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21 Actors Who Went On To Have Big Careers After Starting As Unnamed Guest Stars On These Shows

BuzzFeed
3 min read

1.First, one of Andrew Garfield's earliest acting credits was playing "Boy with Fruit" in the limited series Simon Schama's Power of Art in 2006.

Closeup of Andrew Garfield
BBC / Via youtu.be

2.Viola Davis's first TV credit was when she played "Woman" in an episode of NYPD Blue in 1996.

Viola Davis in "NYPD Blue"
ABC

3.Aubrey Plaza's first acting credit was for an episode of 30 Rock in 2006 where she played an NBC page. She was actually a page in real life, too.

Aubrey Plaza in "30 Rock"
NBC

4.In 2016, Stephanie Hsu appeared in an episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as "Female Protester."

Closeup of Stephanie Hsu
Netflix

5.Lindsay Lohan's very first onscreen appearance was when she played "Trick-or-Treater Dressed as Garbage" in an episode of Late Night with David Letterman in 1992.

Lindsay Lohan as a child
CBS / Via youtu.be

6.Milo Ventimiglia's first acting credit was for playing "Party Guest No. 1" in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1995.

Milo on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"
NBC

7.Sydney Sweeney's first TV role was as "Little Girl" in an episode of Heroes in 2009.

Young Sydney Sweeney
NBC

8.Three years before landing her breakout role as Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy, Chandra Wilson guest-starred as "Police Officer" in a 2002 episode of Sex and the City.

Chandra in "Sex and the City"
HBO

9.Jon Hamm's first acting credit was when he appeared as "Gorgeous Guy at Bar" in an episode of Ally McBeal in 1997.

Jon Hamm in "Ally McBeal"
Fox

10.Lady Gaga started her acting career playing "Girl at Swimming Pool #2" in an episode of The Sopranos in 2001.

Lady Gaga in "The Sopranos"
HBO

11.Octavia Spencer played countless unnamed characters early in her career, one of whom was "Cashier" in an episode of Malcom in the Middle in 2000.

Closeup of Octavia
Fox

12.Three years before his breakout role in Stranger Things, Caleb McLaughlin appeared in an episode of Law & Order: SVU as "Boy" in 2013.

Young Caleb McLaughlin
NBC

13.Jennifer Lawrence's first acting credit was when she played "Mascot" in an episode of Monk in 2006.

Jennifer Lawrence dressed as a mascot
USA

14.Michael B. Jordan's very first acting credit was when he appeared as "Rideland Kid" in an episode of The Sopranos in 1999.

Young Michael B. Jordan
HBO

15.Olivia Colman appeared as "Mother" in an episode of Doctor Who in 2010, nine years before she won an Academy Award for The Favourite.

Olivia Colman in "Doctor Who"
BBC

16.Four years before landing his breakout role as Finn Hudson on Glee, Cory Monteith played "Frat Cowboy" in a 2005 episode of Smallville.

Closeup of Cory Monteith
The CW

17.Eva Longoria began her acting career by playing "Flight Attendant #3" in an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 in 2000.

Young Eva Longoria
Fox

18.Before her breakout role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Rachel Brosnahan guest-starred as "Girl" in a 2010 episode of Gossip Girl.

Rachel Brosnahan in "Gossip Girl"
The CW

19.Before her breakout roles in Yellowjackets and Scream, Jasmin Savoy Brown played a few unnamed characters on TV, like "Gossip Girl #2" on an episode of The Fosters in 2014.

Closeup of Jasmin Savoy Brown
ABC Family / Freeform

20.Simu Liu's very first acting credit was when he appeared in a 2012 episode of Nikita as "Desk Officer."

Simu Liu in "Nikita"
The CW

21.And finally, Leonardo DiCaprio played "Darlene's Classmate" in an episode of Roseanne in 1991.

Leo in "Roseanne"
ABC
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