Everybody has to start somewhere, and Hollywood's biggest actors know that fact all too well. Some were born naturals, while others needed a little bit of work to smooth out the edges. One thing is for certain: both camps are well represented in the supercut below. So if you thought you knew your favorite actors without seeing this video, be prepared to be proven wrong.
YouTuber Movie Munchies assembled this impressive reel of some of today's biggest box office draws making their way into the movie business. You can definitely separate the early bloomers from those that were obviously nervous in front of the camera, and you'd be surprised who falls into which category. For instance, if you cut to 01:08, you'll see poor Johnny Depp looking like he doesn't know what he should be doing during a scene in A Nightmare On Elm Street. After some awkward hair antics, he recovers the scene and you can see the lessons being learned right on the film.
On the completely opposite side of the spectrum, you'll see Leonardo DiCaprio starting the video out with his unforgettable performance in the 1991 classic Critters 3. You might be surprised to read that the future Wolf Of Wall Street star made even a franchise on its last legs enjoyable, but after watching him tell a younger kid off after spotting him looking over a particularly dangerous cliff, you're ready to see the kid sell you a pen. Also, a very young Jennifer Lawrence can be seen getting into trouble in the 2008 indie film Garden Party, as she lights up a smoke and shows some of that rebellious spirit that would help her win her first Academy Award for Silver Linings Playbook.
Of course, there's one more variant of actor debut that doesn't provide much in way of dialogue, but manages to make an impression nonetheless: the gratuitous beauty shot! Both Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz get to share that honor in this reel, as Endless Love and The Mask respectively showed off the future Vanilla Sky co-stars beginnings as hot young talents. Hell, even Chris Pratt took Strangers With Candy by storm with his impressive armaments on display 10 years before he'd be wrangling velociraptors at Jurassic World. While all three of these actors moved on to make names for themselves as legitimate stars that are known for more than just their pretty faces, it's amazing that there was a time someone thought all that they'd have to offer was just someone gorgeous to look at.
When an actor is starting out, they obviously want to impress the audiences into giving them a shot to really strut their stuff. In the performances you've seen here, a lot of big name talent took flight in roles that had no way of indicating just how big most of them would get. Though there is one case of an actor who really should watch this reel, only to catch their first performance in all of its earnest wonder. After all, those first performances are where an actor learns when to rein it in and when to let loose. It's ok Adam Sandler. We're not trying to pick on you, we just know you can do better. Trust us.
