The 1990s were a strange, magical era for video game movies. Hollywood was still trying to figure out how to take pixels and turn them into popcorn, and the attempts wildly oscillated between cult classics and sheer disasters. Certain films became sleepover legends; others had you faking that you’d never actually owned the game to begin with. So grab your controller for comfort—we’re running through the decade’s best and worst gaming movies, starting with the trainwrecks (because, honestly, the flops are half the fun).

10. Double Dragon (Worst)

Take one beloved beat-’em-up, toss it into a cheesy, neon-soaked future, and sprinkle in a magical amulet, and you’ve got Double Dragon. The action is clunky, the story nonsensical, and the costumes… well, let’s just say they scream thrift-store cosplay. Robert Patrick (yes, the T-1000 himself) chews scenery as the villain, but even he can’t save this misfire. Surviving it deserves an achievement badge.

9. Wing Commander (Worst)

With a big-name cast (Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard) and a $30 million budget, Wing Commander should’ve soared. Instead, it crashed-landed. The visual effects were bargain-bin bad, and the rich lore of the games was stripped away for a bland love story and cookie-cutter space battles. It felt less like a blockbuster and more like something you’d stumble across on late-night cable.

8. Street Fighter (Worst)

Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile! Raul Julia as M. Bison! On paper, this should have been epic. In life, it was a lunatic mess that couldn’t make up its mind whether it was parody or action. Julia’s extravagantly hammy performance is the sole saving grace—his immortal “Tuesday” line will forever be etched in our brains—but the rest is just button-mashing drivel.

7. Super Mario Bros. (Worst)

The granddaddy of terrible video game movies. Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo did their best, but the grimy, dystopian “Mushroom Kingdom” was confusing. Dennis Hopper as Koopa? Half delightful, half terrifying. The storyline was a mess, the tone inconsistent, and yet… it turned cult because it was that bizarre.

6. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (Worst)

And if the original Mortal Kombat was cheesy fun, the sequel was a bad fever dream. Too many characters, a terrible joke of a storyline, and final battles that resembled rejected PlayStation cutscenes. It’s commonly regarded as the worst of the worst—and honestly, that is well-deserved.

5. Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (Best)

Before Sonic zipped into modern CGI glory, there was the 1996 anime OVA. Featuring Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Robotnik, it felt like the games came to life. The animation style was unfamiliar to Western audiences back then, but fans who gave it a shot got a fun, faithful adventure that captured Sonic’s spirit.

4. Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (Best)

While the live-action disaster failed, the cartoon version aced it. The movie presented us with a clear narrative—Guile vs. Bison, Ryu on the run, Chun-Li as a spy—coupled with crisp animation and fight scenes that finally met the game’s hype. It wasn’t revolutionary, but set against its live-action brother, it felt like a masterpiece. 

3. Pokémon: The Movie 2000 (Best)

The second Pokémon movie went out bigger with Lugia and the legendary bird trio. It had an actual villain catching legendary Pokémon (something new to the franchise) and even allowed Team Rocket to be reluctant heroes. The plot may have been somewhat confusing for the non-fan, but the fans were captivated. For children in the late ’90s, this was an event.

2. Pokémon: The First Movie (Best)

Few cultural experiences land as hard as Pokémon: The First Movie. When Pokémania was in full swing, children waited around the block for the opportunity to watch Mewtwo and Mew fight on the big screen. It combined action with unexpectedly dark themes regarding life and identity, providing viewers with a narrative that lingered long after the credits rolled. Unadulterated nostalgia fuel.

1. Mortal Kombat (Best)

The quintessential ’90s video game film. Mortal Kombat put together thumping techno rhythms, epic martial arts battles, international exotic locations, and a roster of irrepressible characters. Christopher Lambert’s Raiden and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s Bison were campy gold. Was it a great film? Not on your life. Was it over-the-top fun? No question. This is the film that demonstrated game adaptations could succeed—even if only by embracing the camp.

Game Over—or Just the Beginning?

The ’90s provided us with the entire range of video game movies: from facepalm-inducing flops to cult classics that remain good even today. Loved them for the retro charm, the inadvertent humor, or occasional moments of genius, these movies remind us that hitting “start” in Hollywood has never been a safe bet.

Where Hollywood makeovers are concerned, nothing lowers jaws more than an actor redefining their physique for a part. Some add pounds, some starve down to waif status, and some bulk up to superhero proportions. It’s equal parts discipline, gamble, and occasionally cottage-industry madness. Here are 10 of the most dramatic weight changes ever undertaken for movies and TV—and the shocking tales behind them.

10. Charles Melton — May December

Charles Melton, a Riverdale veteran for years, all-inned for Todd Haynes’ May December. To portray Joe, the suburban father with a shady past, he gained 40 pounds, numerous burgers, pizzas, and ice cream treats, being part of the process. Melton viewed the weight gain as a continuation of his character work, referring to it as “a natural, external expression of the internal work.” To counteract the tension, he relied on anime such as Demon Slayer and even acupuncture. In retrospect, he called it the highlight of his career.

9. Tom Hardy — The Dark Knight Rises

Tom Hardy’s physical transformation into Bane polarized fans—some felt he wasn’t large enough to measure up to the comic book behemoth villain. Hardy gained 190 pounds for the role but acknowledged that he read the negative feedback and even cried over it. Ultimately, he had faith in Christopher Nolan’s vision and stuck with doing the best performance he could, instead of attempting to resemble a cartoon giant.

8. Rob McElhenney — It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Most actors lose weight with time. Rob McElhenney did the opposite—intentionally. For season seven of It’s Always Sunny, he gained 60 pounds as a joke, ridiculing the way sitcom characters traditionally become more refined with time. He replaced lean food with fast food, Big Macs, and donuts, freely labeling the experience miserable. The result was one of television’s funniest—and weirdest—makeovers.

7. Mark Wahlberg — Stu

Mark Wahlberg has yo-yoed his body plenty for parts, but his Stu transformation was particularly dramatic. He told Instagram he was “going up another 20” pounds, documenting progress along the way. The film was being kept under wraps at the time, which only added to speculation. Wahlberg’s willingness to go from action-hero body to paunchy priest is Hollywood bravado through and through. 

6. Renée Zellweger — Bridget Jones franchise

Renée Zellweger’s devotion to Bridget Jones is the stuff of legend. She put on a reported 30 pounds for the first film, then replicated the process for the second one. By the third film, she resisted all the attention surrounding her body, insisting that Bridget was “a perfectly normal weight” to start with. Zellweger’s metamorphosis testifies as much to Hollywood’s fixation with women’s bodies as it does to her work ethic.

5. Charlize Theron — Tully and Monster

Charlize Theron has made two dramatic body changes. She put on 30 pounds for Monster, earning her an Oscar, and did it all again for Tully. Although the initial weeks of gorging were enjoyable, she confessed that the weight gain quickly turned into depression and fatigue. Losing it afterwards took more than a year. Theron has claimed she doesn’t mind it, but it taught her precisely how ruthless these physical transformations can be.

4. Ryan Gosling — The Lovely Bones

Commitment sometimes fails. Ryan Gosling thought his character in The Lovely Bones should be more substantial, so he put on 60 pounds by consuming melted ice cream. Director Peter Jackson didn’t see it that way, and Gosling was replaced by Mark Wahlberg before filming even began. Gosling later laughed; he ended up “fat and unemployed.” A reminder that the best of intentions can go awry.

3. Vincent D’Onofrio — Full Metal Jacket

For Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, Vincent D’Onofrio gained a whopping 70 pounds to become the widest actor to ever portray a Marine recruit. The weight impacted every function of his life—he could barely tie his shoelaces, and women, he declared, actually ran from him. The process was so intense, he went on to do it again for another role, demonstrating just how far he’d go in the name of realism.

2. Christian Bale — Vice (and so many more)

Christian Bale has made body transformations into an art form. He’s wasted away to skin and bone for The Machinist, developed a shredded physique for American Psycho, and put on almost 20 kilos to portray Vice. For this one, he consulted with a nutritionist so that he could bulk up safely. Bale acknowledges that his constant shape-shifting is not something that can be maintained, but it’s part of what makes him Hollywood’s ultimate chameleon.

1. Brendan Fraser — The Whale

Brendan Fraser’s comeback in The Whale came with weight gain and heavy prosthetics to portray a 600-pound man. Apart from the physical transformation, Fraser invested himself in the emotional center of the character: a man trying to cope with bereavement as well as food addiction. The performance was not only a career rebirth for Fraser, but it was also for viewers who were touched by his unfiltered vulnerability.

These metamorphoses demonstrate that for certain performers, the work extends far beyond learning lines. The physical cost—be it brutal diets, life-threatening weight fluctuations, or the gradual return to “normal”—is usually as spectacular as anything on screen. And while controversy still surrounds the risks, one thing is certain: these performances wouldn’t have been the same without the body behind them.

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.

Hollywood is always a mess, but there’s no better example of the unpredictability of it than when an actor has been replaced mid-production. Sometimes it’s creative differences, controversy, and sometimes just weird situations. Let’s count down the 10 most shocking mid-production replacements.

10. Chicken Little — Holly Hunter out, Zach Braff in

Amazingly enough, Disney originally conceived of Chicken Little as a female. Holly Hunter even had all her lines prerecorded before the executives shifted their approach, believing a boy lead would be a better seller. The film was revamped, and Zach Braff took the role. Director Mark Dindal remembered being informed, “Girls will go see a movie with a boy protagonist, but boys won’t go see one with a girl protagonist.” Of course, Frozen would eventually disprove that reasoning by bringing in over a billion dollars.

9. The Lovely Bones — Ryan Gosling out, Mark Wahlberg in

Ryan Gosling was so committed to his part as Jack Salmon that he put on 60 pounds—allegedly by consuming melted ice cream. His vision, however, didn’t align with Peter Jackson’s, and he was replaced at the last minute by Mark Wahlberg. Gosling later confessed he had underestimated the role, joking that he wound up “fat and jobless.”

8. Predator — Jean-Claude Van Damme out, Kevin Peter Hall in

Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast as the alien hunter, but the costume was both limiting and, in his opinion, absurd. Others claim that the filmmakers realized the creature required someone considerably taller and more imposing. Kevin Peter Hall ultimately wore the suit, presenting us with our classic Predator today.

7. Knocked Up — Anne Hathaway out, Katherine Heigl in

Anne Hathaway had committed to the lead opposite Seth Rogen, but she objected to the film’s graphic childbirth scene—although it would have utilized a body double. She walked away, and Katherine Heigl took the role instead. The movie became one of the iconic rom-coms of the 2000s.

6. The Lord of the Rings — Stuart Townsend dropped, Viggo Mortensen hired

Stuart Townsend spent months preparing to play Aragorn, only to be let go a few days into filming. Director Peter Jackson deemed Townsend too youthful for the part. Older, grittier Viggo Mortensen was hired at the eleventh hour, and the rest is history with fantasy films. Townsend afterward acknowledged he still harbored bad feelings about the episode.

5. Back to the Future — Eric Stoltz out, Michael J. Fox in

Eric Stoltz filmed for weeks as Marty McFly, but his dramatic approach didn’t work with the humorous tone the filmmakers desired. Director Robert Zemeckis ultimately recast the part with Michael J. Fox, who coped with the exhausting schedule of filming Family Ties during the day and Back to the Future at night. In retrospect, Zemeckis confessed simply: “I miscast him.”

4. Aliens — James Remar out, Michael Biehn in

James Remar was first cast as Corporal Hicks, but his drug possession arrest lost him the part after several weeks of filming. Michael Biehn took over and soon became a fan favorite. Remar later admitted his substance abuse problems were the reason for the switch.

3. All the Money in the World — Kevin Spacey out, Christopher Plummer in

Kevin Spacey had wrapped as oil baron J. Paul Getty, but after severe accusations against him, Ridley Scott made the unprecedented decision to replace him completely. Christopher Plummer did a whole series of Spacey’s scenes in under a month—and got an Oscar nomination for it.

2. Beverly Hills Cop — Sylvester Stallone out, Eddie Murphy in

Sylvester Stallone was originally cast as Axel Foley, but his other version of the character made him a brooding action hero. The producers needed comedy, and they dropped him. Eddie Murphy joined on, and his comic take made Beverly Hills Cop a box-office hit.

1. The Truman Show — Dennis Hopper out, Ed Harris in

Dennis Hopper played Christof, the creator of Truman’s simulated world, but was fired after a single day of shooting, having messed up his lines. Ed Harris was hired to replace him and delivered a chilling performance that was nominated for an Oscar. Hopper afterward revealed that producer Scott Rudin had already prepared to cut him if the dailies from the first day weren’t satisfactory—and just did that.

Hollywood prefers to utter “the show must go on, —and these tales affirm that occasionally, it goes on with an entirely new face in front of the lens.

Let’s get real: everyone has a weakness for a good origin story, and particularly one that comes with a twist of “Wait, they used to DO THAT?” The reality is that most Hollywood celebrities did not simply walk onto the big screen. They paid their dues—sometimes by scooping ice cream, teaching children, or even working in a morgue. From selling automobiles to making subs, here are 15 unexpected pre-fame careers that your favorite celebrities used to have.

15. Gene Simmons – Educator & Used Car Salesman

Before KISS face paint and fire-breathing rock concerts, Gene Simmons stood in front of a classroom—and moonlighting used cars on the side. Imagine it: the future “The Demon” attempting to sell you a station wagon.

14. Lil Nas X – Theme Park Ride Operator

Before “Old Town Road” dominated the charts, Lil Nas X was fastening children into rides at Six Flags. From fastening down seatbelts to fastening on cowboy hats, he traveled from thrill rides to music stardom in record time.

13. Jerry Seinfeld – Car Salesman

Before he was comedy royalty, Jerry Seinfeld was attempting to clear cars from a New York lot. He once confessed that the job honed his sense of humor and people skills—skills he would use later to pose the question, “What’s the deal with…?”

12. Margot Robbie – Subway Sandwich Artist

Before red carpets and Oscar hype, Margot Robbie was creating flawless Subway subs. She even boasted about the precision of her sandwich-making—spreading toppings to the edges. Attention to detail, Hollywood loved.

11. Bryan Cranston – Car Dealership Salesman

Before donning Heisenberg’s cap, Bryan Cranston was landing on the showroom floor at a Los Angeles automobile dealership. He was trading in monthly quotas for whipping up one of television’s most iconic characters.

10. Amy Poehler – Ice Cream Shop Employee

Comedy legend Amy Poehler used to spend her evenings scooping ice cream cones and cleaning counters at a neighborhood ice cream parlor. She remembers it as “hard, physical work”—not necessarily Pawnee Parks & Rec, but community service of a sort.

9. Sylvester Stallone – Car Lot Employee

Before making a name for himself with Rocky, Stallone was working the trenches at a New York car dealership. Like his most iconic character, he was the underdog battling to emerge from obscurity.

8. Eva Longoria – Wendy’s Employee

Eva Longoria worked six years in the back of the counter at Wendy’s, learning the delicate art of burger construction. She even takes a solemn oath about a secret trick for layering: Mayo on the bun first, ketchup in the middle, mustard last. The woman sure knew how to bring both flavor and showmanship.

7. Tim Allen – Chevy Salesman

Before grunts, catchphrases, and Pixar voice acting, Tim Allen was peddling Chevrolets in Michigan. Little did his customers know, their car man would soon be America’s go-to handyman.

6. Whoopi Goldberg – Beautician for the Deceased

Whoopi Goldberg’s first career may be the biggest shock on this list—she had a morgue job, doing hair and makeup for corpses. It took empathy, level heads, and most likely provided her with a very interesting outlook on life. 

5. John Travolta – Car Dealership Employee

Even John Travolta began small, working at a New Jersey dealership before dancing his way onto the screen in Saturday Night Fever. From selling sedans to selling movie tickets, his career revved up.

4. Danny DeVito – Ford Dealership Worker

Danny DeVito also took a car dealership detour, spending six months at a Ford dealership in New Jersey before getting into acting. Fortunately for fans of comedy, he swapped steering wheels for scripts.

3. Meghan Markle – Calligrapher

Meghan Markle was a professional calligrapher before Suits and royal news. She taught classes, worked at Paper Source, and even hand-wrote wedding invitations for celeb clients. Regal handwriting before a regal life.

2. Tommy Lee Jones – Used Car Salesman

Following his Harvard degree, Tommy Lee Jones was peddling cars in Dallas. Fortunately, Hollywood knocked on his door, and he traded in pitches for force-of-nature performances.

1. Adam Driver – American Marine

Before Star Wars and Broadway fame, Adam Driver joined the Marines at age 18. Although a knee injury ended his service prematurely, he frequently attributes the discipline and camaraderie of the Marines to molding him into the person he is today.

It turns out the path to fame isn’t paved with stardust—it’s lined with fast food chains, morgues, and at least a few car lots. So the next time you catch sight of a star burning bright on screen, keep in mind: they may have been the one handing you a set of car keys, serving your ice cream, or mastering your order before they were famous.