Believe it or not, some of the most famous actors in Hollywood were never meant to be the star. The TV and film industries are notoriously competitive and difficult to break into, so it makes sense that to really hit it big, an actor has to have something extra special or perhaps just have a really good moment. Fortunately for us, that was the case for some of our favorite Hollywood icons, including Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, and Margot Robbie. They all gave such unforgettable performances in small roles that ended up catapulting their careers to the next level.
There is something captivating as a movie or TV buff when you see a newcomer shine, particularly in a minor role when it's less expected. It's those special performances that keep us returning to movie theaters and our own TV screens again and again in the hopes of seeing the magic play.
It doesn't always happen, but when an actor in a bit part steals the show and we get to see a career being made right in front of our eyes, it's pretty cool. Sometimes you can just tell when a certain role is going to be the exact moment an actor makes the big time. How do we know? We've seen it happen plenty of times before. Just to jog your memory, here are some of the famous actors who've had bit parts that turned into breakout roles.
Robin Williams
Many years ago, the late actor we all knew, loved, and still miss had a tiny part on the 1970s-era TV series Happy Days, in which he played a somewhat goofy alien named Mork in just two episodes. That was enough, though. That tiny role landed Robin Williams the lead spot on his own sitcom, Mork & Mindy. The show ran for four seasons, turning Robin into a bona fide comedic star.
Brad Pitt
It was 1991 when a very young and very pretty Brad Pitt entered our collective consciousness. He had done quite a bit of TV work before then, but not too many people took notice until he played opposite Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis in Thelma & Louise in the seductive and slightly sketchy role of J.D. And just like that, he was on his way to megastardom.
Kirsten Dunst
Some folks might not remember, but long before her iconic role in the 2000 film Bring It On, Kirsten Dunst played a child vampire in the film adaptation of author Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire, alongside Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Her part was important, but she wasn't the star. But her performance — which earned her a Golden Globe nomination — was so impressive that she could have pretty much written her own career afterward.
Margot Robbie
If it hadn't been for the small role she had in the Oscar-nominated film The Wolf of Wall Street, we may never have gotten to see Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, which is our favorite role of hers to date. She played opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the Martin Scorsese epic and still managed to shine.
Jennifer Garner
It's hard to remember a time when beloved actress Jennifer Garner wasn't playing the lead, but it actually took her a while to get her foot into movies. She did quite a bit of episodic TV work before nabbing a tiny part as a nurse in the film Pearl Harbor. But after that, her Hollywood career exploded.
Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd played a small, but notable role in the iconic '90s film Clueless opposite Alicia Silverstone. His character was at once Cher's stepbrother and love interest, which is all kinds of weird — well, definitely weird enough to draw some attention to his quirky cuteness and set him up for future on-screen success.
Tom Hanks
Who knew that Tom Hanks was basically discovered by director Ron Howard? OK, so technically he had already done some acting, but Tom also appeared in the '70s sitcom Happy Days, and it was then that Ron took notice of him and ended up casting him in the 1984 comedy Splash, alongside Daryl Hannah. The film was a success, and Tom ended up becoming a big star.
Amanda Seyfried
Most of us remember that actress Amanda Seyfried was one of the "Plastics" in Mean Girls, but it wasn't actually that role that did anything special for her career. The very same year, she had a small part on Veronica Mars, and the director of the show was so impressed with her that he ended up extending her role to 11 episodes, making her a fixture on the popular series even though she was actually only ever seen in flashbacks.
Jason Segel
To this day, one of Jason Segel's most memorable movie roles was a tiny part in the 1998 teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait, in which he plays "Watermelon Guy," a stoner who inexplicably and totally inappropriately eats watermelon while a very disturbed Jennifer Love Hewitt (the movie's lead) watches. We couldn't forget it if we tried, but Jason did go on to do really well in Hollywood after that.
Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt may be a massive celeb these days, but that wasn't the case before his stint on Parks & Recreation. He was never meant to be a main character on the TV series and was originally signed to appear in just six episodes. But people liked him so much that the show's creators reworked things just to keep his character around.
Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk had been making his way through the comedy circuit for years when he nabbed the role of the sleazy, smooth talking lawyer Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad. He wasn't exactly widely known up to that point, but he was so good at playing the now-iconic character on the popular series (he stole every scene he was in) that he ended up turning the role into a successful spin-off series, Better Call Saul, and becoming a recognizable and respected figure in Hollywood.
Norman Reedus
Norman Reedus acted in a couple of really successful films before starring in The Walking Dead, but he wasn't a household name until he played the forlorn, but lovable Daryl Dixon on the long-running zombie apocalypse series. Here's the thing, though: He was never supposed to be a main character, but his audition for a much smaller part was so good that the show's production team wrote the character of Daryl in just for him. Talk about a breakout role!
Retta
Retta is another actor who got her start on Parks and Recreation. As a relative unknown in Hollywood, she played the small part of Donna Meagle on the series, and from there she's built herself quite the thriving TV career. She played a lead character in Good Girls for four seasons, had a recurring role on Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, and has nabbed tons of voice acting gigs for animated projects since Parks and Rec ended.
Amy Adams
Apparently, all Amy Adams needed to complete her path to stardom was a role on a massively successful TV show — even a small one. Amy had been trying to break into Hollywood for years when she played Jim's girlfriend on a couple of episodes of The Office. After that, she was recognizable, and the door to lots of other plum TV and movie roles opened to her.
Ryan Reynolds
For some actors, it all comes down to the numbers. It really doesn't matter if the role itself was good — as long as enough people saw it to make you famous, there may be a bit of momentum to build on. That was enough for Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, who played the love interest in the 1996 movie Sabrina the Teenage Witch. It wasn't high-brow but lots of people saw it, and Ryan isn't easily forgotten.
Michael B. Jordan
Creed actor Michael B. Jordan is a serious actor, and in Hollywood it definitely takes a lot to reach that A-list status. Michael earned his acting cred early on when he appeared in just one season of the HBO drama The Wire. He made an excellent impression on Hollywood insiders and audiences alike, and the rest is history.
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller comes from on old New York acting family, but he still had to work his way to the top. He played a lot of bit parts before he finally landed a spot on Saturday Night Live. He was only on the show for one season, but it was long enough to prove just how funny he is. Shortly after, he nabbed his own sketch comedy series, The Ben Stiller Show, and from there he was able to hang onto his fame and become the huge star he is today.
