Only a handful of actors can say that their very first gig was the role that made them famous. Most of them spend years going through commercials, small indie projects, short films, etc. until they finally get that big breakout role that finally makes them stand out from the crowd.
From Kit Harrington to Sandra Bullock, here are nine amazing actors and roles that put them on the map!
1. Kit Harington – Game of Thrones
Kit
came out of nowhere to kick undead butts, claim the North, and our
hearts. Jon snow is not one of those characters you’ll be able to
forget anytime soon. Even in the last season, as the show kept
tumbling over its own piles of poop, Jon Snow was like a breath of
fresh Targaryen air.
2. Margot Robbie – The Wolf of Wall Street
Martin
Scorsese’s smash hit, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” proved
that Margot Robbie is not only the sexiest actress in Hollywood but
can also act her way out of pretty much any role. Whenver she’s in
the same shot as Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s pure magic.
3. Bruce Willis – Die Hard
Did
you know that the director of “Die Hard” had the worst luck
looking for someone to play John McClane? So what if it was an action
movie in the 90s? Luckily, Bruce Willis was up for the task, and he
hit a home run with that role, and reprised it
over and over again in the sequels.
4. Carrie-Anne Moss – The Matrix
What would the Matrix look like without Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity? We’ll never know for sure, but I’m fairly certain it wouldn’t be as much fun to watch. Did you know that she took special acrobatics lessons to impress the viewers? That’s dedication to the craft.
5. Jake Gyllenhaal – Donnie Darko
What
do you get when you add mind-boggling sci-fi plot twists to your
already amazing thriller? That’s a recipe for Donnie Darko, and it’s
undeniably a cult classic. But who made it famous? Jake Gyllenhaal,
of course!
6. Scarlett Johansson – Lost in Translation
Before
“Lost In Translation,” no-one would look at 17-year-old
Scarlett Johannson twice. But after that movie, she became one of the
most wanted actresses in Hollywood.
7. Julia Roberts – Pretty Woman
It’s
true that Julia’s career didn’t start with “Pretty Woman,”
but I dare you to tell me one single movie she starred in before
that. That’s okay, you can Google, and you still wouldn’t find
anything as big as “Pretty Woman”.
8. Salma Hayek – Desperado
Antonio
Banderas, as a badass mariachi with a machine gun for a guitar, and
Salma Hayek, as his partner-in-crime, were and still are one of the
most iconic duos in the film history. I can still somewhat recall the
lyrics to the theme song after 25 years.
9. Sandra Bullock – Speed
Before the “Speed” came out, Sandra was a rather small and barely noticeable actress. She wasn’t even supposed to play the main role, but something changed, and she became a star overnight. From there on, she and Keanu became good friends and mode more awesome Speed movies, which helped her career a lot.
