Gotta Start Somewhere!
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Today, it seems like every new young actor turns out to be some kind of repo baby. However, that was not always the case. In many instances, some of the biggest names in Hollywood got their start as working actors, desperately looking for a break and taking what parts they could get in the meantime to pay their bills and build out a reel.
Thankfully for us, many of those ads have now been rediscovered and preserved on the internet. So let’s take a look at a small sampling of famous actors who got their start in the wild world of commercials.
Leonardo DiCaprio (Matchbox Cars)
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Before he was king of the world or a wolf of Wall Street, Leonardo DiCaprio was just a kid pursuing a dream like so many others before him.
In interviews, Leo has explained that his first official role as an actor was in a commercial for Matchbox Cars where, funnily enough, he says he played a little gangster. Perhaps a sign of things to come and his future work with Martin Scorsese. He has also said he learned an important lesson that he’d take with him as he made a career of the profession: “Just know your lines.”
Leo also appeared in some other commercials in the 80s, including one for Bubble Yum.
Mila Kunis (Barbie)
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The daughter of Ukrainian Jewish parents, she and her family emigrated from the Soviet Union to Los Angeles when she was only seven years old. Though she initially didn’t speak a lick of English, by age 10 Mila had successfully landed her first job as an actor, appearing in a commercial for Glitter Hair Barbie in 1994. She would go on to secure other commercial and television roles as well as minor supporting parts in movies before finally landing the part that would make her famous in 1998 — portraying Jackie Burkhart in That 70s Show. If you’re confused about that timeline, keep in mind Kunis famously lied about her age when she auditioned.
Ben Affleck (Burger King)
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Ben Affleck was interested in acting at an early age, and both he and his brother were able to secure auditions for local films and commercials through a family friend who was a casting director. Though he had already appeared in a couple of small films and the PBS series The Voyage of Mimi, Ben was still many years away from anything even resembling fame when he appeared in a 1989 ad for Burger King. The spot, sort of a 30-second riff on Risky Business, sees a high school Ben answer a wrong number on his car phone and attempt to score some points with the woman on the other end of the line. A charming ad that was probably a part of Ben’s reel for many years after.
Kristen Stewart (Porsche)
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Even with two parents in the industry, you always have to start somewhere. Kristin Stewart won her first part after a year of auditioning, landing a small role in the TV movie The Thirteenth Year. That same year, the future Twilight star would also appear in a commercial for the Porsche 911 Carrera — a cute ad that sees young Kristin missing the school bus but lucking into a ride to school in, you guessed it, her father’s Porsche. She must have really enjoyed the ride because according to tabloid photographers and automotive articles, Stewart owns a very similar black Porsche to this day.
Paul Rudd (Super Nintendo)
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Paul Rudd’s acting debut came in 1991 in one of the original launch commercials for the Super Nintendo in North America. The ad is incredibly 90s, with a blazer-clad Rudd approaching an SNES console on a pedestal in some kind of gritty back alley. As other kids cheer him on from behind a chain link fence, Rudd demos the launch titles while a god-like trailer voice invites us to also “play with power.”
The most obvious thing to point out is that, unsurprisingly, Paul Rudd looks exactly the same as he does today. Perhaps the secret to staying young and having perfect skin is playing plenty of F-Zero.
Tina Fey (Mutual Savings Bank)
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No shade to Tina Fey for taking this job. The future star and showrunner of 30 Rock and creator of Mean Girls moved to Chicago after graduating from college and began performing with The Second City. While that is a great way to get noticed for a future spot on the SNL writing staff, it likely does not pay the bills. In 1995 Fey appeared in a commercial for Mutual Savings Bank. While she might have later regretted the outfit, I doubt she was mad about being able to pay that month’s rent.
Fun fact, another odd job Fey did on her way to SNL and beyond was acting as one of the voices for the Medieval Madness pinball machine. The next time you’re in a retro arcade and you see the cabinet keep an ear open for her best “valley girl” impression.
Jennifer Lawrence (My Super Sweet Sixteen)
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Though her Wikipedia page might tell you that Jennifer Lawrence’s acting career began when she landed a part on an unaired TV pilot in 2006, her actual TV debut came the year before in a commercial to promote the season premiere of MTV Super Sweet 16. The future Hunger Games actress has stated that it was this gig that allowed her to first earn her Screen Actor’s Guild card at the age of 14. A few years later Lawrence would score a part as a series regular on The Bill Engvall Show and the rest was history for this future Academy Award winner.
Keanu Reeves (Coca-Cola)
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Before he was John Wick or the sad guy eating a sandwich on a park bench, the internet’s favorite actor/human meme Keanu Reeves was just a struggling actor looking for his big break. One of his first parts came in 1983 when he landed a lead spot in a commercial for Coca-Cola. The ad is quintessentially Keanu, with the young actor delivering his lines with the same laconic but charming style that we’ve all grown to love.
I’m not sure how healthy slamming a Coke is after an intense bicycle race, but at the very least I’m convinced that this rider cares a lot about his dad. That’s the sign of a great actor.
Brad Pitt (Pringles)
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Right around the same time when Brad Pitt was gaining traction with small parts in TV shows and films, he was also popping up in commercials. Look no further than this utterly bizarre Pringles ad from 1988. Here, surfer Brad and his buddies cruise down to Santa Monica beach, pick up some babes, and crush a couple of tubes of Pringles. The spot is unhinged, even in modern terms, and the ad’s slogan is highly dubious.
I’m not entirely sure Pringles has ever been or could be a “fever reliever.” Still, the spot shows that sometimes when you’re getting started in the acting business, the best thing to do is take the work that you can get and make the most out of every second of screen time.
