10 Actors Who Started Out as Movie Extras but Are Now Very Famous and Well-Known in Their Careers
Actors all start their careers from somewhere, and these actors began as extras in films.
Some actors don’t blast onto the screen with a dramatic entrance, they start as background noise. One minute they’re just filling space in a Harry Potter scene, the next they’re the name people shout when the credits roll.
Julianne Hough is a perfect example. She was basically cheering for Gryffindor as an extra, then pivoted away from acting and toward dancing. Regé-Jean Page pops up in the background of Bill and Fleur’s wedding, and years later he’s unmissable as the breakout star of Bridgerton. Meanwhile, Simu Liu went from extra work and stunt gigs to Shang-Chi, and Megan Fox went from a dancer extra in Bad Boys II to starring in Transformers.
It’s the same messy, random start, just with wildly different endings.
1. Julianne Hough
Julianne Hough actually played a small role in Harry Potter as an extra cheering for Gryffindor. She initially wanted to test out acting but ended up pursuing dancing instead.
Source2. Regé-Jean Page
He played an extra in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.” Viewers can spot him in the background of Bill and Fleur’s wedding. This was long before his role in Bridgerton, for which he is now well-known.
Source3. Simu Liu
Simu Liu is a popular Chinese-Canadian actor who made headlines by playing the role of Shang-Chi in the “Marvel blockbuster - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” However, he started off as an extra in many movies and even worked as a stuntman.
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4. Megan Fox
Megan Fox was actually an extra as a dancer in Bad Boys II before she starred in many different movies, including Transformers.
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5. Jesy Nelson
Jesy Nelson started out as a student in About A Boy before she joined the girl group Little Mix.
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6. Toby Jones
Toby voiced Dobby in Harry Potter, but most people know him from his role in Captain America.
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Also, consider the friend who asked for money for a business venture, but the question was whether to say no.
7. Eva Mendes
Eva Mendes played a bridesmaid in the film A Night At The Roxbury, which was quite a small role. However, it got her recognized, leading to a significant role in Ghost Rider.
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8. Derek Hough
Derek Hough played a few small roles in Harry Potter and other films before appearing on Dancing With The Stars, where he won a total of six times.
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9. Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum appeared in the movie War Of The Worlds before gaining fame through other major films as the lead character. He was seen running alongside Tom Cruise in the film.
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10. Renée Zellweger
She started off as an extra in Dazed & Confused, which eventually led to her starring role in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.
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Julianne Hough’s Gryffindor-cheer extra moment is where this whole “you were there first” vibe really kicks off.
And once Regé-Jean Page shows up in the background of Bill and Fleur’s wedding, you start realizing how close fame can be to invisibility.
Simu Liu’s extra-to-stuntman grind, then Shang-Chi, proves the jump from background to blockbuster is not as rare as it sounds.
Even Channing Tatum running alongside Tom Cruise in War of the Worlds makes you wonder how many future stars are still sprinting in the background.
Some actors began their careers as extras and background actors. This was the case for Jennifer Aniston, who started her career as an extra on shows such as Molloy and Herman’s Head before landing her breakout role on the sitcom Friends.
Similarly, Benedict Cumberbatch began his career as an extra in various films and television shows before eventually landing a lead role in the television series Sherlock.
Nobody starts out famous, but some people definitely start out right behind the camera.
Wait until you see what Lisa Rinna reveals in her memoir about rumors.
