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Actors who played side characters and who went on to have bigger careers than the stars of the early movies or TV shows in which they appeared
- Thread starter AuthenticM
- Start date
Whaaat
I'm currently watching Band of Brothers for the first time (fuckin masterpiece btw) but Hardy is in it?!!
I'm at eps 7, so no spoilers please.
C. Thomas Howell at least had Soul Man, and The Hitcher after that. So his career wasn't a total loss.The Outsiders thread?
The Outsiders thread. I bet most people today can name everyone in that shot except the lead actor.
Nobody even remembers Peggy, the chimp who played Bonzo. She died in a zoo fire 2 weeks before the premier.
I like this thread but feels needed some rules
Like what are we defining as side characters because some of them are like leads on ensemble TV shows, yes that has a center but also if you're around for 5-10 seasons....
And others are like blink and you miss it cameos, which would bolster a lot of shows that have procedural designs.
And then fame, are we defining it by box-office, general reception/movie star power or awards or a combination of everything
Like what are we defining as side characters because some of them are like leads on ensemble TV shows, yes that has a center but also if you're around for 5-10 seasons....
And others are like blink and you miss it cameos, which would bolster a lot of shows that have procedural designs.
And then fame, are we defining it by box-office, general reception/movie star power or awards or a combination of everything
I remember Margot Robbie as a guest character and straight away you could see she was better than the regular teens. She became a regular but even then played the sidekick to one of the most annoying and badly acted charachters ever in a show that's had some real bad ones. Somehow the bad actress got all the major storylines and guys lusting after her while Margot was left to shine in the background for ages, then when she was more focused they took away much of what made her charachter interesting and she left soon after.
Just so you can see how bad her co-star was this is her infamous reaction to a friend having a miscarriage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlXYa_LCJ7E
BoB is probably unmatched for the number of future big names showing up in small/supporting roles.
Edit: probably excluding UK/Australian soap operas.
This is completely true. Anyone who missed Seinfeld would have little idea of who he is while Dreyfus has had so many different things that people associate her with.
I for one only knew her as the lead in Veep because I didn't watch Seinfeld until recently. Seinfeld I don't think I have seen in anything other than Seinfeld.
Seinfeld is probably more popular to a certain age group.
That's a good one. Another one from Smallville: Evangeline Lily. Literally just an extra in the background of one episode. Now she's bigger than anyone from the show (aside from Amy Adams).
Yeah she did that a lot before Lost.
You also forgotAmanda Seyfried and Tessa Thompson started off with small, recurring roles in Veronica Mars. Amanda's role was actually slightly expanded due to her performance (she was only supposed to appear in a handful of scenes) and Tessa got her first break.
While they don't have as big of a career as Kristen Bell overall - especially if we take into account her VA role as Princess Anna -, they are certainly getting much more prominent parts in film, while Kristen's movie career hasn't gone anywhere.
Most folk will know of Capaldi's role in Fire's of Pompeii before becoming the Doctor...
But Colin Baker also played some guy in Doctor Who before being cast as the titular protagonist.
Daniel Kaluuya had a supporting role in Psychoville before being launched into Hollywood.
But Colin Baker also played some guy in Doctor Who before being cast as the titular protagonist.
Daniel Kaluuya had a supporting role in Psychoville before being launched into Hollywood.
Does Michael C Hall in Six Feet Under (the GOAT) count? Maybe he's technically not enough of a side character.
I loved and still love Everwood.
I probably have seen every Episode like 8 times minimum because it aired here in a loop for years after all the Anime that came on TV after school.
The whole Story outside of a small parts with Madison were just great as a Kid/Teenager and the characters were all loveable.
Especially in that Age i rooted so hard for Ephram and in the beginning when i watched it the first time hated Bright/Chris Pratt a lot before he became one of my favorites in the later parts and re-runs.
Great Show.
She has a really weird career arc. After lost she was completely gone for a while but came back with hobbit and antman. When does this ever happen for a woman?
She has said she was ready to retire had not been for Jackson/Wright calling her up.
Yeah. I guess so. Nate got more screen time, I thought, but he was essentially a main character too.
As an aside is she also the one who tweeted at some racist or something to meet up somwhere so she could kick their ass? lol
Yeah she did that a lot before Lost.
How much money would she have been making from LOST? I know the actors/actresses on Friends and BBT get crazy salaries but not sure how much folk reel in from those types of dramas.
OP
OP
This was almost my OP.Amanda Seyfried and Tessa Thompson started off with small, recurring roles in Veronica Mars. Amanda's role was actually slightly expanded due to her performance (she was only supposed to appear in a handful of scenes) and Tessa got her first break.
While they don't have as big of a career as Kristen Bell overall - especially if we take into account her VA role as Princess Anna -, they are certainly getting much more prominent parts in film, while Kristen's movie career hasn't gone anywhere.
ITT people list major characters who didn't have their names listed first on the show. The Plastics in Mean Girls aren't side characters, they're the damn Mean Girls!
I think that was Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo
Numerous people had bit parts on Star Trek: TNG like Ashley Judd and Teri Hatcher:
She had a recurring role as Penny Parker on MacGuyver a couple of times before that.
I'd go for Patrick Stewart in Dune and remind everyone that Bryan Cranston was on Babylon 5.
Holy shit! I knew about Stewart in Dune but had no idea about Bryan in B5. Wow.
It's a blink-and-miss-it part where he's a Ranger being asked to sacrifice himself so his side can fool the enemy into going to a certain part of space to fulfill a strategic objective.
He gets a few lines but it's a bit part.
That's awesome, gonna have to find and watch that lol.
Edit: Found it. That's awesome. He was also a side character on Seinfeld and King of Queens pretty often too.
Bob Odenkirk had a tiny, pre-Mr. Show role in Wayne's World 2.
It took two decades and two huge shows, but he's arguably leapfrogged Mike Myers.
HOLY SHIT! I NEVER REALIZED THAT WAS HIM!
My answer to this thread is Vin Diesel in Saving Private Ryan.
Chevy Chase is in Community.
Jerry Seinfeld is still a bigger star than JLD and he makes like 80 million a year from syndication.
He's made nothing in 20 years yet he is worth about a Billion dollars and makes about $70 million a year.