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Actors you're surprised were unknown

3,573 Views | 33 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by citizenkane06
Brian Earl Spilner
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10:31a, 12/20/22
AG
Bill Nighy was basically a complete unknown before Love Actually, except for a few small British movies.

With the career he had afterwards, that surprised me to hear.
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Brian Earl Spilner
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10:44a, 12/20/22
AG
To a lesser extent, Regina Hall from the Scary Movie series.

She was unknown to me, but I guess I assumed she had somewhat of a career before those movies but nope. Interesting to see how a side character in some parody movies led to that successful a career.

Scary Movie 1-3 are all hilarious btw.
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Brian Earl Spilner
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10:46a, 12/20/22
AG
Hans Gruber was Alan Rickman's first film role.
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gggmann
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11:24a, 12/20/22
AG
Haing S. Ngor

A medical doctor who received an Academy Award for his debut role.
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MW03
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11:28a, 12/20/22
AG
I recall reading that Edward Norton was a stage actor when he went to an open casting call for Primal Fear, and that his audition tape fpr that role was so good he ended up not only getting the part, but was also offered a role by Woody Allen in Everyone Says I Love You.

After that he blew up, but watching Primal Fear it does not seem like it was Norton's first movie. Dude already seemed like an old hand.
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Sazerac
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In reply to MW03 • 8:16p, 12/20/22
AG
I met the actor (never made it really) who finished runner up for that role. They were only looking for a complete unknown
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bluefire579
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8:44p, 12/20/22
AG
Christoph Waltz was basically unknown in the States, then stole the show in Inglorious Basterds, won an Oscar for it, and has been in all sorts of movies since
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Btron
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8:50p, 12/20/22
AG
Quentin Tarantino.
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Philo B 93
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In reply to Brian Earl Spilner • 3:49a, 12/21/22
Brian Earl Spilner said:
Bill Nighy was basically a complete unknown before Love Actually, except for a few small British movies.

With the career he had afterwards, that surprised me to hear.


I've been a Bill Nighy fan since I rented the VHS of Still Crazy from Blockbuster Video back in the late 90s / early 2000.
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Jim01
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In reply to Philo B 93 • 8:20a, 12/21/22
AG
I just read "You've Got Red On You", the story of the making of Shaun of The Dead and it talks a lot about Bill Nighy and how he was fresh off his breakout in Love Actually. He comes off as a great guy. Great actor and everyone on the set LOVED him.
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wangus12
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8:42a, 12/21/22
AG
Hugh Jackman was a stage actor in Australia with a couple of tv roles mixed in before making his Hollywood debut as Wolverine in X-Men
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powerbelly
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In reply to Philo B 93 • 8:46a, 12/21/22
AG
Philo B 93 said:
Brian Earl Spilner said:
Bill Nighy was basically a complete unknown before Love Actually, except for a few small British movies.

With the career he had afterwards, that surprised me to hear.


I've been a Bill Nighy fan since I rented the VHS of Still Crazy from Blockbuster Video back in the late 90s / early 2000.
Redstone, is that you?
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The Porkchop Express
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In reply to wangus12 • 9:21a, 12/21/22
AG
wangus12 said:
Hugh Jackman was a stage actor in Australia with a couple of tv roles mixed in before making his Hollywood debut as Wolverine in X-Men
Shoutout to Dougray Scott for passing on that role.
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Bruce Almighty
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10:54a, 12/21/22
AG
Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.
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In reply to Bruce Almighty • 11:55a, 12/21/22
The Porkchop Express
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In reply to [removed post] • 12:00p, 12/21/22
AG
Bregxit said:
Bruce Almighty said:
Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.


Hopkins was most definitely not unknown.
He had only been in movies for 32 years before that. Someone finally gave the kid a chance.
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Bruce Almighty
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In reply to [removed post] • 12:12p, 12/21/22
AG
Bregxit said:
Bruce Almighty said:
Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.


Hopkins was most definitely not unknown.


He said was in this country. Look at his filmography before and after. Huge difference.
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Fenrir
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In reply to Jim01 • 12:29p, 12/21/22
Jim01 said:
I just read "You've Got Red On You", the story of the making of Shaun of The Dead and it talks a lot about Bill Nighy and how he was fresh off his breakout in Love Actually. He comes off as a great guy. Great actor and everyone on the set LOVED him.
I'd never heard of that book before, sounds like a really interesting read.
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Cinco Ranch Aggie
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1:00p, 12/21/22
AG
Was thinking Rutger Hauer. I only had seen him in the 1981 terrorist movie Nighthawks before he hit it big (perhaps?) with 1982's Blade Runner.
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Rudyjax
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In reply to Sazerac • 1:34p, 12/21/22
AG
Sazerac said:
I met the actor (never made it really) who finished runner up for that role. They were only looking for a complete unknown
Wil Wheaton turned it down. He wasn't a star, but not unknown.

Also Leo DiCaprio turned it down.
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Redstone
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In reply to Philo B 93 • 7:33p, 12/21/22
AG
When did you first rent, and how often per week?

We rented, including Bill Nighy productions, quite frequently, and from the very first availability of multiple TX franchises.
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Zombie Jon Snow
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In reply to Bruce Almighty • 8:47p, 12/21/22
AG
Bruce Almighty said:
Bregxit said:
Bruce Almighty said:
Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.


Hopkins was most definitely not unknown.


He said was in this country. Look at his filmography before and after. Huge difference.

Dude seriously. Maybe you did not know him but come on.


He had multiple BAFTA nominations, Primetime Emmy nominations and was in huge movies with other well known actors.

The Lion in Winter with Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole one of his earliest roles and he was already a major part and nominated for a BAFTA.

Hamlet same kind of thing he played Claudius the second major male role.

A Bridge Too Far one of his many collaborations with Richard Attenborough

Elephant Man directed by David Lynch

The Bounty with Mel Gibson

Magic with Ann Margaret he was nominated for a BAFTA.

War and Peace the massive TV miniseries

Nominated or won Emmy's for lead actor in
The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case
The Bunker
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (nominated)

All of that and many more prior to Silence of the Lambs.

Some are more British but I had seen most of those prior to Silence of the Lambs.
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jokershady
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In reply to wangus12 • 1:42p, 12/22/22
AG
wangus12 said:
Hugh Jackman was a stage actor in Australia with a couple of tv roles mixed in before making his Hollywood debut as Wolverine in X-Men
in interviews he talks about how embarrassed he was about his fitness level for the first movie and that he found out he had a shot in it last minute
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zip90
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In reply to The Porkchop Express • 3:53p, 12/22/22
AG
The Porkchop Express said:
wangus12 said:
Hugh Jackman was a stage actor in Australia with a couple of tv roles mixed in before making his Hollywood debut as Wolverine in X-Men
Shoutout to Dougray Scott for passing on that role.
He didn't pass, he was filming Mission Impossible 2 and it was running over and the studio wouldn't. Schedule around him
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Sponge
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In reply to Bruce Almighty • 5:28p, 12/22/22
AG
Bruce Almighty said:
Bregxit said:
Bruce Almighty said:
Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.


Hopkins was most definitely not unknown.


He said was in this country. Look at his filmography before and after. Huge difference.

A Bridge too Far was pretty popular in the US.
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Jrock76
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2:20a, 12/23/22
AG
The cast of Dazed and Confused.
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LMCane
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In reply to gggmann • 12:18p, 12/23/22
gggmann said:
Haing S. Ngor

A medical doctor who received an Academy Award for his debut role.
then murdered in Los Angeles
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LMCane
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In reply to Btron • 12:20p, 12/23/22
Btron said:
Quentin Tarantino.
he literally was writing his first movie Pulp Fiction while working at a Blockbuster Video store
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Rudyjax
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In reply to LMCane • 12:24p, 12/23/22
AG
LMCane said:
Btron said:
Quentin Tarantino.
he literally was writing his first movie Pulp Fiction Resevoir Dogs while working at a Blockbuster Video store
fify

edit: And thinking on it, he had already sold True Romance and Natural Born Killers. So, I think the story may be muddled.
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gggmann
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In reply to LMCane • 12:38p, 12/23/22
AG
LMCane said:
gggmann said:
Haing S. Ngor

A medical doctor who received an Academy Award for his debut role.
then murdered in Los Angeles
Yeah, and there are still rumors of Khmer Rouge involvement even though 3 members of the Lazy Boy gang were convicted.
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TellMeMore
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4:29p, 12/23/22
Bill Nighy.....in Turks and Caicos.......so well done
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Killin Me Smalls
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In reply to gggmann • 7:50a, 12/24/22
AG
gggmann said:
LMCane said:
gggmann said:
Haing S. Ngor

A medical doctor who received an Academy Award for his debut role.
then murdered in Los Angeles
Yeah, and there are still rumors of Khmer Rouge involvement even though 3 members of the Lazy Boy gang were convicted.


Highly recommend his book "Survival in the Killing Fields"
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Rascal
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In reply to Rudyjax • 3:22p, 12/26/22
AG
Chuck Cunningham said:
Sazerac said:
I met the actor (never made it really) who finished runner up for that role. They were only looking for a complete unknown
Wil Wheaton turned it down. He wasn't a star, but not unknown.

Also Leo DiCaprio turned it down.


The famous H-Will H-Wheaton?!?!
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citizenkane06
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7:21p, 12/26/22
AG
Pete Postlethwaite. He's had some bit parts in acclaimed movies, but for a guy Spielberg called "the best actor in the world", he should be a household name.
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