21 actors who started as background extras in movies and TV shows

Matthew WilsonJul 26, 2020, 20:40 IST

Cuba Gooding Jr. in "Coming to America."Paramount Pictures/Youtube

All our favorite actors had to start somewhere, and many appeared as extras in movies and TV shows before they became household names.
A young Leonardo DiCaprio appeared briefly in the TV show "Roseanne."
Future Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. was an extra in "Coming to America."

Every actor has to start somewhere. Some stars like Cuba Gooding Jr. or Channing Tatum appeared on camera for only seconds in their earliest roles. Do you recognize these famous actors lurking in the background of these movies and televisions shows?

Here are actors who started their careers as extras.

In the cult classic "Dazed and Confused," Renee Zellweger appeared as a background character.

Renee Zellweger in "Dazed and Confused." Gramercy Pictures/YouTube

Before he was Rocky or Rambo, Sylvester Stallone was an extra in Woody Allen's 1971 "Bananas."

Sylvester Stallone in "Bananas." United Artists/YouTube

In the Robert Downey Jr.-led "Less Than Zero" in 1987, Brad Pitt had a blink-and-you'll-miss-him appearance.

Brad Pitt in "Less Than Zero." 20th Century Fox/YouTube

Before she got marooned on a mysterious island on "Lost," Evangeline Lilly appeared as a high schooler in 2003's "Freddy vs. Jason."

Evangeline Lilly in "Freddy vs. Jason." New Line Cinema/YouTube

Before he became a Hollywood legend, Clint Eastwood worked as an extra on a number of films.

Clint Eastwood. Riccardo S. Savi/Getty Images

Channing Tatum is hidden among the people running in the background of 2005's "War of the Worlds."

Channing Tatum in "War of the Worlds." Paramount Pictures/YouTube

One of future "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart's earliest roles was in the Disney Channel film "The Thirteenth Year."

Kristen Stewart in "The Thirteenth Year." Disney Channel/YouTube

In one of his first film appearances, Arnold Schwarzenegger played a henchman 1973's "The Long Goodbye."

Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The Long Goodbye." United Artists/YouTube

Before he was John McClane, Bruce Willis appeared in the courtroom in the 1981 movie "The Verdict."

Bruce Willis in "The Verdict." 20th Century Fox/YouTube

Willem Dafoe appeared in the background of the 1980 box office disaster "Heaven's Gate."

Willem Dafoe. Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP

Though he's known for his athleticism, Jean-Claude Van Damme barely moves in the background of the 1984 film "Breakin'."

Jean-Claude Van Damme in "Breakin'." MGM/YouTube

In 1988 "Coming to America," Cuba Gooding Jr. had a haircut.

Cuba Gooding Jr. in "Coming to America." Paramount Pictures/YouTube

As he would be in many of his future roles, young method actor Daniel Day-Lewis was almost unrecognizable in the 1971 movie "Sunday Bloody Sunday."

Daniel Day-Lewis. United Artists/YouTube

Megan Fox appeared as a club dancer in the 2003 film "Bad Boys II."

Megan Fox in "Bad Boys II." Sony Pictures/YouTube

A young Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were extras on the 1989 film "Field of Dreams."

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in "Jay and Silent Bob." Miramax Films

Heath Ledger's first role was as a clown in the 1992 film "Clowning Around."

Heath Ledger. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

A young John Wayne appeared as a football player in the silent film "Brown of Harvard" in 1926.

John Wayne in "Brown of Harvard." Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/YouTube

Martial artists Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee actually met on the set of the 1973 film "Enter The Dragon." It didn't end well for Chan's character.

Jackie Chan with Bruce Lee on "Enter The Dragon." Warner Bros/Youtube

A young George Clooney started his career as an extra on the 1978 TV miniseries "Centennial."

George Clooney. Reuters/Andrew Kelly

Screen legend Marilyn Monroe appeared as an extra in the 1948 film "Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!"

Marilyn Monroe in "Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!" 20th Century Fox/YouTube

Before he was an Oscar winner, Leonardo DiCaprio was Darlene's classmate on the TV show "Roseanne."

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Roseanne." ABC/YouTube

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