All big stars had to start somewhere, but a few started in movies that were such great hits to begin with.
You may want to go back and rewatch your old favorites and see what major stars you can spot in the background.
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Brie Larson
Almost a full 15 years before starring the titular role in Captain Marvel , Brie Larson played one of the 13 Going on 30 bullies.
Angela Bassett
The Queen of Wakanda herself had a brief role in Kindergarten Cop as a flight attendant on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s flight.
Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett was in Hot Fuzz as Janine, Simon Pegg’s ex-girlfriend.
She already had an Oscar under her belt but took this role since she was a fan of Edgar Wright’s films.
John Krasinski
He appeared in Nancy Meyers’ star-studded romantic comedy The Holiday as Ben, one of Cameron Diaz’s employees.
Joe Manganiello
The Magic Mike and True Blood actor is unrecognizable in his first film role as Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man .
Seth Rogen
Before he was a comedy powerhouse, he played a one-dimensional bully in Donnie Darko whose most memorable line is: “I like your boobs.”
Natalia Dyer
Well, before her breakout role in Stranger Things , Natalia Dyer had a role in Hannah Montana: The Movie as Clarissa Granger.
This required putting on a British accent for her lines.
Ashley Tisdale
Also in Donnie Darko , was Ashley Tisdale waaay before she became known to us as Sharpay from the High School Musical trilogy.
Hugh Laurie
Best known across the pond for his work on House , the British comedian had a delightful cameo in Spice World , aka the Spice Girls movie.
Elijah Wood
Can y’all believe a baby-faced Frodo got paid to insult Michael Fox in Back To The Future II?
Natasha Lyonne
Natasha Lyonne as Jessica in American Pie was a small ray of feminist sex-positivity amidst outdated sexual humor.
Maggie Wheeler
You may know her as Janice from Friends but did any of you spot her in The Parent Trap ?
She was the camp counselor where Hallie and Annie first met.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal’s film debut was in City Slickers as Billy Crystal’s son, Danny Robins.
He was only 10 at the time, which makes his brief performance all the more impressive.
Ben Affleck
Five whole years before the TV show, there was a Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie featuring Ben Affleck as “Basketball player #10”.
Prestigious stuff.
Zoe Saldana
Before she was Gamora, Zoe Saldana was Kit in Crossroads starring alongside Britney Spears as they road tripped their way to adulthood.
Donnie Wahlberg
The former New Kid On The Block appears at the very beginning of The Sixth Sense .
He confronts (and kills!) Dr. Malcolm Crowe in his home.
Jessica Alba
The hilarious tween comedy Camp Nowhere was Jessica’s first professional acting role.
Though she doesn’t play a very prominent part, she does appear on camera a handful of times.
Johnny Galecki
Way before he tackled string theory as Leonard Hofstadter and even before his days as David Healy on Roseanne , Johnny Galecki was Rusty Griswold in Christmas Vacation .
Emmy Rossum
Songcatcher was actually the film debut of Emmy Rossum; she played a character named Deladis Solocumb.
She’s better known to the world as Fiona Gallagher from Shameless .
Steve Carell
It’s young Michael Scott! In Steve Carell’s early acting days, he made his film debut playing a waiter in Curly Sue .
I wonder if the restaurant in the film was a Chili’s?
Ryan Gosling
There are a number of young famous actors in Remember The Titans but none more noteworthy than Ryan Gosling.
Up until this point, the actor was still largely known for his TV roles in Breaker High and Young Hercules .
Taylor Momsen
Taylor Momsen is best remembered as Jenny Humphrey from the CW smash hit series Gossip Girl .
But before she began spreading rumors, she was Cindy Lou Who in Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas .
Christian Bale
People tend to forget that Christian Bale was a very successful child-actor. He appeared in a number of film projects from the time he was a small boy.
None more memorable, however, than Newsies .
Chris Messina
Chris Messina broke into Hollywood in 1998.
He appeared in three films that year; one of which was the runaway success You’ve Got Mail .
Miley Cyrus
Blink and you might miss her. The next time you sit down to watch Tim Burton’s Big Fish , pay extra close attention to the group of kids outside the witch’s house.
The young girl is Miley Cyrus, who plays a young Ruthie.
Glenn Close
Nope – this isn’t a mistake. The actor you see in this picture is Glenn Close.
I didn’t believe it myself until I saw the credits roll at the end of Hook and checked the IMDB – but it’s her.
Kirsten Dunst
Having just recently watched Jumanji: The Next Level , I have a whole new appreciation for just how great the original was.
This is largely due to the incredible acting of a very young Kirsten Dunst in Jumanji .
Robin Wright
For my money, Forrest Gump is one of the greatest films that’s ever been made.
Yet for some reason, I always seem to forget that Jenny is actually House of Cards star Robin Wright.
Tom Felton
It turns out Draco Malfoy (or rather Tom Felton) isn’t all bad after all!
Way before he roamed the halls of Hogwarts, Tom starred in The Borrowers .
Liam Cunningham
You could be forgiven for missing Liam Cunningham in A Little Princess .
Especially when we’ve all grown so used to seeing him with a full grizzled beard as Ser Davos in Game of Thrones .
Mila Kunis
One of Mila Kunis’ first-ever on-screen acting roles occurred back in 1998. It was a TV movie called Gia , starring Angelina Jolie.
Kunis portrayed a younger version of Jolie.
Lena Headey
This one rocked me to my foundation – I loved this movie as a kid!
It turns out one of Lena Headey’s first on-screen love interests was a man named Mowgli in The Jungle Book .
