21 Hollywood Stars Who Had The Absolute Worst Debut Roles Of All Time

Not everyone can get an Oscar for their first role.

Some actors completely luck out with their first roles — think Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave or Dev Patel ⁠in Slumdog Millionaire.

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However, some actors start out in movies that are such big flops, it's amazing that they managed to salvage their career.

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So, with that in mind, let's go through some of the worst debut acting roles in Hollywood history:

1. Brad Pitt in The Dark Side of the Sun

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Brad Pitt's first credited film role was in The Dark Side Of The Sun — an obscure American-Yugoslavian flick about a guy with a rare skin disease which makes him allergic to light. Shot in 1988 over seven weeks, Brad was only paid $1,523 for his role as the lead actor. 

2. Halle Berry in Living Dolls

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This short-lived TV show was a spin-off of Who's the Boss? and Halle Berry's first on-screen role. Unfortunately, it was a massive failure, received an "F" grade from People magazine, and was instantly canceled. 

3. Beyoncé in Carmen: A Hip Hopera

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Before the train wreck that was Austin Powers in Goldmember, Beyoncé starred in this remake of the classic opera Carmen. Though she was praised for her voice (obviously), critics pointed out that her talent didn't quite extend into acting. 

4. Scarlett Johansson in North

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ScarJo's first movie role wasn't just a flop, it's considered by multiple critics as one of the worst films ever made. Released in 1994, North grossed just $12 million at the box office, against its $40 million budget.

5. Margot Robbie in Vigilante

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Before she made it big on Neighbours and moved to the US, Margot Robbie's first movie role was in a low-budget independent Aussie thriller named Vigilante — such a flop that it's not even on Wikipedia. She filmed it while still in high school, but it wasn't released until a few years later in 2008.

6. Vin Diesel in Strays

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This wasn't a random indie film which Vin Diesel was cast in — he wrote, directed, and financed the whole thing himself. Though it barely made a splash, it did get the attention of Steven Spielberg, who then cast the actor in Saving Private Ryan.

7. Tom Cruise in Endless Love

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Before Top Gun came Endless Love, Tom Cruise's film debut in 1981. Based on a book of the same name, it was panned by critics, with Leonard Maltin calling it a "textbook example of how to do everything wrong in a literary adaptation."

8. Michael J. Fox in Midnight Madness

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The Back To The Future star made his debut in a Disney film back when he just went by "Michael Fox." Unfortunately, it was a massive flop, both critically and commercially, and reportedly lost Disney millions. 

9. Leonardo DiCaprio in Critters 3

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For a film to get a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it's got to be pretty damn bad. That's exactly what happened for Leo's film debut, in the third installment of the horror franchise Critters. It was released direct-to-video in 1991.  

10. Courteney Cox in Masters of the Universe

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This film, based on the Mattel toys of the same name, is about two teens who meet He-Man and help him save the universe from Skeletor. It was an undeniable flop with Variety labeling it a "colossal bore." Thankfully, Courteney was cast on Friends not long after, and all was forgotten. 

11. Sylvester Stallone in The Party at Kitty and Stud's

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Sylvester Stallone's first-ever movie was actually a 1970 softcore porno, which he filmed over two days and was paid $200 for. Six years later, when Sly was a household name thanks to Rocky, the film was re-edited and re-released as The Italian Stallion to capitalize on his success. 

12. Denzel Washington in Carbon Copy

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This tone-deaf film from 1980 is about a Black teen who tracks down his white biological dad, then tries to integrate into his life and neighborhood. Though the movie itself wasn't a hit, at least it helped get Denzel some exposure to launch his career. 

13. Amy Adams in Drop Dead Gorgeous

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Though it grew into something of a cult favorite, when Drop Dead Gorgeous was released in 1999, it was panned by critics and flopped at the box office. It was filmed in Minnesota, where Amy was living at the time while working in a dinner theater. 

14. Sandra Bullock in Who Shot Pat?

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Long before Sandra Bullock made a name for herself in Speed, she appeared in this bomb of a movie, which made less than $3,000 at the box office. It's also the film debut of Allison Janney, who had a minor role. 

15. Keanu Reeves in Flying

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This 1986 Canadian film is all about gymnastics, created in the wake of the success of dance-based movies like Flashdance and Footloose. Unfortunately, it didn't quite become the hit it was expected to, thanks in part to its very limited cinema distribution. 

16. Julia Roberts in Satisfaction

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Julia Roberts's first credited film role saw her star as a bass guitarist in a girl band trying to make it big. Also starring Liam Neeson, and Jason Bateman's sister Justine, it was panned by critics. 

17. Uma Thurman in Kiss Daddy Goodnight

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The movie's tagline, "She was cold. He was old," really tells you everything you need to know. Uma plays a woman who meets guys, goes on dates, then drugs and robs them. It all goes downhill when someone begins targeting her. One of the more favorable reviews of the film called it "utterly dreadful." 

18. Jason Bateman in Teen Wolf Too

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Jason Bateman's first film role was as a college freshman who inherited the family gene which sees him turn into a werewolf. Critics were not kind to the new actor, guessing he was only cast because his dad served as a producer. "His performance is so inept, he’s not miscast, it’s a joke he was tested," one reporter wrote. 

19. Paul Rudd in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

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It really does seem that actors love to get their start in low-budget horror films. Though this was technically released after Clueless, he actually filmed Halloween first. Everything from the acting to the script was panned, and it's got a measly 9% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

20. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Hercules in New York

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Fresh off winning Mr. Universe, Arnold decided to pursue a film career, and was instantly cast as Greek god Hercules. Not only was the storyline and acting terrible, but his accent was so thick that it had to be dubbed in post-production.

And finally:

21. Angelina Jolie in Cyborg 2

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Though she did have a small role in one of her father's films in 1982, it wasn't until 1993 that Angelina Jolie had her real on-screen debut in the sci-fi flick Cyborg 2. It was a pretty bad movie by all accounts — Angelina later revealed that after watching it for the first time, she "went home and got sick." In fact, she was so disappointed by the film that she didn't audition for anything else for an entire year. 

Who did we miss? Do you know of any actors who overcame a terrible initial role to move on and become beloved? Share in the comments below!