When we see today’s biggest stars commanding the screen, it’s easy to assume they were born to shine. But the reality? Most of them worked their way up through endless auditions and rejections, and small roles that didn’t even make the credits. If you’ve ever seen an old TV show and suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the corner, you know that excitement: “Wait, is that them? Surprise. Even Hollywood icons once blended into the background. These are 10 actors who began as extras prior to becoming icons.
10. Benicio del Toro
Before the Oscar and the accolades, Benicio del Toro was another face in the crowd. He made a brief appearance in Madonna’s La Isla Bonita music video and even in Miami Vice. His offbeat role as Fred Fenster in The Usual Suspects turned everything around, following which came Traffic and the Academy Award.
9. Kristen Stewart
Before Twilight turned her into an international icon, Kristen Stewart was steadily adding on small noncredited roles—such as Disney Channel’s The Thirteenth Year and The Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas. Her unpolished turn in Speak foreshadowed future fame and set the stage for Bella Swan.
8. Eva Mendes
Perseverance characterized Eva Mendes’ early days. You might catch her in Aerosmith or Will Smith’s music videos or in the background of an ER episode. But all changed with Training Day, where she held her own quite well against Denzel Washington. Thereafter, movies such as 2 Fast 2 Furious and Hitch sealed her status as a leading lady.
7. Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria didn’t rise to the top overnight. She began with a cameo on Beverly Hills 90210 and a recurring position on The Young and the Restless. Years of lesser roles eventually paid off when Desperate Housewives hired her as Gabrielle Solis, making her a primetime fixture overnight.
6. Lucy Liu
Before the martial-arts fight choreography of Kill Bill and Charlie’s Angels, Lucy Liu was fading into smaller roles on Beverly Hills 90210 and Home Improvement. A supporting role in Jerry Maguire provided a boost, but it was her smart, irrepressible turn as Ling Woo on Ally McBeal that got her career rolling.
5. Samuel L. Jackson
It’s hard to imagine Samuel L. Jackson as anything else than a dominant screen presence. But he started out modestly, with uncredited roles in movies such as Ragtime. Spike Lee’s collaborations in School Daze and Do the Right Thing helped bring him notice, while Jungle Fever and Pulp Fiction made him a legend.
4. Taraji P. Henson
Taraji P. Henson toiled her way up the hard way, taking background roles in TV shows such as Smart Guy and Sister, Sister. Breaking through in Baby Boy demonstrated her talent, and subsequently, her iconic stint as Cookie Lyon on Empire branded her as a cultural phenomenon.
3. Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.’s career didn’t start in a metal body. He initially came on screen in his dad’s quirky film Pound and played bit parts in films such as Greaser’s Palace. He came into his own in the ’80s with teen movies, but it was Chaplin that proved he was a legitimate actor. Years afterward, Tony Stark would make him into a legend all over again.
2. Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio started humbly—with commercials, soap opera cameos, and guest spots on shows like Roseanne. A recurring part on Growing Pains made him recognizable, but What’s Eating Gilbert Grape revealed just how extraordinary he was, earning him major award nominations as a teenager.
1. Viola Davis
Viola Davis’s tale is one of unadulterated grit. Following training at Juilliard, she had brief TV stints on NYPD Blue and New York Undercover. Broadway earned her a Tony Award, and pretty soon, Hollywood followed with parts in Doubt, The Help, and more. Now, she’s one of the rare actors to claim the “Triple Crown of Acting”: an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony.
So the next time you see a star wedged into the corner of an old television program or film, keep this in mind: all icons begin somewhere. Whether it’s a nameless background actor, a one-liner, or a blink-and-you ll-miss-it cameo, those humble origins can be the start of something big in Hollywood.