24 Stars Who Appeared In Music Videos Before They Skyrocketed To Fame
Did you know RDJ was in an Elton John music video?
Some stars get their big break on a movie set, others land it in a music video long before the world knows their names. That early work can look tiny at the time, but it often turns into a surprising footnote once fame arrives.
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In this roundup, actors and celebrities like Taye Diggs, Rosario Dawson, Courteney Cox, Zooey Deschanel, and many more show up in music videos from the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, often years before their breakout roles. A few were already on the rise, while others were still taking whatever jobs they could get.
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Now those old videos read like time capsules, and the cameos are even more fun to spot in hindsight.
1. You would probably recognize Taye Diggs from Rent, All American, or Private Practice.
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But he also actually played a poker player in the music video for "Temptations" by 2Pac way back in 1995.
UMG Recordings, Inc.
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Take a look at the video here:
2. Rosario Dawson first starred in Kids, but she also appeared in this music video at the start of her career.
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It was "Out of Control" by The Chemical Brothers in 1999.
Virgin Records Ltd
Watch the video here:
3. Matt LeBlanc became a household name when he played Joey in Friends, but he actually starred in some music videos before he became renowned.
Margaret Norton / NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
He was featured in a lot of music videos in the '90s, but one of the most prominent ones was Alanis Morissette's 1991 music video for "Walk Away."
MCA Records
Watch the video here:
4. Also from Friends, Courteney Cox appeared in a major '80s music video before becoming known as Monica Geller.
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It was Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" music video from 1984.
Columbia Records
Watch the video here:
5. Zooey Deschanel became a favorite in 500 Days of Summer and for her stint in New Girl.
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But she actually starred in The Offspring's 1999 "She's Got Issues" music video—and it was only the third role she landed.
Round Hill Records
Watch the video here:
6. Jeremy Renner is known as Hawkeye in the Avengers films and a TV show, and for his role in The Hurt Locker.
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But he actually appeared in P!nk's 2003 music video for "Trouble" way before he became really, really famous.
LaFace Records
Watch the video here:
7. Sebastian Stan singlehandedly stole our hearts, but his rise to fame started way before he appeared as Bucky in the MCU.
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Three years before he became Bucky, he appeared in Hayden Panettiere's music video for "Wake Up Call" in 2008. This was three years before he played Bucky Barnes.
Hollywood Records
Watch the video here:
8. Alexander Skarsgård may now be a critically acclaimed actor, but back when the first season of True Blood was being filmed, he starred in a strange music video with a new artist.
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As it turns out, that strange music video was actually Lady Gaga's music video for "Paparazzi" in 2009.
Interscope Records
Watch the iconic video here:
9. Robert Downey Jr. has long cemented his status as an actor, but he's still worth mentioning here—especially since his music video stint happened way before he became Iron Man.
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It was Elton John's "I Want Love."
The Rocket Record Company / Mercury Records
Watch the video here:
10. Timothy Granaderos Jr. is an actor from 13 Reasons Why.
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He had a small part in the "Love You Like a Love Song" video in 2011. It was actually his first role.
Hollywood Records
And if you think you recognize someone, check out the secret twins of your favorite stars, like the political activist double.
Watch the video here:
11. X-Men star Lucas Till has a very long list of projects, and it's impossible that you've never seen him before, even if you don't recognize him.
Francois G. Durand / Getty Images
But back in 2009, he was the lead in Taylor Swift's iconic music video for "You Belong with Me."
Big Machine Records
Watch the memorable music video here:
12. Miranda Kerr had already cemented her status as a model by 2006, but she rose to fame when she became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2007.
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But a year before that, she appeared in the music video for "Number One" by Pharrell ft. Kanye West.
Virgin, Star Trak, Interscope
Watch the video here:
13. Kim Kardashian, of course, is easily recognizable anywhere in the world.
Karwai Tang / Getty Images
But back in 2007, when their TV show had just started, she actually starred in Fall Out Boy's "Thnks fr th Mmrs."
The Island Def Jam Music Group
Watch the video here:
14. It's impossible not to know Angelina Jolie—but she was pretty much just starting out in the early '90s.
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In 1991, her second role was in Antonello Venditti's music video for "Alta marea."
Heinz Music Srl
Watch the video here:
15. Chrissy Teigen seems to be everywhere now, but she wasn't always this famous.
Amy Sussman / Getty Images
Before she became a famous model, she starred in John Legend's "Stereo" music video in 2007. And yep, this is where their love story started!
Columbia Records
Watch the video here:
16. Evan Rachel Wood is known for a lot of films.
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But she once appeared in Green Day's 2005 music video for "Wake Me Up When September Ends."
Reprise Records
Watch the video here:
17. Ana de Armas starred with her then-boyfriend Ben Affleck in Deep Water, and she also appeared in No Time to Die, Blade Runner 2049, and Knives Out in the last five years, skyrocketing her fame.
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But way back, she once starred in Sidecars' 2009 song "Mundo Fragil."
Allison Music, S.L./SBME España, S.L.
Watch the video here:
18. Eva Mendes is known for her many films, including her marriage to Ryan Gosling, but she also starred in some music videos back then.
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One of these was in 1997, for Aerosmith's "Hole in My Soul."
Columbia Records
Watch the music video here:
19. Another Aerosmith "It Girl" was Alicia Silverstone, best known as Cher from 1995's Clueless.
CBS via Getty Images
She was featured in four Aerosmith music videos before her role in Clueless. Her first appearance was in 1993's "Cryin'."
Watch the video here:
20. While some appeared in music videos as adults, Jennifer Connelly was actually still a kid in her first music video appearance.
Victor Boyko / Getty Images
This was her first acting role overall. It was Duran Duran's "Union of the Snake" in 1983.
Sony ATV Publishing
Watch the video here:
21. Zach Galifianakis became famous for his role in 2009's The Hangover.
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But way back, he was in Fiona Apple's "Not About Love" music video in 2005.
Epic Records
Watch the video here:
22. Bobby Moynihan is known as an SNL comedian and actor.
Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney
But when he was just starting out on SNL, he starred as the love interest in Colbie Caillat's 2009 song "Fallin' for You."
Universal Records
Watch the video here:
23. Mekhi Phifer has a lot of roles and credits.
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But his first roles were in music videos—including "Don't Let Go (Love)" by En Vogue and "Nobody" by Keith Sweat—and most especially, Brandy and Monica's "The Boy Is Mine" from 1998.
Atlantic Records
Watch the video here:
24. You probably recognize Adrian Grenier as the annoying boyfriend from The Devil Wears Prada.
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But way before that, he starred in Britney Spears' 1999 "(You Drive Me) Crazy" music video.
Jive Records
Watch the video here:
Almost everyone in Hollywood definitely had their humble beginnings, and it's definitely crazy to see these now-very-famous stars appearing in these old music videos, it just shows how much time has gone by and how they have utilized their talents and hard work throughout the years!
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