Top 30 Movie Stars Who Started Out as Extras

Most Hollywood stars have surprisingly modest beginnings. Many famous actors and actresses today started their careers with small, uncredited roles – often as extras blending into the background of films. It’s fun to look back at classic movies and spot future icons before they became famous! This collection highlights the early, uncredited work of thirty major stars and how they first got their start in the industry.

Julianne Hough

Julianne Hough began her career with a small, uncredited role in ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.’ While living in London, she appeared as a Gryffindor student cheering at a Quidditch match. This was years before she became well-known as a dancer, actress, and reality television star.

Regé-Jean Page

Though he’s now famous for a popular historical series, one of his first roles was actually in the ‘Harry Potter’ films. He had a very brief, uncredited appearance as a wedding guest in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’, standing near Hermione Granger during a key scene. It’s a quick moment most people miss, and it happened ten years before he became a leading actor.

Alexis Bledel

Before Alexis Bledel became famous for her role on television, she had a small, uncredited part in the movie ‘Rushmore.’ Filmed in her hometown of Houston, the scene shows her as a background student sitting in a classroom during a presentation. This early experience on a professional film set proved valuable, helping her prepare for the role that would later make her a star.

Eva Mendes

This well-known actress started her career with minor roles in low-budget horror movies. One of her first appearances was in the direct-to-video film ‘Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror,’ a performance she later admitted she wasn’t happy with. Despite this modest beginning, she worked hard and eventually became a leading star in both action and dramatic films.

Kristen Stewart

Before becoming famous for her role in the ‘Twilight’ movies, Kristen Stewart had a small, uncredited part in ‘The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.’ As a child actor, she played a girl at a carnival game in the background of a date scene – it was one of her earliest experiences working in film.

Megan Fox

This popular action movie star began her career with a small, uncredited role in a big-budget Michael Bay film. As a teenager hoping to get her foot in the door, she appeared as a dancer in ‘Bad Boys II,’ memorably performing under a waterfall in a patriotic costume. Bay later gave her a more significant opportunity in the ‘Transformers’ series, which ultimately made her famous around the world.

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum, famous for both his dancing and action films, actually began his career as an extra. He appeared as a background performer in Steven Spielberg’s ‘War of the Worlds,’ playing a boy in a church scene during the alien invasion. Though his screen time was brief – a quick glimpse among the panicked crowd – the experience gave him valuable insight into how a large-scale movie production operates, before he started his modeling and acting career.

Steve Carell

Early in his career, the well-known comedian had a small, uncredited part in the movie ‘Curly Sue’. He played a character named Tesio who appeared quickly in a restaurant scene, mostly as a face in the background. It took several more years of performing comedy before he became famous.

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Before becoming a famous action star, Jean-Claude Van Damme started as a background dancer. He appeared in the movie ‘Breakin”, enthusiastically performing in a beach scene while wearing a black leotard. Even though he wasn’t the main focus, his impressive energy and flexibility were noticeable. He quickly moved from these small roles to leading man status in action films.

Dolph Lundgren

Before becoming a well-known movie villain, Dolph Lundgren had a small role in a James Bond film. He played a KGB enforcer in ‘A View to a Kill’ because of his connection to Grace Jones. He’s briefly seen pointing a gun at Christopher Walken’s character during a scene. This minor part was his film debut, right before he landed the role of Ivan Drago.

Renée Zellweger

The Academy Award-winning actress Renée Zellweger had a very early, uncredited role in the movie ‘Dazed and Confused’. She briefly appears as a girl in a blue pickup truck during the party scene and can also be seen helping set up a beer funnel in the background. This small appearance happened just before she started gaining recognition in Texas and, later, throughout Hollywood.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron, now a world-renowned actress, got her start with a small, silent role in the horror film ‘Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest.’ Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, she was an uncredited extra, part of a group of creepy young followers. It’s a humble beginning for someone who would later receive numerous awards and accolades.

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe, a powerful and dedicated actor, faced an early setback when he was cut from his first movie role, though he initially started as a background performer. He was originally cast in ‘Heaven’s Gate,’ but a disagreement led to his scenes being removed. Eagle-eyed viewers can still catch a quick glimpse of him in a cockfighting scene. Despite this, the experience proved valuable, and he soon began landing more significant roles.

Jeff Goldblum

Jeff Goldblum, famous for his roles in sci-fi films, had an early, surprisingly intimidating part in ‘Death Wish’. He played a criminal – simply credited as ‘Freak #1’ – who threatens a family at the beginning of the movie. Wearing a distinctive hat, he had limited dialogue during the tense scene. This tough role was a big contrast to the intelligent and likable characters he’d become known for later in his career.

Sharon Stone

Before becoming a famous and captivating actress, Sharon Stone had a small role in a Woody Allen film. In ‘Stardust Memories,’ she played a beautiful woman on a train who briefly caught the director’s attention, memorably kissing the glass divider. This minor part was an early step in her career, helping her move from modeling into acting.

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan started his movie career by doing risky stunts and working as a background actor. He even had a small, uncredited role as a guard in Bruce Lee’s famous film, ‘Enter the Dragon,’ where Lee’s character breaks his neck in a fight scene. Chan later recounted that Bruce Lee unintentionally struck him during filming and immediately apologized for the mistake.

Bruce Willis

Before becoming a famous action star, Bruce Willis had a small, uncredited role in the movie ‘The Verdict’. You can spot him sitting in the background of the courtroom scenes, wearing a suit and quietly watching the trial. At the time, he was still working as a bartender in New York City.

Ben Affleck

You know, it’s funny the paths people take. I recently learned that Ben Affleck actually had a small role as an extra in ‘Field of Dreams’! He and Matt Damon were both there, just fans in the Fenway Park crowd during that iconic scene where Costner and Jones are scanning the stands. It’s one of their earliest on-screen moments together, and honestly, it’s kind of sweet to think that this little shared experience was a stepping stone to everything they’ve achieved. It really highlights how even the smallest beginnings can lead to big things in Hollywood.

Matt Damon

Similar to Ben Affleck, Matt Damon had a small role as an extra in ‘Field of Dreams.’ He was one of the fans in the crowd at Fenway Park during the baseball scenes. He’s said they both took the job simply to visit the famous stadium and experience being on a movie set. Not long after, he would go on to write and star in a screenplay that won an Academy Award.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis, now famous for his dedicated and meticulous acting, began his career in a surprisingly rough role. His very first screen appearance was in ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ as an unnamed ‘Child Vandal,’ where he simply scratched cars with a broken bottle – a silent, brief part that’s a curious detail in his otherwise carefully chosen and intensely prepared career.

James Dean

James Dean, the famous symbol of teenage rebellion, started his career with small, uncredited roles in war movies. He was a soldier in ‘Fixed Bayonets!’ but his single line of dialogue didn’t make the final cut. He also appeared as an extra in the comedy ‘Sailor Beware’ with Jerry Lewis. These early experiences helped him develop his skills before his breakout role in ‘East of Eden’.

Kevin Costner

Before becoming a famous western director and actor, Kevin Costner had a small, almost unnoticeable role in ‘The Big Chill’. He was originally meant to play a character named Alex, whose death kicks off the story. However, his scenes were removed, leaving him only briefly seen as a body being prepared for burial in the opening credits. The director felt guilty about cutting his part, so he later gave Costner a leading role in another movie.

John Wayne

John Wayne began his career in Hollywood doing behind-the-scenes work and appearing in small, uncredited roles. He had brief appearances as a football player in ‘Brown of Harvard’ and as a spectator in ‘Bardelys the Magnificent,’ often taking these parts due to his tall, strong build and reliable work ethic. It was a long time before he finally got his first starring role in a Western movie.

George Clooney

Before becoming a famous television actor, George Clooney started with small roles. He worked as an extra in the miniseries ‘Centennial,’ often appearing in the background carrying wood or simply walking around on set. He also had minor, uncredited parts in films like ‘The Magic Bubble’ while trying to establish his career. These early, modest experiences make his later success and fame all the more remarkable.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe, who would become a Hollywood icon, began her career with very small, almost unnoticeable roles in the 1940s. She appeared briefly in the film ‘Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!’ but most of her scene ended up on the cutting room floor – you can still catch a quick glimpse of her waving in the background. Before studios recognized her star power, she also had a small, non-speaking role as a waitress in ‘Dangerous Years’.

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone faced a lot of struggle early in his career before becoming famous. He took any acting jobs he could find, like a small part as a troublemaker on a subway in Woody Allen’s ‘Bananas,’ and even appeared as an uncredited background dancer in ‘Klute.’ These minor, often tough-guy roles were all he could get until he created the opportunity for himself with ‘Rocky.’

Harrison Ford

I still can’t believe the career trajectory of Harrison Ford! It’s amazing to think that the man who became Han Solo and Indiana Jones started with absolutely nothing – a tiny, uncredited role as a bellhop in a movie called ‘Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round,’ delivering a single line! And get this – one studio exec actually told him he didn’t have what it takes! Talk about a terrible prediction. Ford obviously proved them spectacularly wrong, going on to become one of the biggest box office stars ever. It’s a truly inspiring story.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood’s career started with small, uncredited roles at Universal Studios. One of his first appearances was in the monster movie ‘Revenge of the Creature,’ where he played a lab technician – he’s briefly seen in the background looking serious while holding a beaker. He also had a role as a fighter pilot in ‘Tarantula,’ but his face was hidden by an oxygen mask.

Tobey Maguire

Before becoming Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire had a small, uncredited role in ‘The Wizard’. He played an extra – a tough-looking character with a mullet – who stood behind the villain during the video game tournament scenes. He didn’t have any lines; he just added to the intimidating atmosphere. This was one of his first acting jobs, right before he started getting speaking roles in teen movies.

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt, now a global superstar, began his career with small, uncredited roles in the late 1980s. He had brief appearances as an extra in films like ‘No Way Out,’ ‘No Man’s Land,’ and ‘Less Than Zero.’ These early roles eventually led to his breakthrough performance in ‘Thelma & Louise,’ which truly launched his career and made him a household name.

2025-11-23 12:17