Actors Who Started as Background Extras and Became A-List Superstars

Many of the most famous leading men in Hollywood began their careers in the humblest way possible. These actors spent their early days standing silently in the background of scenes while other stars delivered the dialogue. They often worked for little pay and no credit just to gain experience on a professional set. Their journeys from blurry figures in the crowd to Academy Award winners prove that persistence is key in the entertainment industry.

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt is widely recognized as one of the most successful actors of his generation. He struggled to find significant work when he first arrived in Los Angeles during the late eighties. He played an uncredited partygoer in the film ‘Less Than Zero’ and a waiter in ‘No Man’s Land’. These blink-and-you-miss-it moments eventually led to his scene-stealing role in ‘Thelma & Louise’.

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone faced years of rejection before he became a global action icon. He accepted a job as a background extra playing a subway thug in the Woody Allen comedy ‘Bananas’. The actor also appeared as a patron in a disco scene during the thriller ‘Klute’. He eventually took matters into his own hands by writing the screenplay for ‘Rocky’ to secure a leading role.

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis worked as a bartender in New York City while auditioning for acting roles. He can be seen sitting in the courtroom gallery in the legal drama ‘The Verdict’. The camera captures him in the background as Paul Newman delivers his closing argument. This uncredited appearance occurred several years before he landed his breakout television role on ‘Moonlighting’.

George Clooney

George Clooney is now known as a distinguished actor and director with multiple awards. He began his career with a series of small television roles and background work. He appeared as an extra in the mini-series ‘Centennial’ carrying a barrel in a village scene. It took many years of persistence in pilots and sitcoms before he found fame on ‘ER’.

Matt Damon

Matt Damon is an Academy Award winner known for writing and starring in brilliant films. He and his friend Ben Affleck appeared as extras in the baseball film ‘Field of Dreams’. They were among the thousands of people in the crowd at Fenway Park during a pivotal scene. This uncredited work gave him an early taste of a major motion picture production.

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck has achieved massive success as both a director and a leading man. He joined Matt Damon as a background extra in the Kevin Costner film ‘Field of Dreams’. He also played a basketball player in the original ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ movie. These early experiences helped him understand the mechanics of filmmaking long before ‘Good Will Hunting’.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford worked as a carpenter to support himself before becoming a sci-fi legend. He played an uncredited bellhop in the crime film ‘Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round’. The studio executive who hired him famously told him he would never make it in the business. Ford proved everyone wrong by becoming the face of both Han Solo and Indiana Jones.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood is a cinematic legend who defined the Western and action genres. He spent his early years as a contract player for Universal Studios performing uncredited background work. He played a lab technician in the horror film ‘Revenge of the Creature’ and a pilot in ‘Tarantula’. His quiet dedication eventually led to his breakout television role on ‘Rawhide’.

John Wayne

John Wayne remains one of the most enduring icons of American cinema. He started in the silent film era working as a prop man and an extra for Fox Film Corporation. He can be seen as a football player in ‘Brown of Harvard’ and a guard in ‘Bardelys the Magnificent’. He appeared in dozens of uncredited roles before finally becoming a star in ‘Stagecoach’.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis is known for his intense method acting and selective film choices. His very first screen appearance was as a vandal in the British film ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’. He is seen scratching cars with a broken bottle in the background of a scene. This minor role was the humble beginning for the man who would win three Best Actor Oscars.

Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner dominated the box office during the nineties with his directorial and acting efforts. He filmed scenes as a suicide victim for ‘The Big Chill’ but his face was famously cut from the final movie. He also worked as an extra in the biographical film ‘Frances’ early in his career. These setbacks did not stop him from eventually creating the Best Picture winner ‘Dances with Wolves’.

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan is famous for his incredible stunts and martial arts comedy. He began his career as a stuntman and background extra in Hong Kong cinema. He appeared as a guard who gets beaten up by Bruce Lee in the classic ‘Enter the Dragon’. His willingness to take physical punishment in background roles helped him earn his place as a leading action star.

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean-Claude Van Damme is a martial arts superstar known for his flexibility and fighting skills. He started as a background dancer in the breakdancing movie ‘Breakin”. He can be seen in a unitard enthusiastically dancing in the background of a beach scene. This odd early appearance predated his rise to fame in action hits like ‘Bloodsport’.

Dolph Lundgren

Dolph Lundgren became famous for playing the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. He actually started his on-screen career as a KGB henchman in the James Bond film ‘A View to a Kill’. He was dating Grace Jones at the time and she helped him secure the small background part. This brief role opened the door for his major audition for ‘Rocky IV’.

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe has built a reputation for playing complex and eccentric characters. He was cast as an extra in the sprawling western ‘Heaven’s Gate’ but was fired during production. The director let him go after he laughed at a joke while the cameras were rolling. He bounced back from this early failure to become one of the most respected actors in the industry.

Jeff Goldblum

Jeff Goldblum is beloved for his quirky personality and memorable performances. He made his film debut playing a thug in the vigilante movie ‘Death Wish’. He appears in a scene where a gang harasses a family in their apartment. This menacing early role is a stark contrast to the intellectual characters he would later play.

James Dean

James Dean is a cultural icon who defined teenage rebellion in the fifties. He started with uncredited walk-on parts in films like ‘Fixed Bayonets!’ and ‘Sailor Beware’. He often had no lines and simply blended into the military units or crowds on screen. His immense talent could not be contained and he soon landed his legendary role in ‘East of Eden’.

Robert Redford

Robert Redford is a Hollywood staple who founded the Sundance Film Festival. He began his career with minor television appearances and uncredited film roles. He played a basketball player in the background of the film ‘Tall Story’. His classic good looks and charm quickly moved him from the background to the top of the call sheet.

Dennis Hopper

Dennis Hopper had a long and volatile career filled with iconic counterculture roles. He started as a teenager appearing in background roles in classic films. He had a small uncredited part as a goon in ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ alongside James Dean. This experience helped him transition into more substantial character roles in the following decades.

Richard Dreyfuss

Richard Dreyfuss is an Academy Award winner known for his energy and wit. He had one of his first screen appearances in the classic film ‘The Graduate’. He played a boarding house resident who asks the neighbor to call the police. This one line delivered from the background helped launch a career that included ‘Jaws’ and ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’.

Michael Caine

Michael Caine is a British film legend with a career spanning over six decades. He worked extensively as an extra in the fifties to pay the bills. He played a sailor in ‘Morning Departure’ and a policeman in ‘The Day the Earth Caught Fire’. His persistence in these unglamorous roles eventually led to his breakthrough in ‘Zulu’.

Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper represented the strong and silent American hero for many years. He started in the film industry as a stunt rider and extra in silent westerns. He earned a reputation for taking dangerous falls off horses for very little money. He worked his way up from anonymous cowboy roles to becoming a two-time Oscar winner.

Clark Gable

Clark Gable was known as the King of Hollywood during the golden age of cinema. He spent the twenties working as an extra in silent films like ‘The Merry Widow’. He often played soldiers or background villains while refining his screen presence. His distinct voice and charisma eventually made him the biggest male star at MGM.

David Niven

David Niven was the epitome of the charming and sophisticated British gentleman. He arrived in Hollywood and worked as an extra in twenty-seven westerns. He was often cast as a Mexican bandit despite his posh English accent because he was hidden in the background. He slowly climbed the ranks to become a beloved leading man and Oscar winner.

Benicio Del Toro

Benicio Del Toro is known for his intense presence and brooding character roles. He appeared as a background performer in the comedy ‘Big Top Pee-wee’. He played “Duke the Dog-Faced Boy” in the circus scenes. This bizarre early role was a far cry from the serious dramatic work he would later produce.

Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm struggled for years to find steady acting work in Los Angeles. He appeared as a background extra in the film ‘Space Cowboys’ and the series ‘Ally McBeal’. He can be seen standing at a bar in the background while the main characters converse. He worked as a waiter and set dresser until he finally landed the role of Don Draper.

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker is a powerful actor who has delivered unforgettable dramatic performances. He played a football player in the high school comedy ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’. He is the intimidating linebacker who threatens the protagonist’s car during a game. This supporting role showcased his physical presence long before he won an Oscar for ‘The Last King of Scotland’.

Phil Collins

Phil Collins is best known as a legendary drummer and singer for Genesis. He started his entertainment career as a child actor and background extra. He appeared in the audience of the Beatles’ film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. Although he was just a face in the screaming crowd he later became a massive superstar in the music world.

Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges comes from a famous acting family and has been on screen his entire life. He technically made his debut as an infant in the film ‘The Company She Keeps’. He later did background work in his father’s television show ‘Sea Hunt’. These early experiences on set prepared him for a diverse career spanning five decades.

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell has been acting since he was a child in the sixties. He appeared as an uncredited boy who kicks Elvis Presley in the shin in ‘It Happened at the World’s Fair’. This brief interaction with the King of Rock and Roll was a memorable start. He later played Elvis himself in a biographical film directed by John Carpenter.

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum was a dancer and model before he became a box office draw. He can be spotted as a church boy in the Steven Spielberg film ‘War of the Worlds’. He stands in the background during a chaotic scene involving Tom Cruise. He soon transitioned to leading roles in dance movies and action comedies.

John Krasinski

John Krasinski became a household name playing Jim Halpert on ‘The Office’. He worked as a script intern and an extra before landing his big break. He appeared as a marine in the background of the war film ‘Jarhead’. He later returned to the military genre as the lead in ’13 Hours’.

Michael B. Jordan

Michael B. Jordan is a major star known for ‘Creed’ and ‘Black Panther’. He started with small roles on television shows like ‘The Sopranos’. He played a background kid teasing a younger version of Tony Soprano in a flashback. This tiny part was one of his first steps toward becoming a Hollywood heavyweight.

Don Cheadle

Don Cheadle is a versatile actor with a long list of impressive credits. He started with very small roles in comedies like ‘Moving Violations’. He played a worker at a burger joint in a brief scene. His talent was undeniable and he quickly moved on to critical darlings like ‘Devil in a Blue Dress’.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He spent years working in theater and taking small film roles in New York. He appeared as a gang member in the film ‘Ragtime’ in the early eighties. It took him another decade to achieve worldwide fame with ‘Pulp Fiction’.

Regé-Jean Page

Regé-Jean Page captured global attention with his role in ‘Bridgerton’. He actually appeared in the wizarding world years prior as an extra. He can be seen as a wedding guest in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’. This uncredited appearance is a fun easter egg for fans of the British heartthrob.

Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze was a trained dancer who brought physicality to all his roles. He started his film career as a skater in the roller disco movie ‘Skatetown, U.S.A.’. He had very few lines but his skating skills were front and center. He would soon use those same dance skills to become a superstar in ‘Dirty Dancing’.

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton worked various odd jobs while trying to break into acting. He had a small role as a patron in a bar scene in ‘Hunter’s Blood’. He struggled for years until he wrote and directed ‘Sling Blade’. That film instantly transformed him from an unknown actor into an Academy Award winner.

Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen is an acclaimed actor, poet, and artist. He played a background lieutenant in the Goldie Hawn film ‘Swing Shift’. His scene was largely cut but he can still be spotted in the final edit. He worked steadily in supporting roles for years before becoming Aragorn in ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler was a lawyer before he decided to pursue acting full time. He started with a minor role in the film ‘Mrs. Brown’ as the brother of a main character. He had to jump into freezing water for a scene that required immense physical stamina. This tough start prepared him for the grueling physical demands of ‘300’.

Tell us which of these actor’s early cameos surprised you the most in the comments.