Sometimes I feel like I have an encyclopedic knowledge of movies, yet I can't even remember all of my cousin's names (sorry, John[?]). I'm not saying I'm proud of either of those things, but it's the truth, which is why I'm always shocked when I watch a movie for the second time only to realize, "THAT actor is in this?!"
Luckily we're served with an endless supply of those moments as our future favorite actors take on obscure roles before they get famous. Think about it. You could be watching your future favorite actor right now and not even known it. Here's a tip, pay attention to the people playing dead bodies in CSI - you could be looking at the next Tom Cruise.
Let's see if you're as embarrassed as me about not knowing some of these. In fact, let's play a game and see how many of these 50 famous actors you knew were in that movie and tell mein the comments. The actress that made an appearance in "Save The Last Dance" will absolutely stun you!
I've been part of the Tucci gang since way back, but this is Stanley Tucci we're talking about. His career goes way way back and the man has some deep cuts. His IMDB page is longer than a CVC receipt. You have to scroll far down for this credit, and I have to say that this one would be a hard one to cite for even the biggest fans. The one and only 'Beethoven,' which in my opinion, is the best movie starring a St. Bernard ever made.
You can tell this is before Tucci blew up because he plays a henchmen. Not the main villain. A henchmen. Way to underuse Tucci, 'Beethoven.' If they ever make a 'Beethoven' remake, which we pray to God they don't, I hope they cast Stanley Tucci as the main villain. It's never too late to make up for our mistakes.
Jessica Alba is a modern day queen. Not quite Beyonce level, but definitely American royalty as far as I'm concerned. Aside from being an actress, she owns a coconut water company and a successful jeans company. Who just up and starts a jean company? Anyways, I digress.
With her long career it's easy to forget that Jessica Alba is only 36, but that's because she's been acting since she was just a young teen. That's why you can catch her in 'Camp Nowhere' with Christopher LLoyd all the way back in 1994, although I wouldn't exactly call it a starring role. Or even a supporting role. But she does have a line or two! This is where it all started, where teen girls wanted to be her, and teen boys wanted to be with her.
Five words. New Kids On The Block. You either don't know what I'm talking about, or you do and now you feel very old. Before America's middle-favorite Wahlberg brother was playing every brooding cop on film and television, he was part of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Then he disappeared for a while until he silently crept back into stardom through acting.
It might have been very easy to miss his early roles for that fact, but it's surprising so many people miss his role in 'The Sixth Sense' since he's a crucial part of the movie. He plays Bruce Willis' old patient who shoots and (spoiler) kills him in the beginning of the movie. I can understand how people missed him if you take into account the fact that he lost a ton of weight for the role and had a sickly appearance, making him look like the exact opposite of a boy band hunk.
The 80s were a special time for movies. Extreme sports like skateboarding and BMX were quickly rising in popularity, so of course there was a volley of wonderfully cheesy movies about them. While they're great for a laugh or two, none of them were really that good, which is why you have a lot of treasures like 'BMX Bandits' slip right past you.
I was already extremely interested in everything about 'BMX Bandits' once I'd find out about it, but then to find out that it stars a young Nicole Kidman as the main character - it was game over. I'm shook. We've gotten so used to the older, demure Nicole Kidman, that we forget she was such a wonderfully bubbly teen actress. Maybe in the next season of 'Big Little Lies' we'll see her do some sick bike tricks. Probably not, but a boy can dream.
For the past seven years, Lena Headey has played her role as Cersei in 'Game of Thrones' so well that it's hard to separate her from her character. She must hate hearing people scream "shame!" as she walks down the street just to get some milk, but that's the price of fame. Now that she's forever the queen of Westeros, it may be hard for her to get certain roles, especially ones like her role in 'St. Trinian's' and 'The Jungle Book.'
I know what you're thinking. "There was a live action 'Jungle Book' in 1994?" Yes, there was. Lena Headey played the role of Kitty. In 'St. Trinian's' she plays a teacher, and although it isn't the biggest part, it's fun to see this actress in a movie with such a goofy tone. I'm sure after so many seasons of deep, dark brooding, she's aching to crack a joke or two.
Mila Kunis got her breakout role in 'That 70s Show' at the age of sixteen, which she had to lie about and say she was 18 just to get it. That type of bravado shows that she either had enough experience even at that age to know how to work the situation, or it means she's a total psycho. Considering that she acted alongside Angelina Jolie at the age of 11 in the movie 'Gia', it's clear to see which one is true.
She plays the young version of Angelina Jolie's Gia, which makes total sense given their similar eyes. That's a lot of pressure for an eleven year old but obviously it worked out now that she's a huge star. She even has the biggest prize in all of Hollywood: Ashton Kutcher.
For film geeks, 'True Romance' is an important film seeing as though it's Quentin Tarantino's first written movie (though he didn't direct it). It's a movie full of memorable characters, especially Gary Oldman who is almost unrecognizable playing the awesomely named Drexil Spivey (seriously, is this a Harry Potter character?). With all those memorable characters, why is it that I watched this movie again and it just dawned on me that Brad Pitt is in it?!
Brad Pitt shows his comedy chops early on in his career with his role as Floyd, the roommate to another character. He plays less of a heartthrob and more of a stoner goon, so maybe we collectively blocked it from our memories. Give it another watch though, because it is a great early performance.
Before we were blessed with Dwayne The Rock Johnson in a 'Jumanji' movie, we had something even better: a Robin Williams 'Jumanji.' Both are equally amazing, though the 2018 'Jumanji' is a game changer (see what I did there? They literally changed the game from a board game to a video game). ANYWAY, the first 'Jumanji' has a star who was just coming on the rise: Kirsten Dunst.
She plays the sassy sister who discovers the board game along with her brother. It's a really strong performance coming from such a young actress, which is especially impressive considering she was acting opposite the Genie himself. Rewind a few years back and you'll find Kirsten in another surprising role with two more Hollywood heavy hitters, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in 'Interview with the Vampire.'
The 80s and 90s gave us a lot of modern classics, like 'City Slickers,' that aren't just great movies, they are also treasure troves for finding actors before they got their big break. (Broke)back before Jake Gyllenhaal was cowboying around with Heath Ledger, or having visions of men in bunny suits, he played Billy Crystal's son in the 90's classic, 'City Slickers.'
See Jake in all of his pre-teen glory, looking oh so very 90s with the hightop haircut and chip on his shoulder. This was actually his first credited role, after which he worked consistently ever since. Makes sense since the movie was such a hit, and for a child actor, Jake pulls a solid performance. Unfortunately he didn't make it to the sequel, 'The Legend of Curly's Gold.'
'Hook' is the type of movie that is just trying to mess with your head. One, it takes a classic story and totally flips it upside down, turning Peter Pan into a middle-aged man. Two, Glenn Close plays a guy. There are even more surprises to this movie, but let's start with Glenn.
Look closely at the character of Gutless and you'll see that it's Glenn Close with a beard. The make-up and fake hair look great, but there's no denying those Glenn Close eyes. The 'OC's' Kelly Rowan is also in it playing Peter's mother, but the big surprise comes in the form of a Star Wars connection. A scene on a bridge shows a man and a woman kissing. That man and woman? George Lucas and Carrie Fisher! Who knows, maybe Carrie had the gold bikini on under her clothes and they were acting out George's Jabba the Hut fantasy.
Based on all of the roles I've seen him in, Liam Cunningham seems like a rough fellow. When I watch him in 'Game of Thrones' playing Davos Seaworth, I believe he belongs in that world. In fact, I'd say that's his pocket - playing a gritty, rough dude. Cut to him in a movie called 'A Little Princess.' This does not compute.
Liam played dual roles of both Capt. Crewe and Prince Rama in this story about a girl sent to boarding school after her father is sent to the war. This is one that you might even miss despite me telling you. As a young man, Liam Cunningham is hard to recognize, sporting a smooth baby face compared to the gruff looks he has now. I almost couldn't believe it even though the proof was right in front of me.
Anthony Head joined us in our homes for over seven years as Rupert Giles in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' In fact, to me, he'll always be Giles, even though he's had a successful career since the show's end. Though he's a big star, even he can get stuck in an uncredited role. That's why you probably might have missed him in 'Sweeney Todd.'
Why they did this, I don't know, but Anthony Head is in the film, uncredited as "Man in Street Who Greets Todd after Competition." How you go from Giles to that, I don't know, but it's a fun little Easter Egg to tell your friends the next time you're having a group sing-a-long to 'Sweeney Todd.' People have those, right? Or is it just me? And by group sing-a-long I mean me alone.
'Big Fish' was a very popular movie that had a lot of cultural relevance when it came out, but let's be real, it has nothing on 'Hannah Montana.' That's what made Miley Cyrus into the icon she is today, so what do the two have in common? The fact that you can see Miley pre-'Hannah Montana' in the movie 'Big Fish.'
Back in 2003, Miley wasn't at the point where she'd be the lead, but you can see her unmistakable face playing the young version of the character Ruthie. She must have come in like a wrecking ball because just three years later she'd have the hottest show on Disney. It just goes to show you that you might only be one role away from being set for life. Now there's no arguing that she's the big fish.
For a lot of the 'Harry Potter' actors, 'Harry Potter' was their first time acting in a movie, AKA they practically won the lottery. In the case of Draco Malfoy, the wizard everyone loves to hate, he had an earlier role in another popular kids movie based off of a book.
You can see Tom Felton in the fantasy movie 'The Borrowers' playing the character of Peagreen Clock, which sounds more like a character in Beauty and the Beast. "I've been turned into a Peagreen Clock!" This is a great movie to revisit since we're so used to seeing Tom Felton play the bad guy, it's not so crazy seeing him look young. It's more crazy seeing him not be so evil, but I still don't forgive him for joining Lord Voldemort.
'The Leftovers,' one of my favorite shows and also what I'm having for lunch. Justin Theroux will forever be applauded for his performance in the hit HBO show, yet whenever I mention him, everyone thinks I'm talking about the Prime Minister of Canada (Justin Trudeau).
'Romy and Michele's High School Reunion' was only Theroux's second film, yet he crushes it as Clarence the Cowboy, though you may have missed him due to the thick cowboy accent. Now that you know, you won't be able to miss him. He's the only one in a cowboy hat after all. If you want to see a current Justin Theroux surprise cameo, you'll want to check out 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi.' If you got up to use the restroom at the wrong time, you may have missed him in a quick gambling scene.
When we're talking about the movie 'Crossroads' it's hard to look past the shining beacon of hope and light that is Britney Spears. For that reason you may not remember some of the other stars in the movie, which include the likes of Zoe Saldana and Dan Akroyd. The movie is about three friends, Britney Spears, Zoe Saldana, and... who was the third? Taryn Manning!
You may know her most from 'Hustle and Flow' and 'Orange is the New Black,' but Taryn's been in the game for a minute. No one plays a woman with issues better than Taryn Manning (except maybe Tyler Perry), and 'Crossroads' is no exception. For having such a big part I was surprised I forgot she was in it, but then again, with all due respect, we didn't buy our tickets for Taryn. We bought our tickets for one reason and one reason only: "It's Britney, bitch."
Sometimes no matter how many movies an actor is in, or how successful they are, they can fade away into distant memories. Hollywood is a fickle business like that, however, there is one way to make sure that never happens: play Batman. Christian Bale will forever be THE Batman for a generation of people, which means there's a whole backlog of his movies we get to watch and yell "that's Batman!" at the screen.
You can see Bale playing Winona Ryder's love interest in 'Little Woman,' which definitely shows him at a much younger age, but nothing like compared to 'The Land of the Faraway.' He's barely Christian Bale in this movie. He's Baby Bale. His signature eyebrows are a dead giveaway, but even the most discerning eye might miss him since he can't be much older than 10 or 11.
Back in the day, nothing was more lit than a Disney Channel Original Movie. Going out on a Friday night? It wasn't on the table. DVR wasn't there to save us. I'm glad I sacrificed a social life for watching these movies. Talk about a treasure trove of "that actor is in that movie?" Many actors got their start in these movies, but knowing that didn't stop me from saying "whaaaaaaaaat?" for the news that Brie Larson starred in 'Right On Track.'
Brie Larson stars with '7th Heavens' Beverly Mitchell in a movie about young, female drag racers. These Disney movies were woke before woke was a thing. As an added bonus, while I was doing research for this I also found out Brie Larson had a singing career. This woman is full of surprises.
Before she was a 'Gossip Girl' and a sexy rock star, Taylor Momsen acted in many films as a child where she was able to show off her more innocent side, outside of the world of catty women. Cut to the least catty place on Earth, Whoville. That's right, Taylor Momsen is in Jim Carrey's 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas.' She's a Who. / Who is she? / Exactly. / Exactly What? / She's not a What. She's a Who. And so on and so forth.
She doesn't just play just any Who. She plays Cindy Lou Who, though the nose prosthetic might have thrown you off. Come to think of it, I bet the Grinch would actually thrive in the world of 'Gossip Girl'. He'd have a pack of mean girls at his side, throwing out nasty zingers left and right. TV execs, if you're listening I have two words for you: 'Gossip Grinch.'
For the past decade Seth Rogan has invaded our movie screens, televisions, and has even testified before congress on behalf of Alzheimer's research (yep, we're talking about the same Seth Rogen). Some may know him from way back on the classic Judd Apatow series, 'Freaks and Geeks,' and certainly any fan could point out Seth Rogan just by his laugh and voice alone, but you might not remember he was in 'Donnie Darko.'
If you're like me, you haven't watched 'Donnie Darko' since you were in high school and shopping at Hot Topic (to be fair, I still shop at Hot Topic). Pop it in now and there's no mistaking it's him. That baritone voice is on full display, and he's doing what Seth Rogan did best in the 2000s: playing a bully.
Angela Lansbury is an oft-slept on feminist icon. Her role as Jessica Fletcher in 'Murder She Wrote' showed us a female character who was smart, strong, and not afraid to get her hands dirty. In fact, to me, Angela Lansbury doesn't exist. There is only Jessica Fletcher. I think a lot of fans of the show might feel the same way, ignoring her long list of former credits going all the way back to 1944.
If you go back to Jessica Fletcher's- I mean, Angela Lansbury's first ever role, you'll land on 'Gaslight,' a classic film that popularized the term "gaslighting." She plays the role of Nancy, and even at several decades younger than her role on 'Murder She Wrote,' her face is immediately recognizable. Over 60 years later and she's still acting strong, playing a role in the upcoming Mary Poppins movie.
Personally, my version of Chris Messina is and always will be Danny Castellano from 'The Mindy Project.' In fact, that's how I first found out about him and now I'm a big fan. It's hard for me not to see him as a tough, confident man's-man, especially with that booming New York accent.
Well, don't use that deep voice to identify him if you're watching 'You've Got Mail.' In it he has a small role as a salesman at the Fox bookstore, but with being such a young lad at the time, you'd never recognize him by his voice. It's a tad high, to say the least, but he's still a knockout and the camera loves him. Age has only been kind to him, since 20 years later he's now considered one of the sexiest men in Hollywood.
From the superb soundtrack to the milestone performance by Denzel Washington, 'Remember the Titans' has a lot to remember. Even the title is telling you to remember it! Well, you may have remembered the Titans but forgot the Gos-man, Ryan Gosling. Maybe you call him by his real name, Ryan Gosling, or maybe you're like me and call him by one of his nicknames, like Baby Gos, the Goose, Baby Goose. Either way, check out a much younger, much skinnier Ryan Gosling as a player in 'Remember the Titans.'
The best part of the performance? Gossy Goose shows off his dance moves, which mostly consist of shoulder shimmies, but it's just as adorable as it sounds. Although, from what I hear, he's not too keen on his old moves.
'Kindergarten Cop' is like a movie quote goldmine. "I'm a cop you idiot!" / "Who is your daddy and what does he do?" / "I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions, and I want them answered immediately." The list goes on and on. There could be entire thesis papers done on them. But don't get distracted by the quotes, or else you might miss ten seconds of Angela Bassett.
You may remember the airplane scene mostly for Arnold Schwarzenegger threatening to murder a kid (very funny). Right before that, Angela Bassett has a quick couple lines as the stewardess, which isn't the biggest role for her, but it does show one very important thing: that she looks exactly the same as she does today. Whatever you're doing, girl, keep doing it, because it's working.
Kelly Bishop has made a career out of playing the hoity-toity mom, and playing the hell out of it. Most recently, and famously, as the matriarch Emily Gilmore in 'Gilmore Girls.' She knows just how to push the character to the limit of nastiness, and then ease back and show vulnerability. It's what makes her such an incredible actress: she can play characters we disagree with, yet like and have feeling for her. That's exactly the case in 'Dirty Dancing,' where I had totally forgotten her role as Marjorie Houseman.
Yes, Kelly Bishop is the one who put Baby in the corner, and as we all know, "NO ONE PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER." Now i'm starting to see a real opportunity lost in 'Gilmore Girls' for the line, "NO ONE PUTS RORY IN THE CORNER"
Jack Black is an actor with one big presence in Hollywood. When he's on screen, you want to watch him. That's why it's so surprising that I still find movies that I didn't know he was in. With his comic success, especially with his band Tenacious D, it's easy to forget he started as a serious actor.
In some of his older, lesser known roles, you can see Jack Black laying on a thick Southern accent in 'Dead Man Walking,' getting his arm blown off in 'The Jackyl,' playing Matthew Broderick's friend in 'The Cable Guy,' and standing in a few frames of 'Demolition Man.' If you don't mind violence, I suggest checking out his final scene in 'The Jackyl.' It's gruesome, but it really shows him acting very well while still having that signature Jack Black style.
'Grey's Anatomy' is a show that's been in my life longer than my adult teeth, which I'm now starting to lose, so it may even outlast them too. Long story short, it's been on a long time. It's like there are three guarantees in life: taxes, death, and 'Grey's Anatomy.' Naturally, Chandra Wilson has also been a part of our lives for a very long time. Before she became a household name in our television sets every week, she had a lot of roles that you may have completely missed.
In the classic, 'Philadelphia,' Chandra plays a makeup artist who helps Tom Hanks cover up his AIDS lesions. I wonder who makes the best makeup for that. Maybe it's Maybelline? She really moved up the job ladder through her career. From makeup artist to doctor. Way to go, Chandra.
Everybody's favorite Breslin (sorry Spencer and Ryan) made her mark early with her role in 'Little Miss Sunshine.' That movie was insanely popular with audience and critics for the strong script, and especially Abigail's performance. Being able to hold her own with the likes of Greg Kinnear and Steve Carell was proof she was going to have a long career ahead of her, and sure enough, look at her now. She's grown up right in front of our eyes to become a star.
Before she was the (Scream) queen of Hollywood she is now (see what I did there? She's in 'Scream Queens') she was happy to act alongside a fictional queen in 'The Princess Diaries 2' starring Anne Hathaway. She plays a girl at the parade who Anne Hathaway comes to help. Great casting seeing as though she's a 10/10 adorable.
When you're talking about horror movies, it's a little hard to remember everyone in them seeing as people die left and right. You expect me to remember "guy who gets stabbed in throat?" Last time I checked there were 300 different 'Friday the 13th' movies, so that's an especially hard kill-list to keep track of (OK, so maybe 300 is a bit of a hyperbole).
Kevin Bacon has been a Hollywood heart throb for so long that it makes complete sense that he'd have been in a horror movie, but I was still surprised to find out he was in the first 'Friday the 13th.' The movie that started it all. Spoiler: he doesn't live, but I figured you might have put that together already. It's ironic really. A dreamy guy killed in his dreams.
It's not common for an actor to have two iconic television roles in both comedy and drama, but Bryan Cranston has done it with his roles in 'Malcolm in the Middle' and 'Breaking Bad' respectively. The man has so much range they should call him Statistics, but he had to put in his work before he could get those big roles. Because of that, he has plenty of small roles that might surprise you, like the time he played an astronaut in 'That Thing You Do.'
'That Thing You Do' has such a memorable soundtrack thanks to the eponymous song, "That Thing You Do," so it's also filled with plenty of musical performances. In one particular performance, the host of a show is interviewing an astronaut (Cranston) right before the Oneders come onstage to perform. It's a small moment, but worth it to check out his high-and-tight haircut.
When someone is so accomplished in a field like dancing the way that Julianne Hough is, it's hard to believe that they could have time to follow any other pursuit. Or maybe I'm just really lazy? Who knows, but while many may be familiar with Julianne's work on 'Dancing with the Stars,' you may be surprised to know she was in the first 'Harry Potter' film. She's only in a brief shot, but she is within arms reach of Harry Potter, so that's a solid shot to be in.
Robert Pattinson had a bigger part in 'Harry Potter' than Hough, but it's one that people tend to forget considering Pattinson starred in his own massively successful series shortly afterward. He played Cedric Diggory in the fourth movie, but died at the end. It's like the Blackstreet lyrics: I like the way you work it, no Diggory.
John Krasinski wasn't always mugging 'The Office' cameras with his mean side-eye. He had a hard working career before his role as Jim, which landed him a role in the rom-com classic, 'The Holiday.' Let's face it though, any Nancy Myers movie is a classic. That's just a rule. At the time, Krasinski wasn't exactly a leading man yet, but while his role isn't particularly exciting, it's a really great one for him because it's the opposite of Jim. A lot less snark and a lot more earnest friendliness.
These days John Krasinski is really showing his range, playing the iconic character of Jack Ryan in the new television show of the same name. He's come a long way from pushing paper in Scranton. How do you feel? Will John Krasinski always be Jim to you?
There's something that really tickles me about casting a big actor in a faceless role. The actors must get a kick out of it (or else why would they do it?) and it's a fun easter egg for audiences. It's also great fodder for a list like this. 'Hot Fuzz,' as well as anything created by Edgar Wright, has the perfect type of humor for this type of casting to work, which is why they put Cate Blanchett in the role of Janine, a character we never see outside of a crime-scene-clean-up mask.
Just because she's wearing a mask doesn't mean she doesn't have a crucial role. Her role is extremely important as a motivator for the main character. That's why it was smart to cast such a great actress, but they could have cast someone equally skilled but lesser known, so the joke isn't lost on us.
Before it was a hit tv show, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' was a campy vampire movie that I watched five million times on VHS. I was seriously obsessed with this movie, which for better or for worse, may have affected by future movie tastes. It's seriously worth a watch whether you liked the tv show or not, though Sarah Michelle Gellar is switched out for the equally talented Kristy Swanson.
Watch carefully during the basketball scene. You'll notice Batman playing some ball with a player who is very obviously a vampire. This is pre-'Good Will Hunting,' but luckily he didn't take any screenwriting notes from this movie or we might have got 'Good Vampire Hunting.' Two things wrong with that joke. 1) the character's name is Will Hunting. 2) it's really bad.
You want to know a good way to get a bad nickname? Star in a movie called '40 Year Old Virgin.' That's how I refer to Steve Carell ever since that movie came out. Not saying it's nice or the right thing to do. Just that it's what I do. Mr. '40 Year Old Virgin' has been performing since his time on stage at Second City. He shows off his expert-level face acting in the Jim Belushi movie 'Curly Sue.'
Carell comes on screen as a fancy waiter, and though he doesn't have any lines, his face does all the acting he needs. It's a role he had been preparing for at Second City considering one of his most popular sketches was, "Waiter nauseated by food." If you're wondering what that is, it's exactly like it sounds.
Viola Davis is an incredible actress who brings gravitas to any role she takes on. You can't even knock her performance in 'Suicide Squad.' She's that good. She's "keep up with Denzel" good. So, what do you think would happen if you put Viola Davis acting in a scene with one of Australia's best actors? You get Hugh Jackman and Viola Davis arguing about poop.
In 'Kate and Leopold' Hugh Jackman plays a duke from 1874 who comes to live in the modern times through magic, or sorcery, or whatever it is that causes awesome things to happen in movies. Because of that, he doesn't know current customs. That's where the dog doo comes in. Viola Davis plays a cop who is none too happy that Hugh Jackman won't pick up the dog doo. Drum roll please... Poo-icide Squad.
You may know Lino Facioli better as Robin Arryn from Game of Thrones. If the name doesn't ring a bell, he's the creepy kid who lives in the clouds with his creepy mother. A whole family full of creeps. Under all those wolf pelts is a cute kid though, which landed him a role in the hard-R comedy, 'Get Him to the Greek.'
He plays Aldous Snow's son. Aldous Snow of course played by Russell Brand. Facioli plays the type of kid you just want to immediately hug, and since he's so different than the Aldous Snow character, they make a great pair. Now if only Robin Arryn could take a few pointers from that character. Then again, it's usually the good ones that die in that show.
This one is a total trip. Or should I say, a total strip? Do you remember the time Spiderman took on Big Dick Richie from Magic Mike? Well, it happened folks. In the Toby Mcguire 'Spiderman' (that was ten Spidermans ago, I think), Joe Manganiello played the role of Flash Thompson, Peter Parker's jock bully. That's back when bullies in movies were always huge white guys. To put it in perspective, the current Flash Thompson is played by Guatemalan actor Tony Revolori, and is a math geek.
Before Joe Manganiello was stripping alongside Channing Tatum, he was terrorizing Peter Parker in the school halls, but ultimately, like any good bully, he gets defeated. He's much younger, of course, but he definitely has the body of a future stripper. Not that I notice that sort of thing...
Most of us became familiar with Natalia Dyer from her role as Nancy Wheeler on 'Stranger Things,' but she had been working well before she joined the unluckiest family in all of Hawkins, Indiana. Seriously, can we start a GoFundMe page to help that family move? One monster, OK. Two monsters, it's time to go. What's so special about the place? Do they have an In'N'Out or something?
At 12 years old she had her first role in 'Hannah Montana: The Movie." For a teen actor, it can't get much better than that, right? She played a Hannah Montana superfan who was actually one of the daughters of the movie's villain. At the time, I'm sure it was very likely she actually was a real superfan. Now she's dealing with bigger divas, like the Demogorgon.
Emmy Rossum is one of the most gorgeous actresses working in Hollywood today, but did you know she also has a gorgeous voice? You might not know it if you've just been a fan of her work on 'Shameless,' but she's been in many musicals including 'Phantom of the Opera,' and one of her deep cuts is a movie centered around her voice.
Early in her career she played in the film 'A Songcatcher,' as Deladis Slocumb. No, that is not a typo. Deladis Slocumb is her real name in the movie. She plays one of the people living in the village that the main character visits. She sings songs for the main character, and her voice has a rural Appalachian accent, so if you wanted Emmy Rossum's country album, here it is. I hope you like Scots-Irish ballads!
As a gamer myself, I love 'The Wizard.' I'm not saying it's the best movie, but any movie that has the Power Glove in it is going to be high on my list. In fact, whenever I watch it I make sure to put on my very own Power Glove. So, imagine my surprise when I watched it recently and thought, "wait a minute. Why is there Spiderman in my Wizard?"
He's by no means easy to spot though. This is a very young Toby Maguire we're talking about. Not only that. He doesn't say a word. He is one of the main villain's lackeys. Even though he doesn't have a big part, it's worth it to check out his haircut. It's the perfect halfway point between a boys haircut and a girls haircut.
You know what's strange? Matt Damon has been in movies since before he was Bourne. Boom! That's a slam dunk. I should get paid extra for that joke. Let's not get sidetracked though. His first acting credit was back in 1988 where he had a small role as a character named Steamer in 'Mystic Pizza.' Luckily the movie doesn't take place in Cleveland or else his nickname would be Cleveland Steamer, and nobody wants that.
He has a total baby face in this movie, and is oddly a dead ringer for actor Jesse Plemons (an adult man). As an added bit of trivia, one of Jesse Plemons nicknames is "Fat Damon," which is one of the best things I've ever heard. Save that one for the next cocktail party you're at. Just don't steal my Matt Damon/Bourne joke. That one's mine!
I don't really recall exactly when Selena Gomez broke out and became a huge star. It's as if she has just always been a part of my life. Maybe that's why I spend far too much time thinking about her and Justin Bieber's relationship. Sidenote: When are those two going to get it together and just get married already? They drive me crazy!
Hopefully you have an extra pair of 3D glasses so you can check out her first role ever in 'Spy Kids 3D.' She's cherub-level young in this movie, playing the role of Waterpark Girl. If that doesn't sound like the biggest role, it isn't, but she wears a dope outfit, so it all evens out. It's something straight out of Jackie O's closet. I could definitely see Selena rocking that same look now.
I've made my feelings very clear on Disney Channel Original Movies. They were the best thing ever and they shaped my childhood. This is especially true of 'The Thirteenth Year,' which is a movie about a boy who starts to turn into a merman after his 13th birthday. That's too ridiculous not to watch.
Maybe Kristen Stewart would have never got her role in 'Twilight' acting with werewolves if it weren't for her history working with merman. You never know. Most likely not, however, considering she's just in a quick shot. Still, this one is so hard to catch that it makes for a great way to win $100. "I bet you $100 Kristen Stewart is in a movie about mermen." If I didn't know better I'd take that bet.
The eponymous Grey of 'Grey's Anatomy' has been playing that same doctor from 2005 to now. In that show she's been around her fair share of hunks, including a guy whose nickname is McDreamy, but did you know she bagged Leonardo Dicaprio? Well, in the movie 'Catch Me if You Can' she does, in fact, catch him. In bed.
She plays a stewardess named Marci who Dicaprio charms into bed. Though with Pompeo's bright smile I think it's fair to say they charmed each other. This is among my top Spielberg movies (which is saying a lot), but even I had never noticed her in it. If there's any lesson I've learned, it's to always pay attention to the actress playing the stewardess. Stewardess roles are a breeding ground for future stars. Ask Angela Bassett.
Just one look from Jonathan Banks could sober me up in a second. His hard-as-steel characters, especially his role in Breaking Bad, are the types of guys whose daughter you never want to date. If you told me that he has a past history of murder, I'd believe you. If you told me he has a past history of comedy, not so much. Alas, it's true. Jonathan Banks played a role in the comedy classic, 'Airplane!'
He even has a couple of funny lines that he sells really well, especially the line, "what an a$$hole" that he sells in the way that only he could. Him being in 'Airplane!' doesn't make me any less terrified of him, but at least now we have something to talk about if we're ever stuck in an elevator together.
'Office Space' is a comedy classic and made us all look at our staplers in a much different way.. It's such a relatable movie for many of us who have worked in office jobs, but it's also downright hilarious. This movie has so many funny moments, and one of which is all due to Orlando Jones. He crushed it as a cast member on Mad TV, proving his comedy chops early on in his career. His character in 'Office Space' is no exception.
Orlando Jones plays a former crackhead selling magazines. The catch is (spoiler), he's not really a former crackhead. He's just pretending to be one to sell more magazines. Still, his depiction of a crackhead is so uniquely hilarious that it totally makes the scene. Only a seasoned sketch performer like that could take one scene and totally own it.
'Coming to America' is a host to a ton of great actors. So many that it might be hard to catch them all. For example, in a scene where Eddie Murphy plays both a black guy AND a white guy, it's easy to miss literally any other detail. I'm talking about the barbershop scene. If you take a look at the young man getting a haircut, you'll see that it's Cuba Gooding Jr. sporting a fro in desperate need of a shaping.
Cuba Gooding Jr. isn't the only one you might have missed. This movie is proof that Samuel L. Jackson has always been a bad mother******. He comes into the McDonalds rip-off, McDowell's (that gets a huge LOL from me) with guns blazing trying to rob the place. Sure, Eddie takes him down, but he's still a bad MF.
Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the greatest actors of our time. He had such a diverse career of roles that it's interesting to think where we might have seen him if we hadn't lost him so soon. Everyone has their favorite Phillip Seymour Hoffman line, but I doubt people can remember many of his lines from 'Scent of a Woman' and 'Twister.'
In 'Scent of a Woman' he plays a witness on trial, and he brings that intense, nervous energy he's so good at playing. If you are curious what a young PSH looks like, it's a great role to check out. As for 'Twister,' PCH plays a big role as Dusty, the wild twister hunter. He's like the creepy fun uncle, which is great in movies. Not so much in real life.
'Save the Last Dance' came out when I had just gotten into high school. Everyone loved this movie, except for me. Not because I thought it was bad, but because I couldn't dance well. That's a bad reason to hate a movie, but that's what happens when a movie gets girls expecting you to be Sean Patrick Thomas on the dance floor. Trust me, I'm not Sean Patrick Thomas anywhere. Maybe my disdain blinded me, but either way, I totally missed that Kerry Washington has a role in this film.
Nowadays we all love Kerry Washington, but there was a time when she wasn't a household name. In 'Save the Last Dance' she plays the role of Chenille and has a powerful scene with Julia Stiles where she gets to rip her a new one.
