Stars you spot in things done before they were stars

[cmontyburns]

I'm using the term "star" loosely, really just meaning actors best known for their work in current or recent series.

Seems like I've had a rash of "before they were stars" sightings lately. In every case, they've been people that I had never heard of before their current work on whatever series they're on. But now that I know who they are, I'm seeing them in older work. (Sure, you could just pick someone and go to IMDB to see what they've done, but serendipity is more fun.)

For instance, in catching up with Gilmore Girls season four (currently in season six) on DVD, I saw Teddy Dunn, now a regular on Veronica Mars, in a one-episode stint as a date for Rory Gilmore. A couple of days ago, while flipping channels, I paused at the movie Remember the Titans, only to spot Ethan Suplee, now known as Randy on My Name is Earl, playing a college football player. I've had one or two others recently that slip my mind just now, but you get the idea.

What actors have you recognized in older work, now that you know who they are due to something newer?

[Jayjoans]

This happened to us just yesterday too, we flipped by that stupid TV movie about the couple and son that were driving from San Francisco to Idaho and decided that since INTERSTATE 80 was CLOSED due to snow they would find their way around it on smaller summer roads!!! The idiot factor is almost too much for me to continue....

Anyway, the stupid wife was played by Bobby's wife on The Practice. Evident that she is a one trick pony when it comes to acting, she played stupid wife just like she played Bobby's stupid wife.

zero star factor here, sorry

[alpacaboy]

Never heard of Ever Carradine before "Commander in Chief," recently saw her on an old episode of "Will and Grace."

Paula Marshall pops up quite a bit as a guest star in old series.

Normally, I'm really bad about recognizing guest stars though - I'll find out about old appearances from the equivalent to Tivo's Wish List.

[MasterOfPuppets]

This is really stretching star power...but when Scrabble was still on TV in reruns (I wouldn't know if it's still on The Game Show Network, I don't get it), I spotted Dennis "Mr. Belding" Haskins competing (That's from "Saved By The Bell", and no, it wasn't a "stars" show")...
There were actually quite a few that I've noticed as kids on "The Wonder Years"...excuse my spelling, but Giovanni Ribisi was on there, "Chuck" has been in beer commercials, David Schwimmer was on there, there were other side characters on there that went on to other things too, the same can't be said for ANY of the main characters though...

[Sparty99]

I thought about starting this exact same topic when I saw Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy) on an old episode of "The Job".

[aadam101]

I saw Fran Drescher in an episode of Night Court recently

[tivotvaddict]

Megan Mulally (sp?) of Will and Grace was on an episode of Press Your Luck (the Whammy game show) on GSN. The voice was a dead give away.

[Havana Brown]

I think many of us have had the same idea

Before they were stars (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=274373)

[Maui]

I saw Fran Drescher in an episode of Night Court recently

I saw her on an episode of Fame recently.

[kmcorbett]

Kristen Bell was a featured guest star on a season 1 episode of American Dreams.

[PJO1966]

Dennis Haysbert (24) was on an old episode of Magnum PI as a Naval officer.

Michael Dorn (Star Trek: Next Generation) was a paramedic on Knots Landing

[cherry ghost]

Almost every actress who ever played one of Jerry's girlfriends on Seinfeld has gone on to bigger things. The most obscure is probably Stiffler's mom(from American Pie and other things) was the woman who wouldn't submit to forceable massage.

[Lee L]

I was going to mention Seinfeld. Seems like every other show has some periodic character whos actor/actress went on to become a star.

[loubob57]

This is kind of the opposite in a way. When Friends started I remembered Jennifer Aniston from a low-fat salad dressing commercial.

[MasterOfPuppets]

This is kind of the opposite in a way. When Friends started I remembered Jennifer Aniston from a low-fat salad dressing commercial.

Don't forget the mighty Ferris Bueller TV series too...

[Chapper1]

This is kind of the opposite in a way. When Friends started I remembered Jennifer Aniston from a low-fat salad dressing commercial.

I remembered her from a short lived FOX show called "The Edge". It was a pretty good show, which of course, got cancelled...

[Royster]

Saw Master and Commander on HBO recently and was surprised to see Max Pirkis, Octavian from HOB's Rome, as a lowly midshipman. I also happened to stumble upon Proof, a 1991 Australian film with a very young Russell Crowe costarring with Hugo Weaving, Mr. Smith from the Matrix.

[DougF]

Dennis Haysbert (24) was on an old episode of Magnum PI as a Naval officer.

Michael Dorn (Star Trek: Next Generation) was a paramedic on Knots Landing

Look for Dennis Haysbert in several episodes of Buck Rogers, as well.

Michael Dorn was on CHiPs, too.

[jeff125va]

Definitely not a "star", and who knows maybe some people know this guy better from his soap opera days. But we were watching I Love the 90's last week and they showed Susan Lucci finally getting her Emmy. The guy who presented it was Shemar Moore, who plays Special Agent Morgan on Criminal Minds. He was on The Young & The Restless for like 10 years (had to look it up, wasn't 100% sure he was the presenter).

Other than that, I just realized how long it's been since I've watched reruns or older movies. Just got a few seasons of Seinfeld for Christmas though, I'm sure I'll come across some when I get to watching those. Or maybe I'll catch some walking through the room while my wife and son are watching Full House.

[SparkleMotion]

I often mention the Match Game '78 reruns on Game Show Network, when a hot young Wichita native named Kirstie Alley came out to match the stars.

[cmontyburns]

Lots of subsequently familiar faces paraded through M*A*S*H as well. Just caught an episode last night with Larry Wilcox, later known as Jon on CHiPs.

[newsposter]

Many people were on Hawaii five 0. I always thought it was funny seeing who popped in.

[MitchO]

My favorite one was just on this weekend, and I'm the only one I know who spotted him: In the movie Joe Vs the Volcano, when Joe (Tom Hanks) and Patricia (Meg Ryan) are washed up onto the Waponi island and all the natives come out to greet them, a character not named on screen (he's credited as Ben, the Waponi Advance Man) in full "Native" makeup asks:

"Are you the one they call .. Joe?"

Years later, I was re-watching this movie and realized .. hey, that's Nathan Lane! :) IMDB confirmed it. :)

[DreadPirateRob]

Never heard of Ever Carradine before "Commander in Chief," recently saw her on an old episode of "Will and Grace."



Ever Carradine also was a regular on my wife's once-favorite show "Once & Again" (she played Sela Ward's ex-husband's much-too-young girlfriend).

Dennis Haysbert (24) was on an old episode of Magnum PI as a Naval officer.

He also played Pedro Cerrano in the movie Major League, but I imagine the "Magnum" guest spot pre-dates that.

One other one that comes to mind is a pretty young Ben Affleck as one of the senior bullys in Dazed and Confused.

[Chapper1]

Ever Carradine also was a regular on my wife's once-favorite show "Once & Again" (she played Sela Ward's ex-husband's much-too-young girlfriend).


Ever Carradine also played on a short lived FX show I liked, "Lucky" starring John Corbett...

[SparkleMotion]

"Lucky" starring John Corbett......who played "Chris in the Morning" on Northern Exposure. ;)

[PJO1966]

I was watching Dawson's Creek this morning (God, I need a job!) and Joe Flanigan from Stargate: Atlantis was on as Vincent, the Hunky Fisherman. According to imdb he'll be on again tomorrow morning and that's it.

[Magnolia88]

Ever Carradine also was a regular on my wife's once-favorite show "Once & Again" (she played Sela Ward's ex-husband's much-too-young girlfriend).

I was just going to mention that but you beat me to it. Ever Carradine has been a fairly established TV actress for some time. I didn't realize she was on CIC now.

Seinfeld reruns are especially entertaining to see the long parade of actresses who played girlfriends of Jerry or George: Teri Hatcher, of course (the infamous "They're real and they're spectacular!" episode), Paula Marshall ("not that there's anything wrong with that"), the aforementioned Jennifer Coolidge ("I will not submit to forcible massage"), plus Courteney Cox, Janeane Garofalo, Debra Messing, Lisa Edelstein (now on House), and the list goes on and on (http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~jotang/buff/Seinfeld.html).

Heck, even Denise Richards played the teenage daughter of an NBC exec that George was lusting after.

[PJO1966]

I was just going to mention that but you beat me to it. Ever Carradine has been a fairly established TV actress for some time. I didn't realize she was on CIC now.

Seinfeld reruns are especially entertaining to see the long parade of actresses who played girlfriends of Jerry or George: Teri Hatcher, of course (the infamous "They're real and they're spectacular!" episode), Paula Marshall ("not that there's anything wrong with that"), the aforementioned Jennifer Coolidge ("I will not submit to forcible massage"), plus Courteney Cox, Janeane Garofalo, Debra Messing, Lisa Edelstein (now on House), and the list goes on and on (http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~jotang/buff/Seinfeld.html).

Heck, even Denise Richards played the teenage daughter of an NBC exec that George was lusting after.


From that list:

Strong, Brenda as Sue Ellen Mishky, "the braless wonder", heiress of "Oh Henry" candy bar fortune

Who is now the voice of Mary Alice on Desperate Housewives...

[pallendo]

Hugo Weaving in Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Agent Smith in Drag... just too funny.

Also, from P.Q.o.t.D., Terrance Stamp. AKA Chancelor Valorum in Phantom Menace, and also was in Haunted Mansion. Ralph sure has made it a long way.

From Clockwork Orange, I have seen Mr. Deltoid (Aubrey Morris) a few other places. Had to look at IMDB to remember where... Bordelo of Blood...

Of course, who could forget Alex de Large (Malcom McDowell) also from Clockwork Orange. He has been in many many TV parts. He kept re-occuring in Star Trek:TNG as bit players. He was in Tank Girl, Hidalgo, and a few others, but those are the ones that I remember.

Other bit players that keep showing up are:
Mr. Viola from Moonlighting (TV series) showing up as the thirsty patient on Grey's Anatomy. (Curtis Armstrong) He has been in bit parts for most of his life, it looks like from IMDB.com http://imdb.com/name/nm0035664/)

Clint Howard (Opie's brother) has been bit parts in Little Nicky, Austin Powers series (Radar operator) , and many others. http://imdb.com/name/nm0397212/


-Peter

[Steve_Martin]

Of course there's always the young Harrison Ford in American Graffitti.

[Steveknj]

Lots of subsequently familiar faces paraded through M*A*S*H as well. Just caught an episode last night with Larry Wilcox, later known as Jon on CHiPs.

Ron Howard played an underage soldier in one of the earlier episodes who joined the army to impress a girlfriend.

[pallendo]

Ron Howard played an underage soldier in one of the earlier episodes who joined the army to impress a girlfriend.

But then you would recognize him as Opie from the Andy Griffith show.

-Peter

[Bananfish]

I saw Fran Drescher in an episode of Night Court recently

I saw her on an episode of Fame recently.

Try renting This Is Spinal Tap - she's great as a smarmy agent.

[mitkraft]

Other bit players that keep showing up are:
Mr. Viola from Moonlighting (TV series) showing up as the thirsty patient on Grey's Anatomy. (Curtis Armstrong) He has been in bit parts for most of his life, it looks like from IMDB.com http://imdb.com/name/nm0035664/)

-Peter

I'm guessing you're a youngin or you'd remember him quite clearly from Revenge Of the Nerds, Risky Business, Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer... He was all over the place back in the early 80's in what I wouldn't necessarily call bit parts. He was always the sidekick kinda guy. I think his example may be the opposite of this thread. More like, Hey look was Booger is doing now!

Funny someone started this thread, I had one like this last weekend. I was watching Dune (the 1984 version) which I've seen many times and it occurred to me that Pauls little sister (Alia) had a distinctly familiar face and that she must be an actress I'm familiar with as an adult. In the credits she was listed as "Alicia Roanne Witt". She was only like 8 back then. She was in a few Ally Mcbeal episodes and the movies Urban Legend, Vanilla Sky, Playing Mona Lisa (lead), and Two Weeks Notice along with many here and there roles.

[Hit The Ball]

I watched the entire series of Combat! a few years ago.
Some of the guest stars I recognized, and assume were relatively unknown, included
James Caan,
Dennis Hopper,
Leonard Nimory,
Ted Knight (Mary Tyler Moore),
Harry Dean Stanton(Alien),
Tom Skerritt (Alien, the movie M*A*S*H),
Wayne Rogers (TV M*A*S*H),
Mike Farrell (TV M*A*S*H).
Robert Altman directed some of the episodes and was also the director of the movie MASH.

There were quite of few "known" guest stars, (like Lee Marvin), as well.


HTB

[realityboy]

I only recently realized that Christian Cambell (Book of Daniel) was in the movie Trick. I recognized him from All My Children as well as Reefer Madness.

[murgatroyd]

West Wing is fun for actor-spotting.

My favorite 'how'd you get here' moment was spotting Tony Amendola (whom I 'met' first on Stargate SG-1).

Jan

[5thcrewman]

Does Charlie Sheen in Denise Richards count? :rolleyes:

[cmontyburns]

Does Charlie Sheen in Denise Richards count? :rolleyes:

I think that one has been canceled...

[atrac]

Pamela Anderson in "Home Improvement." ;)

[getbak]

I think that one has been canceled...

No, they're back together. I went to a taping of Two and a Half Men in December (actually, the episode that aired this week), and Denise was walking around with Charlie, even though she didn't appear on the show at all.


If you watch much late night tv, you've probably seen Evangeline Lilly's "Live Links" commercial... http://www.livelinks.com/whatis/commercial/index.html



With regards to the Desperate Housewives on Seinfeld, not only was Teri Hatcher "real and spectacular"; and Brenda Strong was the braless Oh Henry heiress; but Marcia Cross was also the dermatologist who liked to talk about saving lives.

[gchance]

My wife's been watching 1st Season reruns of Judging Amy... who showed up as a doctor but Jay Karnes (Dutch Waggenbach on The Shield). In the same episode was a much-thinner Paul Linke (Grossman from CHiPs). It was a character actor fun-fest!

Greg

[balboa dave]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Law and Order, which has had a bit part for almost everyone in TV today before they were better known. The one episode that sticks out in my mind had Jennifer Garner in a small role before the nose job, but there are dozens of others.

[MarkofT]

Funny someone started this thread, I had one like this last weekend. I was watching Dune (the 1984 version) which I've seen many times and it occurred to me that Pauls little sister (Alia) had a distinctly familiar face and that she must be an actress I'm familiar with as an adult. In the credits she was listed as "Alicia Roanne Witt". She was only like 8 back then. She was in a few Ally Mcbeal episodes and the movies Urban Legend, Vanilla Sky, Playing Mona Lisa (lead), and Two Weeks Notice along with many here and there roles.She also played one of Cybil Shepard's daughter in "Cybil" and was one of the witches in the "Missing Ingredient" portion of "Four Rooms".

If you tune in to Gunsmoke or Bondanza on TVLand, you will see a good number of 70's stars. A couple days ago I happened to see the beginning of an episode and there was The Skipper, Alan Hale as a calvary officer.

[Steveknj]

Twilight Zone (The original early 60s incarnation), had a lot of "before they were stars" come through. Two I recall off hand were Jack Klugman and William Shatner (in the famous airplane episode).

[jeff125va]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Law and Order, which has had a bit part for almost everyone in TV today before they were better known. The one episode that sticks out in my mind had Jennifer Garner in a small role before the nose job, but there are dozens of others.
Yeah, S. Epatha Merkerson (Lt. Van Buren) had a bit part as a cleaning lady whose child was killed (IIRC) back in the first season. I didn't watch the show back then, so it was strange seeing that one on TNT a couple years ago.

[Fish Man]

One of my favorite "Before They Were Stars" movies was Jim Carrey in Once Bitten (1985) (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089730/combined).

Carrey was a complete unknown when he made that movie, and his rubber-faced lunatic persona was still clearly in development, but threads of it are apparent. It's a pretty entertaining movie! :)

[fsck_101]

How about George Clooney in several episodes of 'Roseanne'?

[MassD]

Evangeline Lilly (Lost) did some party/chat line commercials before she got big. Now they are replaying them a fair amount on some of the basic cable channels. Funny stuff.

Chandra Wilson (Dr Bailey, Grey's Anatomy) was an FBI agent in an episode of L&O:SVU... small part, doesn't even show up on IMDB.

[Magnolia88]

How about George Clooney in several episodes of 'Roseanne'?

George Clooney was a series regular on The Facts of Life a few years before he did Roseanne and he even had a short-lived sitcom (coincidentally called E/R) before Facts of Life. (And after Roseanne, he was on Sisters before finally making it big on ER.)

I'm not sure many people watched or remember E/R the sitcom but FoL was a long-running hit. I had a crush on him even back when he was hanging out with Tootie, but he's just gotten better with age.

[jlb]

This is one of my favorites of these.

Can anyone else guess who that is playing Jesus (from Godspell) in the middle of the picture? I'll give you 47 guesses....... ;)

http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2004/02/15/pk_jesus15-godspeed_ho.jpg

[PJO1966]

Victor Garber. According to imdb, that was his first movie.

(and yes, I knew the answer without going to imdb! :D)

[Cboath]

I often mention the Match Game '78 reruns on Game Show Network, when a hot young Wichita native named Kirstie Alley came out to match the stars.


I just saw this one recently and wanted to post it. Luckily I read through before smeeking. :D

[Cboath]

West Wing is fun for actor-spotting.

My favorite 'how'd you get here' moment was spotting Tony Amendola (whom I 'met' first on Stargate SG-1).

Jan


Yes it is. I am just now getting into WW and watching the second season and saw "Mike the Plumber" from Desperate Housewives.

[Spire]

Just the other night I caught Bob Patterson (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285342/) star Jason Alexander (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004517/) on a rerun of some old show called Seinfeld (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098904/).

[Cboath]

One more for now.

I was watching Young Guns 2 the other day and and heard Pat Garrett's voice and looked up... William Peterson(Grissom on CSI) was playing him!!!

[Sparty99]

West Wing is fun for actor-spotting.

My favorite 'how'd you get here' moment was spotting Tony Amendola (whom I 'met' first on Stargate SG-1).

Jan
Even better is Sports Night, which came out the same season, was written by Aaron Sorkin, and has seen a great number of the actors from that show show up on West Wing. Just off the top of my head:

--Rob Lowe's hooker from season 1 played a fill-in host on Sports Night
--The actress who plays Donna on West Wing showed up as a wardrobe consultant on Sports Night who took Peter Krause to task
--Joshua Malina (I believe that's his name), who plays Will on The West Wing, was a regular on Sports Night (and also appeared in The American President, another Sorkin script)
--Felicity Huffman did a couple of episodes of The West Wing (she was a regular on Sports Night)
--Terry Pluto, who's now playing the wife of Matt Santos on The West Wing, was a love interest of one of the anchors on Sports Night.

[WinBear]

I caught a very young Jonathan Frakes on one of the last episodes of Voyager! with Meeno Peluce.

I also like catching distinctive Canadian actors as they bounce around shows filmed in Vancouver. Stargate SG-1, Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, Sentinel, Dead Like Me and a slew of others are really good for this.

[Magnolia88]

Even better is Sports Night, which came out the same season, was written by Aaron Sorkin, and has seen a great number of the actors from that show show up on West Wing. Just off the top of my head:

--Rob Lowe's hooker from season 1 played a fill-in host on Sports Night.

Rob Lowe's hooker is also known as Lisa Edelstein, who is currently playing Cuddy on House. (She has a long list of credits and was also one of George's girlfriends on Seinfeld - the girl who got orgasmic when eating risotto).

Terry Pluto, who's now playing the wife of Matt Santos on The West Wing, was a love interest of one of the anchors on Sports Night.

That would be Teri Polo, who's probably best known from Meet the Parents. I think Aaron Sorkin wanted to help out everyone from Sports Night after it was canceled and offered all of them jobs on TWW if they wanted it. You're certainly right there was a lot of crossover between the two shows.

Speaking of Sports Night, I just saw Peter Krause in a rerun of Seinfeld - he played the white supremacist going to the rally in "The Limo" episode. (I know he was a regular on Cybill also, but I'm not sure if that was before or after he did Seinfeld.)

Is there anyone working in TV now who didn't guest star on Seinfeld? The list of (now) prominent guest stars is so long and most of them weren't well known at the time they did the show.

[pallendo]

I have tried to watch House, but everytime I see Hugh Laurie (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491402/), I think of George, Prince of Wales in Blackadder 3 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092324/), or Lt. the Honorable George Colhurst St. Barleigh in Blackadder Goes Forth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096548/), both very very funny Britcoms. I know he has been in many other TV shows and films, but these are what I think of when I see him.

-Peter

[Steveknj]

George Clooney was a series regular on The Facts of Life a few years before he did Roseanne and he even had a short-lived sitcom (coincidentally called E/R) before Facts of Life. (And after Roseanne, he was on Sisters before finally making it big on ER.)

I'm not sure many people watched or remember E/R the sitcom but FoL was a long-running hit. I had a crush on him even back when he was hanging out with Tootie, but he's just gotten better with age.

E/R Sitcom, if I recall, starred Elliot Gould, am I right? I used to like that show. I don't remember Clooney on it, but i don't doubt he was.

[Steveknj]

Victor Garber. According to imdb, that was his first movie.

(and yes, I knew the answer without going to imdb! :D)

In the immortal words of Frank Barone..Holy CRAP!!

[Tangent]

This happened to us just yesterday too, we flipped by that stupid TV movie about the couple and son that were driving from San Francisco to Idaho and decided that since INTERSTATE 80 was CLOSED due to snow they would find their way around it on smaller summer roads!!! The idiot factor is almost too much for me to continue....

Last summer in Vegas my wife and I went to one of those "rate possible TV shows" things that they have in a few malls and they showed us an episode of "I Shouldn't Be Alive" that was about those mental defectives. I've never agreed with a show's title more. The scary part is they've already procreated! Our gene pool really does need a heavy dose of chlorine.

[Mabes]

I watched Midnight Cowboy the other night. The gay teenager in the theater with no money - Bob Balaban.

[walkerism]

Paula Garces who plays the new cop on The Shield was on Guiding Light for a couple of years.

[mtm150]

My mom used to watch Another World when I was growing up, and I guess I kinda started watching too. And I remember thinking the little girl who played Alli, the redhead girl would be pretty good looking when she got older. Now of course she is Lindsay Lohan. She did Parent Trap right after that.

Mike