I think you may be confusing Renee Zwellger with Joey Lauren Adams. They do look eerily similar. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000725/
Cindy Williams has a starring role, and Ron Howard a cameo in The First Nudie Musical, Bruce Kimmel’s Opus.
Williams was back for Kimmel’s next film, The Creature that wasn’t Nice/Starship/Naked Space. This time she had Patrick MacNee and Leslie Nielsen with her. And this was before The Naked Gun (although post-Police Squad!)
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In the opening scene of the two soldiers in the Nuclear bunker in WarGames, where one draws their weapon on the other. “Turn your key, sir!”
The guy who draws his gun is Michael Madsen. The other guy is John Spencer. One of the earliest screen roles for both. Scene here.
In the classic 80’s film “Breakin’”, the opening scene is a rollerskater dancing along to some music. Eventually he ends at a concrete pad dancing, with the encouragment of a small crowd.
In that crowd, in a very 80’s workout outfight, is Jean Claude Van Damme. First film role, I believe. The man cannot dance.
Dana Carvey was a mime waiter in “Spinal Tap.” It wasn’t his first on-screen credit, but it sure was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kinda role.
Dana Carvey also had a big part in Tough Guys with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, just before he started on Saturday Night Live. He was also in a bunch of TV series I never saw, and in Halloween II (which I haven’t seen), but I knew about the Tough Guys one without looking it up.
Robert de Niro was in the gangster comedy The Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight, I was surprised to learn several years ago. He played a bicyclist.
Viggo Mortensen was in Witness (1985). I had seen the film maybe 20 times, then saw it with my wife a couple years sgo (first viewing for her), and she said, “Hey, there’s Viggo!”. I didn’t believe her, until I checked with good 'ol IMDB.
And deep in the ant-laden tunnels of Them, we have a young Leonard Nimoy.
In a kind of reverse-OP, Robert DeNiro as Fearless Leader in Rocky & Bullwinkle. I have no idea who he owed a huge favor to, but being in that thing should have paid off the debt. Times about 100.
The guy who arrests Henry Hill at the end of Goodfellas is former NYC cop Bo Dietl. He is known for being on the Imus radio show where he acts like really stupid.
Also at the start of Into the Wild the guy who hands Chris the snow boots is the guy who actually gave boots to the real Chris McCandless, he’s not an actor.
I was watching a DVD of a 1970s show called “The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes” and happened to notice, in the credits, that one of the very minor actors (he has one line) is a very young-looking Jeremy Irons.
It was his first role: http://www.amazon.com/Rivals-Sherlock-Holmes-Set/dp/B001V7YZE8
I stand corrected. I need to rent that one again.
Tom Arnold was IN Roseanne…eww
You can just rock me to sleep tonight now…
Kevin Spacey’s first film role was a rather memorable subway mugger who steals Meryl Streep’s purse in Heartburn.
You can just reimburse me for the 7 bucks in Wendy’s value meal I just threw up, thanks.
This is far from “less than stellar”, but I was suprised to learn that the guy who played Wormtongue in LOTR played Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He was also the voice of Chucky. (Of course, Danny Devito and Christopher Lloyd were in OFOTCN as well.)
I was just watching Airplane II. Right at the beginning, as the passengers are checking in at the airport…
“Norm!”
It’s George Wendt as a ticket clerk. He has one line.