Konstantin Stanislavsky, one of the most influential theatre directors of all time and founder of the “Method Acting” technique, once famously said, “There are no small parts, only small actors.” In a fast-paced industry like Hollywood, that might sound almost insane: everyone wants the scene-stealing roles, not some inconsequential bit part.
As it turns out, some of the most iconic stars in Hollywood’s Hall of Fame began their acting days playing “Party Guest” or “Woman #2.” To celebrate 10 of those celebrity overachievers / Hollywood actors who went above and beyond their origins as extras, here are some well-known stars who almost went unnoticed.
10. Regé-Jean Page
With movies like Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, The Gray Man, and the first season of Bridgerton under his belt, Regé-Jean Page is well on his way to becoming a household name in Hollywood. Like many other actors, his earliest roles were limited to indie films – until he struck gold with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Which renowned sorcerer or nefarious Deatheater did he play in that film, you may be wondering? Why, none other than “Wedding guest,” a role he wasn’t even credited for.
9. Megan Fox
Before she became an international bombshell thanks to her outstanding roles in Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise, Fox struggled to break the idea that she was just a pretty face. Still, one of her earliest roles (and the first in a major motion picture) came to be thanks to Bay. She played “Bikini Kid Dancing Under Waterfall” in Bad Boys II, almost six years before the first Transformers movie.
8. Viola Davis
Even future EGOT (that’s Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winners) recipients had to start somewhere. For Viola Davis, becoming the quintessential female lead has been a rocky road – one that began with lots of “Nurse” and “Policewoman” credits in multiple films, including Ocean’s Eleven and Traffic. It wasn’t until 2008’s Doubt that her role as Mrs. Miller finally earned her the recognition she so desperately deserved. Then, 2011’s The Help finally launched her into international stardom, in a journey that would lead her to 2017, when she finally took home the Oscar for her work on Fences.
7. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
Now here’s a two-in-one deal: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who were friends since they were kids, started their acting careers around the same time. The two actors auditioned together for smaller roles and to play extras that would earn them some way into Hollywood. In 1989, hearing that Kevin Costner would star in a new movie in the Boston area, and that production needed around 3000 extras to film a scene in Fenway Park, Damon and Affleck became uncredited extras in Field of Dreams, just so they could meet their acting idol.
6. Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis has an uncanny ability to be both an average Joe and a larger-than-life action hero whenever the need arises. Around five years before he became a pop culture icon with Moonlighting, Willis was still struggling to get noticed in Hollywood. His first two roles (both uncredited) were “Man entering diner” and the coveted part of “Courtroom observer” in Sydney Lumet’s The Verdict. A few years after Moonlighting proved he could be a more than capable movie cop, Die Hard came along – and changed the course of his career for good.
5. Brad Pitt
It seems almost surreal that there was a time when no one in Hollywood knew the name “Brad Pitt.” For more than one generation, Pitt has become the ideal movie star: handsome and talented, the kind of guy who has always been famous – except he wasn’t. His first year in Hollywood (1987), he spent it playing roles like “Man at beach with drink” and “Party Guest”. Needless to say, all of those roles were uncredited. Even in the mid-90s, after he had managed some success with Thelma & Louise, you could sometimes see him starring in the unlikeliest places, like an episode of Tales from the Crypt.
4. Sylvester Stallone
The Italian Stallion had a rough few years in Hollywood before he made the big leagues. The actor worked as an uncredited extra for years, before Rocky became a part of Hollywood’s history. In 1970, six years before Rocky, Stallone was desperate for work and facing homelessness. To make ends meet, he starred in a sleazy adult film titled The Party at Kitty and Stud’s – for which he received just $200. After he became an icon, however, The Party at Kitty and Stud’s was renamed The Italian Stallion to capitalize on Stallone’s newfound legendary status.
3. Leonardo DiCaprio
Whether he’s playing a teenage heartthrob or delivering an acting tour de force in films like The Revenant, DiCaprio has become intrinsically entwined with Hollywood’s DNA. However, he almost didn’t make it to the mainstream. His first two roles are completely detached from the rest of his oeuvre. First, he played “Josh” in Critters 3, a direct-to-video sequel. Then, he played “Guy” – as in, just some guy – in the erotic thriller Poison Ivy. That was in 1992, just one year before he became a massive star thanks to What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.
2. Harrison Ford
Every actor in Hollywood has wanted to be Harrison Ford at some point. The man became a cultural icon, playing Han Solo and Indiana Jones within the same decade. Before that, however, Ford struggled to provide for his family, which led him to become a self-taught carpenter. Long before Star Wars, you could see the Hollywood actor playing extras and minor characters like “Irate Motorist” in Luv and “Student” in Zabriskie Point.
1. Marilyn Monroe
When you think of Hollywood glamour, you think of Marilyn Monroe. With her golden hair and pearly white smile, Monroe embodied a bygone era of movie stars – one in which dreams did come true for those who persevered enough. And if anyone knows a thing or two about perseverance, that would be Marilyn Monroe. She started her career as a contract player, with minor roles that rarely earned her public acclaim. That all changed with All About Eve and The Asphalt Jungle, the movies that turned Marilyn into the legendary star she is today.
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