What 12 Famous Actors Looked Like Before They Played Their Iconic Roles

Some celebrities from our article became famous at a pretty mature age, like Pierre Richard. Others have appeared on screen playing dozens of roles, but the audience strongly associates them with only one character. This happened with Kim Cattrall and Michèle Mercier. These celebrities have one thing in common — in most cases, we don’t know what they looked like before they appeared on screen playing, probably, the most popular roles in their filmography.

Bright Side decided to remember what our favorite actors looked like before they appeared on screen as the characters who are loved by millions of viewers.

12. Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn, 1964

The role in the comedy film Cactus Flower (1969) became the first significant work in Hawn’s filmography. The actress won an Oscar award for her role in this movie. Hawn is also known to a wide audience thanks to her roles in comedies and adventure films from the end of the ’80s and the beginning of the ’90s, like Overboard (1987), Bird on a Wire (1990), and Death Becomes Her (1992).

11. Kim Cattrall

Kim Cattrall has taken part in more than 90 movies and TV shows. But, ironically, she’s known to a wide audience as Samantha from the Sex and the City TV series (1998-2004). After the series, the actress played Samantha in 2 full-length Sex and the City films in 2008 and 2010.

10. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1967

Schwarzenegger has been into bodybuilding since his teenage years. At the age of 20, he won the title of Mr Universe. He also won Mr. Olympia a total of 7 times! Schwarzenegger’s first role was in the movie Hercules in New York (1970). But, he gained worldwide fame in 1984, thanks to his role as Terminator T-800 in The Terminator movie.

9. Catherine Deneuve

This French actress debuted in a small role in 1957, but rose to fame after her work in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964). This film was the beginning of her brilliant acting career, and she later worked with eminent directors like Roman Polanski, Luis Buñuel, François Ozon, and Lars von Trier.

8. Juliette Binoche

Juliette Binoche, 1986

Binoche made her film debut at the age of 19. Her filmography is full of remarkable works. She’s known to a wide audience thanks to her roles in the movies The English Patient, that brought her an Oscar award and Chocolat, that brought her an Oscar nomination.

7. Pierre Richard

Pierre Richard became successful after his role in The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe that was released in 1972. The actor was 38 years old at that time. Some of Richard’s other famous movies that are still loved by viewers include The Toy (1976), The Umbrella Coup (1980), Knock on Wood (1981), ComDads (1983), and Door on the Left as You Leave the Elevator (1988).

6. Jim Carrey

Since childhood, comedian Jim Carrey has been into parodying famous people. The future star started his career working at comedy clubs. Carrey became successful after his part in the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective in 1994. Then he took part in The Mask and Dumb and Dumber (1994). His role in Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992) became the first drama movie in Carrey’s career and the actor still actively works in cinema today.

5. Renée Zellweger

Renée Zellweger, 1999

Renée Zellweger is a multifaceted actress. She won the Oscar award 2 times — for her roles in the dramas Cold Mountain (2003) and Judy (2019). Aside from that, her filmography is full of great comedy roles. The role of the British woman, Bridget Jones, brought Renée her first Oscar nomination and love from the audience.

4. Woody Allen

In most of his films, Allen acts not only as a director, but also as a scriptwriter and an actor. Most of his films are of the comedic sub-genre, intellectual comedy. His movie Annie Hall got 4 Oscar awards, including Best Picture, which is pretty unusual for a comedy. The director, who is already 84 years old, is still actively working and shoots about a film a year.

3. Melanie Griffith

Melanie Griffith, 1975

Griffith played her first serious role in the movie Night Moves (1975) directed by Arthur Penn. She was 18 years old at that time. Griffith was acknowledged by the critics and the audience after her role in Working Girl (1988). She was nominated for an Oscar award for this role and won a Golden Globe. Griffith still continues her acting career today. One of her latest works is a role in The Pirates of Somalia (2017).

2. Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis, 1977

Thanks to her works in popular horror movies, Curtis earned the title of the “scream queen.” Her role in True Lies, a comedy action film directed by James Cameron, was especially loved by audiences. The role of the woman who doesn’t suspect that her husband is a special agent at first, brought her a Golden Globe. The actress still continues her acting career today.

1. Michèle Mercier

Mercier became world-famous after she played the main role in the movies based on Angelique, a series of historical adventure novels written by Anne and Serge Golon. As a result, from 1964 to 1968, 5 films about Angelique were released. Since then, Michèle is strongly associated with this character, and all of her roles after this project weren’t very successful or noteworthy.

Which roles do you associate the characters of our article with?