Actors You Didn't Know Got Their Start on TV
Actors You Didn't Know Got Their Start on TV
In Hollywood today, it's not uncommon to see your favorite stars go back and forth between television and movies. But this wasn't always the case. Sure, you might know Leonardo DiCaprio for Titanic or Morgan Freeman for The Shawshank Redemption, but did you know some of their first jobs were on TV? Find out which famous film actors have TV to thank for garnering them a spot in the realm of acting.
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox's most famous role is Marty McFly. But three years before, he was making audiences laugh as the Reaganomics-obsessed Alex P. Keaton on the hit '80s sitcom Family Ties.
Leonardo DiCaprio
The Oscar winner might be famous for movies like Titanic and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but back in the fall of 1991, he was making his television debut as Luke Brower in the final season of Growing Pains.
Chris Hemsworth
Almost a decade before Hemsworth was turning heads as Thor in the Marvel universe, he was portraying a young Kimberly "Kim" Hyde on the Australian soap, Home and Away.
Jared Leto
Leto might be best known for his band or his roles in films like Dallas Buyers'Club, but in the mid-1990s he was busy gaining recognition as Jordan Catalano on My So-Called Life.
Will Smith
While Smith was making moves as a young DJ and rapper in the 1980s, he got his acting break when as a fictionalized version of himself in the still-popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Jim Carrey
The actor has starred in hit comedies, like Bruce Almighty or Ace Ventura, but he got his start in acting as an ensemble member on the comedy sketch series In Living Color.
Ryan Gosling
Over a decade before Gosling was stealing hearts in The Notebook, he was part of an all-star ensemble cast (alongside the likes of Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears) in a 1990s reboot of The Mickey Mouse Club.
Taylor Kitsch
Back in 2006—years before he was in action films like American Assassin and 21 Bridges—Kitsch was making fans swoon as fullback Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Moviegoers might've thought JGL made his mark on Hollywood in 10 Things I Hate About You, but that's only because they probably forgot his five-year stint on the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.
George Clooney
While Clooney's career has massively expanded since his days on TV, he did get his start as Dr. Doug Ross, one of the original characters on the hit 1990s medical drama ER.
Shia LaBeouf
Before LaBeouf made his mark in film roles like Holes, Transformers, and most recently Honey Boy, he was just another Disney Channel kid, starring as the goofy Louis Stevens on Even Stevens.
Steve Carell
Carell might be the star of award-winning movies (Beautiful Boy) and TV shows (The Office), but most people forget that the comedian got his start as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Robin Williams
Williams is associated with award-winning films, like Dead Poets Society or Good Will Hunting, but it was the sitcom Mork and Mindy that gave him his first foot in the door.
Michael B. Jordan
The 2010s was the decade when Jordan became a household name in Hollywood—but it's not when he first started acting. In the early aughts, fans of The Wire might've noticed him in a recurring role.
Tom Hanks
Before Hanks became an award-winning film actor in the 1990s, he spent the previous decade starring on various TV shows, including portraying Kip/Buffy Wilson on the short-lived series Bosom Buddies.
Chris Pratt
Pratt's most famous films include the Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World franchises. Before he was on the big screen, he got his start in 2002 as Bright Abbot on Everwood.
James Franco
Back in the late 1990s, no one knew Franco would eventually become a Hollywood staple. He was just known as Daniel Desario on the cult series Freaks and Geeks.
Morgan Freeman
Back in the 1970s—long before anyone would consider him to be the acting voice of multiple generations—Freeman was making waves as a cast member of the PBS children's show The Electric Company.
Johnny Depp
Many years prior to Depp winning multiple awards for his work in various films, he was one of the original actors in the late 1980s cop show, 21 Jump Street.
John Travolta
Just a few years prior to Travolta wearing white jumpsuits and greaser attire, he gained some notice for his portrayal of Vincent "Vinnie" Barbarino in the series Welcome Back, Kotter.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Just a few years prior to winning an Emmy for Watchmen and appearing in Aquaman, Abdul-Mateen was portraying Clarence "Cadillac" Caldwell on the short-lived Netflix drama The Get Down.
Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence is most famous for her roles in movies like The Hunger Games franchise and Silver Linings Playbook. However in 2007, she was portraying teenager Lauren Pearson on The Bill Engvall Show.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Sure, Cumberbatch is known for portraying Sherlock and Doctor Strange throughout his career, but his acting stints began in the early aughts, when he portrayed Rory Slippery on the British dramedy Fortysomething.
Denzel Washington
It was the 1980s when a then-unknown Denzel Washington gained notice amongst TV viewers when he began portraying Dr. Phillip Chandler on the hit medical drama St. Elsewhere.
Melissa McCarthy
While McCarthy is famous for her comedic turns in films like Bridesmaids and the Ghostbusters reboot, Gilmore Girls fans have known her for years as chef Sookie St. James.
Matthew McConaughey
No one can deny Matthew McConaughey is one of Hollywood's elite. But in the early 1990s, he was just an unknown actor starring in a re-enactment segment on Unsolved Mysteries.
Bruce Willis
Less than five years before he would become a star for his work in Die Hard, Willis was busy fighting other bad guys as Detective David Addison on the ABC dramedy Moonlighting.
Adam Sandler
Before he was proving his comedic chops on the big screen, Sandler was one of the many cast members on Saturday Night Live in the mid-1990s.
Alec Baldwin
Back in 1984, it didn't take long for fans of the series Knots Landing to fall for a young Alec Baldwin, who portrayed televangelist Joshua Rush in the show's sixth season.
Chris Evans
Just a decade before Evans would have a legion of fans from portraying Captain America, he was a young actor starring as Cary Baston on the short lived Fox series, Opposite Sex.
Idris Elba
Just a few short years before he garnered recognition in films like Beast of No Nation and the Thor franchise, he spent three seasons portraying Russell "Stringer" Bell on The Wire.
Eddie Murphy
Before he was busy trying to stop bad guys in multiple 1980s films, Murphy was quickly becoming a beloved cast member on Saturday Night Live during the same time period.
Michael Fassbender
In 2001, a mere decade before he portrayed Magneto in X-Men: First Class, Fassbender was one of many young actors to star in the critically-acclaimed HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.
Halle Berry
In 1989—more than a decade before she won an Oscar—Halle Berry was portraying aspiring model Emily Franklin on the short-lived series Living Dolls.
Woody Harrelson
Before he was busy portraying hustlers and victors of deadly televised games, he became well-loved for his role as bartender Woody Boyd on the long-running NBC sitcom Cheers.
Jason Bateman
Bateman's comedic work can be seen in films like Horrible Bosses and Game Night, but his career began back in the 1980s, when he starred as Derek Taylor on the sitcom Silver Spoons.
Sally Field
Long before Field won an Oscar for her role in Norma Rae, she starred in multiple 1960s television shows, including the sitcom Gidget.
Jamie Foxx
Although Foxx's career consists of roles in award-winning films like Ray and Django Unchained, it was becoming a cast member on In Living Color that jumpstarted his life in Hollywood.
Tom Hardy
Before Hollywood noticed him for roles in The Revenant and Black Hawk Down, Hardy was starring alongside Michael Fassbender in HBO's Band of Brothers.
Amy Adams
A young Amy Adams could be seen on the first two seasons of The Office as Katie (aka the purse lady and Jim's ex-girlfriend) before she became mostly known for her work in film.
Who knew some of Hollywood's elite were on our TV screens every week?