# Early bit parts by actors famous later. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2002, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434 "2002-08-05T14:09:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/161 "2002-11-19T12:21:24Z")
BBC showed _Dog Day Afternoon_ over the weekend - the bus driver in the final scenes looked very much like a young Lance Henriksen… and, indeed, that’s who it was. _Hammer House of Horror_ was a thirteen part TV series, pretty much the last gasp of the venerable Hammer Films, made in about 1980, and filmed mostly where I grew up. In one episode, “The Carpathian Eagle”, a seductive temptress is going around picking up men and killing them … her last victim, picked up in the very park where I used to play as a child, and listed only as “Last Victim” in the credits, is played by one Pierce Brosnan. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/162 "2002-11-19T14:00:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BiblioCat \* > \*\*Phil Hartman Carol Kane and Jon Lovitz were all in that one, as fellow terminal operators of Whoopi Goldberg’s. \*\* Well, yeah, but the erstwhile Mr. Hartman was in a bit part and his voice is heard before he’s seen. Probably because up until that time and his joining with SNL he was mainly doing voice work. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/163 "2002-11-23T22:26:25Z")
Anyone ever see _The Harrad Experiment_? Among the unknowns who would become famous later are Don Johnson, Bruno Kirby, Gregory Harrison and Melanie Griffith. Kirby was once embarassed by David Letterman’s showing a clip of this flick on his talk show. After _Harrad_, Johnson made the film version of Harlan Ellison’s _A Boy and His Dog_. Speaking of Ellison, one of Bruce Willis’s early roles was in _The Twilight Zone_’s 1985 version of Ellison’s “Shatterday.” Before that, Willis played a bad guy on _Miami Vice_, proving what a small town Hollywood really is. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/164 "2003-01-08T20:15:17Z")
I was watching an episode of **M_A_S\*H** recently when I noticed another familiar face. Halfway into the episode, I felt the need to check the IMDb to see if it was him. Yep, it was David “Tackleberry” Graf, pretty much only known for game show appearances at the time (1982). ---
**Author:** ![Loneraven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@Loneraven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loneraven)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/165 "2003-01-08T20:54:06Z")
I don’t know if it was mentioned - I don’t think so - but Leslie Nielson appears on **M_A_S\*H** as the guy who gets tricked with that glass of milk. I know what I mean… ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/166 "2003-01-08T22:32:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\*And his other buddy was a young Anthony Edwards, of _ER_ fame. (And _Revenge of the Nerds_, _Northern Exposure_, etc). Wrong. Anthony Edwards did not play a friend of Brad’s in _Fast Times_. He was in the movie, but he was a stoner pal of Spicoli’s. The other stoner pal was played by **Eric Stoltz**. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/167 "2003-01-09T01:36:42Z")
**William H. Macy** credited as W.H. Macy and **Chazz Palmieterri** in _The Last Dragon_ **Billy Bob Thornton** in _Chopper Chicks in zombie Town_ **George Clooney** in \* Return of the Killer Tomatoes\*. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/168 "2003-01-09T02:43:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BurnMeUp \* > \*\*…i once heard an urban legend that Alain Jorgenson of Ministry was Jimmy on H R Puffinstuff before he adopted his stagenemae, but i don’t know how accurate that is. \*\* This would seem to be incompatible with the imdb bio on the guy who played Jimmy: [http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Wild,%20Jack%20(I)](http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Wild,%20Jack%20(I)) ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/169 "2003-01-09T02:51:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jehovah68 \* > \*\*Wrong. Anthony Edwards did not play a friend of Brad’s in _Fast Times_. He was in the movie, but he was a stoner pal of Spicoli’s. The other stoner pal was played by **Eric Stoltz**. \*\* **Sorry. I tremble with shame. It won’t happen again.** ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/170 "2003-01-09T02:54:19Z")
From _Hill Street Blues_: **Season One, 1981** David Caruso Andy Garcia Dan Hedaya Mimi Rogers **Season Two, '81-82** Danny Glover John Ratzenberger Meg Tilly **Season Three, '82-83** Dominique Dunne (Griffin’s sister - murdered soon after) Dennis Franz Ally Sheedy **Season Four, '83-84** Alfre Woodard Crispin Glover Joe Pantoliano Jane Kaczmarek **Season Five, '84-85** Jill Eikenberry Michael Tucker Tim Robbins Jen Tilly Frances McDormand **Season Six, '85-86** Chris Noth **Season Seven, '86-87** Cuba Gooding, Jr. Chazz Palminteri ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/171 "2003-01-09T03:07:34Z")
Bad link in my last post. Try this one: [http://us.imdb.com/Name?Wild,+Jack+(I)](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Wild,+Jack+(I)) The guy in question is a 50 year old diabetic recovering alcoholic underemployed actor. Ministry isn’t mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/172 "2003-01-09T04:27:07Z")
Billy Bob Thornton also was in the cast of the John Ritter sit-com “Hearts Afire.” I caught Robert Redford in an episode of “The Untouchables” once and thought that must have been his earliest role. However, the IMDB lists several TV roles before that. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/173 "2003-01-09T08:04:12Z")
Was a part credited pretty far back and I didn’t even recognize him at first but Sam Jackson was Stacks Edwards in **Goodfellas** (1990). Also, one of the two who play the kidnappers in **Suicide Kings** is Brad Garrett, most notably from the t.v. show **Everybody Loves Raymond**. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/174 "2003-01-09T12:56:15Z")
Hah! I can’t believe that this is on page 4, and I still have one to add: **Elijah Wood** made his feature film debut as one of the “Video Game Boys” in the 80s-theme diner from _Back to the Future Part II_. And I spotted him with my own two little eyes, I did. His face really hasn’t changed all that much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TwungTister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TwungTister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwungTister)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/175 "2003-01-09T17:31:09Z")
Hey, the thread’s back; lost it in the haystack. This is where I wanted to mention WILLIAM SHATNER in _The Twilight Zone_. “Nick of Time” HARRISON FORD in a spy movie. DICK YORK in _The Twilight Zone_ On the Edge of a Coin?. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/176 "2003-01-11T07:06:17Z")
After watching _Dead Man Walking_ again this evening, I was shocked to see **Jack Black** as Sean Penn’s little brother, Craig. When Susan Sarandon shows up at Penn’s mother’s door, Black is working on the car. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434/177 "2003-01-11T07:24:19Z")
Sharon Stone was in Stardust Memories as ‘Pretty girl on train’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-bit-parts-by-actors-famous-later/122434.md?page=8)