In the midst of celeb fame, it’s easy to forget that they all started somewhere.
For some, it was taking guest roles on popular shows like Sex and the City , Friends , and 30 Rock . For others, it was even smaller than that: they played extras.
Here are 10+ very famous actors who had tiny roles fans didn’t notice.
1. Ben Stiller in *Miami Vice*.
Many big stars today got their start in Miami Vice . This includes Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts.
Stiller played the con man named “Fast Eddie Felcher” in his third TV role.
2. Amy Schumer in *30 Rock*.
This was definitely a blink-and-you’d-miss-it kind of role. The comedian only had one line!
But, alas, she made her impact as a stylist who says, “I’m gonna get some tape,” when pulling Liz Lemon’s cheeks back.
3. Jennifer Lawrence in *Monk*.
This might be a role the actress wishes to forget!
She played a high school mascot on the show. When Conan O’Brien asked her about it, she said that it’s “tied to the most humiliating thing in my entire life.”
4. Jon Favreau in *Seinfeld*.
You probably didn’t notice him under all that clown makeup, but it was the famous actor and director.
He played a party clown at the birthday party where George starts a scene. He also guest-starred on Friends .
5. Rose Bryne in *Star Wars: Attack of the Clones*.
Before she was put on the map by playing Helen in Bridesmaids , she was part of Queen Amidala’s squad as Dorme.
She joked with Jimmy Fallon that the role was her “finest hour.”
6. Renée Zellweger in *Dazed and Confused*.
There were a lot of big stars today in the cult-classic film: Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Milla Jovovich, and Ben Affleck.
So no wonder a lot of fans didn’t notice Renée as an extra in the film.
7. Megan Fox in *Bad Boys II*.
In 2020, the world was alerted to the alarming fact that Fox was an extra in the film who wore a bikini, red cowboy hat, and high heels.
Only thing is, she was 15 at the time.
Since she was underage during the club scene, director Michael Bay approved her look but said that she wasn’t able to sit at the bar.
His solution was to have Fox under a waterfall getting dripping wet.
“And that’s… At 15 and I was in tenth grade. So that’s sort of a microcosm of how Bay’s mind works,” she said on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2009.
8. Emma Stone in *Malcolm in the Middle*.
It’s hard to think of the Oscar winner playing a mean girl since she’s so nice, but that’s exactly what she did on the popular show.
Her character plays a mean prank on Reese, but it backfires.
9. Steve Carell in *Curly Sue*.
Way before he was making us laugh as Michael Scott on The Office , Steve was just another actor trying to break into Hollywood.
In addition to The Daily Show , he took on small roles like this one.
10. Serena Williams in *Avatar* and *The Legend of Korra*.
Tennis isn’t her only passion. She is also a huge fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel The Legend of Korra .
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She made a cameo appearance, voicing “Ming” and a female sage from the shows.
11. Aubrey Plaza in *30 Rock*.
She may be well known for her role in Parks and Recreation , but before that, she had a brief appearance on 30 Rock .
She played an NBC page leading a tour group when Kenneth rushed to get Tracy Jordan his medicine.
As it turns out, the actress actually worked as an NBC page before her career started.
“I stole this NBC page uniform after I was encouraged to leave the Page Program,” she told Elle .
“I wasn’t outright fired, but it was suggested that I leave, so I never gave it back.”
12. Olivia Rodrigo in *New Girl*.
Thanks to her hit single, “Drivers License,” the singer reached insane levels of fame in 2021.
But she’s actually been an actress for a while in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and as one of Jess’s students in New Girl .
13. Adam Scott in *Boy Meets World*.
Since we’re so used to seeing the actor in movies, most people have no idea that he actually got started on TV.
He played Griffin Hawkins, a band member, during a few episodes of Boy Meets World .
14. Craig Robinson In *Friends*.
Before he became Darryl on The Office , the actor played the role of someone working a very monotonous office job on Friends .
He was the one responsible for Phoebe naming herself Princess Consuela Banana Hammock!
15. Kristen Stewart in *The Thirteenth Year*.
Back in the ’90s, Disney had quite a few memorable original movies. One of those was this film about a teenage boy who discovers he’s a merman.
It’s memorable for another reason: it was the first on-screen role for Kristen, who appeared as a background extra.
16. Bradley Cooper in *Sex and the City*.
Sex and the City was an iconic show that saw a lot of stars get their start. This includes Kat Dennings and Vince Vaughn.
That also happened for Brad, who had his first credited role on the show.
17. Rami Malek in *Legend of Korra*.
If you missed Rami’s voice as the pro-bending waterbender Tahno, it’s understandable. He didn’t reach insane levels of fame until he portrayed Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody .
But real fans will know that he truly started his career on the show!
