Famous actors can turn up in the darndest places.
Even though acting is their profession, it’s not uncommon for us to catch one of today’s stars in a movie that completely slipped our minds. That’s what led us to compiling this list of 7 Famous Actors And The Big Movies You Forgot They Were In. Do you remember any of these roles?
Michael Shannon, Groundhog Day
Yes, before he turned up in critically acclaimed fare such as Take Shelter and Iceman, the brilliant Michael Shannon was a bit player (as a wedding groom) in what many consider Bill Murray’s masterpiece, Groundhog Day. In case you’re wondering what role he played, this video pretty well lines it out:
Jeff Goldblum, Death Wish
Before he was trapped in Jurassic Park or sprouting wings and vomiting on things in David Cronenberg’s remake of The Fly, Goldblum was one of the lecherous thugs, who broke in to hero Paul Kersey’s apartment (Charles Bronson, of course) and proceeded to rape, humiliate, and kill Kersey’s wife. Astute viewers will also notice Goldblum in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall and the 1970s horror film, The Sentinel.
Harrison Ford, The Conversation
Ford starred in this acclaimed, though often overlooked Gene Hackman thriller before he ever got a shot at Han Solo or Indiana Jones. While the role is very small, he does get a rare chance to flex his bad guy muscles — something Hollywood seldom allowed him to do later in his career. Here he is in a quite effective scene:
Seth Rogen, Donnie Darko And Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy
Rogen has carved out quite the career for himself as a comedy actor and notorious Bieber hater. (Can’t blame him there.) Before all that, he was the “I like your boobs” guy in Donnie Darko, one of our hero’s scumbag classmates. Here’s a NSFW clip:
In Anchorman, he played a lighter role as the cameraman of Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate).
Chris Hemsworth, Star Trek
Prior to swinging Thor’s mighty hammer, Hemsworth played none other than the father of James Tiberius Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot of Star Trek. It’s a small but pivotal role, and probably the most powerful scene of the film.
Vincent D’Onofrio, Full Metal Jacket
D’Onofrio earned a consistent paycheck from Law And Order: Criminal Intent for 10 years, and that’s where most of you probably know him. If not there, then you’ve seen him turn up in Escape Plan (alongside Arnie and Sly), Fire With Fire (Bruce Willis and Josh Duhamel), and Sinister (Ethan Hawke). But the true film connoisseurs among you realize that his first memorable role came in Stanley Kubrick’s war drama Full Metal Jacket as the hapless — and later homicidal — “Gomer Pyle.”
Kevin Bacon, Friday The 13th
Kevin Bacon probably isn’t the first name that jumps out at you when you think 1980s slasher movie, but it probably should be. In the original 1980 film, he plays the best looking of the male victims. Even then, you could see the guy had a charisma that would probably catapult him to a long-lived career. Unfortunately for his character, things don’t turn out so good. For bonus points, see if you can answer this question: Bacon buys the farm in F13, but who kills him?
So there you have it — 7 famous actors and the big movies they were in. How many did you remember, and which ones should we have included on our list in addition to these? We know we must have missed some. Share your additions in our comments section below, and take a closer look at the small actors in today’s films. You’re probably looking at the next big thing.
