15 Famous People Who Showed Up in Movie Backgrounds Before They Were Famous
Becoming famous usually involves at least a few years of taking whatever work you can get, which means some very recognizable faces are hiding in movies from long before anybody knew their names. They were party guests, students, restaurant customers and assorted people whose main responsibility was basically to make a room look occupied. Watching those movies decades later turns an otherwise ordinary background shot into a tiny celebrity scavenger hunt. Some future stars can only be seen for a few seconds, while others were technically given characters so insignificant that they never even received a name. Either way, nobody watching at the time was supposed to pay much attention to them. Here are 15 famous people who showed up in movie backgrounds before they were famous.
Brad Pitt in Less Than Zero
Before anyone was paying attention to Brad Pitt, he was an uncredited partygoer in 1987’s Less Than Zero. He also spent that year popping up anonymously in several other movies.
Renée Zellweger in Dazed and Confused
Look closely at the students in Dazed and Confused and a young Renée Zellweger is among them. Her uncredited appearance came years before Jerry Maguire made her instantly recognizable.
Cuba Gooding Jr. in Coming to America
Cuba Gooding Jr. appears briefly as a young customer getting a haircut in the barbershop in Coming to America. There was no Oscar-winning actor to recognize yet, just another guy sitting in the background.
Nicolas Cage in Fast Times at Ridgemont High
One of Nicolas Cage’s earliest movie appearances came in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Credited under his birth name Nicolas Coppola, he can be spotted working at the burger restaurant.
Kristen Stewart in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
Years before Twilight, Kristen Stewart had an uncredited childhood appearance in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. It was one of two tiny movie appearances she made before landing more substantial roles.
Jason Segel in Can’t Hardly Wait
Jason Segel’s first movie role was about as anonymous as possible: “Watermelon Guy” in Can’t Hardly Wait. He appears briefly at the graduation party years before becoming a sitcom star.
Charlize Theron in Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest
Charlize Theron’s movie debut consisted of silently appearing among a group of followers in Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest. She had no dialogue and wasn’t credited.
Sigourney Weaver in Annie Hall
A year before Alien, Sigourney Weaver was hiding in plain sight in Annie Hall. She appears briefly near the end of the movie as Alvy’s date.
Sharon Stone in Stardust Memories
Sharon Stone made her movie debut in Stardust Memories, appearing as a woman on a train. It was a tiny beginning for someone who would become one of the most recognizable stars of the following decade.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Hannah and Her Sisters
Before Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus could be spotted in Hannah and Her Sisters. She was one of several future stars who turned up in surprisingly small parts in the movie.
Larry David in Radio Days
Speaking of future Seinfeld royalty, Larry David appeared in Radio Days years before most audiences knew his face. His tiny role makes rewatches considerably more entertaining now.
Paul Giamatti in Mighty Aphrodite
Long before becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognizable character actors, Paul Giamatti appeared in Mighty Aphrodite. His role was small enough that plenty of viewers probably never noticed him at all.
Jennifer Garner in Deconstructing Harry
Jennifer Garner was still years away from Alias when she appeared briefly in Deconstructing Harry. It’s the kind of early appearance that becomes much easier to notice once you already know the face.
Sam Rockwell in Celebrity
Before his career really took off, Sam Rockwell turned up in Celebrity. Looking back, his small appearance is another reminder of just how many future stars were quietly filling out movie casts.
Zach Braff in Manhattan Murder Mystery
Nearly a decade before Scrubs, Zach Braff appeared in Manhattan Murder Mystery. He played the son of Woody Allen and Diane Keaton’s characters, making it an easy early appearance to miss if you weren’t looking for him.