To witness the rise of a future superstar from their very beginning is akin to finding a secret bonus scene. It is as if you are rewatching an old show or movie, and suddenly you get that feeling—wait a minute, is that Brad Pitt promoting potato chips in the background? All the celebrities before the red carpets and the major roles had to do the small things—commercials, small roles, very short cameos. Most of the time, it was not at all glamorous. So, let’s turn back time and go through 10 of the most unexpected pre-fame performances (in reverse order, just to make it a little more entertaining)
10. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Bubble Yum Spot
It’s hard to picture Leo as anything but a serious Oscar contender, but rewind to his teenage years and you’ll find him rocking out in a Bubble Yum commercial, cheeks full of gum. He also popped up in soaps like Santa Barbara and sitcoms like Roseanne. From gum ads to The Revenant—that’s quite the glow-up.
9. Kristen Stewart’s Disney Channel Gigs and Early Commercials
Before Twilight catapulted her to global fame, Kristen Stewart was struggling just like all the other child stars. She was a faceless extra for Disney Channel’s The Thirteenth Year and The Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas. She also landed a Porsche commercial—proof that even before Bella Swan, Stewart was quietly building momentum in the business.
8. Courteney Cox’s Bruce Springsteen Dance Break
Long before Scream and Friends, Courteney Cox secured one of the most iconic music video moments of the ’80s. She was the “random” audience member Bruce Springsteen pulled on stage in Dancing in the Dark. At 20 years old, that single dance move opened the doors of Hollywood wide to her career.
7. Benicio del Toro’s Madonna Video Cameo
Before he was an Oscar-winning scene-stealer, Benicio del Toro was merely another face in Madonna’s La Isla Bonita video. At about the same time, he was getting jobs on Miami Vice. It’s a long way from background extra to Hollywood heavyweight.
6. Samuel L. Jackson’s Years as an Extra
Samuel L. Jackson was no overnight sensation—hardly. In the early ’80s, he was doing uncredited walk-ons for movies like Ragtime and The Exterminator. It took cracking Spike Lee’s films to get him into motion, and by Pulp Fiction, he was unstoppable.
5. Brad Pitt and the Pringles Commercial
Brad Pitt’s initial appearance on screen wasn’t in Legends of the Fall, naturally—actually, it was in a Pringles commercial, surfing around in a Hawaiian surf shirt and snacking on chips. Like most late ’80s young actors, he paved his way in commercials before slowly making the move to films.
4. Drew Barrymore’s Commercial Kid Years
Drew Barrymore has been in the spotlight nearly since the day of her birth, but before E.T. made her an overnight sensation, she was smiling and introducing herself in McDonald’s and Pillsbury advertisements. She was four years old when she was already showing the charisma that would sustain her through decades in Hollywood.
3. Harrison Ford’s Long Stretch as an Unknown
Harrison Ford is the modern-day icon, but for nearly 20 years, he was stuck in tiny roles—sometimes even an uncredited background player. George Lucas spotted him at last in American Graffiti, and history followed. Han Solo and Indiana Jones sprang from there. This is the ultimate patience-pays-off tale.
2. Lady Gaga on The Sopranos
Yes, even Lady Gaga had a teeny TV cameo before global domination. She was a high school student sunning herself by a pool in an episode of The Sopranos. It’s a flash-in-the-pan appearance, but one that fans are fond of bragging about as proof that even celebrities start modestly.
1. Daniel Craig in Disguise as a Stormtrooper
Leading the charge is Daniel Craig, who made a secret cameo as a Stormtrooper in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The surprise? You never see his face—he’s helmeted the entire time. Unless you stuck around for the credits or had the inside information, you’d never dream that James Bond was standing watch for the First Order.
Every career begins somewhere, and these odd jobs are just a stepping stone along the way. From park cameo strolls to guest appearances on television shows, stars today once did whatever acting they could. To fans, the early roles are funny discoveries. To new actors, they’re proof that perseverance—and maybe a little luck—can turn a commercial or cameo shoot into an enduring career.