Sure, we know them all now, but not then. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best examples of film ensembles that featured many unknown or up and coming stars.
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00:00Man, that's one kid, brother, I ain't gotta worry about.
00:03This kid can use his head, at least for one thing, to grow hair on.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best examples of film
00:12ensembles that featured many unknown or up-and-coming stars.
00:16Awesome! Totally awesome!
00:21Alright, Hamilton!
00:24Number 20, Animal House.
00:26National Lampoon started as a humor magazine, but eventually the brand expanded into films,
00:32notably with the now iconic Animal House.
00:34The talent in front and behind the camera was nothing short of iconic.
00:39From now on, your name is Flounder.
00:45Flounder?
00:50Tom Hulse was a few years away from playing Mozart in Amadeus.
00:54While Karen Allen was on her way to play Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
00:58Donald Sutherland was already a star, but youngsters like Kevin Bacon were fresh on the scene.
01:04Most importantly, SNL legend John Belushi stole the show as Bluto.
01:10Belushi's performance helps to power a comedy that's still outrageous and hilarious.
01:15Let's do it.
01:17Let's do it!
01:22Go! Go! Go!
01:24Number 19, Raising Arizona.
01:27Turn to the right!
01:28You're a flower, you are. Just a little desert flower.
01:33For their second film, directors Joel and Ethan Coen went all out with a zany comedy.
01:39They also hired a standout cast to play in this kooky crime adventure.
01:43Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter give two spectacular performances as the lead couple,
01:48both proving themselves as generational talents.
01:51They're also welcomed by the likes of John Goodman, William Forsythe, and Randall Tex Cobb.
01:57Hunter was having a breakthrough year in 1987,
02:00starring in the award-worthy broadcast news that same year.
02:04Cage was well on his way to becoming a leading man,
02:07as this movie and Moonstruck further elevated his career.
02:11And Frances McDormand returns after starring in the Coens' first film,
02:15later going on to win several Oscars.
02:18He's an angel straight from heaven!
02:20Now honey, I had all my kids a hard way.
02:22You just gotta tell me how you got this little angel.
02:24What'd he do? Just fly straight down from heaven.
02:26Number 18, The Goonies.
02:28It's one of the most famous kid films from the 1980s.
02:32The Goonies also boasts a fantastic cast,
02:35making this exciting and entertaining movie come to life.
02:39Oh my god, it's working! It's working, you did it! Way to go, Andy, way to go!
02:44It's all coming back in now!
02:46Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Martha Plimpton, and Corey Feldman
02:50all make their early mark in this adventure.
02:53Kee Hui Kwan once again lights up the screen
02:55after his memorable turn in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
03:00Short route, step on it!
03:02Okey dokey, Dr. Jones, hold on to your potatoes!
03:05Character actors Joe Pantoliano and Robert Davy
03:08also show up as fun villains,
03:10both of whom would be prolific performers in the following years.
03:14It's hard not to love this classic that's overflowing with treasured performances.
03:27Number 17, Short Term 12.
03:29At a group home for teenagers,
03:31the counselors and residents help each other through difficult times.
03:35It's a heavy subject that's expertly performed by an incredible cast.
03:40My dad has been in there for 10 years.
03:49I don't want that for you.
03:51This indie drama includes a compelling performance from Brie Larson,
03:55showing her skills as a lead performer before Room.
03:58There's also supporting work from Rami Malek, Caitlin Dever, and Lakeith Stanfield.
04:04With some relative unknowns among the ensemble,
04:07director Dustin Daniel Cretton helps the actors craft amazing portraits of broken people.
04:13I can't marry you.
04:16I can't have your baby.
04:17I can't do any of that.
04:19Stanfield is just one of many standouts here,
04:22years before his work in everything from Get Out to Judas and the Black Messiah.
04:26If you haven't seen Short Term 12,
04:29you should definitely check out this lesser-known gem from the 2010s.
04:3316. The Big Chill
04:35Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, this ensemble drama packs in laughs, tears,
04:40and plenty of talented stars.
04:42The cast is full of actors that were in the midst of their breakthrough decade.
04:47This includes the likes of Jeff Goldblum, Glenn Close, Kevin Kline,
04:51Tom Barringer, and JoBeth Williams.
04:54William Hurt, fresh off his work in Body Heat,
04:56was only a few years away from winning an Oscar.
04:59Oh, Nick, give me a break.
05:02Spare us the tragic existential pose.
05:04Sorry, Sam, didn't mean to get into your area.
05:07They all give nuanced and human performances
05:09as former classmates mourning their friend Alex.
05:12The latter role was given to future star Kevin Cosner,
05:15but the actor was cut out of the final product.
05:18Along with its great soundtrack,
05:20The Big Chill excels because of its choice casting.
05:23So, how'd everybody sleep last night?
05:26Did anybody sleep last night?
05:28I know I did, all alone in my airplane, no co-pilot.
05:34I slept like a baby, even wet the bed.
05:36Number 15, Superbad
05:38From the minds of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg,
05:42Superbad stands out as one of the funniest comedies of the 2000s.
05:46Good as it is, the script wouldn't work without the perfect performers.
05:50Thankfully, the filmmakers cast Jonah Hill and Michael Cera.
05:53They both had experience in the genre,
05:55but they really came into their own here as comedy leads.
05:59I love you.
06:00It's like, why don't we say that every day? Why can't we say it more often?
06:03I just love you. I just want to go to the rooftops and scream,
06:06I love my best friend, Evan.
06:07We should go up on my roof.
06:09For sure.
06:10There's also a handful of talented supporting cast members to help them out.
06:14Emma Stone made her debut in this movie,
06:16while Bill Hader was only a few years into an amazing run on Saturday Night Live.
06:21Christopher Mintz-Plasse also earns plenty of laughs as McLovin.
06:25This guy's either gonna think here's another kid with a fake ID,
06:28or here's McLovin, the 25-year-old Hawaiian organ donor.
06:32Okay, so what's it gonna be?
06:35I am McLovin.
06:37The entire film only works if these players are all operating at the top of their game.
06:43Number 14.
06:44Dead Poets Society.
06:46We didn't just read poetry, we let it drip from our tongues like honey.
06:51Spirits soared, women swooned, and gods were created, gentlemen.
06:56Not a bad way to spend an evening, eh?
06:58Anyone that sees this inspirational drama remembers Robin Williams' performance.
07:03He's the heart and soul of the movie, but he's far from the only performer here.
07:07Robert Sean Leonard, Josh Charles,
07:10and Ethan Hawke played three of the boarding school students.
07:13Each actor gives an authenticity to their work,
07:16with their characters coming into their own through the power of poetry.
07:20Hawke in particular has spoken about Williams' kindness,
07:23mentioning that the comedy legend helped to get him an agent afterwards.
07:28Captain, my captain.
07:30Sit down, Mr. Anderson.
07:34Do you hear me?
07:36Sit down!
07:37Leonard and Charles also show their promise as future film and TV stars.
07:42Under the direction of Peter Weir, the cast of Dead Poets Society
07:46ultimately brings the best out of a timeless and hopeful story.
07:50Number 13. The Last Picture Show
07:53Adapting Larry McMurtry's novel,
07:56Peter Bogdanovich needed young actors to play teenagers.
07:59He ended up finding Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, Sybil Shepard, and Randy Quaid.
08:05Bridges was even nominated for an Academy Award for his performance,
08:08while Hollywood veteran Ben Johnson and TV legend Cloris Leachman
08:12won Oscars for their supporting roles.
08:15You've ruined it. It's lost completely.
08:20You sure needing me won't make it come back.
08:24Ellen Burstyn and Eileen Brennan fill out this impressive ensemble,
08:28delivering richly textured characters in 1950s Texas.
08:33This classic wouldn't be the same without the immense talent featured in every role.
08:37Several stars went on to further fame, awards, and iconic movies after this,
08:42but The Last Picture Show stands as some of their finest work.
08:45You reckon you and her would have got it all straightened out if I hadn't butted in?
08:49Oh, no. No. Not even though me too, even if we had.
08:55Number 12. Platoon
08:57Based on director Oliver Stone's experiences in Vietnam,
09:01Platoon won multiple Oscars for its unflinching portrayal of military life.
09:05The filmmaker also enlisted an eclectic group of incredible actors.
09:10He got a young Charlie Sheen to play the main soldier, Chris Taylor,
09:13surrounding the lead with other up-and-coming performers.
09:17Maybe I can see something I don't yet see or learn something I don't yet know.
09:22I miss you. I miss you very much.
09:25Sheen's co-stars include Kevin Dillon and Johnny Depp before his success on TV.
09:30You'll likely spot other recognizable faces,
09:33filling out a squad that also features John C. McGinley, Tony Todd, and Keith David.
09:39Tom Berringer and Willem Dafoe played their leaders,
09:42earning Academy Award nominations for their roles.
09:45What happened today is just the beginning.
09:49We're gonna lose this war.
09:51The power of their work and the film itself still resonates to this day.
09:56Number 11. The Godfather
09:58The Godfather might be one of the greatest films and ensembles of all time,
10:03but not every member of its cast was originally a high-profile star.
10:07Oscar winner Marlon Brando is among several veterans in the lineup.
10:11It doesn't make any difference to me what a man does for a living, you understand?
10:15But your business is a little dangerous.
10:20But there are also a number of performers, including Al Pacino,
10:24Diane Keaton, James Caan, and John Cazale, who were early in their careers.
10:29Pacino arguably has the most important role next to Brando,
10:33but he wasn't even who the studio wanted as Michael Corleone.
10:37This wasn't enough time, Michael. Wasn't enough time.
10:41We'll get there, Pop.
10:42It's hard to imagine that this lineup was ever considered anything less than legendary.
10:48Number 10. Pretty in Pink
11:01Among John Hughes' finest films is Pretty in Pink, starring Molly Ringwald after her success
11:06in The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. Andrew McCarthy appears as the rich kid
11:12who falls for her, and John Cryer is her hopelessly devoted friend.
11:16Cryer is among the standouts of the cast as the lovable ducky,
11:20along with Ringwald, delivering one of her best performances.
11:24So when you get your heart splattered all over hell and you're feeling really low
11:28and dirty, don't look to me to help pump you back up because
11:32maybe for the first time in your life I won't be there.
11:34Both the future Two and a Half Men star and McCarthy play off Ringwald well in career-making
11:41turns. There's also the evil and charismatic energy of James Spader during his early days.
11:47You can argue which Hughes film is the greatest,
11:49but there's no debating the power of this cast all these years later.
11:53It doesn't matter, does it?
11:57You told me you couldn't believe in somebody who didn't believe in you. I believed in you.
12:01Always believed in you.
12:02Number 9. Clueless
12:04Adapting Jane Austen for the 1990s, Clueless brings out the charm and humor of every cast
12:10member. Many of these actors received a major step up in their burgeoning careers.
12:15Alicia Silverstone commands the screen as Cher Horowitz,
12:19becoming an icon before the movie is even over.
12:22Just like these nervous creatures that jump and slobber all over you.
12:26Ew! Get off of me!
12:29Ugh, as if!
12:30She also stars alongside the bubbly work of Brittany Murphy
12:34and the underrated Donald Faison before Scrubs.
12:37Paul Rudd shows up in his first film role ever,
12:40proving that he had an instant ability to steal scenes.
12:44I'm just curious, how many hours a day do you spend grooming yourself?
12:48Some people are not lucky enough to be as naturally adorable as you were.
12:52Stop it, you're making me blush.
12:53We haven't finished naming the other highlights from the cast,
12:57including Breckin Meyer, Stacey Dash, and Elisa Donovan.
13:00While there have been many high school movies since,
13:03this one still stands as a cultural phenomenon partly because of the elite cast.
13:07Girls, she's about to throw the bouquet!
13:10Come on!
13:12Look, we got a fool going to see whose girl gets a bouquet.
13:15It's up to $200.
13:17It's in the bag.
13:18Number 8.
13:19The Magnificent Seven.
13:21After winning an Oscar, Yul Brynner took the lead in this western
13:25as arguably the biggest star of the film.
13:28His character Chris Adams recruits a group of gunfighters to defend a Mexican village.
13:33I'm a friend of Harry Luck's.
13:35He tells me you're broke.
13:37No, I'm doing this because I'm an eccentric millionaire.
13:41There's a job for six men watching over a village south of the border.
13:45These men are played by the likes of Steve McQueen,
13:47Charles Bronson, and James Coburn.
13:50Between the three of them,
13:51they represented some of the coolest screen presences of the next two decades.
13:56Each of them showed off their action skills before they were all considered leading men.
14:00You see them?
14:01No.
14:03They're too far back in the trees.
14:06Chris?
14:06Yeah?
14:08Try and make it up the new rocks.
14:10Eli Wallach was more established by this time playing the villain,
14:14but he was still years away from his immortal work in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
14:19Looking back, it's amazing that any one of these guys was on the squad.
14:23Think of the odds.
14:25Harry, nobody's asking you to go back.
14:29Ride on, Harry.
14:30It's all right.
14:31Number 7.
14:32Trainspotting.
14:33All I am trying to do, Mark, is to help you understand that The Name of the Rose
14:38is merely a blip on an otherwise uninterrupted downward trajectory.
14:43Trainspotting treads the line between comedy and drama with precision.
14:47It also has an all-star cast that juggles Irvine Welsh's material
14:52with their own electric performances.
14:54Future Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor plays Renton in an iconic role,
14:58while his friends are played by talented performers such as Robert Carlyle
15:02and Johnny Lee Miller.
15:04It's fresh air!
15:05Look, Tommy, we know you're getting a hard time off Lizzie,
15:08but there's really no need to take it out on us.
15:12Doesn't it make you proud to be Scottish?
15:14With stellar supporting work from Ewan Bremner and Kelly MacDonald,
15:18The Best of Scotland fills out the cast with their energetic and funny presence.
15:22Many of them have since found dynamic parts in everything from Oscar-winning films
15:26to animated features.
15:28Directed by Danny Boyle, this film retains all of its power
15:31because of the genius casting.
15:33And just for a moment, it felt really great.
15:36Like we were all in it together, like friends, like it meant something.
15:39A moment like that, it can touch you deep inside, but it doesn't last long.
15:43Number six, School Ties.
15:45So you know you're the very first ringer St. Matt's ever hired.
15:48Like Dylan.
15:50No, he is.
15:51That's something of an honor.
15:53Aren't you honored, Green?
15:54I haven't really thought about it.
15:55If you haven't seen this early 1990s drama,
15:58you're missing out on a pointed drama about hatred and anti-Semitism.
16:02The film features a cast of young actors that were destined for greatness.
16:06Brendan Fraser stars as David Green,
16:09a Jewish teenager struggling against the narrow-minded views of his classmates.
16:13The other students include characters played by Ben Affleck,
16:16Matt Damon, Chris O'Donnell, and Cole Hauser.
16:18With future Oscar winners among the cast,
16:21School Ties assembled leading men who would leave the decade as bona fide stars.
16:26Fraser and Damon, in particular,
16:28reveal their dramatic chops long before they were nominated for awards.
16:33I'm begging you.
16:36Look, I'm sorry.
16:36I was a prick, okay?
16:37I was a prejudice prick.
16:38I know that.
16:39This doesn't have anything to do with that.
16:41Just confess.
16:42Number five, Dazed and Confused.
16:45All right, all right, all right.
16:48Hey man, you still driving into Houston in the morning to get those harassment tickets?
16:51Oh, you damn right.
16:53Evening, ladies.
16:54Richard Linklater's third film is arguably one of the best of the 1990s,
16:59but it's also remembered for its impressive cast.
17:01The filmmakers found newer actors that could pull off the 1970s setting
17:06and play natural performances.
17:08Matthew McConaughey is a standout, playing the poetic and laid-back Wooderson.
17:13I get older, they stay the same age.
17:16There's also Parker Posey and Joey Lauren Adams
17:19as the popular girls willing to humiliate the underclassmen.
17:22Even Resident Evil star Mila Jovovich appears here next to other future stars.
17:28Linklater can weave through the characters with a delicate touch,
17:31letting the performers deliver in small scenes that prove they've been well chosen.
17:35I gotta get going.
17:37Me and my loser friends, you know, we gotta go get Aerosmith tickets.
17:41Top priority of the summer.
17:42Number four, Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
17:46In the 1980s, Fast Times at Ridgemont High served as one of the strongest teen comedies.
17:52The film also boasts an enviable cast of all kinds of varied performers.
17:57Most famously, Sean Penn plays the stoner Jeff Spicoli,
18:01long before his days as a brooding lead actor.
18:04Sorry I'm late, it's just like this new schedule is totally confusing.
18:11I know that dude.
18:13Mr. Spicoli.
18:15That's the name they gave me.
18:16There's also Jennifer Jason Leigh in an early role
18:19as she learns the highs and lows of relationships.
18:22Forrest Whitaker, Judge Reinhold and Phoebe Cates also make memorable appearances here.
18:28Hi Brad.
18:30You know how cute I always thought you were.
18:32We'd also be remiss not to point out the acting debut of cinematic heavyweight Nicholas Cage.
18:37All of these exciting performers converge for a high school movie
18:41full of hilarious hijinks and iconic set pieces.
18:44When you get out there, do you ever fear for your life?
18:46Well Sue, I'll tell you, surfing's not a sport.
18:49It's a way of life, no hobby.
18:51It's a way of looking at that wave and saying,
18:54Hey bud, let's party.
18:56Number three, Wet Hot American Summer.
18:59Assembling some newcomers and members of the state comedy troupe,
19:03Wet Hot American Summer parodies summer camp comedies.
19:06My journal.
19:08Write my thoughts in it every day.
19:10Oh, you mean a journal?
19:14Yeah, whatever.
19:15Guess I'm not all smart like you.
19:17The critics and box office numbers failed to recognize the amount of talent on display.
19:22Among the many success stories to come out of this movie,
19:24Bradley Cooper started his film career in this cult classic.
19:28I may regret saying this, but how dare you usurp my authority as producer,
19:35director slash choreographer of this talent show.
19:37Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks and others also starred in promising roles before
19:42joining the upper echelon of Hollywood.
19:44Over the next decade,
19:45the movie developed a following that eventually led to two Netflix series.
19:49Bringing together some great performers,
19:52this project managed to be a launchpad for comedy legends.
19:55I'm really going to miss this place.
19:58Me too.
19:59Hey, let's all promise that in 10 years from today,
20:03we'll meet again and we'll see what kind of people we've blossomed into.
20:07Number two, American Graffiti.
20:09Before he created Star Wars,
20:11George Lucas directed an acclaimed comedy about teenagers contemplating their future.
20:16This look into 1960s car culture also includes several actors on the cusp of greatness.
20:21I can't believe it.
20:24I don't know what to say.
20:26I'll love and protect this car until death do us part.
20:30Ron Howard was arguably the most well-known name in the cast,
20:33but he'd mainly worked on television up to that point.
20:36Richard Dreyfuss had only acted in smaller parts
20:39and absolutely shined here in his first major screen role.
20:43How do you know me?
20:44It's not important.
20:46It's important!
20:47It's important to me.
20:49You're the most beautiful, exciting thing I've ever seen in my life,
20:52and I don't know anything about you.
20:53Other key actors such as Cindy Williams would go on to be a TV star,
20:58while Charles Martin Smith would work with Brian De Palma.
21:01The most famous of them all is a fresh-faced Harrison Ford as a mean driver.
21:05Hey, I like the color of your car there, man.
21:07What's that supposed to be?
21:08Sort of a cross between piss yellow and puke green, ain't it?
21:12Altogether, these artists create a lived-in atmosphere that remains timeless.
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21:33Number 1. The Outsiders
21:35In order to film this adaptation of the classic novel,
21:38director Francis Ford Coppola needed a huge cast of young actors.
21:42Most of the primary speaking roles went on to become the biggest stars of their era.
21:47Look at your tough hair, boy.
21:55I thought we lost you like we did mom and dad.
21:58These include Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, and Diane Lane.
22:03We didn't even mention the likes of Patrick Swayze and the most successful of them all,
22:08Tom Cruise.
22:09Yeah? And what are you doing walking by your lonesome on the street, huh?
22:13That's none of your business, Marty.
22:14What do you mean none of my business? It is my business! Look at my nose!
22:17Portraying S.E. Hinton's characters with skill and natural talent,
22:20the group really comes together as an engaging ensemble.
22:24It's incredible to know that most of them are only beginning their careers.
22:27Coppola's vision not only did justice to the book,
22:30it allowed for the next great generation of artists to emerge.
22:34There's still lots of good in the world.
22:35Tell Dally I don't think he knows.
22:41Your buddy, Johnny.
22:43Did we forget another great cast that we didn't know about at the time?
22:46Let us know in the comments.
22:49Feels strange to be going home, doesn't it?
22:52I'm not going home. Not really.
22:55Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
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