Lost in the Reels: 15 A-Listers’ Lesser-Known Performances

Your beloved Hollywood stars had started their careers well before their big break. An online community digs through the relics of the past to uncover some forgotten first roles. Let's look at the ancient cinematic gems these actors and actresses graced with their presence!

1. Ned Beatty in Deliverance (1972)

Deliverance Ned Beatty
Image Credit: Warner Bros.

Ned Beatty’s first role was in the 1972 movie Deliverance. It’s a perfect movie if you want to see a bunch of friends on an unforgettable canoeing trip. Just be warned, it's not your typical nature excursion.

2. Lee Van Cleef in High Noon (1952)

High Noon Lee Van Cleef
Image Credit: Stanley Kramer Productions.

Next, we have Lee Van Cleef in High Noon. Known for his angular facial features, Cleef served as one of Miller's gang members. This film shows a thrilling faceoff between a town Marshal and a gang of deadly killers.

3. Leonard Nimoy in Them! (1954)

Them! Leonard Nimoy
Image Credit: Warner Bros.

Who knew Leonard Nimoy's first role was in a movie about giant man-eating ants? That's right! He starred in Them! where atomic tests caused ants to mutate into terrifying monsters. Yikes!

4. James Earl Jones in Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Dr Strangelove James Earl Jones
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures.

James Earl Jones may be known for his commanding voice, but did you know he was also in Dr. Strangelove? Yes, he played a character on the B-52 in this dark comedy about nuclear war.

5. George Clooney in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

From Dusk Till Dawn George Clooney
Image Credit: Miramax.

Moving on, we have George Clooney in the film From Dusk Till Dawn. The story follows two criminals and their hostages who unknowingly seek refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires.

6. Christopher Walken in Annie Hall (1977)

Christopher Walken Annie Hall
Image Credit: Rollins-Joffe Productions.

Even Christopher Walken had a humble start as Annie Hall's brother in the eponymous film. Don’t we all love watching awkward family interactions?

7. Robert Duvall in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

To Kill A Mockingbird Robert Duvall
Image Credit: Brentwood Productions.

Robert Duvall's first role was in To Kill A Mockingbird, where he played Boo Radley, one of the most iconic literary characters.

8. Tom Hardy in Black Hawk Down (2001)

Black Hawk Down Tom Hardy
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures.

Tom Hardy's first movie role was in Black Hawk Down, where he played one of the 160 elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu.

9. Alan Rickman in Die Hard (1988)

Alan Rickman Die Hard
Image Credits: Twentieth Century Fox.

Famously known for his role in the Harry Potter series, Alan Rickman’s first role is often forgotten. You’ll be thrilled to discover that he was in the famous Christmas classic Die Hard.

10. Alicia Silverstone in The Crush (1993)

Alicia Silverstone The Crush
Image Credit: Morgan Creek Entertainment.

Alicia Silverstone's first role was in The Crush. She plays a 14-year-old girl who becomes obsessed with a journalist and sabotages his life after he rejects her advances. Ah, the good old toxic teenage love.

11. Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Scent of a Woman (1992)

Scent of a Woman Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Image Credit: Rex Features.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s first role was in the famous film Scent of a Woman. Let’s just say the plot revolves around a broke prep school student who agrees to “babysit” a blind man.

12. Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise (1991)

Brad Pitt Thelma & Louise
Image Credit: MGM.

Brad Pitt is a Hollywood gem but only a few know of his first yet unforgettable performance in Thelma & Louise.

13. Johnny Depp in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Johnny Depp A Nightmare on Elm Street
Image Credits: New Line Cinema.

And before becoming a pirate, Johnny Depp battled Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street.

14. Don Cheadle in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)

Don Cheadle Devil in a Blue Dress
Image Credits: TriStar Pictures.

Before his big break, Don Cheadle acted in Devil in a Blue Dress. The film is an intriguing tale of an investigator getting mixed up in a murderous scandal.

15. An Odd First Gig

Brie Larson Short Term 12
Image Credits: Maison Motion.

Brie Larson’s first role was in Short Term 12. It’s a tale about troubled waters and troubled teens.

 

Source: Reddit.