We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which actors they were truly shocked to see in certain movies and TV shows. Here are the surprising results.
1.
Steve Carell played a security guard in the iconic movie Sleepover:
MGM, CBS
It’s been 15 years since Sleepover was released. Steve Carell has since been nominated for nine Golden Globes and an Oscar.
2.
Leonardo DiCaprio was an extra in Roseanne:
ABC / Warner Bros. Pictures
He went from playing “Darlene’s classmate” to winning an Oscar. Iconic.
3.
Octavia Spencer played a reporter in Never Been Kissed:
20th Century Fox, ABC
Her delivery of the line “damn, girl. You are a writer,” should have put her in awards contention that year, tbh! Luckily she’s continued to grace our screens, having been nominated for three Oscars and winning one of them. A true legend.
4.
Adam Sandler got his start as Smitty on The Cosby Show:
NBC
This SNL alum has gone on to become one of the most famous comedians ever.
5.
Ryan Reynolds was the love interest in the Sabrina the Teenage Witch TV movie:
NBC
The movie was released in 1996, but you probably know Reynolds best for his role as Nick Walker in R.I.P.D.
6.
Jennifer Lawrence played a school mascot in an episode of Monk:
NBC, ABC
Such talent!
—Val South, Facebook
7.
Laurence Fishburne played Cowboy Curtis in Pee-wee’s Playhouse:
CBS, ABC
True fans of the Oscar-nominated actor also know that he had a small role in Apocalypse Now.
8.
Jim O’Heir, aka Jerry/Garry/Larry/Terry/Harry from Parks and Rec, played Jonah Hill’s dad in Accepted.
9.
Brie Larson was a young Six Chick in 13 Going on 30.
Columbia Pictures, Marvel
10.
Katherine Heigl was in Disney’s Wish Upon a Star years before becoming Izzie Stevens on Grey’s Anatomy:
Disney, youtube.com
Heigl starred in a string of rom-coms in the late 2000s and recently starred in two seasons of Suits.
11.
Aubrey Plaza played an NBC page on 30 Rock:
12.
Rachel McAdams was in a single episode of The Famous Jett Jackson:
Disney Channel / Warner Bros. Pictures
It was her very first acting role, too. But after 18 years and several classic roles later, she can add “Oscar nominee” to her name.
13.
Maggie Lawson dated Shawn Hunter in an episode of Boy Meets World:
USA
Three years later, she starred in the ever-popular Model Behavior, and she ultimately went on to star in the TV hit Psych.
14.
Ashley Tisdale played a game show contestant on Smart Guy and a student in Donnie Darko:
Disney Channel, Pandora Cinema
But you probably recognize her most as Sharpay Evans from the High School Musical series.
15.
Noel Fisher from Shameless played the bully in Max Keeble’s Big Move:
Walt Disney Pictures, Showtime
16.
John Huertas, aka Miguel on This Is Us, played a witch hunter on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch:
The WB / NBC
His character’s name was Brad, and I still haven’t forgiven him for turning Dreama into a mouse.
17.
Kristen Stewart was an extra in Disney Channel’s The Thirteenth Year:
Disney Channel, Les Films du Losange
This was before she proved her acting chops in movies like Panic Room, Into the Wild, Clouds of Sils Maria, and Still Alice. And, yes, my girl can act. Fight me.
18.
Dianna Agron played a woman who could fit her whole fist in her mouth in Drake & Josh.
Nickelodeon / Fox
Years later, she starred as Quinn Fabray in Glee. Jury’s still out on whether or not she can still do the whole fist/mouth thing.
19.
Don Cheadle was in one episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air:
NBC / Showtime
But maybe you recognize him most as Tony Stark’s righthand man, Colonel James Rhodes, in the Avengers series?
20.
Angela Bassett was a flight attendant in Kindergarten Cop:
Universal Pictures, Fox
She was only in the movie for a millisecond, but that never disheartened her. She was nominated for an Oscar a few years later, and now she stars in the hit show 9-1-1.
–Allyson Guy, Facebook
21.
Abigail Breslin was in The Princess Diaries 2:
Walt Disney Pictures, Fox
Her older brother, Spencer, was also in the movie! You probably know Abigail best from her Oscar-nominated role in Little Miss Sunshine or from Scream Queens.
–Kirsty L. Powell, Facebook
22.
Amy Adams was in an episode of Charmed:
CBS, Paramount Pictures
This legendary actress was also in a few episodes of The Office (she sold purses at Dunder Mifflin!), but you probably know her from one of her many Oscar-nominated roles.
23.
James Marsden was in two episodes of The Nanny.
CBS / HBO
He was hot then, and he’s still hot now. You probably know him best as Cyclops from the X-Men movies or for his roles in Enchanted, 30 Rock, and Westworld
24.
Joe Manganiello was Peter Parker’s bully in the original Spider-Man:
Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures
The Magic Mike star played Flash Thompson in the first and third movies in Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man series.
25.
Sara Ramirez was the cashier in You’ve Got Mail:
Warner Bros. Pictures / ABC
But you probably recognize her from her Tony-winning role in Spamalot or as the brilliant Dr. Callie Torres in Grey’s Anatomy.
26.
Jessica Alba was a bully in The Secret World of Alex Mack:
Nickelodeon / NBC
True fans of hers will also know that she starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie P.U.N.K.S.. But now she has her own company, which is worth well over a billion dollars. Super impressive!
27.
John Cho played a parking valet in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas:
Universal Pictures / Paramount Pictures
He’s also credited as “sale house man #1” in American Beauty.
28.
Ben Affleck played “basketball played #10” in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie:
20th Century Fox
The movie was released in 1992. Five years later, he won an Oscar for writing Good Will Hunting.
29.
Maggie Wheeler was one of the camp counselors in The Parent Trap:
Disney / NBC
That’s right! Janice from Friends was in The Parent Trap! Oh. My. God.
—annee4b1c88611
30.
Taran Killam played Frankie Muniz’s bully in Big Fat Liar:
Universal Pictures / NBC
The SNL alum was also in Disney’s Stuck in the Suburbs, Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show, and 12 Years a Slave.
31.
Elijah Wood was the little kid in Back to the Future Part II:
Amblin Entertainment / Warner Bros. Pictures
He was eight years old, and it was his very first acting gig. You probably know him better as Frodo in the Lord of the Rings series.
32.
Julie Bowen was surprisingly in Happy Gilmore:
Happy Madison Productions / ABC
And now she plays Claire in Modern Family!
33.
Michael Cera was in Switching Goals with Mary-Kate and Ashley:
Dualstar / STX Films
34.
And everyone was in Law and Order:
NBC
Bradley Cooper, Viola Davis, Elizabeth Banks, Zoe Saldana, Elle Fanning, and Kate Mara.