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17 famous actors in tiny background parts
We all have to start somewhere, says Stacy Conradt at Mental Floss. But did you know Michelle Williams was on Home Improvement? Ben Stiller on Miami Vice?
Before they were headlining movies and TV shows, these celebs were just like everyone else trying to make it in Hollywood: thrilled to call home to report that the "Flight Attendant #3" role was totally in the bag. Check out a few of today's big names back when they were cast as no-names.
1. Jason Segel as "Watermelon Guy" in Can't Hardly Wait
2. Lucy Liu as waitress on Beverly Hills 90210
The Week
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Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
3. Alexis Bledel as an unnamed student in Rushmore
4. Michelle Williams as Brad's girlfriend on Home Improvement
I vividly remember this "Brad wearing makeup" plot line.
5. Jack Black as a taxi driver on The Golden Palace
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Best combo ever?
6. Ben Stiller as "Fast Eddie Felcher" on Miami Vice
7. Steve Carell as "Tesio" in Curly Sue
8. Jane Lynch as Gladys the radio caller in Straight Talk
9. Kristen Stewart as "Ring Toss Girl" in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
Literally blink and you'll miss it.
10. Hey girl, it's Ryan Gosling as Jamie Leary in Are You Afraid of the Dark?
I had no idea there were entire episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? on YouTube. There goes my weekend. If, for some reason, you don't want to watch this whole episode, you'll find Ryan if you start at about 3:05.
11. Ben Affleck as basketball player #10 in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
12. Megan Fox as "Stars-and-Stripes Bikini Kid Dancing Under Waterfall" in Bad Boys II.
She was 15 when she filmed it.
13. Eva Longoria as "Flight Attendant #3" on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210.
14. Patrick Dempsey as "Underground Stuff Buyer #2" in The Stuff
This is a horror movie about… wait for it… ice cream.
15. Angelina Jolie in Meatloaf's "Rock 'N' Roll Dreams Come Through"
I know it's not a bit part, but this was too good to exclude.
16. Catherine Zeta Jones as a belly dancer on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
17. Jennifer Lawrence as a high school mascot on Monk
