15 Actors You Forgot You’ve Seen on Multiple Hit TV Shows

The road to stardom can be pretty risky, so actors have to grab every opportunity they can get, especially early in their careers. Luckily, things worked out for the celebrities featured in this article — they got to play a part in a big show when they weren’t famous yet, and then later they were lucky enough to book another big project!

Bright Side looked back on the career of some of the most famous stars and was surprised to find out that before they starred in the show they became famous for, they also played parts in other popular projects! We bet you don’t remember seeing these big names in minor roles!

1. Cole Sprouse

Cole Sprouse has been starring in the CW show Riverdale as one of the main characters since 2017, and you probably remember seeing him in the Disney show Suite Life of Zack and Cody. But the actor was also on Friends — he starred as Ross’ son Ben.

2. Meghan Markle

Before her retirement from acting, Meghan was on the popular legal drama Suits on the ABC Channel, playing paralegal Rachel Zane. In 2012, when Suits was already airing, she also appeared in an episode of another ABC show, Castle, playing the role of a killer.

3. Ellen Pompeo

Ellen Pompeo has been the star of Grey’s Anatomy since 2005, playing the main character Meredith Grey. Before that, she was in an episode in season 10 of Friends, she played Ross and Chandler’s college classmate who they had a crush on.

4. Evan Peters

Evan Peters found big fame thanks to his involvement with American Horror Story, a dark show where he appeared and starred as one of the main characters in multiple seasons. That’s why it can be hard to believe that he started out as a nerdy best friend on the Disney Channel show Phil of the Future.

5. Sterling K. Brown

Sterling K. Brown had his big break in 2016 when he starred in season 1 of American Crime Story, and this success was followed by him booking the main role in This Is Us, a critically acclaimed drama. Before that, he appeared in an episode of the beloved medical drama ER, playing hospital lawyer Bob Harris.

6. Melissa Fumero

Melissa Fumero starred as Amy Santiago on the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine for 8 years. But if you watched the original Gossip Girl, you will remember that you have seen her before — she played Zoe, one of Blair Waldorf’s so-called minions at Columbia University.

7. Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown became famous at a young age by starring in Netflix’s show Stranger Things, but it was far from the actress’ first role — in 2015 she appeared in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, playing Ruby, a girl whose mother fell ill.

8. Pedro Pascal

These days Pedro Pascal is starring as the lead character in the show The Mandalorian from the Star Wars franchise, and before that, we could see him on Game of Thrones. In 1999 he had a part in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, playing a freshman Eddie in the season 4 premiere, who eventually turned out to be a vampire.

9. Kiernan Shipka

Kiernan Shipka is the face of the Netflix show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, where she plays the main role. But we have seen her on another Netflix show before — she played Kymmi in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the bitter half-sister of the main character.

10. Alison Brie

The star of the sitcom Community and Netflix show GLOW was actually on the Disney Channel once! She played a character named Nina on the teen show Hannah Montana, a girl who pretends to like Rico, one of the main characters, and it was actually one of her first roles!

11. Tyler Posey

Tyler Posey is known as Scott McCall, the main character of the MTV show Teen Wolf, but before that, you could have seen him in season 6 of Smallville. He played the role of an immigrant named Javier.

12. Lucy Liu

You might not think of Lucy Liu as a television actress because of her famous roles in Kill Bill and Charlie’s Angels, but her recent work involves the popular shows Elementary and season 1 of Why Women Kill — she played the main character in both of these projects. Before her fame, she was on an episode of The X-Files, playing a sick girl named Kim Hsin.

13. Finn Wolfhard

Finn Wolfhard became world-famous after he booked the role of Mike on the Netflix show Stranger Things. But one of his first roles was on another popular show — The 100, where he played the role of a nomadic grounder in season 2.

14. Constance Wu

Constance Wu starred on the show Fresh Off the Boat for 5 years which, by the end of its run, became the longest-running Asian-American sitcom in history. Her first television appearance was back in 2006, when she starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as a character named Candy.

15. James Marsden

James Marsden is currently playing one of the main characters in the Netflix show Dead To Me, which has been renewed for its third and final season. Interestingly enough, back at the beginning of his acting career, he was in the pilot episode of the unforgettable classic The Nanny.

Which of these actors changed the most? Do you remember seeing any other actors in minor roles before they became famous?