A-Listers in B-Movies

Not everyone's first role is in a big Hollywood Blockbuster, infact most of today's 'stars' had to come up the hard way appearing in everything from commercials, TV shows or cheap B-Movies or Horrors. And it's the latter that we're looking at here. So roll out the rogue's gallery:

Brad Pitt Before Pitt swished his way through Thelma & Louise, he had another bad boy character but this time in a bottom of the barrel, slasher film called 'Cutting Class'. And those of who were really paid attention might have noticed himself in an episode of horror anthology series, 'Freddy's Nightmares', titled 'Black Tickets'.

Jack Nicholson 'Easy Rider' was the film that brought this star to the attention of the general public but it was Roger Corman who discovered him over 10 years earlier when he cast him as the star in his juvenile delinquent quickie 'The Crybaby Killer'. Nicholson went on to appear in a number of Cormans AIP films such as 'The Terror', 'Little Shop of Horrors' and the biker films: 'Hells Angels on Wheels' and 'The Rebel Rousers'.
	Jeff Goldblum + Laurence Fishburne Ok, it seems one of the most common ways to get your big break in Hollywood is to rape or murder Charlie Bronson's family or employees. Well it worked for these two guys. Goldblum's first screen appearance was listed as 'Freak #1' in 'Deathwish'. He was one of the gang members who prompted Bronson to go on one of the most famous revenge sprees in B-movie history. I'll admit Larry Fishburne was in 'Apocalypse Now' as a teen but it is for his portrayal of the rapist Cutter in Deathwish II that I like to remember his early career.
Clint Eastwood The 'Man with no name' literally had no name in his first uncredited screen appearance as a scientist in the 1954, 'The Return of the Creature'. Eastwood also was an another creature feature later in the same year. This time as a fighter jet pilot who tried to tackle 'Tarantula'.
	Tom Hanks A bit part in the run-of-the-mill slasher film, 'He Knows You're Alone', was the first time we saw Hanks on the big screen. He played the role of the fiancé of a victim of the 'Bride-to-be' Killer. Tom's first starring role was a couple of years later in the 1982 TV film, 'Mazes and Monsters'.
Leonardo DiCaprio After a few bit parts on TV, Leonardo got to grace the sound-stage in the second sequel to the Gremlins-Rip off film, 'Critters'. DiCaprio is part of a group hiding in a tenement from the killer aliens. Two years later, 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' brought him to the attention of more mainstream audiences.
	William Shatner Once again, Roger Corman, is responsible for giving an actor their early break. The film was 'The Intruder' and the year, 1962. Though it's a low budget B-movie, Shatner excels in his role as a racial agitator trying to stir up trouble in small town America. Just before taking the 'Captain Kirk' role in 'Star Trek', Shatner starred in the bizarre horror, 'Incubus', a film released only in the language of Esperanto.
Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger With these stars it's got to be some horrible, insipid RomCom. WRONG!! It was the final and worst sequel to the Original 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' franchise. McConaughey plays one of the members of the Southern inbred cannibal hillbillies and Zellweger one of their victims. The film was so good no other sequels were made..
	Ben Affleck Remember 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' ? No, not the highly successful TV series but the straight to video film that inspired it, well me neither. But if you look really hard, you might notice Ben Affleck acting his socks off as Basketball Player #10 - don't bother looking in the credits as his part is uncredited.
Demi Moore Despite the sheer awfulness of the 1982 3D horror film, 'Parasite', I still consider it better than the majority of Demi's work. In this B-Movie, Moore teams up with a scientist to try and kill the monstrous worm creature that he was forced to create.
	Viggo Mortensen Another actor who cut his teeth in the TCM series??? of made for TV movies???. Like McConaughey, he plays the part of a family member. The film is slightly better than his effort too. Mortensen actually had an early role in another horror, 'Prison', made in 1988.

And here's a few more actors who had early roles in the horror genre:

Brad Pitt - Cutting Class (1989)
John Goodman - C.H.U.D. (1984)
Gerard Butler - Tale of the Mummy (1998)
Jason Alexander - The Burning (1981)
Jennifer Aniston - Leprechaun (1993)
Kevin Bacon - Friday the 13th (1980)
Johnny Depp - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Judi Dench - A Study in Terror (1965)
Samuel L. Jackson - Def by Temptation (1990)
Steve McQueen - The Blob (1958)
Julianne Moore - Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
Mila Kunis - Piranha (1995)
Angela Lansbury - The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Donald Sutherland - Castle of the Living Dead (1964)
Ben Stiller - Highway to Hell (1992)
John Ritter - The Other (1972)
Naomi Watts - Children of the Corn IV (1996)
Jessica Alba - Idle Hands (1999)
Billy Bob Thornton - Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town (1991)
John Travolta - The Devil's Rain (1975)
Sharon Stone - Deadly Blessing (1981)
Brooke Shields - Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)