Before famous actresses become household names, many of them have very humble beginnings—and often, are almost impossible to recognise in their first theatrical roles.
For example, did you know Marilyn Monroe had brunette hair in her very first on-screen appearance? And that Meryl Streep played Jane Fonda’s daughter in her very first film (even before Kramer vs. Kramer)?
Some actresses’ first roles ended up becoming their signature performances, like Lupita Nyong’o and Jennifer Hudson, who both won Oscars for their debut performances in 12 Years A Slave and Dreamgirls, respectively.
Other famous women in Hollywood started off their careers in independent productions. On September 20, 2019, Michelle Pfeiffer took to Instagram to remind her followers that her first role wasn’t in Scarface or Grease 2, but was actually in a little-known indie film, 1980’s Falling in Love Again.
For a fun, surprising and occasionally confusing trip down memory lane, scroll down to see 30 major Hollywood actresses in their very first films.
Marilyn Monroe in Dangerous Years (1947)
Audrey Hepburn in Dutch in Seven Lessons (1948)
Grace Kelly in Fourteen Hours (1951)
Jane Fonda in Tall Story (1960)
Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins (1964)
Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl (1968)
Jessica Lange in King Kong (1976)
Meryl Streep in Julia (1977)
Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween (1978)
Michelle Pfeiffer in Falling in Love Again (1980)
Nicole Kidman in BMX Bandits (1983)
Cher in Silkwood (1983)
Sarah Jessica Parker in Footloose (1984)
Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple (1985)
Julia Roberts in Mystic Pizza (1988)
Halle Berry in Jungle Fever (1991)
Cameron Diaz in The Mask (1994)
Toni Collette in Muriel’s Wedding (1994)
Natalie Portman in Léon: The Professional (1994)
Cate Blanchett in Parklands (1996)
Amy Adams in Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Katie Holmes in The Ice Storm (1997)
Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries (2001)
Brie Larson in Suddenly 30 (2004)
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex in A Lot Like Love (2005)
Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls (2006)
Emma Stone in Superbad (2007)
Zoë Kravitz in No Reservations (2007)
Jennifer Lawrence in The Poker House (2008)
Lupita Nyong’o in 12 Years A Slave (2013)
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