57 Shocking Acting Roles Celebrities Had Before They Became Really, Really Famous

    I will never be able to watch these shows and movies the same way again.

    We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which actors they were surprised to learn were in ~that~ TV show or movie before they became famous. Here are the wild results.

    1. Austin Butler got his start as an uncredited extra (later called "Zippy Brewster") in Nickelodeon's Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

    Austin at a party in a scene of "Ned's Declassified"

    Here's what Austin Butler looks like now:

    Austin on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show

    2. Glen Powell's first acting credit ever was as "long-fingered boy" in Spy Kids 3: Game Over.

    Glen and Daryl Sabara in "Spy Kids 3"

    Here's what Glen Powell looks like now:

    Glen on "The Tonight Show"

    3. Tyler James Williams' first TV appearance ever was on Sesame Street.

    Tyler and Ernie on the computer

    Here's what Tyler James Williams looks like now:

    Tyler on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show

    4. Elisabeth Moss made her big-screen debut — opposite Hulk Hogan — as a girl whose cat got stuck in a tree in Suburban Commando.

    Hulk Hogan holding Elisabeth as a child

    Here's what Elisabeth Moss looks like now:

    Elisabeth on "The View"

    5. Jason Momoa's first acting gig ever was as Jason Loane in 44 episodes of Baywatch, starting in Season 10.

    Jason on the beach in "Baywatch"

    Here's what Jason Momoa looks like now:

    Jason on "The Late Late Show"

    6. Ashley Tisdale played a student in Donnie Darko when she was 16 years old.

    Ashley Tisdale at a school assembly in "Donnie Darko"

    Here's what Ashley Tisdale looks like now:

    Ashley Tisdale in her home talking to the camera

    7. Rainn Wilson played Lahnk in Galaxy Quest, his first movie ever.

    Rainn as an alien in "Galaxy Quest"

    Here's what Rainn Wilson looks like now:

    Rainn being interviewed on "The Late Late Show"

    8. Scarlett Johansson played Molly, Alex's older sister, in Home Alone 3.

    ScarJo at the dinner table in "Home Alone 3"

    Here's what Scarlett Johansson looks like now:

    Scarlett Johansson in a recent interview on "The Drew Barrymore Show"

    9. Cameron Monaghan played a blink-and-you'll-miss-it traffic cop elf in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.

    Cameron as an elf

    Here's what Cameron Monaghan looks like now:

    Cameron being interviewed

    10. Molly Shannon's second TV gig ever was in a few episodes of In Living Color.

    Molly and Jim Carrey dressed as cops in "In Living Color"

    Here's what Molly Shannon looks like now:

    Molly on "The Late Late Show"

    11. Octavia Spencer played Cynthia, one of Drew Barrymore's coworkers, in Never Been Kissed.

    Octavia in at the office in "Never Been Kissed"

    Here's what Octavia Spencer looks like now:

    Octavia Spencer being interviewed on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show at Christmastime

    12. Zac Efron was on the short-lived WB series called Summerland.

    Zac Efron as a young teen at the beach

    Here's what Zac Efron looks like now:

    Zac Efron on Jimmy Fallon's show

    13. Leonardo DiCaprio was an uncredited extra in Roseanne, playing one of Darlene's classmates for a single episode.

    Leo as a child in school on "Roseanne"

    Here's what Leo DiCaprio looks like now:

    Leo being interviewed

    14. Jena Malone played Susan Sarandon's daughter in the iconic movie Stepmom.

    Jena, Susan Sarandon, and the rest of their family taking a picture together on the couch

    Here's what Jena Malone looks like now:

    Jena being interviewed in 2022

    15. Zachary Quinto played a TV commercial director in an episode of Lizzie McGuire.

    Zachary Quinto on "Lizzie McGuire" vs. being interviewed in 2020

    Here's what Zachary Quinto looks like now:

    Zach being interviewed via Zoom in his own home office in 2021

    16. Ryan Gosling's first two acting credits were in an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? (in 1995) and an episode of Goosebumps (in 1996).

    Ryan Gosling on the phone as a kid in "Are You Afraid of the Dark" and "Goosebumps"

    Here's what Ryan Gosling looks like now:

    Ryan being interviewed

    17. Aubrey Plaza's TV debut was as an NBC Page with one line in 30 Rock.

    Aubrey as an NBC page in "30 Rock"

    Here's what Aubrey Plaza looks like now:

    closeup of Aubrey on SNL

    18. Alanna Ubach made her big-screen debut as Maria in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.

    Maria and the other students from class in "Sister Act 2"

    Here's what Alanna Ubach looks like now:

    Alanna in "Euphoria" as Suze Howard

    19. Kaley Cuoco played Elisa in the Disney Channel movie Alley Cats Strike.

    Kaley Cuoco bowling as a teen

    Here's what Kaley Cuoco looks like now:

    Kaley Cuoco being interviewed in front of a black backdrop in 2021

    20. Kevin McHale was a student at PCA in two episodes of Zoey 101.

    Kevin as a kid on "Zoey 101"

    Here's what Kevin McHale looks like now:

    Kevin being interviewed from home

    21. Emmy Rossum played Claire in the Disney Channel movie Genius.

    Emmy ice skating in "Genius" in the late '90s

    Here's what Emmy Rossum looks like now:

    Emmy on Seth Meyers' talk show

    22. Ben Affleck played an uncredited basketball player in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie.

    Ben Affleck playing basketball in the "Buffy" movie

    Here's what Ben Affleck looks like now:

    Ben Affleck being interviewed in front of a white backdrop in 2022

    23. Jennifer Lawrence's first acting role was as a school mascot in one episode of Monk.

    Jennifer Lawrence in a bear costume on "Monk"

    Here's what Jennifer Lawrence looks like now:

    Jennifer Lawrence being interviewed

    24. James Marsden was in two episodes of The Nanny.

    James at the movies in "The Nanny"

    Here's what James Marsden looks like now:

    James being interviewed by James Corden

    25. Jon Huertas played Brad, a witch hunter/Harvey Kinkle's best friend on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

    Jon as Brad in the cafeteria in "Sabrina"

    Here's what Jon Huertas looks like now:

    Jon being interviewed on "The Real" in 2022

    26. Adam Scott played Griff Hawkins, the new kid/bully, in a few episodes of Boy Meets World.

    Adam Scott as Griff in "BMW"

    Here's what Adam Scott looks like now:

    Adam Scott being interviewed on Colbert in 2022

    27. Danielle Fishel played Jennifer P., one of Stephanie Tanner's classmates, in two episodes of Full House.

    Danielle in the Tanner household

    Here's what Danielle Fishel looks like now:

    Danielle over Zoom in 2022

    28. Dianna Agron played a girl who could fit her whole fist in her mouth on Drake & Josh.

    Dianna Agron at the movie theater on "Drake & Josh"

    Here's what Diana Agron looks like now:

    Dianna being interviewed over Zoom in her home

    29. Amy Adams was on a single episode of Charmed in one of her very first acting credits.

    Amy Adams on "Charmed"

    Here's what Amy Adams looks like now:

    Amy Adams being interviewed over Zoom in her apartment

    30. John Cho played a parking valet in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.

    John Cho in the Flintstones movie

    Here's what John Cho looks like now:

    John Cho being interviewed on "The View" in 2022

    31. Rachel McAdams played Riley's sister in a very emotional episode of Disney Channel's The Famous Jett Jackson.

    Rachel with poofy hair on Disney in 2001

    Here's what Rachel McAdams looks like now:

    Rachel being interviewed

    32. Kevin Hart played a cameraman in Along Came Polly.

    Kevin Hart as an extra holding a boom mic in "Along Came Polly"

    Here's what Kevin Hart looks like now:

    Kevin Hart being interviewed by Ellen

    33. Jessica Alba was a school bully in The Secret World of Alex Mack.

    Jessica Alba on a Nickelodeon show in the early '90s

    Here's what Jessica Alba looks like now:

    Jessica Alba being interviewed

    34. Sara Ramírez was the cashier in You've Got Mail.

    Sara as a cashier in "You've Got Mail" vs. Sara in an interview in 2008

    Here's what Sara Ramírez looks like now:

    Sara being interviewed

    35. Elijah Wood is credited as "video game boy" in Back to the Future Part II.

    Elijah Wood as a kid wearing a funny hat in "Back to the Future Part II"

    Here's what Elijah Wood looks like now:

    Elijah being intereviewed

    36. Simon Helberg played a nerdy student who had a crush on Hilary Duff's character in A Cinderella Story.

    Simon at the Halloween party in "A Cinderella Story"

    Here's what Simon Helberg looks like now:

    Simon being interviewed

    37. Kat Dennings played Claire in the spooky Disney Channel movie The Scream Team.

    Kat as a child wearing all black in "The Scream Team"

    Here's what Kat Dennings looks like now:

    Kat being interviewed over Zoom by Ellen DeGeneres

    38. Don Cheadle was in a single episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

    Don Cheadle in "Fresh Prince" with his arm around Hilary

    Here's what Don Cheadle looks like now:

    Don being interviewed

    39. Maggie Wheeler was a camp counselor — aka Marva Jr. — in The Parent Trap.

    Maggie as the camp counselor in "The Parent Trap"

    Here's what Maggie Wheeler looks like now:

    Maggie at the "Friends" reunion

    40. Hugh Laurie was actually in Spice World.

    Hugh with a mustache in "Spice World"

    Here's what Hugh Laurie looks like now:

    Hugh being interviewed in 2022

    41. Julie Bowen played Virginia in Happy Gilmore.

    Julie Bowen in a vest on the golf court in "Happy Gilmore"

    Here's what Julie Bowen looks like now:

    Julie being interviewed

    42. Laurence Fishburne was 14 when he lied about his age to get the part of a soldier in Apocalypse Now.

    Laurence Fishburne in "Apocalypse Now" holding a machine gun vs. him being interviewed in 2018

    Here's what Laurence Fishburne looks like now:

    Laurence being interviewed

    43. Taran Killam was Frankie Muniz's bully in Big Fat Liar.

    Taran Killam asleep in school in "Big Fat Liar"

    Here's what Taran Killam looks like now:

    Taran being interviewed from home

    44. Kristen Stewart was in an extra for .3 seconds in Disney Channel's The Thirteenth Year.

    Kristen Stewart as a kid by the lockers

    Here's what Kristen Stewart looks like now:

    Kristen Stewart on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show

    45. Michael Cera was in Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's iconic movie Switching Goals.

    Michael Cera as a kid

    Here's what Michael Cera looks like now:

    Michael being interviewed

    46. Eric Stonestreet played a hotel receptionist in 10 seconds of Almost Famous.

    Eric Stonestreet as a hotel clerk in "Almost Famous"

    Here's what Eric Stonestreet looks like now:

    Eric on "The Ellen Show" in 2022

    47. Steve Carell played a security guard in the super underrated movie Sleepover.

    Steve as a security officer

    Here's what Steve Carell looks like now:

    Steve on "The Tonight Show"

    48. Abigail Breslin was the little girl at the parade in The Princess Diaries 2.

    Abigail as a kind in "Princess Diaries 2"

    Here's what Abigail Breslin looks like now:

    Abigail on Kelly Clarkson's talk show

    49. Noel Fisher played the bully in Max Keeble's Big Move.

    Noel Fisher as punk bully

    Here's what Noel Fisher looks like now:

    Noel on the red carpet in 2022

    50. Joe Manganiello was Peter Parker's bully in the original Spider-Man.

    Joe in a fight with Peter Parker at school

    Here's what Joe Manganiello looks like now.

    Joe on Jimmy Kimmel's show

    51. Angela Bassett was a flight attendant in about two seconds of Kindergarten Cop.

    Angela Bassett as a flight attendant

    Here's what Angela Bassett looks like now:

    Angela being interviewed in 2023

    52. Mike O'Malley was the host of Nickelodeon's Global Guts.

    Mike hosting "Guts" on Nick in the '90s

    Here's what Mike O'Malley looks like now:

    Mike on a Zoom podcast

    53. Selena Gomez played a kid for two years on Barney & Friends.

    Selena Gomez on "Barney" as a kid

    Here's what Selena Gomez looks like now:

    Selena on "The Tonight Show"

    54. Kate Berlant had one line as "Student #2" in her first acting gig ever on Lizzie McGuire.

    Kate in the hallway in "Lizzie McGuire"

    Here's what Kate Berlant looks like now:

    Kate being interview on Seth Meyers' show

    55. Ryan Reynolds was the love interest in the Sabrina the Teenage Witch TV movie.

    Ryan Reynold with Sabrina at a party

    Here's what Ryan Reynolds looks like now:

    Ryan on Jimmy Fallon's talk show

    56. Katherine Heigl was in Disney's TV movie Wish Upon a Star.

    Katherine Heigl as a teen at a school dance

    Here's what Katherine Heigl looks like now:

    Katherine on The View in 2022

    57. And Adam Sandler got his start as Smitty on The Cosby Show.

    Sandler in his early 20s on "The Cosby Show"

    Here's what Adam Sandler looks like now:

    Adam Sandler on Jimmy Kimmel's show