# Inauspicious roles early in their careers... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 22, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231 "2014-08-22T20:22:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/1 "2014-08-22T20:22:56Z")
It’s been a good while since I last saw [Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092546/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_121) so you may well imagine how surprised I was to see somebody in that cast list who is now at the peak of his professional career with a small part in it. You can look for yourself, and maybe you’ll see others. But the point to this thread is to locate other instances of now-famous and well-paid performers in the early days of their struggles to become well-enough known to be considered for big parts. I’ll give this a few posts before I reveal my big shocker from AWotM, if it hasn’t been spotted by then. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/2 "2014-08-22T20:34:16Z")
Not film but music. In 1968 [Debbie Harry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbie_Harry)sang back-up vocals for [The Wind In the Willows.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_in_the_Willows_%28band%29) The band made [one album](http://www.theraremusicshop.com/ekmps/shops/tim_gill/images/the-wind-in-the-willows-cd-212-p.jpg) and broke up. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/3 "2014-08-22T20:39:16Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > I’ll give this a few posts before I reveal my big shocker from AWotM, if it hasn’t been spotted by then. Think I figured out who it is. Tom Cruise (no, that’s not who) had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role in The Outsiders (1983). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/4 "2014-08-22T20:40:04Z")
Before making it big on “Rawhide,” Clint Eastwood’s first screen appearance was an uncredited bit part in [Revenge of the Creature](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenge_of_the_Creature) in 1955. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/5 "2014-08-22T20:45:35Z")
Just take a look at all the shit [Bryan Cranston](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0186505/?ref_=nv_sr_1) was in in his early years! Paid his dues, I’m saying. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/6 "2014-08-22T22:09:29Z")
Mary Tyler Moore was a pair of legs(and the voice of Sam) in the intro to _Richard Diamond, Private Detective._ ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/7 "2014-08-22T22:11:39Z")
Jack Nicholson getting some dental work in _Little Shop of Horrors_ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/RAli9a8bbys/hqdefault.jpg "Jack Nicholson in The Little Shop of Horrors") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAli9a8bbys) ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/8 "2014-08-22T22:13:29Z")
Jon Voigt in _Fearless Frank._. A movie so bad I don’t even think it was ever MSTed. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/9 "2014-08-22T22:15:43Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Before making it big on “Rawhide,” Clint Eastwood’s first screen appearance was an uncredited bit part in [Revenge of the Creature](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenge_of_the_Creature) in 1955. Was this before or after he was the fighter pilot in _ **Tarantula** _? :dubious: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/10 "2014-08-22T22:19:24Z")
Lots of 'em **Sylvester Stallone** as a subway thug in Woody Allen’s **Bananas** **Jack Nicholson** (again) in **The Raven** and **The Terror** , two other Roger Corman gems **Leonard Nimoy** as aliens in **The Brain Eaters** and **Zombies of the Stratosphere** ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/11 "2014-08-22T22:26:01Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Mary Tyler Moore was a pair of legs(and the voice of Sam) in the intro to _Richard Diamond, Private Detective._ She was also Happy Hotpoint and had a walk-on as a “Puerto Rican girl” on _ **Steve Canyon** _ [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldf12KsqT7M) ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/12 "2014-08-22T22:28:47Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > It’s been a good while since I last saw [Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092546/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_121) so you may well imagine how surprised I was to see somebody in that cast list who is now at the peak of his professional career with a small part in it. You can look for yourself, and maybe you’ll see others. Steve Guttenberg? Andrew Dice Clay? Rip Taylor? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/13 "2014-08-23T00:01:44Z")
Neither **Once Bitten** (Jim Carrey) nor **See No Evil, Hear No Evil** (Kevin Spacey) was a particularly great role for a budding talent. I have a feeling like I saw some forgettable movie not too long ago that had 4-5 big name actors as extras, but I can’t think of what it was… ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/14 "2014-08-23T00:21:20Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Was this before or after he was the fighter pilot in _ **Tarantula** _? :dubious: 😕 _Revenge of the Creature_ was released in March 1955 and _Tarantula_ was released in December 1955 so that would make _Revenge_ Eastwood’s onscreen debut. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/15 "2014-08-23T00:26:25Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Before making it big on “Rawhide,” Clint Eastwood’s first screen appearance was an uncredited bit part in [Revenge of the Creature](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenge_of_the_Creature) in 1955. A year later, he was Carol Channing’s love interest in _The First Traveling Saleslady_. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/16 "2014-08-23T00:37:05Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Steve Guttenberg? Andrew Dice Clay? Rip Taylor? Bill Maher? ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/17 "2014-08-23T00:38:58Z")
Mrs. Cretin and I were watching one of those old Hopalong Cassidy films from 1942 and were amazed to see young Robert Mitchum appear in a supporting role. Turns out it was his very first movie. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/18 "2014-08-23T00:40:58Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > _Revenge of the Creature_ was released in March 1955 and _Tarantula_ was released in December 1955 so that would make _Revenge_ Eastwood’s onscreen debut. If I remember correctly, in his biography Eastwood talks about ROTC being his first part. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/19 "2014-08-23T00:41:56Z")
Ayn Rand was an extra in DeMille’s _King of Kings_. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231/20 "2014-08-23T00:44:33Z")
I’m betting Mandy Patinkin dies a little inside whenever someone mentions Alien Nation. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inauspicious-roles-early-in-their-careers/696231.md?page=2)