamin Bratt's love interest in the two part ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' where they go to Los Angeles.
* '''Creator/SethGreen''' in ''Literature/{{It}}'' deserves a mention. (Though watching ''It'' as an adult after having seen it as a child results in a massive ''bombardment'' of Retroactive Recognition.)
** As well as in ''Film/MyStepmotherIsAnAlien'' alongside future co-star Creator/AlysonHannigan.
** He also voiced Wizard in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', and JerkJock Nelson in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''.
** And appeared in an episode of ''Series/TheXFiles'' and ''Film/EnemyOfTheState''.
** And a major role in the ''Series/TalesFromTheDarkside'' episode "Monsters in My Room".
** And a minor role in an episode of the ''Series/WeirdScience'' TV show as a hacker whose bogus program almost fries Lisa.
** And a major role in ''Film/{{Airborne}}''.
** And as Creator/WoodyAllen's childhood self in ''Film/RadioDays''.
* '''Creator/ClarkGregg''' became famous playing Agent Phil Coulson in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, which makes it very weird to see Gregg in old episodes of ''Series/TheWestWing''. In ''The West Wing'' Gregg plays FBI Special Agent Casper, whose deferential but sarcastic demeanor makes the two characters seem almost identical.
** A completely different direction, though, is two episodes as a serial old-lady rapist on ''Series/TheShield''.
** Gregg also appeared as Creator/MikeTyson's trainer, Kevin, in the 1995 HBO docudrama ''Series/{{Tyson}}''.
** He was also a doctor in ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'', though it's the voice that tips it off more than the face.
* '''Creator/KathyGriffin''' in ''Film/PulpFiction''. There's also Creator/PhilLaMarr, who played a minor character [[IJustShotMarvinInTheFace known for getting shot in the face]].
* '''[[Series/{{Heroes}} Greg Grunberg]]''' was in ''Film/HollowMan'' as a fairly major minor character. And in ''Series/{{Lost}}'' he was the Pilot in the {{pilot}}.
** He also had a recurring role in ''Series/{{Felicity}}''.
** And a minute of screentime in ''Film/BASEketball'' as a rival player in the basketball league.
** He also had a bit part in an episode of ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'' as a nightclub host.
* '''Creator/ChristopherGuest''' made an early appearance in ''Film/DeathWish'' as a police officer.
* '''Creator/DanaiGurira''' briefly shows up in ''Film/MySoulToTake'' as a paramedic who gets killed near the beginning of the movie.
* A very young '''Creator/JakeGyllenhaal''' appeared as the son of a VictimOfTheWeek in a ''Series/HomicideLifeOnTheStreet'' episode (2x01) directed by his father.
** He also played Billy Crystal's son in the ''Film/CitySlickers'' movies.
* '''Olivia Hack''' played Cindy Brady in ''Film/TheBradyBunchMovie'' and its sequel before she became famous for voicing characters such as [[WesternAnimation/HeyArnold Rhonda Wellington Lloyd]] and [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Ty Lee]].
* Journeyman supporting actor/''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' standout '''Bill Hader''' was a field agent on ''Series/{{Punkd}}''. Avid viewers of the credits of action films (all two of you) may also spot his name as a production assistant on a host of early-2000s films like ''Collateral Damage'' and ''Film/TheScorpionKing''.
** He was also the pizza guy at the end of the 1998 music video of [[Music/JanetJackson Janet Jackson's]] "We Go Deep".
* Oscar nominee '''Creator/JackieEarleHaley''' was the voice of young Jamie Boyle in the 1972 syndicated cartoon ''WesternAnimation/WaitTillYourFatherGetsHome''.
** He also appeared as one of the main baseball players in ''Film/TheBadNewsBears'', plus was one of the four main characters in ''Film/BreakingAway''.
** Also played Dave in the '83 teen comedy ''Losin' It'', alongside Creator/TomCruise.
* Before she was a huge JPop star, a young '''Creator/AyumiHamasaki''' voiced Yuri in the ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'' TV special, and also portrayed the character in several live-action commercials for ''Art of Fighting 2''. In a strange aversion of the BillingDisplacement trope, when the movie was released on DVD after Hamasaki became famous, her lines were all dubbed over by another actress, likely to avoid paying her royalties.
* Years before he even played [[Franchise/StarWars Luke Skywalker]], '''Creator/MarkHamill''' was doing voice work for ''WesternAnimation/TheNewScoobyDooMovies''. Before his voice-acting career really took off he also had a very brief part in ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid''.
** He also guest starred on ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'' as Laurie's boyfriend.
* Long before he became a household name, '''Creator/TomHanks''' appeared in the 1980 slasher flick ''Film/HeKnowsYoureAlone''.
** People familiar with Hanks as blockbuster movie actor would probably have this reaction to his role in ''Series/BosomBuddies''.
** He also guest starred as a drugged out college friend of Jim Ignatowski on ''Series/{{Taxi}}''
** Also, he tried to beat up Fonzie in an episode of ''Series/HappyDays'', and played Robbie in ''Film/MazesAndMonsters''.
** He was also Elyse's alcoholic brother in a VerySpecialEpisode of ''Series/FamilyTies''.
* '''Creator/AlysonHannigan''' as Creator/DanAykroyd's daughter in ''Film/MyStepmotherIsAnAlien''.
* Adding to the list of well known actors who had small roles in the series, '''Creator/TomHardy''' made his screen debut as Pvt. John Janovec in the last two episodes of ''Series/BandOfBrothers'' [[spoiler:and gets killed off just like [=McAvoy=]]].
** One of his earliest big screen roles was that of TheBigBad in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''
* ''Series/StrangerThings'' star '''Creator/DavidHarbour''' had a small role in ''Film/BrokebackMountain'' as a closeted man who tried to seduce Creator/JakeGyllenhaal's character.
* '''Creator/MarkHarmon''' guest starred on ''Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries'' as a football player.
** He also filled in as Kent McCord's partner in a last-season episode of ''Series/Adam12''.
** He was one of the stars in the ''Series/Emergency'' episode "905-Wild", a PoorlyDisguisedPilot about animal control officers.
** In a clip that can be seen on YouTube, Harmon suffers DeathByFallingDown at the hands of Philip Abbott in the series Delvecchio.
* '''Valerie Harper''', many years before her iconic role of [[Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow Rhoda Morgenstern]], was in the musical ''Theatre/LilAbner'' (and its filmed version) as one of the Dogpatch wives.
* To those who only know him as Dr. Horrible or [[Series/HowIMetYourMother Barney Stinson]], '''Creator/NeilPatrickHarris''' in his star-making role on ''Series/DoogieHowserMD'' may come across this way. He also voiced Peter Parker in the short-lived Creator/{{MTV}} ''[[WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheNewAnimatedSeries Spider-Man]]'' cartoon.
* '''Creator/RichardHarris''' had a brief cameo in ''Film/TheGunsOfNavarone'' as a member of the Australian Air Force.
* '''Creator/TeriHatcher''' was a "Mermaid" (showgirl) in the final season of ''Series/TheLoveBoat''.
** [[Creator/SylvesterStallone Ray Tango]]'s [[MySisterIsOffLimits younger sister]] in ''Film/TangoAndCash'', a spunky sidekick on reruns of ''Series/MacGyver'', manned the transporter in an episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', and a GirlOfTheWeek on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''.
** And she was Sam's ex in ''Series/QuantumLeap'', though he changed history and got her in the end.
* '''[[Series/AshesToAshes2008 Keeley Hawes]]''' shows up in the two-part finale of ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'' and the voice of a certain [[VideoGame/TombRaider female archaeologist...]]
** Of course, before then she was best known for being a regular on ''Series/{{Spooks}}''. Funnily enough, in ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'', she plays the sister of Creator/RichardArmitage, who would also go on to be in ''Spooks''.
* '''Creator/BradHawkins''' mainly works as a voice actor for Funimation these days, but in the 90's, he had the starring role as Ryan Steele in ''Series/VRTroopers''.
* '''Creator/NigelHawthorne''' made his television debut in the third series premier of ''Series/DadsArmy'' as an old man on a bench.
* '''Creator/LenaHeadey''' played a mousy new teacher in the 2007 film ''Film/StTrinians'', and Lizzie in ''Film/TheRemainsOfTheDay''. She keeps her [[FakeAmerican actual accent]] in both, though. And you might also recognize her as Queen Gorgo in ''Film/ThreeHundred'' and Queen Cersei in ''Series/GameOfThrones''.
** Long before any of that, though, she played Queen Guenevere in the Creator/SamNeill miniseries ''Series/{{Merlin|1998}}''.
** Also played as Sarah Connor in ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'' which became HilariousInHindsight that her ''Series/GameOfThrones'' co-star, Creator/EmiliaClarke, became the new Sarah Connor for ''Film/TerminatorGenisys''.
** She also appeared in an episode of the 1997 anthology ''The Hunger'' together with Creator/DanielCraig before either had shot to superstardom, and their characters get into a torrid love affair. Yes, Cersei Lannister and James Bond.
* In the ''Series/{{Highlander}}'' episode "Nowhere To Run", '''[[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Anthony Stewart Head]]''' (credited as Anthony Head) plays an ambassador and friend of Duncan [=MacLeod=]. This is the same episode that features Marion Cotillard in her first-ever acting role.
** He also did a number of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpOBFELO0Qc coffee commercials]]
* In ''Film/UnderSiege2DarkTerritory'', the 17-year-old '''Creator/KatherineHeigl''' played the niece of Casey Ryback. Of course, this was before her role in ''Series/GreysAnatomy''.
* '''Simon Helberg''' was in ''Old School'' long before ''Series/TheBigBangTheory''.
** He also had a role in ''Series/{{Joey}}'' that was very similar to Howard, but [[DawsonCasting younger]].
* '''Creator/ChrisHemsworth''': It turns out [[Creator/MarvelComics Thor]] sired a son, and that son was [[Film/StarTrek2009 Captain James T. Kirk]].
* '''Creator/LanceHenriksen''' had small parts in great movies -- an FBI agent in ''Film/DogDayAfternoon'', a lawyer in ''Film/{{Network}}'' and a construction worker in ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind''.
* '''Creator/AudreyHepburn''' makes a brief appearance in the opening scene of ''Film/TheLavenderHillMob'' as Creator/AlecGuinness's paramour. The same year she instantly became a smash success with ''Film/RomanHoliday''.
* There is much mockery to be made of [[OldShame future Oscar winner]] '''Creator/PhilipSeymourHoffman''''s supporting role in ''Film/{{Twister}}''.
** He also played one of the teenage boys in ''Film/ScentOfAWoman'' and was in an early episode of ''Series/LawAndOrder''.
** He was also Scotty, the closeted boom operator who had a crush on Dirk Diggler in ''Film/BoogieNights''.
* '''Laurie Holden''' is well-known these days for her roles in ''Series/TheShield'' and ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', but she had a number of guest appearances (including many Canadian series) long before then:
** She played a young girl in an episode of ''Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Universe''.
** A guest spot on an episode of ''Series/MurderSheWrote''.
** As the shadowy Marita Covarrubias in several episodes of ''Series/TheXFiles''.
* '''Music/BillieHoliday''' made two uncredited appearances in films before she became famous: as an extra in a nightclub scene in ''Theatre/TheEmperorJones'', and as a vocalist in one segment of the Music/DukeEllington musical short ''Symphony in Black''.
* '''Creator/JoshHolloway''', like co-star Terry O'Quinn, had a fair number of credits before ''Series/{{Lost}}'', such as episodes of ''Series/{{CSI}}'', ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', and ''Series/{{Angel}}''. He's also in the video for Music/{{Aerosmith}}'s "Cryin'" as the guy who breaks Alicia Silverstone's heart.
* A year before his band, Music/BlindMelon, had a major label album and a hit with "No Rain", '''Shannon Hoon''' could be seen in Music/GunsNRoses' "Don't Cry" video, harmonizing with Axl Rose in the performance segments. Hoon sang backup on that song and four others on ''Use Your Illusion I'' [[note]] the other four being "November Rain", "Live And Let Die", "The Garden", and "You Ain't The First"[[/note]], plus the alternate version of "Don't Cry" on ''Use Your Illusion II''.
* '''Creator/DennisHopper''' made his film debut in ''Film/RebelWithoutACause'' as one of the gang members (Goon). He appeared opposite Creator/JamesDean again in ''Film/{{Giant}}'' in a much bigger role as the grown-up Jordy.
** He's also one of the prisoners in ''Film/CoolHandLuke''.
** He also appeared opposite Creator/JohnWayne in ''Film/TheSonsOfKatieElder'' and ''Film/TrueGrit''.
** He also played The Prophet in ''Film/HangEmHigh''.
** He made guest appearances in ''Series/{{Gunsmoke}}'' and ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'' ("[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS4E106HesAlive He's Alive]]".
** Another of Hopper's notorious TV appearances was in the ''Series/PetticoatJunction'' episode "Bobbi Jo and the Beatnik". He probably would have wanted his fans to forget this one, but its inclusion on numerous Public Domain DVD's of that series insure that it will live on in infamy.
* '''Creator/SammoHung''' played Creator/BruceLee's opponent in the opening scene of ''Film/EnterTheDragon''.
* '''Charlie Hunman''' appears in ''Series/{{Undeclared}}'' as a British exchange student with a major in theater.
* '''Music/IceT''' appeared in ''Film/{{Breakin}}'' and ''Film/Breakin2ElectricBoogaloo'' as himself, several years before he released his first studio album or launched a serious acting career.
* '''Creator/GabrielIglesias''' was on ''Series/AllThat'' for a season several years before Creator/ComedyCentral specials and ''Series/LastComicStanding'' made him widely famous.
* '''Creator/JeremyIrons''' appeared on ''Play Away'', a BBC children's show, in the 1970s. It often crops up in "before they were famous" clip-shows in the UK.
* Before becoming an [[Film/{{Audition}} unfortunate widow]], a [[Film/TheGrudge hard-boiled detective]], and a [[Film/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney defense attorney]], '''Ryo Ishibashi''' worked for a [[{{Yakuza}} no-nonsense Japanese organization]] in ''American Yakuza''.
* '''Creator/SamuelLJackson''' holds up a BurgerFool in ''Film/ComingToAmerica'', and has his ass handed to him by Creator/EddieMurphy, of all people.
** He also appears very briefly in ''Film/MeanStreets'', where he's slapped around by Creator/RobertDeNiro and Creator/HarveyKeitel. He isn't even credited for this on IMDB.
** He also plays a lawyer on a Season 1 episode of ''Franchise/LawAndOrder''... defending ''Creator/PhilipSeymourHoffman'', no less.
** He also has a bit part as a townie in ''Film/SchoolDaze'' getting into a heated argument with the film's star, Creator/LaurenceFishburne.
** He also played Stacks Edwards in ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}''.
** He also played the Blind Dream Man in ''Film/TheExorcistIII''.
* '''Stephanie Jacobsen''' had a tiny role in the ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' episode "[[Recap/{{FarscapeS03E11Incubator}} Incubator]]" as one of Scorpius's nurses/"assistants", years before her prominent genre roles as Kendra in ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' and Jesse in ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles''.
* It's a little creepy to watch '''Creator/FamkeJanssen''' pursue a romantic relationship with [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Jean-Luc Picard]] 8 years before hanging out with [[Film/XMenFilmSeries Professor X at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning]].
* Before his ''Series/BlackMirror'' episode and ''Film/GetOut2017'' made him famous, '''Creator/DanielKaluuya''' played Posh Kenneth on ''Series/{{Skins}}'' (a show he also wrote for). He also appeared in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' special "Planet of the Dead," as well as in a few ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'' sketches.
* '''Ken Jenkins''' as Paul Stubbs, the bad-tempered astrophysicist from the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Evolution", is instantly recognizable as a younger Dr. Kelso from ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''.
* After the success of '''Music/CarlyRaeJepsen''''s "Call Me Maybe", some radio stations chose to ride on her newfound fame by playing "Tug of War". Cue people's jaws dropping when they recognize the song from a few years ago and realize, "Holy shit, that was Carly Rae Jepsen!?".
* '''Creator/ScarlettJohansson''', usually playing someone's sister, appeared in many 90s films, including ''Film/{{North}}'' and ''Film/HomeAlone 3''.
* Turns out '''Creator/CherryJones''' (aka [[Series/TwentyFour President Allison Taylor]]) played politician Barbara Layton in an episode of ''Series/TheWestWing'' in 2004. Probably averted for Broadway theater-goers, as by the time she had already been a huge name on it for years, had won one Tony award and was on the cusp of another for her role as Sister Aloysius in ''Theatre/{{Doubt}}''.
* More than a decade before he would become the infamous voice of Darth Vader, '''Creator/JamesEarlJones''' was the bombardier in ''Film/DrStrangelove''. He wasn't even a notable in theater at the time.
* As a child actor, '''Creator/MichaelBJordan''' was one of the kids in the Creator/KeanuReeves flick ''Hardball'', and also showed up in ''Series/TheWire'', ''Series/AllMyChildren'', and a single episode of ''Series/TheSopranos''. Prior to acting, he also modeled in ads for Toys "R" Us and Modell's Sporting Goods.
* '''Creator/AngelinaJolie''''s first major role was in ''Film/{{Cyborg|1989}} 2'', a movie that mostly likely would've ended up forgotten had it not been for this trope.
* '''Creator/MillaJovovich''' was Series/{{Parker Lewis|CantLose}}' female target in the series pilot.
** And a French foreign exchange student in an episode of ''Series/MarriedWithChildren''.
* As Creator/WilWheaton regularly reminds us, he got some lip action with a pre-famous '''Creator/AshleyJudd''' in the ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]]'' episode "[[Recap/{{StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E6TheGame}} The Game]]".
* '''Gordon Jump''', later of ''Series/{{Soap}}'' and ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'', appeared on ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'' seven times, usually in minor roles.
* '''Tim Kang''' acted in a ''ton'' of commercials (for Cingular, Home Depot and Dairy Queen) before landing the role of Agent Cho on ''Series/TheMentalist''. He also had a small role on ''Series/TheSopranos'', seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXONOtUAKME here]].
* Long before he played King T'Chaka in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' and ''Film/BlackPanther2018'', '''John Kani''' played Willie alongside Creator/MatthewBroderick and Zakes Mokai in the 1985 [[MadeForTVMovie Made-for-Showtime]] presentation of Athol Fugard's ''Theatre/MasterHaroldAndTheBoys''.
* '''Erin Karpluk''' of ''Series/BeingErica'' was a young mother in the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode "Salvation".
* '''Creator/StanaKatic''' of ''Series/{{Castle}}'' once had a bit part as a flight attendant on ''Series/{{Alias}}''.
** As a comatose car accident victim on ''Series/{{ER}}''.
** And as Officer Morgenstern (she of the {{BFG}}) in ''Film/TheSpirit''.
** She's the Canadian operative [[Film/JamesBond Bond]] prevents from falling into the HoneyTrap at the end of ''Film/QuantumOfSolace''.
** And a three-episode appearance in Season 5 of ''Series/TwentyFour''.
* It's a bit of a shock to watch old episodes of ''Desmonds'' and realize that the TokenWhite loser wideboy is '''Dominic Keating''' from ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise''.
* Before her StarMakingRole in ''Film/TheGodfather'', '''Creator/DianeKeaton''' appeared in episodes of ''Series/NightGallery'', ''Series/LoveAmericanStyle'', ''Series/{{Mannix}}'' and ''Series/TheFBI''.
* A young '''Creator/MichaelKeaton''' worked as a stagehand on ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'', and even played bit parts in a few episode during TheSeventies.
* '''Creator/DeForestKelley''' was in a black-and-white ''Franchise/PerryMason'' episode.
** And ''Gunfight at the OK Corral'', which was [[ActorAllusion alluded]] to in the episode "[[{{Recap/StarTrekS3E6SpectreOfTheGun}} Spectre of the Gun]]" in an illusion.
** He also had an uncredited part as an army medic in ''The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' in which he actually utters the line "This man is dead, captain." '''In 1955'''!
* '''Anna Kendrick''' had a cameo as an audience member in the 1998 Tony Awards prior to acting.
* Before he was ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'', '''Creator/TomKenny''' was a comedian. Because of this, he got to appear in a show where comedians' sketches were animated as conversations with a therapist: ''WesternAnimation/DrKatzProfessionalTherapist''.
* The 1956 novel ''Literature/TheLastHurrah'', which was very loosely based on real events in early 1950s Massachusetts politics, features a character named '''Kevin [=McCluskey=]''', who is a telegenic but politically inexperienced candidate with a fancy education, a pretty wife, smiling kids, a respectable [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII war record]] from his days in the Navy, and [[BrainlessBeauty more good looks than brains]]. Reading the book anytime after 1960, the character [[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy seems strangely familiar]]...
* A few years before having hits of her own, '''Music/{{Kesha}}''' appeared in Music/KatyPerry's "I Kissed A Girl" video. A prominent pre-fame musical appearance was doing backing vocals for Music/FloRida's "Right Round"--she was uncredited at her own request, and someone else lip-synched her part for the video.
* '''Creator/KeeganMichaelKey''' showed up in a few episodes of ''Series/{{Reno 911}}'' as a recurring criminal who would constantly "hypothetically" describe crimes he'd committed to the police. He and his costar '''Creator/JordanPeele''' also showed up in Music/WeirdAlYankovic's music video for "White & Nerdy".
* A teenage '''Creator/NicoleKidman''' [[http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MmxVX0nyL._SL500_AA300_.jpg and her hair]] starred in ''Film/BMXBandits''. That's "Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman" on the back of the DVD.
* Before her StarMakingRole as Mantis in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', '''Creator/PomKlementieff''' appeared as Creator/SharltoCopley's {{Bodyguard Babe|s}} in the American remake of ''Film/{{Oldboy|2013}}''.
* '''Creator/BenKingsley''' showed up on the BBC's ''Playing Shakespeare'' in the late 1970s.
* '''Terry Kiser''' played a crime lord in the ''Series/FutureCop'' episode "Cops and Robin." He also played a blackmailer on ''Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries''.
** He also played a mentally challenged murder suspect in the ''Series/BarnabyJones'' episode "The Eyes of Terror" and a bumbling hit man who tries to take out Steve McGarrett in the ''Series/HawaiiFiveO'' episode "Blood Money Is Hard to Wash".
* 9-year old '''Creator/KeiraKnightley''' played a pre-teen runaway on an episode of ''Series/TheBill'' (as seen in this [[http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/10/25/article-1080662-02313C78000005DC-346_468x339.jpg screencap]]).
** Not to mention her appearance in the 1999 ''Literature/OliverTwist'' miniseries as Rose Fleming, where she looks about 3 years older than her actual age of 14.
** And her appearance as the slutty friend in ''Film/TheHole'', [[BestKnownForTheFanservice made memorable by the fact that she takes her top off]].
** She was the double for Amidala in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' (she was cast [[SeparatedAtBirthCasting because of her close resemblance to]] Creator/NataliePortman).
* Before portraying Dia Kurosawa in ''Anime/LoveLiveSunshine'', '''Arisa Komiya''' played Yoko Usami in ''Series/TokumeiSentaiGoBusters''.
* '''Martin Kove''', best known as Kreese from ''Film/TheKarateKid'', guest starred on ''Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries'' as an extortionist. He also played one of the villains of the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "Birds of a Feather."
* '''Jane Krakowski''', aged 16, appears in the opening moments of ''Film/FatalAttraction'' as the Gallaghers' babysitter.
** And as Cousin Vicki in ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation''.
** She also did some commercials as a child, one of which was played as part of Jenna's memorial video in an episode of ''Series/ThirtyRock''.
* Before he was the main character in ''Series/NUMB3RS'', '''David Krumholtz''' was the dorky Jewish kid Joel who had a crush on Creator/ChristinaRicci's Wednesday Addams in ''[[Film/TheAddamsFamily Addams Family Values]]''.
** Not to mention Mr. Universe from ''Film/{{Serenity}}''.
** And Bernard the elf in ''Film/TheSantaClause''.
** And the victim of a pedophile in an early ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' episode.
** And Michael in ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou''.
** And the guy who stabbed Lucy and Carter on ''Series/{{ER}}''.
** Neil Schweiber's older brother on ''Series/FreaksAndGeeks''.
* '''Creator/MilaKunis''' played the younger version of ''Film/{{Gia}}'', whose older edition was played by Creator/AngelinaJolie.
** She was also, [[OldShame to her regret]], one of the orphans in '' Film/SantaWithMuscles''.
** And she was in ''Film/HoneyWeShrunkOurselves''.
** She also appeared in two episodes of ''Series/{{Baywatch}}''.
* Before voicing [[EnsembleDarkhorse Suki]] in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', '''Jennie Kwan''' was in a GirlGroup called Nobody's Angel and before that, she appeared in the NBC teen drama ''Series/CaliforniaDreams''.
* '''Sarah Lancaster''', Series/{{Chuck}}'s sister, looked very familiar to some fans. Turns out she was [[Series/{{Scrubs}} Gift Shop Girl]].
** And the very mature and sexy Ephram's girlfriend in ''Series/{{Everwood}}''.
** And Rachel Meyers in ''Series/SavedByTheBell: The New Class''.
* Way before starring in ''Literature/{{Room}}'' or playing [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 Captain Marvel]] in the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]], a young '''Creator/BrieLarson''' appeared in ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' as indie rocker Envy Adams. Prior to that, she was also one of the bullies in ''Film/{{Sleepover}}''. On the smaller screen, Larson was the teenage daughter in ''Series/UnitedStatesOfTara'', and had a recurring role as Rachel (a Greendale student who also dated Abed) on ''Series/{{Community}}'' in seasons 4 and 5.
** Way before any of these roles, she was a singer, with one of the songs she performed, "Hope Has Wings", being used as the theme song of ''[[Toys/{{Barbie}} Barbie and the Magic Of Pegasus]]''. She also appeared in an episode of ''Series/TouchedByAnAngel'' and the Creator/DisneyChannel Original Movie ''Right On Track''.
** She was also one of "The Six Chicks" in ''Film/ThirteenGoingOnThirty'', which starred her future MCU costar Creator/MarkRuffalo, who was surprised when he realized this many years later.
* Before ''Film/TheHumanCentipede'', '''Dieter Laser''' played [[OmnicidalManiac Mantrid]] in ''Series/{{Lexx}}'', serving as the BigBad for Season 2.
* Before '''Creator/TaylorLautner''' was in ''Film/{{Twilight}}'', he was a junior world champion karate master, having gotten his black belt by age eight. He competed in an ISKA event at age 11 that was taped by ''Creator/{{ESPN}}'', which a few years later (but still before ''Twilight'') was riffed on ''Series/CheapSeats''.
** He was also Sharkboy in ''Film/TheAdventuresOfSharkboyAndLavagirl''.
** Remember Youngblood from ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom''? Bingo.
** Going further back, he was on an episode of ''Series/MyWifeAndKids'', playing a bully to Franklin.
* '''Creator/HughLaurie''' appeared on ''Series/{{Friends}}'' [[http://11even.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/rachel-friends-dr-house.jpg flying with Rachel to England]]. There is also a twofer in the live action ''[[Film/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians1996 101 Dalmatians]]'': Laurie is [[ThoseTwoBadGuys one of Cruella's henchmen]] alongside Mark "[[Film/HarryPotter Arthur Weasley]]" Williams. While Laurie had been famous in the UK for many years, he wasn't very recognizable to American audiences until the success of ''Series/HouseMD''.
* A very young '''Creator/JudeLaw''' appeared in one episode of Granada TV's ''Series/SherlockHolmes'' which is HilariousInHindsight when he was cast as Dr. Watson in [[Film/SherlockHolmes the 2009 film]].
* '''Carol Lawrence''', before ''Theatre/WestSideStory'', was in the revue ''New Faces of 1952'', and its filmed version, ''New Faces''.
* '''Creator/JenniferLawrence''' starred on ''The Creator/BillEngvall Show'' for 3 years before she was cast in ''Film/WintersBone''.
** She also appeared in one episode of ''Series/ColdCase'' as the teenage version of a girl whose mother's body was found in a car that is sunk in the lake.
** She had a blink-and-you'd-miss-it role on ''Series/{{Monk}}'' as a mascot, in which she has no lines and only takes off her head for a moment.
** She also had a bit role on ''Series/{{Medium}}'' as a ghost of the week.
* '''Adam Lazare-White''', voicing Jacob from ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', should sound familiar to older gamers that have memories of video gaming later in TheNineties. He played 1LT Terrence "Zero" O'Hearn in ''VideoGame/WingCommander Prophecy'' and provided the character's voice in the sequel, ''Wing Commander Secret Ops''.
* '''Creator/MattLeblanc''' of ''Series/{{Friends}}'' fame had his first big break on the short-lived Fox sitcom ''Top of the Heap'', a SpinOff of ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', along with Joey Lauren Adams.
** He also played the same character in a few episodes of ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' and in another show called ''Vinnie & Bobby''.
** In the end of the music video for Music/TomPetty's "Into the Great Wide Open", he appears as [[HereWeGoAgain a rock musician getting the same tattoo]] that Eddie (Creator/JohnnyDepp) [[BookEnds got at the video's beginning]].
** One of his first gigs was in a Heinz ketchup commercial where he placed a bottle of the ketchup at the top of a tall building, ran downstairs with a hot dog, and just in time, caught the ketchup onto the hot dog. The ad ends with him giving an admiring girl nearby a very Joey-like wink.
* '''Creator/HeathLedger''' as Patrick in ''Film/TenThingsIHateAboutYou''.
** Though this was more of a StarMakingRole, as he parlayed this into more serious fare.
* Before playing several roles in Marvel and DC superhero movies, '''Creator/ZacharyLevi''' played Dave's nephew Toby in ''[[Film/AlvinAndTheChipmunks Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel]]''. This resulted in a [[MemeticMutation meme]] spawning during the release of ''[[Film/Shazam2019 Shazam]]'' where people would post images of his role as Toby with the text "Is this the Shazam movie you're talking about?" on Twitter. And of course, he played the title character in the cult classic TV show ''Series/{{Chuck}}''.
** And before all of that, he co-starred in the sitcom ''Series/LessThanPerfect''.
* Pictured above, '''Creator/BruceLee''' playing Kato in the Creator/AdamWest ''Series/Batman1966'' series for three episodes. This was before his first film by three years.
** Technically, that was a crossover. ''Series/TheGreenHornet'' series ran alongside ''Batman'' for one season, with Kato being the only redeeming quality of the show.
* '''Creator/JohnLeguizamo''' was one of the terrorists in ''Film/DieHard2''.
** He also popped up in ''Series/MiamiVice''.
* '''Creator/KenLeung''' was [[http://cdn-www.cracked.com/phpimages/photoshop/5/3/8/1538_slide.jpg?v=2 a mutant]] in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', and kidnapped the girl from ''Film/RushHour''.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlKhfEWchf8 Dong!]] (rhymes with flong).
** He also plays a detective [[spoiler:that gets his head blown off by a shotgun trap]] in ''Film/SawI'', which coincidentally starred his ''Series/{{Lost}}'' costar Creator/MichaelEmerson as Zep.
* '''Creator/JosephGordonLevitt''' was the kid from the 1994 ''Film/AngelsInTheOutfield'' film.
** Before that, he played David/Daniel Collins on the short-lived 1991 primetime revival of ''Series/DarkShadows''.
* You know '''Creator/AndreaLibman''', who we all recognize as [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie]]? Wanna know her first role? She played a little girl possessed by a demon in ''Series/TheXFiles''. How's ''that'' for PlayingAgainstType?
** And before she was on ''My Little Pony'', she was the voice of ''WesternAnimation/{{Madeline}}'' and played Emmy in ''WesternAnimation/DragonTales''.
* Even '''Creator/EvangelineLilly''' can invoke this, despite having next to no acting experience with dialogue prior to starring in ''Series/{{Lost}}''. She worked in Vancouver for a while as a part-time model and would occasionally appear as a mute extra in TV series filmed there, notably ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', where she managed to be in 5 episodes. So if you go on a ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' binge, expect several moments of, "Hey! Did ''Kate Austin'' just walk past the screen?!"
** She even did a stint being the pitchwoman for phone dating service Quest Personals--meaning, for a time viewers might be lead to believe that if they called Quest for a date they'd get Lilly.
* '''Chad Lindberg''', aka Ash the computer genius from ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', started his computer training early: he shows up in the first-season ''Series/{{Buffy|TheVampireSlayer}}'' episode "I Robot, You Jane".
* Before starring on several Creator/DisneyChannel shows, '''Creator/PeytonRList''' was in episodes of ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns'' and ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. She also played a piglet on an episode of ''WesternAnimation/WonderPets''.
* Before being cast in ''Series/KimsConvenience'' and the ''Comicbook/ShangChi'' movie, '''Creator/SimuLiu''' was an extra in ''Film/PacificRim''. He also had some minor roles on TV shows shot in Canada, such as bit parts in episodes of ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'' and ''Series/{{Nikita}}''. He was also [[Music/FallOutBoy Pete Wentz]]'s stunt double for the "Centuries" music video. And, like John Boyega, he also did some modeling for stock photos.
* '''Creator/DonalLogue''' was Deacon Frost's unlucky [[TheDragon Dragon]] in ''Film/{{Blade}}''. Before that, he was the scientist behind the BlackBox in ''Film/{{Sneakers}}''.
* '''Sam Lloyd''' took away [[Series/TheDrewCareyShow Drew]]'s Batmobile and was the Neighborhood Association President in ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' before becoming [[Series/{{Scrubs}} Ted Buckland]].
* Two years before his breakout role in ''Film/AntwoneFisher'', '''Derek Luke''' had small parts in two separate episodes of ''Series/TheKingOfQueens''.
* '''Carl Lumbly''' played a South African Embassy staff in ''Series/TheXFiles'' before starring in ''Series/{{Alias}}''.
** Before that, he played Michael Kuzak's client Earl Williams, whose murder trial provided a 4th-season StoryArc on ''Series/LALaw''. He also played a prospective renter and detective in the suspense film ''Film/PacificHeights''.
* '''Creator/JoannaLumley''' is one of Blofeld's Angels of Death in ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService''. Her voice is recognisable.
* '''Creator/JaneLynch''' has had a whole bunch of small or supporting--yet almost always scene-stealing--parts in various movies and TV shows before becoming beloved the world over as Sue Sylvester in ''Series/{{Glee}}'':
** She was Dr. Wahler in ''Film/TheFugitive''.
** She was an FBI agent that got killed and MuggedForDisguise in ''Film/CollateralDamage''.
** She was Spencer Reid's mentally-ill mother on ''Series/CriminalMinds''.
** She was the store manager in ''Film/TheFortyYearOldVirgin''.
** She was Julia Child's sister in ''Film/JulieAndJulia''.
** She was a reporter in CJ's press room in ''Series/TheWestWing''.
** She was one of the dog coaches in ''Film/BestInShow''.
** She was selling the house next to [[Series/{{Friends}} Monica and Chandler]]'s to Janice.
** She was the woman who tries to set George Sr. up when he's in prison in ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment''.
** She was a realtor in ''Film/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents''.
* When she was a child, future ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'' star '''Creator/NatashaLyonne''' appeared as part of the Playhouse Gang in the first season of ''Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:M to R]]
* Before being cast as ComicBook/TheFalcon in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', '''Creator/AnthonyMackie''' had small roles in various Hollywood movies, such as a battle rapper in ''Film/EightMile''. Also notable is his appearance with Creator/JeremyRenner, a.k.a. ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}, in ''Film/TheHurtLocker.'' Now all the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse needs is [[Series/BoardwalkEmpire Brian Geraghty]] and they have the trifecta.
* Several years before becoming known to the world as [[Series/TheAvengers1960s John Steed]], '''Creator/PatrickMacnee''' played the young Jacob Marley in ''Film/Scrooge1951''.
* One the earliest works of ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'' himself, '''Noel [=MacNeal=]''', was ''[[Film/SpecialFriends You on Kazoo]]''.
** His first puppeteering role was Magellan on ''Series/EureekasCastle'', the first Creator/NickJr series to become popular.
* '''Creator/MichaelMadsen''' made his film debut in ''Film/WarGames'' as a missile silo officer, whose disagreement with his superior officer, a pre-''[[Series/TheWestWing West Wing]]'' Creator/JohnSpencer, persuades NORAD to replace all missile operators with the WOPR supercomputer system.
** He was also a villain of the week on ''Series/MiamiVice''.
* '''Creator/TobeyMaguire''' was in ''Film/TheWizard''.
* '''Creator/BillMaher''' played a game show host on ''Series/MarriedWithChildren''.
** And played a cab driver along with Paul Rodriguez and Marsha Warfield in ''Film/DCCab''.
* '''Tina Majorino''', probably best known for her role as [[Film/NapoleonDynamite Deb]] or as [[Series/VeronicaMars Mac]], is the LivingMacGuffin in ''Film/{{Waterworld}}''.
** She was in quite a bit of stuff before taking a break from acting and then starring in ''Film/NapoleonDynamite''.
** She also starred in the 1994 comedy-drama film ''Andre''.
* '''Creator/JenaMalone''' had a guest stint on an episode of ''Series/ChicagoHope'' (and the aforementioned ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'') and starred as the younger version of Creator/JodieFoster's character, Ellie, in ''Film/{{Contact}}'' in 1997, four years before her breakout role as Gretchen in ''Film/DonnieDarko''.
* '''Creator/PattyMaloney'''. Because she didn't speak or show her face on ''Series/FarOutSpaceNuts'', she likely wasn't immediately recognizable in her many prime-time guest roles of the late 1970s.
* '''Creator/CostasMandylor''' was in the film ''Film/{{Mobsters}}'' along with fellow then-unknown actor named '''Creator/PatrickDempsey''' a year before he was Kenny Lacos in ''Series/PicketFences'' and years before becoming Hoffman in ''Franchise/{{Saw}}''.
* Long before her roles on ''Series/ThePractice'' and ''Series/GhostWhisperer'', '''Camryn Manheim''' made a non-speaking appearance in the Film/DirtyHarry film ''Film/SuddenImpact'', as the young woman standing in the elevator behind Harry Callahan when he confronts the punk that the judge just let off the hook.
* '''Creator/MeghanMarkle''' had a bit part on ''Series/GeneralHospital'' as a nurse in 2002.
* A few years before she was Irwin on ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', '''Creator/VanessaMarshall''' portrayed a character named Becky on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''.
* '''Vincent Martella''', who is the voice of Phineas in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', was Greg in ''Series/EverybodyHatesChris''. Sort of an inversion, because ''Phineas and Ferb'' started in 2007 and ''Everybody Hates Chris'' didn't end until 2009.
* Following the success of Series/OrphanBlack, a whole lotta Clone Clubbers have been poking through '''Creator/TatianaMaslany''''s filmography.
* '''Kyle Massey''', famous for his roles on ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'' and its spinoff ''Series/CoryInTheHouse'', had an early acting role in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoYuxIV0Z1w this]] PublicServiceAnnouncement about teen parenting.
* '''Creator/ElizabethMaxwell''' gained this after she portrayed major characters Makeela Riju and Urbosa in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. While she was already in a notable pair of roles as Ymir from ''Anime/AttackOnTitan'' and Winter Schnee from ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', her popularity and recognition didn't really explode until the months following [=BotW=]'s release.
* '''Creator/RikMayall''' is one of the patrons of the Slaughtered Lamb in ''Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon''.
* '''Creator/MelissaMcCarthy''', now best known for her roles in ''Series/MikeAndMolly'' and ''Film/{{Bridesmaids}}'', played the reoccurring character Sookie St. James -- the best friend of lead character Lorelai Gilmore -- in ''Series/GilmoreGirls''.
* '''Eddie [=McClintock=]''', best known as Pete from ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'', is Series/{{Bones}}' FBI boyfriend.
** Also appeared for five seconds in ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' when they went to L.A.
** Also played Ted's ne'r do well brother in ''Series/BetterOffTed''. Deal With It!
** Also starred in the short-lived, obscure 1999 sitcom ''Series/StarkRavingMad''. Alongside Creator/NeilPatrickHarris and Creator/TonyShalhoub no less.
* '''[[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 Kandyse McClure]]''' is yet another ''Series/HigherGround'' alumnus.
* The creators of ''Film/FreeEnterprise'' probably wouldn't have had enough money to cast '''Eric [=McCormack=]''' after he got his role on '''Series/WillAndGrace''' so they lucked out in getting him beforehand.
* Years before ''Film/HappyGilmore'', '''Creator/ChristopherMcDonald''' appeared as Lieutenant Richard Castillo in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/{{StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E15YesterdaysEnterprise}} Yesterday's Enterprise]]".
* '''Creator/GatesMcFadden''', before being known for her role as [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Beverly Crusher]], played a secretary in ''Film/TheMuppetsTakeManhattan''.
** She also had a cameo as Dr. Cathy Ryan in ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober''.
** She was also the choreographer for ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'', appearing in a BTS special under her given name Cheryl.
* '''John C. [=McGinley=]''': [[Series/{{Scrubs}} Dr. Cox]] plays a CorruptCorporateExecutive of the Planetary Shield Company in ''Film/HighlanderIITheQuickening''.
** For other movies, he had a similar role in the environmental film ''Film/OnDeadlyGround''. He was also a member of the S.W.A.T. team in ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', one of the leads in the movie adaption of ''Series/Car54WhereAreYou'', a marine in ''Film/TheRock'', a sergeant in ''Film/{{Platoon}}'', Bob Slydell in ''Film/OfficeSpace'', a Jim Rome expy in ''Film/AnyGivenSunday'', and he appeared as Creator/CharlieSheen's coworker in ''Film/WallStreet''.
** He also pops up to fix Series/{{Frasier}}'s toilet...
** And as ''Website/{{Cracked}}'' [[http://www.cracked.com/article_17113_the-7-stalloneyest-moments-stallones-film-career.html excitedly pointed out]], he was a mafioso thug that got violently killed by Creator/SylvesterStallone in the remake of ''Film/GetCarter''.
* Before making it big as paraplegic Artie Abrams on ''Series/{{Glee}}'', '''Creator/KevinMcHale''' had minor roles in ''Serjes/TrueBlood'', ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'', and, most notably, ''Series/{{The Office|US}}'', in which he portrayed a surly pizza delivery boy kept hostage by Dwight in the episode "Launch Party".
** And long before that, when he was still a little kid, he popped up as a newsboy in the video for Faith Hill's "There You'll Be".
* Making anyone under 30 go "Holy crap!", '''Creator/IanMcKellen''' showed up in the ''Playing Shakespeare'' educational series in the 1970s.
* Before '''Creator/KristyMcNichol''' was cast in ''Series/{{Family}}'', her first credited role was in the ''Series/LoveAmericanStyle'' segment "Love and the Unsteady Steady."
* Before '''Creator/LeightonMeester''' hit it big with ''Film/GossipGirl'', she starred in a cheesy DirectToVideo SlasherMovie called ''Film/DriveThru''.
** Which also featured her future co-star '''Creator/PennBadgley'''.
** She also appeared in two episodes of ''Series/VeronicaMars'', starring Creator/KristenBell, who was the voice of Gossip Girl.
* '''Creator/EvaMendes''' appeared in one episode of ''Series/MortalKombatConquest'' as Siro's old flame. Since then, she's by far had the most successful career of anyone to appear on that show.
* Before '''Music/ShawnMendes''' broke through in the music industry, he played the young version of Jake in ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Metegol}} Underdogs]]''. But because the film was put on TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment, it didn't come out until after he had become popular.
* Although she would later be known as Lt. Van Buren on ''Series/LawAndOrder'', '''Creator/SEpathaMerkerson''' played Reba the Mail Lady on ''Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse''.
* '''Creator/MatthewMercer''' is one of the most well-known voice actors in the industry with a number of iconic roles under his belt, from [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Jotaro Kujo]] to [[VideoGame/{{Overwatch}} Jesse McCree]]. Before then, however, he created (and starred in) ''WebVideo/ThereWillBeBrawl'', a ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' parody (made almost ten years before [[PromotedFanBoy he joined the roster of Smash]] as [[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Chrom]]).
* '''Creator/DebraMessing''' was a GirlOfTheWeek on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''.
** She also played Donna Abandando's sister Dana in a few episodes of ''Series/NYPDBlue'', where she tries her level best to seduce Donna's boyfriend Det. Greg Medavoy.
* '''Creator/VicMignogna''' voiced minor TournamentArc villain Uraurashima in the dub of ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'', using something very close to the voice he would later use in his breakout role as [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Edward Elric]].
* '''Creator/AlyssaMilano''' played Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger's daughter in ''Film/{{Commando}}''.
* MonsterOfTheWeek on ''Series/{{Buffy|TheVampireSlayer}}'' turned most hilarious when '''Creator/WentworthMiller''' of future ''Series/PrisonBreak'' and ''Series/{{The Flash|2014}}'' fame played a swimmer-turned-sea-monster; *creepy voice* ''fiiiiiiiiiish''!
* '''Creator/LinManuelMiranda''' had a guest role in the final season of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' as Marshall's fellow bus passenger who helps out in giving a suitable rhyme for "Canada" by rapping.
** His first TV role was in an episode of the final season of ''Series/TheSopranos''.
** He also did a lot of work for Creator/SesameWorkshop in his early years, with him playing a real estate agent on ''Series/SesameStreet'', as well as composing songs for ''[[Series/TheElectricCompany2009 The Electric Company]]'' and playing the role of Mario on the same show.
* '''Creator/AlfredMolina''' was Franchise/IndianaJones' treacherous guide Sapito in the beginning of ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''. At one point, he even has [[Film/SpiderMan2 spiders crawling all over him]].
** And Betty Mahomoody's DrJerk of an abusive husband in the not-quite LifetimeMovieOfTheWeek but theatrical film ''Literature/NotWithoutMyDaughter''.
* '''Creator/JulianneMoore''' as Marlene, Claire's friend in ''Film/TheHandThatRocksTheCradle''.
** A suspicious Chicago doctor in ''Film/TheFugitive''.
** And as Frannie on ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns''
* '''Rita Moreno''', the only actress to win an Oscar, Tony, and Grammy, can be seen as the troubled Dolores Guerrero in the 1950 film ''Film/SoYoungSoBad'' under the name "Rosita Moreno", plus she gets to show off her amazing singing voice a few years before starring in ''Film/WestSideStory''. The film also features two other actresses in this trope--Anne Francis, now famous for ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet'' and ''Honey West'', and Anne Jackson, who has a huge list of film and TV credits.
* Before playing the role of Tommy in ''Film/TheSixthSense'', '''Trevor Morgan''' appeared as Cody in ''[[Series/BarneyAndFriends Barney's Great Adventure]]'', and also appeared in a 5-episode arc of ''Series/{{ER}}''.
* A young '''Music/AlanisMorissette''' starred on an episode of ''Series/YouCantDoThatOnTelevision''.
* '''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive Garrett Morris]]''' had a small role as a cop in ''The Anderson Tapes''.
* '''Creator/JenniferMorrison''' had her first role as one of Santa's helpers in the remake of ''Film/MiracleOn34thStreet''.
* '''Creator/ViggoMortensen''' of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' has a nonspeaking role as an Amish farmer in ''Film/{{Witness}}''.
** And he played Satan in ''Film/TheProphecy''.
* '''Joe Morton''', before playing Henry Deacon, the mechanic-turned-convict in ''Series/{{Eureka}}'', and Olivia's father in ''Series/{{Scandal}}'', played Scratch's number two in the classic film ''Crossroads''. He transports them to the [[ThePowerOfRock guitar head-cutting contest]] against Steve Vai, who plays Jack "Devil Boy" Butler, the one person [[FanNickname Eugene Martone, King of the Hobos]] has to actually fight.
** Also in the early nineties he was involved in some [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay cutting-edge cybernetics research]] as Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson.
** He was also the first Dr. Hamilton in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''. (They later decided that he was ''[[DecompositeCharacter a]]'' Dr. Hamilton and not ''the'' Dr. Hamilton, who was a RecurringCharacter.)
** Also played a Senator who was left at the altar by [[Series/ADifferentWorld Whitley Gilbert]].
** And another Senator who was a patient of the week on ''Series/{{House}}''.
** And as a hard-ass military man in John Sayles' ''Lone Star''.
** Long before, in 1984, he played the lead role in ''The Brother From Another Planet''.
* Before she was famous, ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' and ''Series/JessicaJones2015'' star '''Creator/CarrieAnneMoss''' was a {{stalker|WithACrush}} with [[SplitPersonality Dissociative Identity Disorder]] in an episode of ''Series/{{Baywatch}}''.
* '''Creator/KateMulgrew''' played a DamselInDistress US Army major in the 1985 BoxOfficeBomb ''Film/RemoWilliamsTheAdventureBegins'' before becoming known as [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship]] ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]''. Creator/BillyCrystal also wanted to kill her when she was his traitorous ex-wife in ''Film/ThrowMommaFromTheTrain''.
* '''Creator/BrittanyMurphy''' was a regular in ''Series/TheTorkelsons'' revamp, ''Almost Home''. She also guested several times in the first season of ''Series/SisterSister''.
* '''Sean Murray''', who plays [=McGee=] in ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', was Thackery Binx in ''Film/HocusPocus''.
* ''Film/{{Krull}}'' features '''Creator/LiamNeeson''' in a minor role.
** Also, ''Film/{{Excalibur}}'', ''Film/TheBounty'' and ''Film/TheMission''.
** And in the ''Series/MiamiVice'' episode "When Irish Eyes Are Crying" as an IRA terrorist.
** And the Film/DirtyHarry film ''Film/TheDeadPool'' alongside another unknown, '''Creator/JimCarrey'''.
** And as a ghost in ''Film/HighSpirits''.
* '''Eric Nelsen''', who played Zeke in the "iDream of Dance" episode of ''Series/ICarly'', later played the JerkJock Brett in ''Theatre/{{Thirteen}}''.
* Famously, '''Creator/JackNicholson''''s debut was a bit part as a masochistic dental patient in ''Film/TheLittleShopOfHorrors''. And now he gets [[BillingDisplacement first billing]] on the DVD box.
** He also turns up, equally unrecognizable, in several other Creator/RogerCorman movies before his breakthrough role in ''Film/EasyRider'', including ''The Raven'', where he typically does lose first billing to the AllStarCast of Creator/VincentPrice, Creator/PeterLorre, and Creator/BorisKarloff.
* '''Creator/LeonardNimoy''' played a villainous henchman in a first-season episode of ''Series/GetSmart'' before he did ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''.
** And before that, he was another alien -- from Mars! -- in the Republic FilmSerial ''Zombies of the Stratosphere'' (lampshaded in ''Film/JMenForever'').
* '''Cynthia Nixon''', of ''Series/SexAndTheCity'', made her debut in ''Film/{{Amadeus}}'' as Lorl, the maid to the Mozart family [[spoiler:who was secretly spying on him for Salieri]].
* '''Creator/JohnNoble''' in an episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'', now known for his role on ''Series/{{Fringe}}''.
** And his role as Denethor in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''.
* '''Creator/ChuckNorris''' made his first film appearance as the intimidating and [[CarpetOfVirility hairy-chested]] opponent to Creator/BruceLee in ''Film/WayOfTheDragon'' in a superb east versus west showdown in Rome's Colosseum. That being said Chuck was quite well-known in the martial arts world at the time for the championships he had won, which is why Lee approached him for the role, but in the film world he was a nobody.
* '''Renee O'Connor''', of ''Series/{{Xena|WarriorPrincess}}'' fame, had a small role in ''The Adventures Of Huck Finn'', starring Creator/ElijahWood.
** She is also in the second ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'' PilotMovie as Deianira, [[spoiler:the lost queen of Troy]].
** She played a waitress in the first ''Film/{{Darkman}}'' movie.
* '''Leslie Odom Jr.''', before playing Aaron Burr in ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'', played recurring ArcVillain [[spoiler:Peter Collier]] in ''Series/PersonOfInterest''.
* One for lefties--'''Lawrence O'Donnell Jr.''' was a producer on ''Series/TheWestWing'' and played President Bartlet's father in a couple of episodes. Now? "Hey, it's [[Series/CountdownWithKeithOlbermann Keith's guest host]]!"
* Before his StarmakingRole as Ron Swanson in ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'', '''Nick Offerman''' played the friend of a patient in the ''Series/{{ER}}'' LiveEpisode, "Ambush".
* '''Creator/MasiOka''', best known as the {{Adorkable}} Hiro Nakamura from ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' and Max from the ''Series/HawaiiFive0'' reboot, had previously played Franklin on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' and had a bit part in ''Film/AustinPowersInGoldmember'', where he insisted the monster was most definitely ''not'' Franchise/{{Godzilla}}.
** In fact, he was set to return as one of the numerous characters who made {{Cameo}}s in the SeriesFauxnale, but NBC put the kibosh on it since ''Scrubs'' aired on a rival network.
* '''Creator/EdwardJamesOlmos''' played a kidnapper in the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "The Psychic."
* '''[[Series/HawaiiFive0 Alex O'Loughlin]]''' had the memorable role of the obsessive-compulsive serial killer who tries to redeem himself by helping the blind son of one of his victims on an episode of ''Series/CriminalMinds''.
* As a child, '''Creator/ElizabethOlsen''' had cameos and bit parts in several of [[Creator/MaryKateAndAshleyOlsen her more famous sisters]]' DirectToVideo tween comedies.
* '''Creator/TerryOQuinn''' from ''Series/{{Lost}}''. Part of the failure to recognize can be attributed to slightly altered appearance for the role of Locke. In most other roles, he sported a mustache and balding hair, rather than a totally shaven head.
** He was Captain Minardi in ''Film/HeavensGate''.
** He was also a dickish Starfleet admiral in the [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]] episode " [[Recap/{{StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E11ThePegasus}} The Pegasus]]".
** The original (i.e. "better") version of ''Film/TheStepfather''!
** And Creator/HowardHughes (yes, THAT Howard Hughes) in ''Film/TheRocketeer''.
** He played the main character's kidnapped best friend in ''Film/BlindFury'', which was an early directorial effort of Phillip Noyce (''Film/RabbitProofFence'', ''Film/TheBoneCollector'', the pilot for ''Series/{{Revenge}}'').
** He also played the killer in an episode of ''Series/{{Matlock}}'' in a ''Series/{{Columbo}}''-style mystery (that is, where we're shown right at the start that he's the killer and it's up to Matlock to prove it). This episode is significant to longtime ''Matlock'' fans because O'Quinn KilledOffForReal a longtime RecurringCharacter. It's significant to ''Series/{{LOST}}'' fans because it also features Daniel Roebuck (friggin' ''Arzt'', people!) ''as a series regular''!
** A general (later the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) on ''Series/TheWestWing''.
* '''Music/EmilyOsment''' in an episode of ''Series/{{Friends}}''.
** She also played Cassie in one of the ''Sarah, Plain And Tall'' movies.
** She also appeared on ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'', and played Gerti Giggles in ''Film/SpyKids2IslandOfLostDreams''.
* '''Creator/HaleyJoelOsment''' may be most famous for [[Film/TheSixthSense seeing dead people who don't know they're dead]], but he made his film debut in ''Film/ForrestGump'' as [[spoiler:Forrest's son]].
** He and [[Film/JerryMaguire Jonathan Lipnicki]] played the sons on ''Series/TheJeffFoxworthyShow''.
* In 1962, Kerry Wendell Thornley wrote a RomanAClef called ''The Idle Warriors'' about a strange young man he had known while in the United States Marine Corps. His name? '''[[WhoShotJFK Lee Harvey Oswald]]'''. For those who don't know, that's one year ''[[HarsherInHindsight before]]'' the Kennedy assassination.
* '''Creator/JaredPadalecki''' was a fifteen-year-old in a car crash on ''Series/{{ER}}''.
** And one of the bullies in ''Film/CheaperByTheDozen''.
** And [[HilariousInHindsight Dean]], the [[BoyNextDoor first boyfriend]] of lead character Rory Gilmore, in ''Series/GilmoreGirls''.
* '''Creator/EllenPage''' as Jim Lahey's daughter, Trina, in ''Series/TrailerParkBoys'' (several years before her turns in ''Film/HardCandy'', ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' and her Oscar nominated role in ''Film/{{Juno}}'').
* '''Keke Palmer''' from ''Film/AkeelahAndTheBee'' and ''Series/TrueJacksonVP'' was Madea's young troubled foster child in ''Film/MadeasFamilyReunion''.
* '''Creator/GwynethPaltrow''' played the younger version of Wendy in ''Film/{{Hook}}''.
* It's startled quite a few people watching reruns of ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' when they see '''Creator/HaydenPanettiere''' in a season 5 episode as a high school prostitute [[spoiler:and murderer]], especially if they also see her first appearance (in a season 2 episode) as an injury-prone child of a pop star. Imagine watching 'em back-to-back.
** She also played the recurring role of Jessica on ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'', who in one episode called a classmate "[[HilariousInHindsight cheerleader scum!]]"
** And before any of those, there was ''Film/RememberTheTitans''. Suffice to say some people (chiefly men) are ''very'' uncomfortable seeing her in this movie considering [[SheIsAllGrownUp how she looks now]]...
** And before even that, she voiced Dot in ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''.
* Either inverted or played straight with '''Grace Park''', who plays GDI's Lt. Sandra Telfair in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberiumWars''. People might recognize her for her previous role as Number Eight on ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'', or for her current role as Kono on ''Series/HawaiiFive0''.
* Before ''Series/LegendOfTheSeeker'', '''Craig Parker''' played Haldir, a minor elf in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''.
* '''Creator/JimParsons''', now known as Sheldon Cooper on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', played Tim, the [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Klingon-speaking]] "fast-food knight" in ''Film/GardenState''.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APbUGnt2DaM He was also raised by wolves.]]
* '''Creator/PedroPascal''' made minor appearances in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' (he was the "Of Human Bondage" guy in "The Freshman"), ''Series/WithoutATrace'', ''Series/{{CSI}}'', ''Series/{{Homeland}}'' among others before being well-known as Oberyn Martell in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' and DEA agent Javier Pena in ''Series/{{Narcos}}''. He also appeared as TheCommissionerGordon in that failed ''Series/WonderWoman2011Pilot''.
* '''Creator/RobertPattinson''' played Cedric Diggory in ''Film/HarryPotter''. This is one of his first major roles before he was immortalized for his most famous role of Edward Cullen in ''Film/{{Twilight}}''.
* '''Creator/SarahPaulson''' played Dr. Caron in ''Film/{{Serenity}}''.
* '''Creator/BillPaxton''' was one of the gang bangers Ahnuld mugs for their clothes in ''Film/TheTerminator''.
** Speaking of Ahnuld, he's an Interceptor in ''Film/{{Commando}}''.
* '''Creator/SimonPegg''' appears as an Easy Company NCO in ''Series/BandOfBrothers''.
** That's yet another case which is location-specific -- he was already known as a comic actor/writer in the UK by then, though admittedly not as instantly recognisable as he is now.
* So you're watching ''Film/BreakfastAtTiffanys'' and Creator/AudreyHepburn's {{Love Interest|s}} seems bizarrely familiar, but you don't know why. Then you realize that if he was aged up about twenty years and given white hair... dear God, it's a young [[Series/TheATeam Hannibal]]! ('''George Peppard''')
* '''Creator/MatthewPerry'''. Before ''Series/{{Friends}}'', he had guest spots on a dozen prime time shows, plus a few failed series. Many fans didn't immediately recognize Chandler as Carol's dead boyfriend from ''Series/GrowingPains''.
** His first big break was in a Fox sitcom initially called ''Second Chance'', then re-tooled as ''Boys Will Be Boys'', minus the original version's supernatural elements.
** Or Brandon's suicidal classmate in ''Series/BeverlyHills90210''.
* '''Creator/JonPertwee''' appeared [[Film/CarryOnCleo as]] [[Film/CarryOnCowboy minor]] [[Film/CarryOnScreaming characters]] in ''Film/CarryOn'' films before being on ''Series/DoctorWho''.
* '''Creator/MichellePfeiffer''' had guest roles in ''Series/FantasyIsland'' and ''Series/{{CHiPs}}''. Her film debut was a minor role in ''Film/TheHollywoodKnights''.
* A young '''Creator/JoaquinPhoenix''' appeared in an episode of ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperboy'' as a ChildProdigy named Billy Hercules.
* '''Creator/RobertPicardo''' appeared in ''Film/{{Innerspace}}''.
** He was also the guy Creator/RodneyDangerfield's wife is sleeping with in ''Film/BackToSchool''. And the ObstructiveBureaucrat in ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch''. And the funeral director in ''Film/AmazonWomenOnTheMoon''. The impressive head of hair can make him hard to recognize.
** And he's really, ''really'' hairy as werewolf Eddie Quist in 1981's ''Film/TheHowling''!
* A teenage '''Creator/BradPitt''' appeared in a four-episode stint of ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' (as the boyfriend of one of the supporting characters), as well as guest stints on ''Series/TwentyOneJumpStreet'', ''Series/GrowingPains'' and ''Series/FreddysNightmares'', before his StarMakingRole as J.D. in ''Film/ThelmaAndLouise''.
* One of the ickier episodes of ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' revolves around two sisters, one killed by a serial rapist, the other narrowly surviving, turning out to be in league with the killer. Say hello to '''Creator/EllenPompeo''', best known as [[Series/GreysAnatomy Meredith Grey]].
** She was also Karen Page in ''Film/{{Daredevil}}''.
* '''Markie Post''' was a behind-the-scenes lady on the 1970s game shows ''Series/SplitSecond'' and ''Series/{{Double Dare|1976}}'' ([[SimilarlyNamedWorks a quizzer, not the kids' stunt show]]), and later a card dealer on ''Series/CardSharks'', before her breakthrough role on ''Series/NightCourt''.
* Before landing his gig in ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' and emerging as a Hollywood [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy superstar]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie in 2014]], '''Creator/ChrisPratt''' had a couple of stints on ''Series/{{Everwood}}'' (as did a pre-''Series/{{Revenge}}'' '''Creator/EmilyVanCamp''') and ''Series/TheOC'' as well as James [=McAvoy=] smashing his face in with a keyboard in ''Film/{{Wanted}}''.
* '''Creator/ZacharyQuinto''', who is Sylar from ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' and Spock in ''Film/StarTrek2009'', played a demon in ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''.
** And prior to both, he hilariously hammed it up playing Tori Spelling's GayBestFriend on her show ''So Notorious''. Watching that show and then ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' back to back makes for an especially hilarious experience.
** And before ''that'', he was a flamboyant director in an episode of ''Series/LizzieMcGuire''.
** And he was the forgettable Adam Kaufman in season 3 of ''Series/TwentyFour''.
* Following from ''24'', '''TJ Ramini''' gets some billing as Tarin Faroush, but will be more recognised among British audiences as DC Zain Nadir, one of the more famous characters of ''Series/TheBill''.
* A very young '''Creator/DanielRadcliffe''', pre-''Film/HarryPotter'' fame, played the lead in a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] production of ''Literature/DavidCopperfield'' -- co-starring Creator/MaggieSmith -- which certainly didn't hurt his chances when it came time to cast Harry Potter. In fact, Daniel credits Smith as a major reason he was given the role -- he calls her his fairy godmother.
* ''Theatre/TheBookOfMormon'' star '''Creator/AndrewRannells''' used to work for Creator/FourKidsEntertainment as a voice director and voice actor. His voice credits include [[Anime/YuGiOh Mako Tsunami, Noah Kaiba]], [[Manga/ShamanKing Ren Tao]] (or, rather, ''[[DubNameChange Len]] Tao''), [[Manga/TokyoMewMew Dren]], [[Anime/SonicX Decoe, Bokkun, and Mr. Stewart.]]
** He was also [[Franchise/ArchieComics Archie Andrews]] in the series ''WesternAnimation/ArchiesWeirdMysteries''.
* Before ''Film/{{Twilight}}'' and ''Film/TheLastAirbender'', '''Jackson Rathbone''' popped up in a couple episodes of ''Series/TheOC''.
* '''Creator/JohnRatzenberger''' had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in the missile control room in ''Film/{{Superman}}'' several years before his breakout role of Cliff Clavin on ''Series/{{Cheers}}''.
** Not to mention his somewhat larger but still tiny role as Maj. Derlin in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''.
** He also played an American soldier in ''Film/ABridgeTooFar''.
* Before his StarMakingRole as [[Film/LesMiserables2012 Marius]] and his Oscar-winning role as [[Film/TheTheoryOfEverything Stephen Hawking]], '''Creator/EddieRedmayne''' plays the son of Creator/MattDamon and Creator/AngelinaJolie who overheard some CIA secrets in Creator/RobertDeNiro's 2006 film, ''Film/TheGoodShepherd''.
* '''Creator/OliverReed''' made two guest appearanes in the second season of ''Series/TheSaint''. Both times he played the heavy.
** He also appeared in ''Film/TheLeagueOfGentlemen'' as Babes in the Woods Chorus Boy.
** He cropped up in Film/HammerHorror films a bit, such as ''Film/TheTwoFacesOfDrJekyll''.
* Before offing zombies in ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' '''Creator/NormanReedus''' was one half of a pair of revenge seeking brothers in ''Film/TheBoondockSaints''.
** He was also Comicbook/{{Blade}}'s sidekick [[spoiler:and TheMole working for the BigBad]] in ''Film/BladeII''.
** He was also in ''Dark Harbor'' [[spoiler:where he made out with Alan Rickman]].
* In 2003, '''Creator/JeremyRenner''' appeared as a villainous t-shirted sheriff in the music video for "Trouble" by Music/{{Pink}}.
** His debut appearance was in ''[[Film/NationalLampoon National Lampoon's Senior Trip]]'' as the main character's goofy sidekick.
** He also had a brief appearance in the forgettable DirectToVideo film ''Paper Dragons.''
** He was a patient on an episode of ''Series/{{House}}''. (4x09 'Games')
** He played one of Series/{{Angel}}'s squires in "[[Recap/AngelS01E11Somnambulist Somnambulist]]".
* '''Creator/RyanReynolds''' was in the original pilot movie for ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch''.
** Popped up in a season 3 episode of ''Series/TheXFiles''.
** Starred as Billy Simpson in the Canadian teen soap opera ''Series/{{Fifteen}}''.
* British schoolchildren studying ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' often have this happen when their teacher shows them the 70s BBC adaptation, featuring a young (but instantly recognisable) '''Creator/AlanRickman''' as Tybalt.
* '''Creator/GiovanniRibisi''' had one of those moments in ''Series/{{Friends}}'', compared to his recurring role later on the series; he grabs a condom out of Phoebe's guitar case in one episode. [[YouLookFamiliar Later that season]], he plays her half-brother. He also had one of these moments on ''Series/TheXFiles''.
** He also played one of Bud's friends on ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', though this is almost a subversion; he was only 12 years old at the time and almost unrecognizable even knowing who it is.
** He was also Staci Keanan's geeky sort-of-boyfriend on ''Series/MyTwoDads''.
* '''Creator/DaisyRidley''', an unknown when she was cast as Rey in ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/TheForceAwakens'', appears in an episode of ''Series/ToastOfLondon'' as an unnamed stagehand to which Toast tells an anecdote about a brilliant actor typecast by an appearance in a laxative commercial. The show later had fun with this by having a female character who Toast fails to seduce suddenly get picked up for a lead role in the next ''Star Wars'' film. She also had a small role in ''Film/TheInbetweeners2'', but [[DeletedRole all of her scenes ended up being cut]] after her commitment to ''Star Wars'' made her unavailable for reshoots.
** She also had a supporting role as Hannah in the episode "Fraternity" in Series 17 of ''Series/SilentWitness'', which aired a year before her big break in ''Star Wars''.
* '''Creator/EdenRiegel''' is most well known today for her voice-acting roles (including her roles in ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', ''VideoGame/DragonsCrown'', and ''VideoGame/Persona4'', to name a few). Before then, however, she was a soap opera actress who gained widespread acclaim for her role in ''Series/AllMyChildren'' as Bianca Montgomery, one of the first open lesbian characters in a daytime soap.
* '''Creator/MollyRingwald'''. Before she was well-known as a Brat Packer, she appeared alongside Peter Strauss in the 3D science fiction film ''Film/SpacehunterAdventuresInTheForbiddenZone''.
* '''Creator/JohnRitter''' guest starred in the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "The Hostages" as the driver of an armored car who is forced to collect money for robbers.
** Ritter's acting debut was in Dan August in 1970, in the episode "Quadrangle For Death", where he's interrogated by police detectives '''Creator/Burt Reynolds''' and...'''Creator/Norman Fell'''!

* '''Creator/KrystenRitter''' played an assistant in an episode of ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and had recurring roles on ''Series/VeronicaMars'' and ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' before finally getting her first lead roles with ''Series/DontTrustTheBInApartment23'' and ''Series/JessicaJones''.
* '''Wayne Robson'''. You know Mike Hamar, the ex-con on ''Series/TheRedGreenShow''? Did you notice him in ''One Magic Christmas''? How about the Disney TV Movie ''Murder She Purred''? ''Film/{{Cube}}''? ''Welcome To Mooseport''? ''Disney/TheRescuers Down Under?''
** How about ''Film/{{Popeye}}''?
* '''Creator/SamRockwell''' was the head thug at the Foot Clan compound in ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990''. "Regular, or menthol?"
* '''Daniel Roebuck''', Artz from ''Series/{{Lost}}'', has been everywhere!
* Before creating ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn'', '''Sue Rose''' created a character called Fido Dido, who advertised the soft drink 7-UP.
* '''Teryl Rothery''', best known as Dr. Janet Fraser from ''Series/StargateSG1,'' had roles in anime dubs produced by The Ocean Group, such as A-Ko in ''Anime/ProjectAKo'' (the sequels) and as the first voice of Kodachi Kuno in ''Anime/RanmaOneHalf''.
** She also played Mrs. Skittles in the US dub of ''WesternAnimation/NoddysToylandAdventures''.
* '''Creator/TimRobbins''' appears in a first-season episode of ''Series/{{Moonlighting}}'' as an assassin that underestimates an old man and is {{Curb Stomp|Battle}}ed with a bedpan.
* '''Creator/MickeyRourke''' made his film debut in ''Film/NineteenFortyOne'' as a marine during the DinerBrawl.
* '''Creator/BrandonRouth''' played as a gay man in the 1950's flashback scenes in one episode of ''Series/ColdCase'' before being well-known as Franchise/{{Superman}} in ''Film/SupermanReturns'' and [[Comicbook/TheAtom Ray "The Atom" Palmer]] in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' and its spinoff, ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow''. He also had a bit part in an early episode of ''Series/GilmoreGirls''.
* A pre-''Series/Daredevil2015'' '''Amy Rutberg''' was the blonde woman in a number of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnSiZAuHz8Q Kindle commercials]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czkp5oQ5GKc a]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKoTE68cOBo stint]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEW7toPzRHo on]] Website/CollegeHumor's WebVideo/JakeAndAmir.
* A pre-famous '''Creator/PaulRudd''' appears in ''Film/HalloweenTheCurseOfMichaelMyers'' as a grown-up version of Tommy, the little boy from the [[Film/{{Halloween 1978}} original movie]].
* A young '''Creator/MarkRuffalo''' briefly appears in the horror flick ''Film/TheDentist'' as a flamboyant talent agent.
* '''Tim Russ''' aka [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Tuvok]] was the black Film/{{Spaceball|s}} who [[Funny/{{Spaceballs}} "ain't found shit!"]]
** He was also one of the crooks in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[{{Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E16StarshipMine}} Starship Mine]]". He [[{{Irony}} has the Vulcan nerve pinch used on him]] by Picard.
** He's also a bridge officer on the Enterprise-B at another point. We get a good look at his ears and they're not pointed.
** Russ also played a Klingon mercenary in the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[{{Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E04InvasiveProcedures}} Invasive Procedures]]" before ''Voyager''.
** Interestingly, he was retconned in a Voyager episode to actually ''be'' Tuvok (complete with pointed ears in a flashback) as a lieutenant on the Excelsior who had joined Starfleet in Kirk's era only to become disillusioned by Sulu's maverick attitude, quitting Starfleet for decades until rejoining in Picard's time.
** He also played D.C. Montana, the computer expert, in the short-lived sci-fi series The Highwayman.
* '''Debra Jo Rupp''', known as [[Series/That70sShow Kitty Forman]], was Josh Baskin's secretary, Miss Patterson, in ''Film/{{Big}}''.
** And Jerry Series/{{Seinfeld}}'s long-suffering (not that she didn't deserve it) agent. And the biological mom of [[Series/{{Friends}} Phoebe Buffay's]] babies.
* ''Film/TopGun'' had a pre-breakout '''Creator/MegRyan''' in it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:S to Z]]
* '''Creator/KateeSackhoff''' got beheaded in ''Film/HalloweenResurrection'' and was on one season of MTV's ''Series/{{Undressed}}'' before she became ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'''s AcePilot [[GenderFlip Starbuck]]. She also played Creator/RichardDreyfuss' daughter in the short-lived college drama ''The Education of Max Bickford''.
* '''Creator/MaayaSakamoto''''s first role in a big-name anime, predating her StarMakingRole as Hitomi in ''[[Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne Escaflowne]]'' by a year, was a small part (only three lines) in ''Anime/GhostInTheShell'', as the voice of Kusanagi's replacement body at the end of the film.
* '''Creator/ZoeSaldana''' had a pretty varied career before she became famous, playing an uncredited bit character in an episode of ''Series/LawAndOrder'', a love interest in ''Film/{{Drumline}}'', one of Music/BritneySpears' friends in ''Film/{{Crossroads|2002}}'', and a female pirate in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'' (a movie she [[CreatorBacklash heavily disliked making]]). She was also a major character in ''Film/CenterStage''.
* '''Creator/AdamSandler''' was one of Theo's buddies in ''Series/TheCosbyShow''.
** He also played Colin Quinn's "delinquent cousin Stickpin" and "The Stud Boy" in ''Series/RemoteControl''.
* '''Creator/PeterSarsgaard''' in ''Film/TheManInTheIronMask'', playing a romantic rival to Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio and a doomed son to Creator/JohnMalkovich. Undoubtedly he was chosen because of his speaking voice, which uncannily matches Malkovich's, even though [[NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent nobody else in the film bothers to match accents]].
* Before he went on to direct and write for such shows as ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'', ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' and ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', '''Chris Savino''''s first job was as a character designer for ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends''.
* Nowadays, it's a bit hard to watch ''Film/TheLongGoodbye'' scene where Augustine's henchmen all strip without noticing that one of them is a young '''Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger'''.
* '''Creator/DavidSchwimmer''' made minor appearances on ''Series/TheWonderYears'' and ''Series/{{Blossom}}'' before landing his most famous role as [[Series/{{Friends}} Ross Geller]].
* '''Creator/RyanSeacrest''' was the host of a children's game show called ''Click'' before ''Series/AmericanIdol'' came calling. ''Click'''s main source of notoriety was its particularly dim contestant pool, even with the questions set to middle-school level. How dim? One contestant was asked who was tied down by the people of Lilliput, and came up with ''Superman''.
* '''Creator/AmandaSeyfried''' appeared as the girlfriend of a patient on an early ''House'' episode. (1x11 'Detox')
* Hey, did you know '''Creator/TonyShalhoub''', TV's Series/{{Monk}}, played the guy who set up the "borrowed ladder" deal between Jerome and Vincent in ''Film/{{Gattaca}}''?
** Tony Shalhoub guested in a lot of stuff -- ''Series/TheXFiles'', Jeebs in ''Film/MenInBlack'', ''Film/GalaxyQuest'', the ''Film/Thir13enGhosts'' remake.
** Hell, he even had his own sitcom (with Creator/NeilPatrickHarris) ''Series/StarkRavingMad''.
** Although it doesn't seem to work if you were a fan of ''Series/{{Wings}}''.
** He also sings "Macho Man" with Joan Cusack in ''[[Film/TheAddamsFamily Addams Family Values]]''.
** He's near unrecognizable as an incompetent producer in ''Film/BartonFink''.
* '''Creator/RobertShaw''' made his film debut in ''Film/TheLavenderHillMob'' as the chemist at the police exhibition.
** He also played one of the RAF pilots in ''Film/TheDamBusters''.
* '''Rondell Sheridan''' was Andre in ''Series/CousinSkeeter'' before becoming well known to kids as ''[[Series/ThatsSoRaven Victor]] [[Series/CoryInTheHouse Baxter]]''. He also appeared as a celebrity panelist in the 1998 revival of ''Series/MatchGame''.
* '''Creator/BobbySherman''' plays an obnoxious TeenIdol in ''Series/TheMonkees'' episode "Monkees at the Movies," some time before becoming a teen idol himself. He also has a small, uncredited role as an interviewer in ''Film/WildInTheStreets''.
** Sherman also played a rock star in the Honey West episode "The Princess and the Paupers", about four years before his music career took off.
* A few years prior to her StarMakingRole in the ''[[Film/TheStreetFighter Sister Street Fighter]]'' movies, '''Creator/SueShiomi''' played the human form of Bajinder, one of the recurring villains in ''Series/{{Kikaider}} 01''.
* Alumni of [=McMaster=] University's Social Work program recognize a very young, pre ''Series/{{SCTV}}'' and ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' '''Creator/MartinShort''' from their training films. He graduated in 1972.
* '''Creator/JohnSimm''' was in ''Series/{{Spaced}}'' and ''Film/HumanTraffic'' before ''Series/{{Life On Mars|2006}}''.
* '''Creator/JKSimmons''' briefly appears as the commanding officer at Jessie's military school in ''Film/TheRef'', which was his first film role. That same year, he also had a small role in an episode of ''Series/LawAndOrder'', ironically portraying [[YouLookFamiliar a completely different character than the one he would end up playing when he joined the cast several years later]].
* '''Jeremy Sisto''''s first film role was as the teenage son of Creator/KevinKline and Creator/MaryMcDonnell in 1991's ''Film/GrandCanyon'', ten years before (arguably) his breakout role in ''Series/SixFeetUnder''.
* Young '''Tom Sizemore''' was an unfortunate robber killed by Creator/JamieLeeCurtis at the beginning of 1989 Creator/KathrynBigelow's film ''Film/BlueSteel''.
* '''Creator/AlexanderSkarsgard''' appears as one of the male models in ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'', 7 years before his star-making role in ''Series/TrueBlood''. He's the one who can't get a joke.
* '''Jaclyn Smith''' played a small role in the ''Series/Switch1975'' pilot, a year before being cast in ''Series/CharliesAngels''. Before that, she appeared in the ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily'' episode "When Mother Gets Married" as the niece of Shirley's new boyfriend.
* '''Creator/KurtwoodSmith''': Before his iconic role in ''Film/RoboCop1987'' (and later going more mainstream in ''Series/That70sShow''), he shows up in an episode of ''Series/{{Soap}}'', where he bullies Danny Campbell and his girlfriend in a laundromat. He also appeared as an instructor in ''Film/StayingAlive''.
* '''Creator/MattSmith''' didn't exist in the public eye until ''Series/DoctorWho''. His Website/{{IMDB}} page was practically empty up until his role as the Eleventh Doctor.
** He shows up in a deleted scene of ''Film/InBruges'' as a younger, flashback version of Creator/RalphFiennes' character.
** Matt Smith was in an episode of ''Series/SecretDiaryOfACallGirl'', which starred fellow ''Doctor Who'' alum Music/BilliePiper.
** He had a minor role in the MadeForTV adaptation of ''Literature/SallyLockhart''. Coincidentally, Billie Piper was in that one as well.
* '''Creator/WesleySnipes''' appeared in Music/MichaelJackson's "Bad" video as the King of Pop's main rival.
** He also appeared on ''Series/MiamiVice''.
* Years before ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' and ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', '''Cobie Smulders''' was a PsychoExGirlfriend of Comicbook/LexLuthor on ''Series/{{Smallville}}''. "[[{{Pun}} Lex]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8qGcJSGMqQ go to the mall today!"]]
* Before starring in ''Series/ThePunisher'', '''Ripley Sobo''' was one of the children whom ''WesternAnimation/TeamUmizoomi'' helped.
* '''Creator/IanSomerhalder''' played a RecurringCharacter for half a season on ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', as TheMole whom [[CreatorsPet Lana]] [[TooDumbToLive Lang]] [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter dates]]. One of his episodes even features his [[Series/{{Lost}} future co-star]] Evangeline Lilly (see folder G-L above). They even appear together in the same shot.
** He also was on ''Series/YoungAmericans'' and in ''Series/TellMeYouLoveMe''.
* '''Julie Sommars''', best known as Julie March from ''Series/{{Matlock}}'', guest starred on ''Series/Switch1975'' as an actress and blackmailing victim.
* '''Creator/AaronSpelling''' has a minor, uncredited role as a beggar in the 1955 version of ''Theatre/{{Kismet}}''.
* 2-3 years before her Oscar-winning performance in ''Film/TheHelp'', '''Creator/OctaviaSpencer''' played a professor who recognizes Echo as Caroline on ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}''.
** Look for her as Ellen's nurse in the 1996 film ''Film/ATimeToKill''.
* In an episode of ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', Diane serves on a jury and manages to get the defendant to break up with his girlfriend when he comes into the bar. The man looks uncannily like a flesh-colored [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Data]]. ('''Creator/BrentSpiner''')
** What's funny about Brent Spiner is how many of his roles are comedic-ish... Data's the exception, not the rule. The rule is closer to Arik Soong.
** Though he does appear in an episode of ''Series/LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' as a creepy therapist.
** Then there are those episodes of ''Series/NightCourt'' with the hillbilly family. Take a look at the man in that family....
** Spiner played another comedic hillbilly as a rural preacher in the ''Series/TalesFromTheDarkside'' episode "A Case of the Stubborns".
** In season five of ''Hill Street Blues'', Brent Spiner had a small role as a director of pornography.
* '''Cole Sprouse''' played Ben in ''Series/{{Friends}}'', and he and his twin '''Dylan Sprouse''' had a part in an episode of ''Series/That70sShow'' before both of them landed on ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody''.
** And together, they also played the part of Julian "Frankenstein" [=McGrath=] in ''Film/BigDaddy''.
** As toddlers they played the youngest child in ''Series/GraceUnderFire''.
* Another one for ''Series/HigherGround'': '''Creator/JewelStaite'''.
** And again, she was on ''Series/TheXFiles''. Seems like that show nurtured rather a few budding actors...
** And before that, she was rainbow-haired Catalina on ''Series/SpaceCases''.
** Way back in 1996 she was Becca, the best friend and neighbor of Ben Foster's Tucker on the Creator/DisneyChannel show ''Series/FlashForward1996''.
* '''Creator/SylvesterStallone''''s first film appearance (not counting his [[IWasYoungAndNeededTheMoney dabbling in porn]]) was a silent bit part as one of a pair of thugs who harass Woody Allen in ''Film/{{Bananas}}''.
** He also had an uncredited role as a soldier in ''Film/{{Mash}}''.
* '''Don Stark''', known as [[Series/That70sShow Bob Pinciotti]], appeared as holographic gangster Nicky the Nose in ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact''.
** He also had a role in ''Film/SantaWithMuscles''.
* Before his role as Comicbook/{{Bucky|Barnes}} in the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]] made him famous, '''Creator/SebastianStan''' appeared in a ''Series/LawAndOrder'' episode [[RippedFromTheHeadlines that was based on the D.C. sniper incident]], which also featured future ''Series/ModernFamily'' star '''Creator/TyBurrell''' as his father. He was also one of the obnoxious ski patrol guys in ''Film/HotTubTimeMachine''.
* '''Creator/KristenStewart''' in ''Film/PanicRoom''. Weird to look back on it years later, since she was 10 when the movie was made.
** She also shows up at the very end of ''Film/{{Jumper}}'', as the protagonist's half-sister.
** And in ''Film/{{Zathura}}'' as the sister.
** Also in ''Film/CatchThatKid'', which also has Retroactive Recognition of [[Film/HighSchoolMusical Corbin Bleu]] and [[Film/ThePacifier Max Thieriot]].
** Immediately pre-breakout, she played the underage love interest in ''Film/IntoTheWild''.
** She also stars in the 2004 movie ''Literature/{{Speak}}'' (based on the novel of the same name), being 13 years old at the time.
** She was also a girl in a water fountain line in the [[Creator/DisneyChannel DC]]OM ''The Thirteenth Year''. At the time, she was 9.
* '''Creator/PatrickStewart''' appeared in the BBC educational show ''Playing Shakespeare'' in the 1970s before becoming [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Jean-Luc Picard]]. He appears in an episode of Kenneth Clark's ''Civilization'', also reciting Shakespeare.
** He was Leondegrance in ''Film/{{Excalibur}}''. Said film also had Creator/LiamNeeson (Gawain), Creator/HelenMirren (Morgana), and Creator/GabrielByrne (Uther Pendragon).
** He also played Gurney Halleck in ''Film/{{Dune}}''.
** And KGB mastermind Karla in the TV adaptation of Creator/JohnLeCarre's George Smiley novels. (Creator/DavidSuchet was in the same.)
** Stewart is one of the few good things (Music/HenryMancini's music is another one, as is Creator/MathildaMay) about the 1985 film ''Film/{{Lifeforce}}''.
** He also starred as a secondary character in 1980's adaption of ''Literature/{{Little Lord Fauntleroy}}''.
** Appeared (initially with hair) as Aelius Sejanus in ''Series/IClaudius.''
** He made his television debut in the ''Series/TheAvengers1960s'' episode "The Town of No Return" as Man walking in from the sea.
* '''Creator/DeanStockwell''' (Admiral Al Calavicci on ''Series/QuantumLeap'' and Brother John Cavil in ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'') started his career as a child actor, playing Colin Craven in the 1949 film adaptation of ''Film/{{The Secret Garden|1949}}'', Gregory Peck's son in the 1947 Best Picture Winner ''Film/GentlemensAgreement'', and the title characters of ''Film/TheBoyWithGreenHair'' and the 1950 film adaptation of ''Literature/{{Kim}}''. He also played a bizarre, nebbishy Wilbur Whateley in the film adaptation of ''Literature/TheDunwichHorror''.
* '''Corey Stoll''' appeared in an episode of ''Series/WithoutATrace'' and as Creator/ErnestHemingway in ''Film/MidnightInParis'' before he became known for playing Peter Russo in ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'' and Darren Cross in ''Film/AntMan''.
** Also before ''House of Cards'' and ''Film/AntMan'', Stoll was one of the detectives in the TroubledProduction ''Series/LawAndOrderLA''.
* '''Creator/Madeleine Stowe''' guest-starred in the ''Series/BarnabyJones'' episode "School of Terror", which also featured '''Creator/EdHarris''', '''Creator/SeanPenn''' and '''Creator/JohnWitherspoon'''.
* Long before '''Creator/ChantalStrand''' was known for the roles of [[WesternAnimation/DragonTales Cassie]] and [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Diamond Tiara]], she played Holly, one of the children in ''Series/CharlieHorseMusicPizza''.
* '''Creator/DavidStrathairn''' appeared in the ''Series/MiamiVice'' episode "Out Where the Buses Don't Run" as a federal employee.
* A young '''Creator/TaraStrong''' was the voice of Hello Kitty in ''WesternAnimation/HelloKittysFurryTaleTheater''. Also, before she moved out of Canada, she voiced Comicbook/IllyanaRasputin in the 90s ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoon.
* '''Creator/BradSwaile''', before he became Light Yagami in ''Manga/DeathNote'', was Lan Hikari in ''Anime/MegaManNTWarrior'' and Kicker Jones in ''Anime/TransformersEnergon''. He [[CreatorBacklash doesn't speak too highly of either role nowadays]] since he became Light Yagami. He's a ''lot'' more fonder of his earlier roles of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Quatre Raberba Winner]] and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Amuro]] [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack Ray]], though. Oh, and don't forget [[Anime/RanmaOneHalf Mousse]] or [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales Ace]].
* '''Creator/HilarySwank''' guest starred in two episodes of ''Series/GrowingPains'', had a small role in ''Film/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', then starred in the critical and commercial failure ''Film/TheNextKarateKid''. Some critics actually singled her out as a potential star in their otherwise negative reviews of the film, but it's unlikely anyone predicted she'd go on to win two Best Actress Oscars.
** Swank also appeared as a supporting character named Carly on ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'', and was infamously fired after a half-season because Aaron Spelling hated her acting. Notably, this allowed her to free up time to star in ''Film/BoysDontCry'' (which she won the lead role for four months later), netting her the first of two Oscars.
* One of '''Creator/PatrickSwayze''''s earliest roles was in an episode of ''Series/{{MASH}}'' as a soldier who was turned down for donating blood only to discover [[HarsherInHindsight he was terminally ill with cancer]].
* An actor named '''Woodrow Strode''' played the King of Ethiopia in ''Film/TheTenCommandments''. In a later scene, he doubled as a royal slave. Years later, as '''Creator/WoodyStrode''', he became a fairly well-known actor, appearing in ''Film/{{Spartacus}}'', ''Film/TheProfessionals'' and several Creator/JohnFord Westerns. This led viewers of [[Creator/CecilBDeMille Mr. DeMille's]] epic to conclude that [[WildMassGuessing Rameses enslaved the Ethiopian king]].
* '''Creator/DavidSuchet''' played the rival Arab dictator in the first ''Film/IronEagle'' movie.
* '''Creator/DonaldSutherland''' made two guest appearances in ''Series/TheSaint'', both times playing villains.
** Sutherland also guest-starred in ''Series/TheNameOfTheGame'' episode "The Suntan Mob".
** He's also a villain in ''Series/TheAvengers1960s'' episode "The Superlative Seven".
* '''Faran Tahir''', prior to becoming [[Film/IronMan Raza]] or [[Film/StarTrek2009 Captain Robau]], combined this with YouLookFamiliar by appearing as two separate characters on ''Series/TwentyFour'' -- in the second season he was a mosque greeter, and in the fourth season he was a Turkish terrorist on the receiving end of the JackBauerInterrogationTechnique. He also played Mowgli's father in the 1994 live-action adaptation of ''Film/{{The Jungle Book|1994}}''.
* '''Creator/AmberTamblyn''' was one of Dawn's friends in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E6AllTheWay All the Way]]".
** Her first role was of Emily Quartermaine on ''Series/GeneralHospital''.
* '''Creator/JeffreyTambor''''s second-ever credited role was as a photographer in the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "Cover Girl."
* '''Creator/AmandaTapping''' showed up in an episode of ''Series/DueSouth'' a year before ''Series/StargateSG1'' aired, playing a scientist with a secret government program that was strongly implied to be tracking [=UFOs=].
** Before that, she appeared in the CBC TV movie ''Net Worth'' as [[UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague Gordie Howe]]'s wife Colleen. Nearly two decades later, her ''[=SG1=]'' co-star Michael Shanks would play Gordie in the TV movie ''Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story''.
* '''Creator/CatherineTate''' shows up in an episode of ''Series/MenBehavingBadly'' as a woman interested in buying Tony and Gary's flat.
* '''Creator/JenTaylor''', long before she became the voice of [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Princess Peach]] and [[Franchise/{{Halo}} Cortana]], was the voice of Sunny Day, Luanne Lui, and Billyjean Blackwood in the ''VideoGame/BackyardSports'' series.
* How about '''John Terry''' ([[Series/{{Lost}} Christian Shephard]]), who played Felix Leiter in ''Film/TheLivingDaylights''? Oh yeah, and his first-ever film role as ''Film/HawkTheSlayer''.
* '''Lauren Tewes''' plays a conniving lawyer in the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty," which aired less than a month before ''Series/TheLoveBoat'' debuted. In fact, Spelling decided to cast her in ''The Love Boat'' because of her performance on ''Starsky and Hutch.''
* '''Creator/LeonThomas''' is well known as Andre on the Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} show ''Series/{{Victorious}}''. You might've seen the seventh episode of the second season of another Nick show, ''Series/JustJordan'' two years before that. Watch it present-day and you'll recognize Ronnie as a young Leon Thomas.
* '''Philip Michael Thomas''' appears in the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "Quadromania" as a taxi dispatcher and DJ.
* '''Creator/TessaThompson''''s first onscreen role was as a cross-dressing Prohibition-era lesbian bootlegger in an episode of ''Series/ColdCase''. She also played Jackie in ''Series/VeronicaMars'', and one of the protagonist's friends in the 2006 remake of ''Film/WhenAStrangerCalls''.
* '''Creator/UlrichThomsen''' was [[Film/TheThing2011 a sinister scientist]] before he was [[Series/{{Banshee}} an ex-Amish crime lord.]]
* Before making it big as Maddie in ''The Suite Life'' or Sharpay in ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' '''Music/AshleyTisdale''' can be seen (with her natural brown hair to boot) getting attacked by a banshee in the ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'' episode "Look Who's Barking".
** She is credited as "Lead Blueberry Scout" in ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''.
* '''Music/{{Tinashe}}''' is now a successful R&B artist, but before her breakthrough, she did motion capture as the Hero Girl in ''WesternAnimation/ThePolarExpress'' and later played Jake's on-off girlfriend Celeste in ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen''.
** She voiced one-shot character On-Ji in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode "The Headband".
* '''William Tokarsky''', [[spoiler:the killer]] from ''Film/TooManyCooks'', had previously driven the cab in ''Film/Anchorman2TheLegendContinues''.
* '''Sam Trammel''' plays the upstanding owner of a popular bar in ''Series/TrueBlood'', but way back when in the second episode of ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' he played a drunk with a persistent hit-and-run problem. [[spoiler:He didn't last long]].
* '''Creator/JohnTravolta''''s first role was in the horror movie ''The Devil's Rain''. He yells "Blasphemer!" and falls down the stairs, and the protagonists see the flashback inside his eyes.
** Many young people would be surprised to see him in reruns of ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter''.
** And after that, playing [[{{Delinquents}} Billy]], [[AlphaBitch Chris]]' [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys boyfriend]] in ''Film/{{Carrie|1976}}''.
** Many people remember his guest shot in an episode of ''Series/TheRookies'', entitled "Frozen Smoke", where he goes berserk and beats another kid to death for stealing his brother's bike. The rumor was that Travolta bought all the prints of the episode and destroyed them, but this was debunked as the episode was shown when the series ran on TV Land a while back.
* '''Creator/DannyTrejo''' played bit-parts and supporting roles in many action films and thrillers from ''Film/DeathWish4TheCrackdown'' to ''Film/MarkedForDeath'' to ''Film/KinijteForbiddenSubjects'' to ''Film/ManiacCop2'' to ''Film/{{Heat}}''. He even appeared on ''Series/{{Baywatch}}''.
* A young '''Music/KeithUrban''' appears in the 1992 video for Music/AlanJackson's "Mercury Blues". Most Americans probably didn't recognize Urban's face until 1999.
* A pre-fame '''Music/LutherVandross''' sang backing vocals for a number of other well-known artists, including Music/DavidBowie, Music/BarbraStreisand, Music/DonnaSummer, Music/{{Chic}}, and [[Music/ToddRundgren Utopia]].
* '''Creator/LeeVanCleef''' made his film debut in ''Film/HighNoon'' as one of Frank Miller's gang (the one with no lines).
** He also played one of Liberty Valance's gang in ''Film/TheManWhoShotLibertyValance''.
** He played River Pirate in ''Film/HowTheWestWasWon''.
* '''Creator/RobertVaughn''' made his film debut in ''Film/TheTenCommandments'' as a spearman/Hebrew at the Golden Calf.
** Vaughn was also an Oscar nominee prior to his TV success, nominated for his supporting role in ''Film/TheYoungPhiladelphians''.
* In ''Film/{{Rudy}}'', '''Creator/VinceVaughn''' has a minor part as Jamie O'Brien, the under-performing halfback who [[spoiler:throws the TD pass in the final game to give Rudy a shot on the field]].
* Before she became Major Kira on ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', '''Creator/NanaVisitor''' drilled for oil in a season 1 episode of ''Series/MacGyver''.
** She also played a publicist referred to Abby Perkins by Arnie Becker (in the same episode where Abby is forced to shoot a client about to kill her).
* Before his career ''behind'' the camera as a director in ''Film/WhatWeDoInTheShadows'', ''Film/HuntForTheWilderpeople'', and ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' led him to fame outside of his native UsefulNotes/NewZealand, '''Creator/TaikaWaititi''' was in ''Film/GreenLantern'' as Hal Jordan's best friend Thomas Kalmaku. The fact that he [[FakeAmerican used an American accent]] and didn't have his trademark BeardOfDirectors at the time probably makes less recognizable to modern fans.
* In ''Film/TankGirl'', a lot of viewers have had this with '''Creator/NaomiWatts'''.
* Before playing Tony [=DiNozzo=] on ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' '''Creator/MichaelWeatherly''' was a one-episode character on ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''.
** Not to mention Logan "Eyes Only" Cale from ''Series/DarkAngel'' -- which makes his later [=Tony DiNozzo=] line stating that "he'd have a better chance getting a date with Jessica Alba" a sly call back. The two were together for three years and at one point engaged.
** Weatherly actually had a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Weatherly#Filmography very extensive film/tv career]] before striking gold on ''NCIS'', beginning with a "blink and you'll miss it" part as one of Theo's roommates/classmates on ''Series/TheCosbyShow''. His next and StarMakingRole was as Cooper Alden on the SoapOpera ''Series/{{Loving}}''.
* '''Creator/CarlWeathers''' can be seen in the beginning of ''Film/MagnumForce'' as one of the demonstrators protesting the Palancio verdict in front of the court house.
** He also turns up in ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'' as a soldier who Roy tries to talk his way past at the train station.
* '''Creator/FrankWelker''' does most work as an animal mimic, but long before he provided the voice of [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Megatron, Soundwave, and many other Decepticons]], he provided the voice of Freddy Jones in ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'' ([[LongRunners a role he continues to reprise to this day]]).
* While attending college in Pittsburgh, '''Creator/MingNaWen''' showed up in two episodes of ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'' as part of a trio of royal trumpeters who performed for King Friday.
* Game show announcer '''Randy West''', despite not having a familiar face, was a contestant on several shows before his announcing career began. Among these were ''Series/AllStarBlitz'', ''Hit Man'', and ''Series/PressYourLuck''.
* Oscar winner '''Creator/ForestWhitaker''' was a teenage football star in ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'', a school bully in an episode of ''Series/DiffrentStrokes'' and a CID officer in ''Film/{{Bloodsport}}''. ''Bloodsport'' actually came out the same year as the Music/CharlieParker biopic ''Bird'', which ended up being Whitaker's first starring role.
* '''Creator/MichaelJaiWhite''''s first acting credit was playing an unnamed goon in ''Film/TheToxicAvengerPartII'' (who memorably beats an old lady with a loaf of French bread).
* '''Vanna White''' was a contestant on ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' (and never got out of Contestant's Row) about three years before she became the co-host on ''Series/WheelOfFortune''. When ''Price'' did an anniversary special, they included the clip of her "Come on down!" moment and Bob Barker said, playfully, "I wonder whatever happened to Vanna White?"
* Before her breakout job as a regular on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'', '''Creator/KristenWiig''' played "Dr. Pat" on the first season of ''Series/TheJoeSchmoShow''.
* A pre-[[Series/TheBradyBunch Brady Bunch]] '''Barry Williams''' plays Max Frost as a teenager in ''Film/WildInTheStreets''.
** Williams made his debut in the 1967 ''Series/Dragnet'' episode "The Christmas Story" (the only episode to be done for the original B&W series, the radio series and the color series). Creator/JackWebb told Barry that he'd be reading his lines off a TelePrompTer, to which the young actor responded, "What's a TelePrompTer?", to the frustration of Webb. Despite that, Williams gave a good performance in his small role, getting praise from Webb, who asked how it was he was able to do such a good job. He replied that they did have a week to read the script. Williams worked for Webb again on ''Series/{{Adam12}}''. They needed a young boy for the episode, and Webb said, "Hey, what about that geeky kid from the Christmas Story episode?"
* As a child actress, '''Creator/MichelleWilliams''' had two small, [[YouLookFamiliar unrelated]] roles in ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'', the second of which was uncredited.
* '''Creator/MykeltiWilliamson''''s first credited role was as a juvenile delinquent in the ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' episode "Black and Blue."
* Before becoming a very popular voice actor in anime dubs and western cartoons, '''Creator/TravisWillingham''' appeared as one of the young thugs who gets a lesson in being a man in ''Film/SecondhandLions.''
* Before his StarMakingRole in ''Series/MoonLighting'', '''Creator/BruceWillis'''' first acting job was a "heavy-of-the-week" in a first-season episode of ''Series/MiamiVice'', and also guest-starred in an episode of ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985''. He was also an extra in ''Film/TheVerdict'' (he's one of the jurors).
* Same-TV-show example: Before '''Michael Wisher''' was the first actor to play Davros on ''Series/DoctorWho'', he had a fairly minor role as a broadcaster in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS7E3TheAmbassadorsOfDeath The Ambassadors of Death]]", five years earlier, and then another role the next year.
** He also provided many Dalek voices before playing Davros.
* Way before ''Film/{{Friday}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'', and ''Series/BlackJesus'', '''John Witherspoon''' had a small parts in a number of 70's shows like ''Series/TheIncredibleHulk'' and ''Series/GoodTimes''. Interestingly, his first TV gig was the episode of ''Series/BarnabyJones'' that also featured Creator/SeanPenn's acting debut.
* Speaking of ''Series/WheelOfFortune'', '''Creator/AliciaWitt''' was a contestant on a teen week in 1989. (Incidentally, she later played a CelebrityEdition in 1997.) Her first acting role, at the age of nine, was Alia in Creator/DavidLynch's ''Literature/{{Dune}}''.
* '''Creator/EvanRachelWood''', who is known for playing as Dolores from ''Series/{{Westworld}}'', plays as Creator/AlPacino's daughter in ''Film/S1m0ne'' and as the girlfriend of her RealLife then-boyfriend, Creator/JamieBell, in Music/GreenDay's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU9JoFKlaZ0 "Wake Me Up When September Ends"]] music video
* '''Creator/ElijahWood''':
** He was [[http://www.tasteofcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Elijah-Wood-In-Back-To-The-Future-2.jpg was one of the kids that Marty meets in an arcade in 2015]] ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII''. He even spoke.
** He also had a part as a stressed-out child business man in the Music/PaulaAbdul video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pyxKqdtrH8 Forever Your Girl]] (he appears almost 2 minutes in.)
** He played the child of Creator/JamieLeeCurtis (a pretty big role, actually) in ''Film/ForeverYoung'', also starring Creator/MelGibson.
** He's one of the main characters in ''Film/DeepImpact'', but he still wasn't recognizable to most people until [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings a bit later]].
** He's the lead role in ''Film/TheGoodSon''. Again, this was before ''Lord of the Rings''.
* '''Creator/SamWorthington''' played an Australian sailor in the '60s in the ''Series/{{JAG}}'' episode "Boomerang: Part I".
* '''Creator/JamesWoods''' made a guest appearance in the ''Series/{{Kojak}}'' episode "Death Is Not a Passing Grade" as the criminal of the week. He also appeared on ''Series/TheRockfordFiles'' ("The Kirkoff Case"), ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter'' ("The Great Debate") and ''Series/TheStreetsOfSanFrancisco'' ("Trail of Terror").
* Before her StarMakingRole in ''Film/BlackPanther2018'', '''Creator/LetitiaWright''' had a number of under the radar roles on British TV shows. These included a teenage kidnap victim in the police procedural ''Chasing Shadows'', a young lesbian in ''Banana'' and an apparent murder victim in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E10FaceTheRaven Face the Raven]]." American audiences were most likely to recognize her from the "[[Recap/BlackMirrorBlackMuseum Black Museum]]" episode of ''Series/BlackMirror''.
* '''Kari Wuhrer''':
** She played the lead "singer" of the house band for Kelly's short-lived talk show on ''Series/MarriedWithChildren''.
** Before that, she was the hostess in the second and third seasons of Creator/{{MTV}}'s [[TheEighties 1980s]] game show, ''Series/RemoteControl''.
* '''Creator/AntonYelchin''':
** He played a troubled teenager in the ''Series/CriminalMinds'' episode "Sex, Birth, Death" several years before he played Chekov in the ''Film/StarTrek2009'' ContinuityReboot.
** He also plays the main child character in the film version of ''Literature/HeartsInAtlantis''.
** And the child of the Russian Ambassador Gary Soneji targets in the film version of ''Literature/AlongCameASpider''. His Russian accent is much less comical.
** Also the accusing witness in a child-molestation case that Bobby Donnell questions harshly on the stand in an episode of ''Series/ThePractice''.
* The ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'' episode "Don't Hate The Player" is remembered more nowadays for featuring a pre-''Series/TheWalkingDead'' '''Steven Yeun''' (Glenn) as Gibson than being a crossover with ''Series/{{Eureka}}.'' Yeun also appeared in an episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' as Sheldon's former roommate.
* '''Creator/BillyZane''' first came to prominence in a lead role in ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt: Film/DemonKnight'', which led to other major roles in such films as ''Film/{{The Phantom|1996}}'' and ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}''. Before that, some of his appearance in major works include:
** Match, one of Biff Tannen's {{Mooks}} in the first two ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' movies.
** He was the daughter's boyfriend who gets killed by the Crites in ''Film/{{Critters}}''.
** He was the lead actor who gets murdered in ''Film/{{Tombstone}}.''
** Millionaire playboy John Justice Wheeler in ''Series/TwinPeaks''.
** [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Bianchi Kenneth Bianchi]], in the Creator/{{NBC}} MiniSeries "[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillside_Strangler The Case Of The Hillside Stranglers]]" .
[[/folder]]

* '''Creator/TessaThompson''''s first onscreen role was as a cross-dressing Prohibition-era lesbian bootlegger in an episode of ''Series/ColdCase''. She also played Jackie in ''Series/VeronicaMars'', and one of the protagonist's friends in the 2006 remake of ''Series/WhenAStrangerCalls''.

* Before landing his gig in ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' and emerging as a Hollywood [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy superstar]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie in 2014]], '''Chris Pratt''' had a couple of stints on ''Series/{{Everwood}}'' (as did a pre-''Series/{{Revenge}}'' '''Creator/EmilyVanCamp''') and ''Series/TheOC'' as well as James [=McAvoy=] smashing his face in with a keyboard in ''Film/{{Wanted}}''.

* '''CreatorDonalLogue''' was Deacon Frost's unlucky [[TheDragon Dragon]] in ''Film/{{Blade}}''. Before that, he was the scientist behind the BlackBox in ''Film/{{Sneakers}}''.

* Before being cast in ''Series/KimsConvenience'' and the ''Comicbook/ShangChi'' movie, '''Creator/SimuLiu''' was an extra in ''Film/PacificRim''. He also had some minor roles on TV shows shot in Canada, such as bit parts in episodes of ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'' and ''Series/{{Nikita}}''. He was also [[Music/FallOutBoy Pete Wentz]]'s stunt double for the "Centuries" music video.

* Before being cast in ''Series/KimsConvenience'' and the ''Comicbook/ShangChi'' movie, '''Creator/SimuLiu''' was an extra in ''Film/PacificRim''. He also had some minor roles on TV shows shot in Canada, such as a bit part in episodes of ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'' and ''Series/{{Nikita}}''. He was also [[Music/FallOutBoy Pete Wentz]]'s stunt double for the "Centuries" music video.