Photo Credit ( Pixels )

Hollywood is constantly searching for the next big thing. Only a small percentage of aspirant actors make it big on screen, with thousands upon thousands of them fighting for the role of lead in important movies. Some performers waited years for their big breaks, while celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio became famous relatively early in their careers.

Many actors have performed some of their best work in tiny roles before making their major breakthrough, even though it may take them some time to become household names.

A-list actors in amazing and frequently underappreciated films from before they were famous abound. There are many excellent videos available for viewers who would like to learn about the humble beginnings of their favorite celebrities.

Nicolas Cage in “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986)

Picture courtesy of TriStar Pictures; Nicolas Cage as Charlie, singing in Peggy Sue Got Married

For Francis Ford Coppola, the 1980s were a mixed bag of a decade. His work was more uneven in the 1980s, but in the 1970s he became a seminal director, helming timeless films like Apocalypse Now and The Godfather. Peggy Sue Got Married, a comic fantasy about a homemaker who is transported back in time to her high school years, was one of Coppola’s more modest hits.
The decision to pair actress Kathleen Turner with Nicolas Cage, Coppola’s nephew, was risky even though Turner was already a well-known leading lady thanks to roles in Body Heat and Romancing the Stone. Even though Cage’s extravagant fashion sense is already recognized worldwide, his portrayal was criticized for seeming unrealistic. Even yet, a year later he would break through with Moonstruck, for which he would get a Golden Globe.

“Smooth Talk,” by Laura Dern (1985)

Inspired by the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, but not exactly. Smooth Talk is an allegory of emerging feminine adulthood that is both real and figurative. The picture, which was a disappointing underachiever at the box office, centers on 15-year-old Connie, who has a sexual awakening that is threatened when an enigmatic older guy shows interest in her.
Laura Dern, who plays Connie, is the daughter of actors Bruce Dern and Dianne Ladd. She began her acting career at the age of six. Dern had already acted in movies like Teachers and Foxes, but Blue Velvet, which came out a year later in 1986, would be her major breakthrough role. Dern’s portrayal in Smooth Talk is compelling and subtle, despite the fact that she is only 18 in the movie, demonstrating her talent as an actor even at an early age.

Emily Blunt, “My Summer of Love” (2004)

In “My Summer of Love,” Emily Blunt

My Summer of Love, which is based on Helen Cross’s book of the same name, offers a deep and frequently moving examination into teenage emotion and reaction. Renowned Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski helms the picture, which centers on the nascent bond between two young ladies from diametrically opposed socioeconomic origins.
The young ladies, who were both unknowns at the time, are played by Emily Blunt in her debut role and Natalie Press. Blunt would go on to act in The Devil Wears Prada, an iconic film that catapulted her into prominence, just two years later. Even though Blunt is still a young actor, My Summer of Love fully utilizes her sly and astute acting abilities.

Will Smith, “Six Degrees of Separation,” (1993)

One of the best books ever written is Six Degrees of Separation. The story of Paul, a young guy who shows up at the apartment of an affluent New York couple claiming to be a friend of their children and the son of well-known actor Sidney Poitier, is told in this comedy-drama-satire-mystery film.

In the movie, Will Smith plays Paul, a part that was first played by renowned stage actor Courtney B. Vance. Smith, who had gained notoriety from his stint on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, was essentially a new face in movies at that point, having only starred in two before. Smith became known as a name to watch after his deceptive and delicate performance, and that has continued ever since.

Kristen Stewart, “Panic Room” (2002)

Kristen Stewart and Jodie Foster in the panic room. Image courtesy of Columbia Pictures
The plot of David Fincher’s rewatchable home invasion thriller Panic Room revolves around a mother-daughter team trying to survive in the panic room of their New York apartment. When the thieves, Burnham (Forest Whitaker), Raoul (Dwight Yoakam), and Junior (Jared Leto), find the hidden chamber, they engage in a heated conversation with Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart), who are hiding in the panic room.

The Safety of Objects was Stewart’s first feature picture, and this one came out before the Twilight star was fully established. But in Panic Room, she made a strikingly good impression as a disdainful daughter fed up with raising her own recently divorced mother, which gave the thriller more nuance.

Nicole Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Casey Affleck in “To Die For” (1995)

Standing with her arms crossed in To Die For, Nicole Kidman plays Suzanne Stone. Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing
Even though To Die For was a well-known movie in 1995, it is currently underappreciated. The film is creatively presented, blending mockumentary-style filming with direct-to-camera speeches. It is darkly funny and well written. The film, which was directed by Gus Van Zant, tells the story of Suzanne Stone, a vicious and relentless newscaster who would destroy anybody who stands in her way.
The entire movie features excellent acting, with Nicole Kidman delivering a riveting portrayal of the heartless newscaster. Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck, who both play young pupils, are also in the movie. The picture is captivating due to its remarkable storyline and well-received performances, as acknowledged by critics. Viewers can make out the silhouettes of two actors in To Die For who would go on to become two of the greatest of their generation, despite their youth.

Ryan Gosling, “The Believer” (2001)

Samuel Goldwyn Films/The Believer, starring Ryan Gosling
Surprisingly eloquent and ferocious, The Believer is maybe the best movie ever written about self-hatred. Despite taking home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the movie’s box office performance was lackluster. The Believer, written and directed by Henry Bean, centers on Danny Balint, a young, intelligent Neo-Nazi in New York who has difficulties when his identity is questioned.
After appearing on the Disney Channel, Ryan Gosling tried his hand at becoming a more serious actor. He discovered his juxtaposition by playing the antisemitic character Balint. But Gosling has since gone on to become one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actors—often for parts that don’t call for the same level of fluency as this one. Gosling began his career with The Believer and has since grown to be one of the most deliberate project selectors of any contemporary actor.

Denzel Washington, “A Soldier’s Story,” (1984)
Denzel Washington in the film An American Soldier
A Solider’s Story, which Charles Fuller adapted from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, gained popularity near the end of 1984 and was finally nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The film, which was directed by socially conscious director Norman Jewison, follows a Black Army investigator as he goes to the Jim Crow South in order to investigate the death of a Black sergeant.

As the dead sergeant, Adolph Caesar plays the same part he played in the original play. He gives a beautiful performance, with each line he reads being more delicious than the previous. The most well-known appearance, though, is when Denzel Washington makes an early cameo, playing Private First Class Peterson again from the play. It’s intriguing to consider that Washington would probably play the major role if the movie had been released ten, perhaps five, years later.

“The China Syndrome” by Michael Douglas (1979)

In The China Syndrome, Kimberly and Richard are seen conversing with someone off-camera in an office.
Reviewed as “one of the most intelligent Hollywood films of the 1970s” by cinema historian Rob Edelman, The China Syndrome was a critical and financial hit. The James Bridges-directed movie centers on a reporter who becomes entangled in a conspiracy while investigating a nuclear power plant story.
While Jack Lemmon gives a trademark tense and twitchy Lemmon performance, Jane Fonda gives a powerful performance as the snappy news reporter. Michael Douglas, 35, makes an appearance as well. Until then, he had been a successful producer but had not yet achieved stardom as an actor. Not until Romancing the Stone, which came out five years later, could Douglas be called a bankable star.

Harrison Ford, ‘American Graffiti’ (1973)

Harrison Ford’s American Zoetrope: American Graffiti

One of the greatest hangout movies ever made is American Graffiti, the only film that George Lucas, the visionary behind Star Wars, directed. The film, which inspired everything from Dazed and Confused to Licorice Pizza, centers on a group of friends who spend a late summer night cruising Modesto, California, in the early 1960s.
Many well-known faces are in the cast, such as Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, and Richard Dreyfuss. None, though, would go on to have a career as significant as Harrison Ford’s. Ford, who was at the time pursuing a career in carpentry, only agreed to play the part if one of the most well-known performers wouldn’t make him cut his hair. In 1973, Ford would have been the least likely of the group’s stars, but look at him now.