What 30 iconic actors looked like when they were in their 20s

Now in his 60s, Tom Hanks has had a prolific acting career spanning multiple genres. In his 20s, Hanks moved to New York City from California and got his first film role in the slasher "He Knows You're Alone" (1980).

In 1981, he met actress Rita Wilson while filming the show "Bosom Buddies." Then at age 29, Hanks acted alongside Wilson again in the film "Volunteers." The pair later married in 1988.

Four decades later, Hanks is best known for his work in "Big," "A League of Their Own," "Cast Away," and the "Toy Story" franchise.

A versatile actress, to say the least, Meryl Streep is one of the most-awarded actresses working today.

Now in her 70s, Streep was born in New Jersey in 1949. After graduating from the Yale School of Drama at age 26, Streep moved to New York City and was soon cast in multiple Broadway shows.

Streep's first feature role was alongside Jane Fonda in "Julia" (1977), and in 1978 she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in "The Deer Hunter."

In the years since, Streep has appeared in seemingly countless films including "Sophie's Choice," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Into the Woods," and "The Post."

At nearly 60 years old, Forest Whitaker has had a long and celebrated career in film.

Born in Texas in 1961, Whitaker largely grew up in California and went on to study drama in college.

At age 21, Whitaker was cast in Cameron Crowe's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and received roles in "The Color of Money," "Platoon," and "Good Morning, Vietnam," soon after.

As he has gotten older, Whitaker has gone on to receive acclaim for his acting abilities in dramas like "Bird," "The Last King of Scotland," and "The Butler."

Recently, Whitaker has played prominent roles in the blockbusters "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and "Black Panther."

Born and raised in New York, Sigourney Weaver attended the Yale School of Drama and even acted alongside Meryl Streep in a theatrical production at Yale.

Although her acting background was theatrical, Weaver was cast in her first film in 1977 as a small character in "Annie Hall" at age 27. Just two years later she was cast as Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott's space thriller "Alien," one of her most iconic roles to date.

In the decades since, Weaver has risen to prominence through her roles in everything from "Galaxy Quest" to "Avatar" and "Finding Dory."

Denzel Washington was born in New York, although he lived in Florida as a teenager and attended graduate school at the American Conservatory Theater in California.

In 1981, Washington made his first film appearance in the comedy "Carbon Copy," and was soon cast in the hospital drama "St Elsewhere" as Dr. Philip Chandler at age 28.

From then on his career skyrocketed, and Washington has starred in an array of films that span from biopics like "Malcolm X" to thrillers like "Training Day," for which he won the Oscar for best actor in a leading role.

Washington continues to act in high-profile films including "Fences," "The Magnificent Seven," and "The Equalizer 2."

Diane Keaton was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1946 and would later study acting in New York City.

After being nominated for a Tony for the Broadway play "Play It Again, Sam," Keaton received her first film role in "Lovers and Other Strangers" (1970) at age 24.

Her big break came a couple of years later in Francis Ford Coppola's film classic "The Godfather." In her late 20s, she was cast in a slew of films that included "The Godfather Part II," "Sleeper," and "Love and Death."

In 1978, Keaton won the Oscar for best actress in a leading role for her work in "Annie Hall" and has since earned great acclaim for work in "Because I Said So," "And So It Goes," and "The Young Pope."

Samuel L. Jackson was born in 1948 and eventually studied drama at Morehouse College in Georgia.

After a background in stage plays, Samuel L. Jackson appeared in a few films made for television in his early 20s and made his film debut with "Together for Days" at age 24.

He then moved to New York City and continued acting on the stage until he returned to film with a small role in "Coming to America," and was then introduced to director Spike Lee. Lee cast him in "Jungle Fever," which got Jackson said got him attention at The Cannes Film Festival.

Since then, Jackson has gained fame for his work in "Goodfellas," "Jurassic Park," "Pulp Fiction," and his portrayal of Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Jessica Lange was born in Minnesota in 1949 and, as a young adult, she moved to Paris to study mime theatre and dancing.

When she was 24, Lange moved to New York City and became a model, which later lead to her film debut role as the leading lady in 1976's "King Kong."

At 27 Lange won the Golden Globe Award for new star of the year for her role in the film.

From then on, Lange's career quickly accelerated and she now lays claim to award-winning roles in "Tootsie," "Frances," "Grey Gardens," and "American Horror Story."

Robert Downey Jr. was born in New York City in 1965 and had his first film role at age 5 in Robert Downey Sr.'s film "Pound" (1970).

He starred as Charlie Chaplin in the biopic "Chaplin" (1992) at age 27.

Downey had a very public battle with drug addiction which followed him into his 20s and 30s. As he has gotten older, Downey has been open about his problems with drug addiction and his path to recovery.

Today, Downey is best known for his role as billionaire superhero Tony Stark in the Marvel movies.

The famed actress Dame Julie Andrews was born in Surrey, England, in 1935 and grew up singing and performing even as a young child.

On her 19th birthday, Andrews made her Broadway debut in "The Boy Friend." Throughout her 20s, she would go on to star in huge Broadway shows including "My Fair Lady," and movies made for television like "Cinderella."

At age 28, Andrews started filming the Disney musical "Mary Poppins," which would go on to become an iconic touchstone in her filmography.

Now in her 80s, Andrews has built an incredible acting career that includes beloved films like "The Sound of Music," "Victor/Victoria," and "The Princess Diaries."

Harrison Ford was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1942.

At age 22 Ford moved to California to pursue a career in acting and was cast in a few minor film roles in his early 20s. When he was 25 years old he got his first credited role in the Western "A Time for Killing."

In his late 20s, his career stalled and Ford took up carpentry full time to support his wife and two children.

It wasn't until 1973 that Ford was cast in "American Graffiti," which would open new doors for him in the entertainment industry and make way for starring roles in blockbuster franchises like "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars."

Dame Maggie Smith was born in Essex, England, in 1934 and began studying acting at age 16. Smith made her film debut and Broadway debut at age 22.

By 1958 she received her first BAFTA nomination for her role in the film "Nowhere to Go." At age 26 she performed opposite Laurence Olivier in the Royal National Theatre's production of "Othello." Throughout her late 20s, Smith continued to perform high-profile roles in theatrical plays and numerous films.

Six decades later in her 80s, Smith is one of the most established actresses of her generation and has made her mark in countless films that include the "Harry Potter" films and "A Room with a View."

She's also known for starring on the acclaimed drama series "Downton Abbey."

Jeff Bridges was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1949 to parents who were both working actors.

Although he made minor appearances on his father's projects as a child, his first major acting role was in the 1971 movie "The Last Picture Show," which earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor at age 22.

From then on, he began an impressive career in film and even performed alongside Clint Eastwood in 1974 in the film "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot." By 27, Bridges was cast in the 1976 remake of "King Kong," alongside Jessica Lange.

Now 70 years old, Bridges boasts an acting career with an impressive range that includes dramas like "True Grit" and dark comedies like "The Big Lebowski."

Sally Field was born in Pasadena, California, in 1946 and was the daughter of actress Margaret Field.

At just 19 years old, Field broke into television with the sitcom "Gidget," and was cast in the show "The Flying Nun" two years later.

When she was 29, Field was cast as the titular character in "Sybil," a performance that rendered an Emmy Award for best dramatic actress one year later.

In the time since, Field has earned a place among other high caliber actors due to her work in films that include "Norma Rae," "Steel Magnolias," "Mrs. Doubtfire," and "Forrest Gump."

A prominent Bollywood actor, Amitabh Bachchan was born in Allahabad, India in 1942.

Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 at age 27 as a voice narrator in "Bhuvan Shome" and landed his first on-screen role the same year in "Saat Hindustani."

At 29 years old, Bachchan earned the Filmfare best supporting actor award for his performance in "Anand" and starred in two more films: "Parwana" and "Reshma Aur Shera."

Outside of "Anand" Bachchan did not earn wide appreciation for his work until the action film "Zanjeer" (1973) a few years later.

From there his career blossomed and he became one of the go-to actors in Bollywood and has since starred in over 190 films in Indian cinema.

Rita Moreno was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico in 1931 and has seven decades of acting talent under her belt.

Although she had her first Broadway role at 13, Moreno largely acted in minor film roles until she played a star in "Singin' in the Rain" at 21.

Four years later, Moreno's career gained a huge boost from her supporting role in "The King and I" (1956).

When she was 29 years old Moreno was cast as Anita in "West Side Story" and went on to win the Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance.

In the years since, Moreno has stayed active in film and television and is set to appear in Steven Spielberg's upcoming remake of "West Side Story."

Born in Hong Kong in 1954, Jackie Chan gravitated towards martial arts at a young age.

Outside of a few small roles in films as a child and young teen, Chan had his first starring role in the movie "Little Tiger of Canton" right before he turned 20.

Throughout the next decade, Chan starred in numerous films that featured his martial arts abilities like "New Fist of Fury," "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow," and "Drunken Master."

At age 26, Chan began acting in Hollywood movies that included "The Big Brawl" and "The Cannonball Run."

Now in his 60s, Chan has acted in over 150 films and has become one of the most prominent actors in the world.

Angela Bassett was born in New York City in 1958 and she would later earn her masters in theater at the Yale School of Drama.

At 27, Bassett appeared in Second Stage theatre's production of "Black Girl," and also made her first television appearance in the television movie "Doubletake." A year later she played a news reporter in the film "F/X" and soon moved to Los Angeles to pursue film acting full time.

In the years since, Bassett has become a sought-after actress in Hollywood due to her work in multiple films like "Malcolm X," "What's Love Got to Do with It," "Notorious," and "Black Panther."

Robert De Niro was born in New York City in 1943. He got his first acting role when he was only 20 years old, but the film "The Wedding Party" was not released until six years later in 1969.

After its eventual release, De Niro was cast in "Bloody Mama" at age 27 and then "Bang the Drum Slowly" and "Mean Streets" right before he turned 30.

His breakthrough role wouldn't come until 1974 when he portrayed Vito Corleone in "The Godfather II" and earned an Oscar for best supporting actor.

Now in his 70s, De Niro is an accomplished actor as well as director, and is best known for his performances in "Raging Bull," "Taxi Driver," and "Goodfellas."

Betty White was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1922 and was raised in Los Angeles, California, during the Great Depression.

White made a short appearance on television after graduating high school but put her dreams of acting on hold during World War II to serve the troops. In her 20s White made money reading radio commercials and voicing bit parts in radio shows.

At 27, White starred as a television co-host for the variety show "Hollywood on Television." It wasn't until her 30s that White would go on to host her own show "The Betty White Show" and appear in a slew of sitcoms.

Now 98 years old, White's career on film and television has spanned eight decades and includes landmark shows like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Life with Elizabeth," and most notably, "Golden Girls."

Famed English actress Judi Dench was born in York, England, in 1934. She is now in her 80s, and her acting career hasn't slowed down.

Early in her career, Dench starred in the Broadway production of "Twelfth Night" — which opened on her 24th birthday.

In the years since, Dench has been nominated for her performances in films like "Mrs. Brown," "Chocolat," "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," and "Philomena." She also took home an Oscar for her performance in "Shakespeare in Love."

Recently, Dench has been busy acting in films like "Victoria and Abdul," "Murder on the Orient Express," and the 2019 remake of "Cats."

The Mississippi-born/Michigan-raised actor was born in 1931. He's now nearly 90 years old, and his film, stage, and voice-acting work have made him incredibly successful over the years.

Throughout his 20s, James Earl Jones had a few small performing roles on Broadway and on TV shows.

At the age of 37, he got his big break starring in the play "The Great White Hope," which earned him a Tony Award in 1969.

He continued his Broadway career in productions of "The Iceman Cometh" (1973 to 1974), "Othello" (1982), "Fences" (1987 to 1988), and "You Can't Take It With You" (2014 to 2015).

When he made his way to Hollywood, Jones became well known for voicing Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" franchise as well as Mufasa in "The Lion King" (both 1994 and 2019) among other notable roles.

The famous actress was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1934. Now in her 80s, Shirley MacLaine has found abundant success on Broadway and in Hollywood.

She moved to New York City right after high school and landed a role in the 1954 musical "The Pajama Game" when she was 20 before switching her focus to Hollywood.

MacLaine found early success in films like "Around the World in 80 Days" and "Some Come Running."

She later became known for "Sweet Charity," "Terms of Endearment," "Steel Magnolias," "Bewitched," and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

Whoopi Goldberg was born in New York City in 1955. She is now in her 60s, but she's still well-known for one of her first film roles as Celie Johnson in "The Color Purple" (1985).

The film premiered right after her 30th birthday, but earlier that same year, Goldberg started performing her stand-up comedy show.

She went on to perform in Broadway productions including "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (1996 to 1998) and "Xanadu" (2007 to 2008).

In Hollywood, Goldberg won an Oscar for her role in "Ghost" (1990) and advanced her stardom in both "Sister Act" films, on CBS' "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and in "The Little Rascals."

Steve Buscemi was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1957.

Right after graduating high school, Buscemi moved to New York City to study acting with John Strasberg before getting his big break starring in "Parting Glances" at the age of 28.

Now in his 60s, Buscemi has become a legendary character actor.

He is best known for his roles in films like "Reservoir Dogs," "Pulp Fiction," "Fargo," and "The Big Lebowski."

He's also worked on a number of family-friendly movie series like "Monsters Inc.," "Spy Kids," "Grown Ups," and "Hotel Transylvania."

Outside of film, Buscemi made it big starring on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire."

The triple threat (actor, singer, dancer) was born in Englewood, New Jersey, in 1954. He's now in his 60s, but his successful career really took off in his early 20s.

At the age of 21, John Travolta started his four-year career as Vinnie Barbarino on ABC's "Welcome Back, Kotter," which launched him into mainstream fame.

Over the next five years, he starred in hit movies like "Carrie," "Saturday Night Fever," "Grease," and "Urban Cowboy."

Decades later, Travolta is still well known for those early roles, and he has since found success starring in "Pulp Fiction," "Face/Off," "Hairspray," and on FX's "American Crime Story."

Daniel Day-Lewis was born in Kensington, England, in 1957.

Though he's now retired and in his 60s, the English actor had a successful career that won him three Oscars and two Golden Globes.

Day-Lewis studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School before landing his first credited film role in 1982's "Gandhi" at the age of 25.

Throughout the rest of his 20s, he appeared in notable films including "The Bounty." "My Beautiful Laundrette," and "A Room With a View."

Day-Lewis has been selective with his roles throughout his career, but his in-depth character work won him Oscars for his performances in "My Left Foot," "There Will Be Blood," and "Lincoln."

He also received an Oscar nomination for his role in "Phantom Thread" (2017), which was his last role before he announced his retirement from acting.

Barbra Streisand was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1942. She is currently in her late 70s, and she has found decades of success as an actress, singer, and performer.

Streisand started acting in off-Broadway productions in her late teens, and she landed her first Broadway role in 1962's "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" just before her 20th birthday.

Two years later, the actress originated the role of Fanny Brice in the musical "Funny Girl."

In her late 20s, the actress starred in the film adaptations of the musicals "Funny Girl" and "Hello, Dolly!" — which launched her film career.

In the years since, she's starred in "A Star Is Born," "Yentl," "Meet the Fockers," and "The Guilt Trip" while also releasing albums.

Jane Fonda was born in New York City in 1937. Now in her 80s, she has found continued success throughout her decades-long acting career.

When she was in her mid-20s, she landed her breakout role in "Tall Story," which earned her a Golden Globe for most promising newcomer in 1962.

The actress went on to memorable roles in "Period of Adjustment," "Fun With Dick and Jane," "9 to 5," "Monster-in-Law," and "Lee Daniels' The Butler."

Today, Fonda is also well known for her work as a feminist and environmental activist and for her starring role on Netflix's "Grace and Frankie."

Halle Berry was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1966. She is now in her 50s, and she continues to have a successful career as an actress.

But before working on TV and in films, Berry competed in the Miss USA pageants.

In 1985, she won Miss Teen All American, and in 1986 she won Miss Ohio USA. She went on to compete in the Miss USA pageant and came in second place. Later in 1986, she was the first Black woman to represent the US at the Miss World pageant, according to Essence.

Soon after retiring from pageants, Berry made her acting debut on ABC's "Living Dolls" in 1989. In 2002, Berry won an Oscar for her role in "Monster's Ball."

In the years since, the actress has become well known for appearing in the "X-Men" and "James Bond" series.

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