These Actors Got Their Start On TV Shows
These famous faces might not be where they are today without the TV shows that gave them their first shot. Let's examine the actors and actresses who got their start in primetime TV before leaping to feature-length films.
Elizabeth Banks: All My Children
You might not initially recognize her, but the waitress at the beginning of an All My Children episode where Josh Duhamel is ordering food (and attempts to charm waitress Rosalie into giving him her number), that's Elizabeth Banks, in one of her first TV roles in 1999.
ABC, All My Children (1970-2011)
Kathy Bates: The Doctors
Before she was in Misery (1990), Titanic (1992), and winner of two Emmys, two Golden Globes, and one Academy Award, Kathy Bates received a twice-uncredited role in The Doctors, where she played Phyllis Gillette in 1978.
ABC, All My Children (1970-2011)
Justin Hartley: Passions
Before This Is Us (2018), Tracker (2024), and Smallville (2006), Justin Hartley played heartthrob Nicholas Foxworthy in Passions (1999), portraying the character for four years between 2002 and 2006.
Amber Tamblyn: General Hospital
Before she needed navigational help from James Franco in 127 Hours (2010), or was a two-timer as Tibby Rollins in Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants (2005), Amber Tamblyn got her start at the age of 11 in General Hospital (1963), starring as Emily Quartermaine for six years between 1995 and 2001.
Shemar Moore: The Young And The Restless
You might not notice Shemar Moore as anyone other than Sergeant Daniel Harrelson from SWAT (2017) or as Derek Morgan from Criminal Minds, but eagle-eyed viewers will know that you've seen that face before. Well, you have—his first TV role came in The Young And The Restless (1973), where he played Malcolm Winters from 1994 to 2005.
Columbia Pictures, The Young and the Restless (1973-)
Laurence Fishburne: One Life To Live
You mightn't think of Morpheus as being a child actor—but he was! He played Joshua Hall for three years between 1973 and 1976 in One Life To Live (1968). Three years after One Life To Live, he starred in Apocalypse Now (1979), at the age of 17.
Zoetrope Studios, Apocalypse Now (1979)
Julianne Moore: As The World Turns
Our first actor on the list to pull double-duty on a single show, Julianne Moore won a Daytime Emmy award for her portrayals of Frannie Hughes from 1985 to 1988 and then Frannie's identical half-sister, Sabrina. She would later go on to win an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her role in Still Alice (2014).
CBS, As the World Turns (1956-2010)
Josh Duhamel: All My Children
As mentioned above, Josh Duhamel starred in All My Children as the ever-charming half of the soap supercouple Leo and Greenlee. He would also earn a Daytime Emmy. Duhamel has since starred in Transformers (2011) and Love, Simon (2014).
Abc, All My Children (1970-2011)
Sarah Michelle Gellar: All My Children
Goodness me, All My Children definitely got a lot of America's sweethearts started, didn't it? Sarah Michelle Gellar also got her start on All My Children, as Kendall Hart from 1993 to 1995. This also won Gellar a Daytime Emmy. However, she is probably best remembered for her role in Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, from 1997 to 2003.
Abc, All My Children (1970-2011)
John Stamos: General Hospital
Another shoutout for GH for giving people their start! John Stamos played Blackie Parrish in General Hospital between 1982 and 1984. He would go on to star in Full House (1987) as the lead character, Jesse Katsopolis, from 1987 to 1995.
Leonardo DiCaprio: Santa Barbara
Before Roseanne and Growing Pains, little Lenny DiCaprio made five appearances in Santa Barbara (1984). In the 1990s, a young DiCaprio even received a Best Young Actor in a Daytime Series nomination.
New World Television, Santa Barbara (1984-1993)
Alec Baldwin: The Doctors
After Kathy Bates' appearance on The Doctors, Alec Baldwin would make his first television appearance and receive his first TV recurring role as Billy Aldrich, from 1980 to 1982.
Morgan Freeman: Ryan's Hope
Morgan Freeman played Cicero Murphy on a 1981 episode of the TV drama, Ryan's Hope, long before his first major credited role on Street Smart (1987) and well before the infamous Shawshank Redemption (1994).
Labine-Meyer Productions, Ryan's Hope (1975–1989)
Mark Hamill: General Hospital
You mean he wasn't always Luke Skywalker?! No—surprisingly not. Mark Hamill had a few roles before Star Wars (1977), and had appeared in various episodes in small-time shows. However, General Hospital is where you may remember Hamill as Kent Murray, in a recurring role from 1972 to 1973.
Rob Bogaerts / Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 NL , Wikimedia Commons
Jensen Ackles: The Days Of Our Lives
Jensen Ackles broke into acting at the age of 18 with a role in The Days Of Our Lives (1965). Before he was the star of Supernatural (2005), Ackles spent three years from 1997 to 2000 as Eric Brady.
Corday Productions, Days of Our Lives (1965-)
Demi Moore: General Hospital
Again, with the General Hospital. Before Demi Moore had starring roles in Ghost (1990) and A Few Good Men (1992), she spent two years, from 1982 to 1984, and 85 episodes as Jackie Templeton.
Corday Productions, Days Of Our Lives (1965-)
Hayden Panettiere: One Life To Live
Yet another star who began on One Life To Live. Hayden Panettiere's acting career kicked off with Remember The Titans (2000), but she was also a child actress on One Life To Live in 1994 till 1997, playing a six-year-old Sarah Roberts.
Corday Productions, Days Of Our Lives (1965-)
Kevin Bacon: Guiding Light
Kevin Bacon got his big break in 1978 with National Lampoon's Animal House, but it was more of a slow burn than a superstar catapult, so Bacon went back to waiting tables in NYC and taking smaller TV roles—one of which was a year's stint as the alcoholic Tim Werner on Guiding Light, in 1980.
RDF Television, Guiding Light (1952-2009)
Taye Diggs: Guiding Light
Here's another Guiding Light entrant on our list. Taye Diggs didn't get his first TV acting role until 1997, in Guiding Light. Prior to the show, where he played Adrian Hill, Diggs cut his teeth on-stage with performances such as Rent and Chicago.
RDF Television, Guiding Light (1952-2009)
Ryan Philippe: One Life To Live
Ryan Phillippe's time in One Life To Live would be short-lived, but societally seismic. For one season, he portrayed Billy Douglas, who was the first openly gay teenager on daytime TV anywhere in the United States—this was back in 1992. Philippe's first film role would come in 1995, in the Denzel Washington/Gene Hackman submarine standoff thriller, Crimson Tide.
ABC, One Life to Live (1963-2013)
Brad Pitt: Another World
Before Brad Pitt first came to prominence in film roles like The Dark Side Of The Sun (1988) and Cutting Glass (1989), but is best known for his role in Fight Club (1999). However, his first TV roles were in 1987's Growing Pains and Another World.
Nathan Fillion: One Life To Live
Before Nathan Fillion was The Rookie (2018), or star of Firefly (2002), Nathan Fillion starred in One Life To Live, playing Joey Buchanan.
ABC, One Life to Live (1963-2013)
David Hasselhoff: The Young And The Restless
Before "The Hoff" was in Baywatch (1989) and Knight Rider (1982), he starred as Dr William Foster on The Young And The Reckless throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Columbia Pictures, The Young And The Restless (1973-)
Michael B. Jordan: The Wire
Michael B. Jordan starred in 2018's Black Panther, but he spent a year from 2002-2003 as "Wallace", a small-time child drug dealer on the police detective drama, The Wire.
Leven Rambin: All My Children
Starting her acting life as a child actor, Rambin starred in All My Children from 2004 to 2008 as Lily Montgomery. She also starred in Grey's Anatomy (2005) and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2016).
Abc, All My Children (1970-2011)
Lauryn Hill: As The World Turns
Before Lauryn Hill was a member of The Fugees and then began a fantastic solo career, she starred in As The World Turns as Kira Johnson. She then starred in the 1993 comedy, Sister Act 2—alongside Whoopi Goldberg.
CBS, As the World Turns (1956-2010)
Jordana Brewster: As The World Turns
Another All My Children breakthrough actress was Jordana Brewster. She made her TV debut at just 16 in All My Children, but played more than 100 episodes as the police chief's daughter in As The World Turns.
CBS, As The World Turns (1956-2010)
Meg Ryan: As The World Turns
Meg Ryan is best known for the rom-com classic When Harry Met Sally (1989), but seven years before landing that role in the iconic film, Ryan starred as the wife of Frank Runyon's character, Steve Andropolous—an episode watched by more than 20 million people.
CBS, As the World Turns (1956-2010)
Paul Wesley: Wolf Lake
Paul Wesley is best known for his role in Tell Me A Story (2018) and The Vampire Diaries (2009). But before this, he was one of the major cast members of the CBS vampire drama Wolf Lake, in 2001.
Tom Selleck: The Young And The Restless
Tom Selleck briefly played the role of Jed Andrews, a book editor on The Young And The Restless, from 1974 to 1975.
Susan Sarandon: A World Apart
Before Susan Sarandon was winning Oscars for Thelma and Louise (1991) and Dead Man Walking (1995), she was one of the stars of the 1970 show A World Apart. She appeared in 25 episodes over the course of her year-long stint on A World Apart.
Kevin Kline: Search For Tomorrow
In the mid-1970s, Kevin Kline was a British actor looking for work in New York. He found it on the 1976 now-defunct soap opera Search For Tomorrow, playing Woody Reed.
Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Robin Wright: Santa Barbara
Another entry for Santa Barbara (1984) comes in the form of Robin Wright, now famous for her role as the icy-cold Claire Underwood in House of Cards (2013). In Santa Barbara, Wright portrayed Kelly Capwell, a conflicted young woman struggling to choose between two handsome young men, before finding out one was a serial killer. Wright's role in Santa Barbara would earn her three Daytime Emmy awards.
New World Television, Santa Barbara (1984-93)
Kelly Ripa: All My Children
Another entry for All My Children on our list is Kelly Ripa, who would eventually replace Kathie Lee Gifford on Live With Regis and Kelly in 2001 (later co-hosting with Ryan Seacrest on Live With Ryan and Kelly). At this time, Ripa was still acting on All My Children, a role that she first took up in 1990, as hard-partying teenager Hayley Vaughn.
ABC, All My Children (1970-2011)
Mark Consuelos: All My Children
Has anyone not starred in All My Children at this point? Mark Consuelos (husband of the above-mentioned Kelly Ripa) also got his big break in All My Children at the age of 24 in 1995, long before he spent four years playing Hiram Lodge on Riverdale (2017).
ABC, All My Children (1970-2011)
James Earl Jones: Guiding Light
May he rest in peace. The voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa, James Earl Jones cut his acting teeth as a doctor in both Guiding Light and As The World Turns.
Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kathleen Turner: The Doctors
For 243 episodes, Kathleen Turner appeared as Nola Dancy Aldrich in The Doctors, between 1978 and 1979.
Ricky Martin: General Hospital
Before Ricky Martin was "Livin' La Vida Loca", he was starring in General Hospital in 1995 as a musician (no way) with a troubled past.
Brittany Snow: Guiding Light
Another entry for Guiding Light on our list—maybe it's named such because it's been a guiding light (one might say) for actors' and actresses' careers. Brittany Snow played Susan "Daisy" Lemay from 1998 to 2000, before getting her big role in the Pitch Perfect trilogy.
Rdf Television, Guiding Light (1952-2009)
Lindsay Lohan: Another World
Lindsay Lohan has a long career in front of the camera, beginning when she was just four years old as a model for Ford. As a teenager, Lohan played the role of Alli Fowler on Another World at the age of 10 and became a star with her first feature film, The Parent Trap (1998), at the age of 12.
Emma Roberts: Unfabulous
Emma Roberts was supposed to be the next big thing on Nickelodeon's Unfabulous (2004), but the star ended up getting fired after a domestic violence charge was levied against her for giving her then-boyfriend a broken nose.
How many of these actors have you seen on the TV shows above? Did you see any of the OG episodes? Head to the comments and tell us how your favorite actor got their start.
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