15 Movie Stars We All Knew Were Going to Be Movie Stars From the Start

You can usually tell when an actor has something special, even if you can’t quite explain what it is. Maybe they get a laugh out of a line that isn’t particularly funny. Maybe you’re watching a scene with three other people and keep looking at them instead. Plenty of famous actors spent years getting ignored before anyone noticed, but some seemed like stars almost as soon as they appeared on screen. Watching their older work now, knowing where their careers went, makes those early roles even more interesting. The haircuts and clothes might have aged badly, but whatever made these actors worth watching was already there.

Audrey Hepburn

Before Hollywood turned Audrey Hepburn into a fashion icon, she was already winning audiences over with her funny little expressions and that wonderfully mischievous smile. She made everything look easy.

Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews came to Hollywood with years of stage experience, and it showed. She could sing beautifully, deliver a joke, and make a room full of children seem manageable.

Eddie Murphy

Watch Eddie Murphy in his early twenties and it’s almost ridiculous how comfortable he looks. He talks a mile a minute, changes voices constantly, and somehow never loses the audience.

Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman didn’t need to raise his voice to make people nervous. He could stretch out a single word, pause for a second, and suddenly have everyone paying attention.

Julia Roberts

There was always something a little unruly about Julia Roberts. That enormous laugh, the way she’d interrupt someone, the occasional awkward moment. She never seemed interested in looking perfect.

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey showed up in Dazed and Confused looking like he’d wandered onto the set by accident. A few scenes later, Wooderson was the guy everyone remembered.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz had never made a movie when she landed The Mask. You wouldn’t guess it from watching her. She looked perfectly comfortable trading scenes with Jim Carrey.

Emma Stone

Emma Stone had a slightly raspy voice and a knack for making uncomfortable conversations funny. Even in Superbad, you could see how much she could do with a reaction shot.

Saoirse Ronan

At 13, Saoirse Ronan was already playing characters who were difficult to understand and even harder to like. She wasn’t afraid to make Briony in Atonement genuinely frustrating.

Dev Patel

Dev Patel brought a slightly awkward, boyish quality to his early roles that worked in his favor. He didn’t look or sound like someone trying to imitate a Hollywood leading man.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence had a way of making serious scenes feel uncomfortably real. In Winter’s Bone, she barely needed to speak to show how exhausted and determined her character was.

Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o’s first major film role was an incredibly difficult one. She played Patsey in 12 Years a Slave without softening any of the character’s pain for the audience.

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie walked into The Wolf of Wall Street and refused to disappear beside Leonardo DiCaprio. She gave Naomi a sharp sense of humor and a temper to match.

Florence Pugh

Florence Pugh was only 20 when she played Katherine in Lady Macbeth. She could sit completely still and make you wonder what terrible thing her character was planning.

Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet never seemed bothered about looking cool. He let Elio be awkward, insecure, and occasionally embarrassing in Call Me by Your Name. That made the character believable.