17 Hollywood Celebrities Who Got Their Big Start On Broadway
“The most exciting acting tends to happen in roles you never thought you could play.” - John Lithgow
Broadway has launched plenty of stars, but some of the biggest names in Hollywood got their start under those bright stage lights long before they were movie icons.
From teen performers and understudies to Tony winners and future sitcom favorites, this list shows how a Broadway credit can turn into a major career boost. The path was never easy, but for these celebrities, it became the first big step toward fame.
Here are the Broadway beginnings behind 17 familiar names.
1. Ariana Grande
teenvogueAriana Grande was in the original Broadway cast of 13, the only Broadway musical ever with a cast and band entirely made of teenagers.
It officially opened on October 5, 2008, at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
2. Kristen Bell
entrepreneurLong before Kristen Bell became a household name and a Disney princess voice actress, and even before she finished college, she was on Broadway in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a musical comedy based on the novel by Mark Twain. Kristen Bell played the role of Becky Thatcher in 2001.
3. Morgan Freeman
NY Times
For his 1978 role in The Mighty Gents on Broadway, Morgan Freeman won a Tony Award.
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That Tony win was a big early marker in his career.
4. Sarah Jessica Parker
PageSix
Sarah Jessica Parker made her debut on Broadway in The Innocents in 1979.
Her debut was quite the kick-off as well, since three years later she took on three more major roles in Broadway productions: Parker played the lead role in Annie, Rosemary in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Princess Winnifred in Once Upon A Mattress.
playbill.com
In fact, according to TodayTix.com, SJP has had roles in 10 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions during the length of her career... so far.
NY Times
She kept coming back to the stage again and again.
5. Anna Kendrick
HelloGiggles
At the tender age of 12, Anna Kendrick was actually nominated for a Tony Award for her role in 1998's High Society.
6. Diane Keaton
Irish Times
After working as an understudy in the original Broadway production of Hair in 1968, Diane Keaton was cast in the production of Play It Again, Sam.
WorthPoint
That understudy role turned into something much bigger.
7. Nick Jonas
EW
At only 9 years old, Nick Jonas was in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun.
timetoast
It also sounds like Kaley Cuoco getting overlooked by an A-list actress on the “Charmed” set.
Jonas also played Chip in Beauty and the Beast, Young Gavroche in Les Misérables, and J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
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8. Viola Davis
Allure
In 2021, Viola Davis made Oscars history as the most-nominated Black actress ever.
She got her start on Broadway in 1996 playing Vera in Seven Guitars. After that, she worked in roles in King Hedley II and Fences, both of which won her Tony Awards. One of her Oscars was also for her performance in the film adaptation of Fences!
Twitter
What a remarkable woman.
Vanity Fair
9. Meryl Streep
GoldDerby
In 1975, Meryl Streep got her start on Broadway by starring in Trelawny of the Wells.
SimplyStreep
10. John Travolta
Getty Images
Before nailing the iconic role of Danny in the film adaptation of Grease, Travolta played Doodie in the Broadway production.
Pinterest
11. Jason Alexander
HuffPost
Long before Seinfeld, Jason Alexander won a Tony Award for Jerome Robbins' Broadway. Prior to that, he had been in a few "flops" as well.
Pinterest
12. James Earl Jones
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With one of the most iconic voices in all of Hollywood, James Earl Jones is another major celebrity who got his start on Broadway.
For his 1967 role in The Great White Hope, James Earl Jones won a Tony Award. He later also received an Academy Award nomination for his role in the film adaptation!
NY Times
13. Jesse Tyler Ferguson
NPR
You may know Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett in Modern Family, but he made his debut on Broadway!
His first two roles were in On the Town and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Then, in 2017, he returned to Broadway for a "one-man show" called Fully Committed.
Playbill
14. John C. McGinley
popsugar
McGinley was an understudy for John Turturro in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea before he nabbed the role of Doctor Cox in the sitcom Scrubs.
Backstage
He was still waiting for his big break when Scrubs came along.
15. Dame Julie Andrews
Vanity Fair
Before her legendary role as Mary Poppins in 1964, Julie Andrews starred in Broadway productions of My Fair Lady, The Boy Friend, and Camelot.
PBS
16. Britney Spears
Billboard
Most people know that before becoming the Princess of Pop, Britney Spears was a Mouseketeer, but did you know that she actually started out as an understudy on Broadway? She was 10 years old and the understudy for Tina Denmark in the musical Ruthless.
Twitter
17. Natalie Portman
Amazon
Natalie Portman also worked as the understudy for Tina Denmark in Ruthless (after Britney Spears quit because she was bored doing the same thing every night!).
She went on to play Anne Frank in the stage adaptation of Diary of Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl.
Playbill
That role seems to have launched more than one future star.
GoodReads
Who knew so many big names started out on Broadway? It's not like Broadway is such an easy first step to aim for, as we established earlier.
The obstacles may be intense to overcome, but clearly, Broadway paves a road for many people. So, whether it's your ultimate goal, an impossible dream, or a stepping stone, it would seem that Broadway has a lot to offer.
Broadway clearly left its mark on Hollywood.
Want more “fame is a mask” moments? Read these celebrity tell-alls about unvarnished, everyday weirdness.
