# Movie people whose oldest credit was a hit **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749 "2009-03-25T15:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [March 26, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/41 "2009-03-26T14:32:09Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > John Cazale, **The Godfather** It pays to actually check [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001030/) before posting. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/42 "2009-03-26T20:28:19Z")
Cameron Diaz in **The Mask** fits the bill I think 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/43 "2009-03-27T02:15:32Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > It pays to actually check [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001030/) before posting. 😉 But Jeannie Linero who played bridesmaid Lucy Mancini. Only a couple credits after that. Animal House debuts Karen Allen: Katy Martha Smith: Babs Jensen Kevin Bacon: Chip Diller Peter Reigert: Boon ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/44 "2009-03-27T02:35:29Z")
Brad Dourif in _One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest._ ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/45 "2009-03-27T02:53:48Z")
According to IMDB, Robert Vaughn’s first film appearance was an uncredited part in The 10 Commandments. As far as I can see, Mark Hamill’s first film was Star Wars – maybe some of his TV credits were made for TV movies. Do they count? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/46 "2009-03-27T03:47:30Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > It pays to actually check [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001030/) before posting. 😉 To be fair, **The American Way** was added to his IMDB entry pretty recently. Last time I looked up his entry, about two months ago, it wasn’t there. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/47 "2009-03-27T05:54:18Z")
Clint Eastwood debuted in “Revenge Of The Creature” which IMDB says was the highest grossing of the Creature From The Black Lagoon movies. Dunno how big of a “hit” it was but certainly a classic series. Sylvester Stallone’s first film was either “Annie Hall” (like Jeff Goldblum he played a thug) or you could consider that quickie porn flick he did which certainly made a lot of money and was well-publicized when word got out in the 1980s(?). Speaking of Stallone, Hulk Hogan’s movie debut was in Rocky 3 which did quite well. And speaking of Annie Hall, that was Sigourney Weaver’s film debut. Kevin Bacon in Animal House, along with Karen Allen. ETA, **5timechamp** said it first. Jenette Goldstein in Aliens. I think it’s pretty easy to keep coming up with names, seems like a lot of folks got noticed in a big movie and that’s how they were able to get their start and keep getting credits. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/48 "2009-03-27T07:58:22Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > John Cazale, **The Godfather** The American Way in '62 was probably an cheap indie-non-hollywood film, so I think the Godfather counts. A short but dazzling career, five movies, only one not receiving best picture, turns out that is The Conversation. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/49 "2009-03-27T11:38:04Z")
[Jamie Lee Curtis](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000130/) had bit parts in popular TV shows (such as _Qunicy_), but her first **movie** credit was certainly a big hit: _Halloween_. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/50 "2009-03-27T14:38:22Z")
I think many of the cast members of the SNL earliest IMDB credits are SNL. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/51 "2009-03-27T14:53:43Z")
It looks like Nicolas Cage and Anthony Edwards made their film debuts in _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/52 "2009-03-27T16:55:04Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > To be fair, **The American Way** was added to his IMDB entry pretty recently. Last time I looked up his entry, about two months ago, it wasn’t there. Furthermore, according to IMDB **The American Way** has a run time of 10 minutes [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0447603/maindetails](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0447603/maindetails). I wouldn’t consider a 10 minute film a theatrical release. Hmm- if you throw out **The American Way** every movie in which John Cazale appeared either won **Godfather I & II The Deer Hunter** or nominated for **The Conversation Dog Day Afternoon** the Academy Award for Best Picture. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749/53 "2009-03-29T19:25:56Z")
Another thread made me look up the career of Andrew Robinson, and he merits mention in this thread. One TV guest spot, and then the killer, Scorpio, in _Dirty Harry_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-people-whose-oldest-credit-was-a-hit/490749.md?page=2)