Many actors are often defined by a role, that one character that immediately conjures up images of the person who played it. Although they may have done a few films before, that one role was the catalyst that launched them into the fame stratosphere, and while it often seems as though certain celebrities have always been a-list movie stars, like us, they started small, diligently working in an industry that can reward them in many ways.
Some of these breakout roles are often an actor’s most defining. A great example is Jim Carrey, who has had many dramatic roles in his career but is best known for his role as Ace Ventura in the film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Then there’s Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who gained fame in the wrestling world but his turn as the Scorpion King in “The Mummy Returns” led to his future celebrity status.
24/7 Tempo has identified the films that launched Hollywood’s biggest stars to fame. Each of the actors included has starred in one of the top 10 grossing films of the past five years — according to data from Box Office Mojo — yet first discovered fame years prior. Of course, the careers of many successful actors include as many misses as they do hits. These actors turned down blockbuster roles and walked away from parts that could have been career-defining.
1. Brie Larson
Though Brie Larson made appearances on television and movies in the late 1990s, it was not until 2013 that she appeared in her breakout role as distraught counselor Grace in the drama “Short Term 12,” about a woman working with at-risk teenagers at a foster-care facility. Although she had acted in dozens of roles prior, from short films to voice work, it was this role that put her on the map.
Three years later she won the Best Actress Oscar for her roles in “Room” and her turn in “Captain Marvel” where she played the titular role, was the film was the fifth highest-grossing film at the domestic box office in 2019. A sequel has already been announced.
2. Bryce Dallas Howard
It may seem as though Bryce Dallas Howard has always been famous but she worked her way up with small roles. The daughter of filmmaker Ron Howard, Howard made uncredited appearances as a child in her father’s movies, including “Parenthood” and “Apollo 13,” but it wasn’t until her role as Ivy Walker in M. Night Shyamalan’s Oscar-nominated film about an isolated town in “The Village” that she earned the spotlight.
The actor has since landed major roles in box office-dominating franchises, including Spider-Man, Terminator, and the Jurassic World trilogy.
3. Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett is one of Australia’s most prominent actors with a storied film career. She won her first Academy Award in 2005 for Best Supporting Actress in “The Aviator,” and nine years later she took home the statuette for Best Actress for “Blue Jasmine.” But the film that made the world first take notice was her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in the 1998 biopic “Elizabeth,” in which she was nominated for her first Oscar (she has since had seven Oscar nominations). Critic Emanuel Levy said Blanchett gave a “bravura performance” in the film.
4. Chris Hemsworth
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 26: Chris Hemsworth poses during the TAG Heuer Autavia Collection launch on June 26, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Although the Australian actor is best known for his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, he has put his stamp on numerous other action films, including “Men in Black: International.” But it was his role as George Kirk, the father of legendary Enterprise captain James T. Kirk in the 2009 Oscar-winning film “Star Trek,” that proved to be his breakout turn. The film was the highest-rated of the Star Trek movies on Rotten Tomatoes.
5. Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt looking into the cameras at the Guardians of the Galaxy photocall on July 25, 2014.
When you hear the name Chris Pratt, you may automatically think of his hugely popular action films like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Jurassic World.” But it was his breakout role as Oakland A’s first baseman Scott Hatteberg in the 2011 film “Moneyball” that gave him fame.
6. Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson first found widespread fame wrestling as The Rock in the WWE. But it wasn’t until 2001 when he began what would become a hugely successful film career, that his fame was taken to a new level and he achieved success outside of the wrestling world. His role as the menacing Scorpion King in the 2001 film “The Mummy Returns” was just the start.
Among his most famous roles since have been Hobbs in the Fast & Furious series, Maui in the animated “Moana,” and Dr. Smolder Bravestone in the recent Jumanji films. He also starred in the HBO series “Ballers” for five seasons.
7. Emma Watson
Some films introduce us to new actors whom we see from time to time while other films propel new actors to superstardom in their film debuts. This is what happened to Emma Watson in her movie debut, playing precocious witching student Hermione Granger in the 2001 film “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Watson would play the role in all eight Harry Potter movies and although she is forever tied to her breakout role, she has since starred as Belle in Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast” — the second highest-grossing film of 2017 — and as Meg March in the remake of “Little Women.”
8. Gal Gadot
Although Israeli model and actor Gal Gadot is known for her superhero portrayal, she got her feature film start as Gisele in “Fast & Furious” (2009), the fourth film in the Fast & Furious franchise. She’d return to the role in both “Fast Five” (2011) and “Fast & Furious 6” (2013). It was her portrayal of Wonder Woman, in the film of the same name, that dramatically increased her fame, and “Wonder Woman,” was the third biggest film at the domestic box office in 2017. A sequel — “Wonder Woman 1984” — was released in October 2020.
9. Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal is known for many outstanding roles, some of which were his star turns in “Brokeback Mountain” (Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination) and “Donnie Darko.” But it was his role as Homer Hickam in the 1999 film “October Sky” that brought him into the spotlight.
The movie tells the story of a young West Virginia man who rejects the prospect of a life as a coal miner and, inspired by the success of the Soviet satellite Sputnik, pursues his dream of launching a rocket. The New York Times said Gyllenhaal’s role was “played with beguiling eagerness.” Gyllenhaal recently appeared in the critically acclaimed blockbuster “Spider-Man: Far from Home.”
10. Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey’s earliest feature film credit is for the little-seen comedy “All in Good Taste” from 1983. He would gain numerous fans for his work on the sketch comedy series “In Living Color” beginning in 1990. However, his breakout film role was in the 1994 film “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” where he played the role of the same name.
This was quickly followed by leading roles in cult classics “Dumb and Dumber” and “The Mask,” both also released in 1994. Carrey has starred in numerous popular films since, covering various genres aside from just comedy.
11. Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix had appeared in almost a dozen films – remember the 1986 film “SpaceCamp” – before he officially made his mark as the vindictive and narcissistic Roman Emperor Commodus in the 2000 period piece “Gladiator”. Phoenix received the first of his four Oscar nominations for that role. He went on to star in “Walk the Line” and “The Master” for which he received Best Actor nomination and won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Batman’s unhinged nemesis Joker in 2019 in the movie of the same name.
12. Josh Brolin
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 14: Josh Brolin attends the Sicario Day Of The Soldado Photo Call at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on June 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Born to actor James Brolin, Josh Brolin has Hollywood in his blood. His feature film debut as older brother Brand in audience favorite “The Goonies, ” released in 1985, was a hit, paving the way for a rich film career that included roles in Oscar-winning fares such as “No Country for Old Men” (2007) and “Milk” (2008).
Brolin has recently become a common sight in superhero movies, playing the role of Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) and Cable in “Deadpool 2” (2018).
13. Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart may be known now as a comedy tour-de-force but he didn’t start out that way. He began his career in films, making his debut in the 2002 film “Paper Soldiers” but it wasn’t until his breakthrough role as CJ the following year in the horror movie parody “Scary Movie 3” that he really started.
To date, Hart has logged 89 acting credits and appeared in the runaway hit “Jumanji: The Next Level,” which has grossed almost $317 million. He’s also been busy on the small screen as a producer of shows such as “Dave” and the Netflix special “Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History.”
14. Kristen Bell
- Breakout film: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
- Role: Sarah Marshall
Kristen Bell began her film career when she appeared in an uncredited role in the “Polish Wedding” in 1998. Although she found fame in the long-running “Veronica Mars” TV series in the titular role, this motion picture and television star didn’t reach stardom until 10 years later when she starred as the title character in the rom-com “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”. Bell more recently voiced the character Anna in Disney’s massively popular Frozen franchise.
15. Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o’s meteoric rise to stardom began with her film debut as the abused slave Patsey in Steve McQueen’s searing look at slavery in the American South, “12 Years a Slave” in 2013. The Kenyan-born Nyong’o won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar the following year for that role. Her performance led to a starring role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster “Black Panther.”
16. Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie has become one of the most bankable stars in movies, with Oscar-nominated credits such as “I, Tonya” and “Bombshell.” She recently starred in one of the highest-grossing box-office hits in the 2023 film, Barbie but her breakout role was as Naomi Lapaglia, the wife of a high-powered Wall Street stockbroker played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2013 Martin Scorsese-directed hit “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
17. Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan began his career in TV, building a strong television acting resume with shows such as “The Wire,” “Friday Night Lights,” and “Parenthood.” Jordan then turned to the big screen in 2013 to play the doomed Oscar Grant, who was killed by transit police at Fruitvale Station in San Francisco.
Charlotte O’Sullivan of the London Evening Standard said, “Jordan doesn’t beg for our sympathy and is all the more magnetic as a result.” Jordan has gone on to appear in three sequels of the Rocky boxing series, and was one of the stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster “Black Panther.”
18. Michelle Rodriguez
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA - MAY 20: Michelle Rodriguez attends the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project 2023 Block Party at Universal Studios Backlot on May 20, 2023 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
Texas native Michelle Rodriguez first turned heads playing boxer Diana Guzman in the indie hit “Girlfight” (2000), a role for which she beat out 350 other actors. She then took on the role of Letty Ortiz in 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious” and has remained loyal to the franchise, appearing in five of its films to date.
Her most recent fast film was “The Fate of the Furious,” which grossed $226 million at the domestic box office and is the 10th highest-grossing film of 2017. Rodriguez will return to the role of Letty in the upcoming “F9.” Rodriguez has also starred in movies ranging from James Cameron-directed blockbuster “Avatar” (2009) to the genre flick “Machete Kills” (2013).
19. Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro is considered Hollywood royalty, but he didn’t start out that way. He logged six films under his belt before he began what would become an enduring collaboration with director Martin Scorsese with the 1973 film “Mean Streets,” in which De Niro plays Johnny Boy, an off-kilter small-time hoodlum.
This would be the first of 10 pairings in De Niro and Scorscese’s illustrious careers. De Niro would go on to win two Best Actor Oscars (“The Godfather: Part II,” “Raging Bull”) and has received eight Academy Award nominations in total.
20. Robert Downey Jr.
Despite an entertainment career plagued by drug problems, Robert Downey Jr. has managed to garner two Oscar nominations for his performances in “Chaplin” and “Tropic Thunder.” But it was in his 1987 film “Less Than Zero”, that critics took notice of his performance as Julian, a Los Angeles rich kid with drug issues. Downey Jr. has carved a niche in action films as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films and his most recent blockbuster hit film, for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, was “Oppenheimer”.
21. Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson has been performing in movies and on television since the early 1970s. He had a small role in the 1988 film “Coming to America” but it would be his breakout role as Mister Senor Love Daddy in the 1989 Spike Lee film “Do the Right Thing” that led to his success.
Jackson would go on to appear in films such as “Jackie Brown,” “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” and “Pulp Fiction.” His performance in the latter film earned him his lone Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
22. Scarlett Johansson
Sometimes called by the truncated name Scar Jo, Scarlett Johansson was nominated for two Oscars (Best Supporting Actress for “Jojo Rabbit” and Best Actress for “Marriage Story”) in 2020, the 12th time an actor was nominated for two roles in the same year. She began her career in the late 1990s and although she began to receive recognition after her role in “The Horse Whisperer”, it wasn’t until her role as Rebecca in the 2001 film “Ghost World” that she earned the attention of critics.
David Denby of the New Yorker recommended the film for “Johansson’s devastating monotone.” Johansson, known today for her role as Black Widow in Marvel films, also voiced characters in movies like “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.”
23. Tom Cruise
Today, Tom Cruise is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood but he didn’t always command such a high salary. His climb to fame can be traced to a famous scene from the 1983 film “Risky Business,” where his character Joel lip-syncs the Bob Seger song “Old Time Rock & Roll” in just his underwear.
A string of blockbusters, such as “Top Gun,” “A Few Good Men,” and “Jerry Maguire,” has catapulted Cruise to superstardom. The three-time Oscar nominee has also starred in the action movie franchises Jack Reacher and Mission: Impossible.
24. Tom Hanks
Before the two-time Best Actor Oscar winner (“Philadelphia,” “Forrest Gump”) became America’s Everyman, Tom Hanks cut his acting teeth on television in series such as “Bosom Buddies” and “Family Ties.” Cinematic stardom began with Hanks’ role as Allen Bauer, a man who falls in love with a mermaid in the enchanting 1984 film “Splash.”
25. Will Smith
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Actor Will Smith attends the Global Press Conference in support of GEMINI MAN at the YouTube Space LA on October 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Will Smith had a rap career in the 1980s as one half of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, with hit songs like “Parents Just Don’t Understand”. But it wasn’t until his starring role in the TV series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which ran for six seasons beginning in 1990, that he began his rise to prominence as an actor.
It was his starring role as Mike Lowrey, alongside Martin Lawrence, in Michael Bay’s 1995 cop film “Bad Boys” that proved to audiences he was ready to be a movie star. Smith quickly followed up the film with leading roles in “Independence Day” in 1996 and “Men in Black” in 1997. The Oscar-nominated actor returned to the part of Detective Mike Lowrey in “Bad Boys for Life,” which was the top-grossing film of 2020.