Some movies are only impressive in retrospect. These include films with unknown actors who became famous later on. Considering that most actors don't get famous immediately (or at all), and many of these young, hungry performers cross paths, there are numerous flicks full of future stars. Here are a few films with the most surprisingly star-studded casts.
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Although they were outsiders at the time, the cast of The Outsiders went on to monumental fame. Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Diane Lane, and Ralph Macchio were launched by this 1983 coming-of-age film, while first-billed C. Thomas Howell hit his peak. That's still an incredibly high success rate for future stars.
We don't know how director Francis Ford Coppola did it, but we're happy he did.
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This 2001 depiction of the Battle of Mogadishu is also a battle of actors who would become famous. Tom Hardy made his film debut as Lance Twombly; Orlando Bloom mesmerized moviegoers as Todd Blackburn in concurrence with Legolas in The Fellowship of the Ring; and, in playing Norm "Hoot" Gibson, Eric Bana introduced himself to American audiences.
Moreover, the film contains a pre-Modern Family Ty Burrell, a pre-Entourage Jeremy Piven, a pre-Sons of Anarchy Kim Coates, and a pre-Game of Thrones Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, as well as firmly established actors like Josh Hartnett, Tom Sizemore, Ewan McGregor, William Fichtner, Sam Shepard, and Jason Isaacs.
Surprisingly loaded cast?- 1Josh Hartnett20 Votes
- 2Ewan McGregor27 Votes
- 3Eric Bana26 Votes
- 4Nikolaj Coster-Waldau18 Votes
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Ten years after 10 Years premiered, many of its then-unknown cast members are superstars. Channing Tatum, who played main protagonist Jake Stafford, was then the “Step Up guy” and is now the guy who has stepped up to all types of roles; lower-billed Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza had just begun Parks and Recreation and are now major movie stars; and Oscar Isaac, who played supporting character Reeves, was still years away from being a Hollywood hunk.
The little-seen rom-com also features Justin Long, Rosario Dawson, Ron Livingston, a pre-Falcon Anthony Mackie, and a pre-House of Cards Kate Mara.
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With Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, Judah Friedlander, Michael Ian Black, Joe Lo Truglio, and H. Jon Benjamin, Wet Hot American Summer looks like the biggest comedy blockbuster of summer 2012… only it was released in 2001 to very little attention. The filmmakers cursed themselves by casting the best comedic actors too early in their careers.
Thankfully, comedy fans eventually recognized the film's prescience and gave it belated acclaim, which resulted in most of the cast (now adequately famous) reuniting for two spinoff series, the first in 2015 and the second in 2017.
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Tom Hardy was hardly a movie star when he appeared in this 2008 Guy Ritchie actioner, and neither was Idris Elba, whose most notable credit was The Wire. Today, they're rocking and rolling throughout Hollywood.
In addition to Hardy and Elba, RocknRolla features Gerard Butler, Thandiwe Newton, Ludacris, Jeremy Piven, and several other established actors.
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There are angels - and now-famous actors - in the outfield of this 1994 family sports film. Preteen Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Roger, while fresh-faced Matthew McConaughey and Adrien Brody play minor California Angels players. Fast forward 18 years and that trio has several billion dollars in box-office revenue.
In addition to actors on the rise, Angels in the Outfield debuted with actors in their prime/on the decline (depending on your perspective), such as Danny Glover, Tony Danza, and Christopher Lloyd.
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200 Cigarettes is a dime-a-dozen ‘90s comedy with a dozen dimes. It was released in 1999 via the “star power” of a post-Good Will Hunting Ben Affleck and support by Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Paul Rudd, and Dave Chappelle long before they were household names.
Christina Ricci, Courtney Love, Janeane Garofalo, Jay Mohr, Martha Plimpton, Elvis Costello, and Gaby Hoffmann are also in the film. What a strange ensemble.
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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World premiered with a prime Michael Cera, an established Anna Kendrick, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alison Pill, and Jason Schwartzman, and a constellation of emerging stars. These include Brie Larson, who went on to lead films like Short Term 12, Room, and Captain Marvel; Aubrey Plaza, who became a star of Parks and Recreation and myriad movies; and Kieran Culkin, who was known as one of Macaulay's less successful brothers before he landed Succession.
The feather in Scott Pilgrim's cap is a pre-MCU Chris Evans.
Surprisingly loaded cast?- 1Mary Elizabeth Winstead17 Votes
- 2Ellen Wong23 Votes
- 3Michael Cera23 Votes
- 4Kieran Culkin20 Votes
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The Ice Storm premiered with an actor who would become Frodo, another who would become Spider-Man, and a third who would become Batman's love interest. Elijah Wood, Tobey Maguire, and Katie Holmes were newcomers when they acted in this 1997 Ang Lee drama - Holmes especially, as it was her screen debut.
Rounding out The Ice Storm's eclectic cast are Kevin Kline, Christina Ricci, Sigourney Weaver, and a pre-West Wing Allison Janney.
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Jungle Fever is an early Spike Lee joint with early showings from some of Hollywood's biggest stars. These include Wesley Snipes, who was one year away from White Men Can't Jump; Samuel L. Jackson, three years away from Pulp Fiction; Tim Robbins, three years from The Shawshank Redemption; and John Turturro, who appeared in this film the same year he starred in Barton Fink. Most impressively, Halle Berry and Queen Latifah both made their big screen debut.
But that's not all. Jungle Fever features pre-Sopranos Michael Imperioli and Frank Vincent and pre-Chappelle's Show Charlie Murphy.
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Yet another numerically-titled film featuring a number of future stars, The Nines debuted in 2007 with Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer, Elle Fanning, and Melissa McCarthy. Each of those actors went on to incredible fame.
They also garnered critical acclaim, as all have earned Golden Globe nominations (Spencer won).
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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy may not have the quantity of future superstars that other films have, but it has quality in the form of Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch. The actors were little known outside of their native England when they appeared in this spy movie.
Hardy's subsequent credits include Warrior, The Dark Knight Rises, Locke, and Mad Max: Fury Road, while Cumberbatch's include 12 Years a Slave, The Imitation Game, Doctor Strange, and 1917. In addition to that talented duo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy stars Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and John Hurt.
Surprisingly loaded cast?
