9 Actors Who Lurking Around Before Making Their Names

Elise Feyrer

Actors can make ends meet by doing background work as they audition for roles and develop their skills. Many famous people got their start as background actors in Hollywood productions. If you look closely enough, some of them may make cameo appearances in your favorite Movies. In other cases, you may only catch a glimpse of their shoulder or a shadowy outline against a dark background, rendering them virtually unrecognizable. Quite frequently, the opportunity is fleeting, and you have to be quick not to miss it.
Even though these actors made it to the top of their field, it's fascinating to consider that they were once fresh-faced youngsters with bright futures in the performing arts. Everyone has to begin somewhere, and most actors make their movie debuts long before they become household names. There may be countless up-and-coming actors and actresses lurking in the shadows of today's blockbuster films and hit television shows.

9. Steve Carell

actors who hid before becoming famous, Steve CarellSource: Hughes Entertainment

He made his film debut as a waiter in the film Curly Sue. His lines were blank, and he was a nervous wreck the whole time. That was the first film I had ever seen. I put in three full days of work. "I was completely blank," he told Collider. What did I learn about interacting with children in the workplace? I was so nervous about being there that all I did was watch the young actor from a distance of about a hundred yards. Other than that, I was pleased to be a part of a film shot in Chicago.

8. Julianne Hough

actors who hid before becoming famous, Julianne HoughSource: Warner Bros.

Although she is best known for her participation in Dancing With the Stars, few people know that she also had an appearance in the first Harry Potter film. She shared a photo from her time on set last year. For example, "Remember that one time when I was 11 and a Gryffindor?" she penned.

7. Leonardo DiCaprio

actors who hid before becoming famous, Leonardo DiCaprioSource: Paramount

Leo made an appearance on Roseanne as a child actor. The show launched the careers of many other actors, including Tobey Maguire, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and many more.

6. Megan Fox

actors who hid before becoming famous, Megan FoxSource: Columbia Pictures

Megan was only 15 when she appeared in Bad Boys 2 as "Stars-and-Stripes Bikini Kid Dancing Under Waterfall." She revealed in 2009 on Jimmy Kimmel's show, "I was wearing a stars and stripes bikini, a red cowboy hat, and 6-inch heels." "And Michael Bay approved. They told him, "She's 15, so you can't sit at the bar or give her a drink." So he made me dance under a waterfall and get drenched. So... a Tenth grader at 15, and that's how Bay's thinking works."

5. George Clooney

actors who hid before becoming famous, George ClooneySource: Getty Images

In this 1970s TV movie, the grey-haired heartthrob of Hollywood may be seen lugging a barrel. His subsequent acting roles were all as insignificant as his first. Even though he was a regular on the 1980s sitcom Facts of Life, it wasn't until he was in his mid-30s that Clooney found real success with his part in the medical drama E.R.

4. Kristen Stewart

actors who hid before becoming famous, Kristen StewartSource: Disney

When she was nine years old, she made her acting debut in the Disney film The Thirteenth Year as "Girl in Fountain Line."

3. John Hamm

actors who hid before becoming famous, John HammSource: David E.Kelley Productions

John played "Gorgeous Guy at Bar" on Ally McBeal and "Young Pilot #2" in Space Cowboys. The Practice made him understand he wanted to be the star, not an extra. John told Entertainment Weekly in 2015, "I was an LAX extra." "I thought, 'This is pretty bizarre.'" I was an extra on The Practice's pilot and saw Dylan McDermott's remarks. "He's good," I thought. I'm interested. I wish I wasn't sleeping in the stands." He waited ten years to fulfill his desire.

2. Jason Segel

actors who hid before becoming famous, Jason SegelSource: Columbia Pictures

Before becoming famous for roles in films like The Muppet Show and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, he played the "Watermelon Guy" role in the 1998 teen comedy Can't Wait. His debut in the film industry.

1. Brad Pitt

actors who hid before becoming famous, Brad PittSource: Getty Images

Brad's early career included corny Pringles commercials and a chicken suit for El Pollo Loco. He was an uncredited extra in 1987's Hunt and Less Than Zero. Last year, Charlie Sheen posted a screenshot of No Man's Land featuring Brad as an extra. Brad Pitt commented on Instagram, "Check out Brad Pitt as a server!" Brad's first speaking part was in 1988's Dallas.