Before they were Hollywood icons, these celebrities appeared in commercials that would make you laugh, cringe, and marvel at their early careers. Join us as we count down the most memorable pre-fame advertisements that launched some of today's biggest stars!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best commercials featuring
00:16famous people from before they were famous.
00:2830. Safeguard and Band-Aid – John Travolta
00:38More recently, you may have seen John Travolta in Capital One's Holiday Night Fever commercial,
00:44which awesomely alludes to one of his most famous roles. It was in the mid-to-late 1970s
00:49when he flexed his musicality on the big screen in Saturday Night Fever, and then in Grease,
00:55but did you know that before dancing it up on the big screen, Travolta was singing in commercials?
01:00One of them was for Safeguard, a bath soap. He sings a catchy tune with a couple of other guys
01:05in the locker room shower. The other was for Band-Aid, where he's singing in the same setting
01:10again. 29. First Tier Bank – Stephen Colbert
01:25Sporting a looser-fitting suit than what he's typically worn on his late-night talk show,
01:32Stephen Colbert appeared in a commercial as the spokesperson for First Tier Bank
01:36before he was famous. He looks like he belongs, doing an admirable job of commanding the screen
01:42and getting the Nebraska-based bank's message across with the help of engaging graphics.
01:47Also, we must say, it's a memorable slogan Colbert delivers at the end of the commercial,
01:53but obviously it turned out Colbert belonged under much brighter lights,
01:57and in front of many more eyes. 28. Burger King – Meg Ryan
02:14The 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally was Meg Ryan's breakthrough leading role in Hollywood.
02:20It kick-started her significant impact on the rom-com genre. In 1982, well before that
02:26impressive performance, she was landing new customers and bringing back old ones for Burger
02:31King with this fast-food commercial. At the time, the woman the media would later dub America's
02:37sweetheart was in her early 20s. Ryan's enthusiastic delivery probably made a lot
02:42of people hungry back when it was airing. Burger King should bring this cash-prized
02:46marketing campaign back. 27. Bud Light & Duracell – Jeremy Renner
03:06In this funny commercial for Bud Light, Jeremy Renner wants to get to his fridge for a Bud Light.
03:11Too bad he didn't have his Hawkeye persona way back then, because if he did,
03:15neither his roommate nor that bouncer would be messing with him. He was also in another
03:19fun commercial for Bud Light, in which his roommate again uses excessive methods to
03:24prevent Renner from getting a beer. Not cool, man. Before reaching star status, Renner also
03:37did a commercial for Duracell that used bowls to show the product's unparalleled battery power.
03:4326. Cascade – Charlie Day
03:58In the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, he's Charlie Kelly. That series premiered in 2005,
04:04but about five years before that, when he was doing a commercial for Cascade,
04:09he was still just Charlie Day. To many people, actually, he was a random guy in a commercial
04:14who's ready to retire after graduating from college. He really seems to have it all figured
04:19out. In retrospect, this can be seen as a preview of Day's acting talent, which allowed him to go on
04:25to thrive in so many comedic movie and TV scenes. We're glad he didn't retire when he said he would.
04:3125. Corn Puffs and Juicy Fruit – Aaron Paul
04:47He's widely recognized as Jesse Pinkman from the TV series Breaking Bad, but well before he was
04:53getting dangerously involved with illegal substances, Jesse was promoting much safer,
04:58legal products, such as cereal and chewing gum. In 1999, Aaron Paul, the man behind the famous
05:05character, did a commercial for Kellogg's Corn Puffs. His pups think he's listening to him,
05:10but in reality, he's only got one thing on his mind. The following year,
05:14Paul showed off his telekinetic powers in a funny yet strange Juicy Fruit commercial.
05:19About ten years later, he won his first of multiple Emmy Awards.
05:2924. Porsche – Kristen Stewart
05:45While she made it big on the big screen at a young age, Kristen Stewart shined in a Porsche
05:50commercial before it all. The premise of the commercial, which highlights the 911 Carrera,
05:55is unique and effective, and a young, talented Stewart makes it all work really well. Something
06:01tells us she missed that bus on purpose. Coincidentally, one of Stewart's first
06:06significant film roles, the 2004 film Catch That Kid, features automobiles – not Porsches,
06:12but go-karts – as a key component. From there, her celebrity status only grew,
06:18especially with her role as Bella Swan in the Twilight Saga.
06:2523. Frosted Flakes – Jane Lynch
06:38Amongst her lengthy list of TV and film roles, one of Jane Lynch's most notable and influential
06:44is her character Sue Sylvester in Glee, which premiered in 2009. A lesser-known role,
06:50yet an important one nonetheless, came in the 2000 dog show mockumentary Best in Show.
06:56As Lynch explained in an interview, it was a Frosted Flakes commercial that helped her land
07:00this role and ultimately launch her career in showbiz. It's a comical 1990s ad featuring a
07:07couple of massive Frosted Flakes fans and even bigger Tony the Tiger fans. That's true dedication
07:13right there. The commercial ends with a funny realization as Lynch delivers a line that can
07:18be described in one word, great. Number 22. Kodak – Mark Hamill
07:36In 1975, two years before the start of the legendary Star Wars film franchise,
07:42Mark Hamill was in a Kodak commercial. He was in his early 20s at the time,
07:46and about to embark on an intergalactic journey to stardom as Luke Skywalker. In the commercial,
07:52he's taking a picture of a girl and eventually her mom after showing up unannounced. Less than
07:58$36 for one of those things back then. Oh wow, the times have changed. It's a simple commercial,
08:04yet effective in showing the camera's capabilities. Number 21. Anne Hathaway
08:17So it's true, isn't it? You guys really are moving? Yeah. That's just great.
08:24The first television appearance of Anne Hathaway's illustrious career
08:28came as a teen in a commercial for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. The commercial has a sad
08:33premise, if a funny twist, allowing Hathaway to portray a mix of emotions. Since then,
08:39her ability to effectively do such has been put on display in a myriad of ways,
08:44as she carved her way to becoming one of the most famous actresses on the planet.
08:48The background music fits well in this commercial given the storyline being
08:52conveyed, and it's cool seeing a young Hathaway's acting ability to go with it.
09:02Number 20. Atari Lynx – Tobey Maguire
09:08Hey Mr. Block, can I go to the bathroom? Two minutes.
09:12This commercial absolutely reeks of the early 90s, and it is glorious. A young Tobey Maguire,
09:18clad in a sleeveless jean jacket, goes to the school bathroom to sneak a session on his Atari
09:23Lynx. This was a handheld game console, and the first to feature a color LCD,
09:35released in September of 1989. As the commercial was released in 1990, Maguire would have been just
09:4115 years old. Funnily enough, he appeared in The Wizard in the previous year, the same year that
09:46the Atari Lynx was released, but he wasn't given any lines. Maguire didn't start working steadily
09:52until the 90s, and he didn't land a major leading role until 1998's Pleasantville.
09:57Number 19. Mutual Savings Bank – Tina Fey
10:11Everyone has to start somewhere, including commercials for interest rates at Mutual
10:15Savings Bank. As boring as the subject is, Fey does what she can with the material by
10:20playfully showcasing the numerous different ways to say hi.
10:27The commercial was released in 1995 when Fey was just 25 years old.
10:32She was already working in the comedy scene at the time, performing with the legendary
10:36Chicago troupe, The Second City. Former Second City performer and SNL head writer Adam McKay
10:42encouraged Fey to submit scripts to NBC, and she was eventually hired as a writer.
10:47The rest is history.
10:52Number 18. Pitfall – Jack Black
10:57Long before Jablinski Games, and long before YouTube existed for that matter,
11:06Jack Black was advertising video games on TV. In the early 80s, when Black was just
11:11entering his teenage years, he appeared in a commercial for the Activision video game Pitfall.
11:16He was one of four people to describe their personal adventure with Pitfall Harry,
11:20the game's playable character.
11:27The game was released on April 20, 1982, and five years later, Black began performing with
11:34a UCLA theater troupe called The Actor's Gang. His breakout didn't come until 2000,
11:39when he starred in High Fidelity opposite John Cusack.
11:49Number 17. Levi's 501 Jeans – Wesley Snipes
11:57In 1985, Snipes appeared in a truly bizarre commercial for Levi's 501 Jeans.
12:03People stand around singing doo-wop like it's 1955, and Snipes comes charging in with the
12:09biggest grin on his face before losing his hat in the wind. After some more weird visuals,
12:14Snipes again charges the camera with a snarl and a smile while twirling his hat.
12:19The following year, Snipes made his film debut in Wildcats.
12:28He later appeared in the music video for Michael Jackson's Bad and starred in Major League,
12:33beginning his ascension to the A-list.
12:36Number 16. Bubble Yum – Leonardo DiCaprio
12:48It's hard to imagine Leonardo DiCaprio not being famous. He's been acting since
12:52he was a youngster, and his current role is the key to his success.
12:56He plays the player who's the most famous in the adult movie industry.
12:59In fact, he's one of the few characters in the movie who's known for not being famous.
13:03famous.
13:04He's been acting since 1989, and in 1993, he starred as Arnie Grape in What's Even
13:09Gilbert Grape, earning himself his first Academy Award nomination at 19.
13:18In the late 80s, just before his massive breakout, DiCaprio starred in a commercial for Bubble
13:23Yum.
13:24He can be seen blowing bubbles, introducing a boombox, rocking out to loud music, and
13:28being blown out by enormous speakers.
13:31This wasn't the only commercial that DiCaprio appeared in.
13:34He also popped up in ones from Matchbox Cars, Kraft, and Applejacks.
13:41Little did everyone know, they were working with a future movie legend.
13:51Number 15.
13:52Tampax – Courtney Cox
13:58After graduating high school, Cox decided to study architecture at Mount Vernon College.
14:03However, she never completed her degree, as she had developed a love for modeling and
14:07acting.
14:08It wasn't long before she was blazing trails.
14:11In 1985, a very 80s-looking and spandex-clad Cox made television history by being the first
14:17person to say period on a nationally televised commercial.
14:21It makes sense, considering the commercial was for Tampax.
14:25Before, the word was usually clouded in playful euphemisms like that time of the month.
14:35Nearly ten years later, Cox's life changed forever when she landed the role of Monica
14:39Geller, despite auditioning for Rachel.
14:48Number 14.
14:49Clearasil – Mark Ruffalo
15:01This actor's career shot into the stratosphere after starring in The Avengers as Bruce Banner.
15:06But he'd been acting long before that, earning major roles in movies like Zodiac.
15:16Going back even further, a pimple-faced Ruffalo appeared in a commercial for Clearasil in
15:201989, expressing shock at his pimples and gleefully applying the pad to his face.
15:29A clearly embarrassed Ruffalo was reminded of his early acting work in 2016 when Jimmy
15:34Fallon brought it up and aired the commercial on The Tonight Show for millions to enjoy
15:38and laugh at.
15:52Number 13.
15:53Pop-Tarts – Joseph Gordon-Levitt
16:04In 1991, when Gordon-Levitt was just ten years old, he appeared in a commercial for Pop-Tarts.
16:10The commercial is told through the perspective of his busy businessman father, who is ordered
16:14by his young son to eat breakfast before leaving for work.
16:21That same year, Gordon-Levitt appeared in ten episodes of the gothic horror soap opera
16:25Dark Shadows.
16:29It wasn't long after that that he became genuinely famous, starring in the likes of
16:34Angels in the Outfield and 10 Things I Hate About You.
16:40We still don't know if he made his real dad eat strawberry Pop-Tarts before work.
16:50Number 12.
16:51Barbie and Lisa Frank – Mila Kunis
16:57This Ukrainian actress moved to the United States when she was seven years old, and two
17:01years later she was enrolled by her father in after-school acting classes at Beverly
17:05Hills Studio.
17:07It clearly worked out for her.
17:09Her very first acting gig was in a Barbie commercial, where she ogled over Barbie's
17:13new glitter hair.
17:15She also appeared in commercials for Lisa Frank and dolls like Telephone Tammy.
17:25It wasn't long before she earned her breakout role as Jackie on That 70s Show.
17:33To get the role, the then 14-year-old Kunis lied about her age, as everyone auditioning
17:38needed to be 18 or older.
17:40Nothing like a little hustle to get ahead.
17:43Number 11.
17:44McDonald's – Jason Alexander
17:53Unlike many others so far mentioned on this list, Jason Alexander was already well into
17:57adulthood by the time he appeared in this McDonald's ad.
18:01A gloriously haired Alexander dances and sings about the new McDLT, a cheeseburger that was
18:07eventually discontinued in the late 90s.
18:14The commercial aired in 1985 when Alexander was 26 and working on Broadway.
18:26It was around this time that Alexander also appeared on a short-lived CBS sitcom called
18:30ER, playing a character named Harold Stickley for 15 episodes.
18:34His life would change forever in 1989, only four years after the commercial.
18:39That year saw the debut of Seinfeld and Alexander's Tony Award win for Best Leading Actor in a
18:45Musical.
18:54Number 10.
18:55Pringles – Brad Pitt
19:00Undoubtedly one of the most famous actors of our time, Brad Pitt began acting in 1987,
19:06appearing in episodes of various TV shows, not to mention the spectacular role Guy at
19:10Beach with Drink in the comedy Hunk.
19:13Before that, he was appearing in various Pringles commercials as, well, a shirtless, hunky surfer
19:18dude.
19:22Pitt would later appear in various supporting roles throughout the late 80s and early 90s,
19:26before earning recognition as J.D., another hot, shirtless guy in Thelma and Louise.
19:40As he proved in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, he can still pull off the look.
19:50Number 9.
19:51Burger King – Sarah Michelle Gellar
19:58This actress has been in front of a camera almost ever since she learned how to talk.
20:02When Gellar was just four, she was discovered by a talent agent in a Manhattan restaurant.
20:08Soon after, she starred in a surprisingly controversial Burger King commercial, where
20:12she's heard smack-talking McDonald's tiny burgers and talking up Burger King.
20:26McDonald's wasn't very happy about this and tried to prevent the commercial from airing,
20:30even naming Gellar in the lawsuit.
20:32It's not customary for advertisements to directly name-check their competitors.
20:37The case was eventually settled and Burger King pulled the ads from TV.
20:44Number 8.
20:45Heinz Ketchup – Matt LeBlanc
20:53Long before Friends, Matt LeBlanc was just another kid from Massachusetts.
20:57He left the state at 17 to pursue modeling in New York, but he was continuously told
21:02that he was too short.
21:03He decided to try acting instead and quickly landed a commercial for Heinz Ketchup.
21:13If you ever wanted to see LeBlanc seductively eating a hot dog, then here you go.
21:20The commercial aired in 1987, three years after he left high school to pursue modeling.
21:26Much like Joey, he continued to land bit roles throughout the late 80s and early 90s, including
21:31Married with Children, where he dated Christina Applegate's Kelly.
21:42Number 7.
21:43Super Nintendo and Toyota – Paul Rudd
21:52After high school, Paul Rudd worked a variety of odd jobs, including as a bar mitzvah DJ
21:58and glazing ham at Kansas' Holiday Ham Company.
22:01Not content with that, Rudd moved out of Kansas and began starring in numerous commercials,
22:07including one for a Super Nintendo and another for Toyota.
22:19In the former, he plays a Super Nintendo on a drive-in theater screen, and in the latter,
22:24he talks to his brother about the $7,000 Toyota Tercel.
22:33The Toyota commercial aired in 1992, three years before he appeared in Clueless.
22:41And look at him now.
22:42Hey, look at him, who would have thought?
22:49Number 6.
22:50Pillsbury and McDonald's – Drew Barrymore
22:56Making her film debut in 1980, Drew Barrymore has been incredibly famous her entire life.
23:02Part of that has to do with being born into the Barrymore family, but most of it has to
23:06do with her, or her agent's knack for picking stellar movies.
23:11Following a small role in 1980's Altered States, she became a world-famous child star
23:16by playing Gertie in E.T.
23:20The movie was released in 1982, when Barrymore was just 7 years old, but she was appearing
23:26in commercials as early as 1979.
23:29In one McDonald's commercial, a 4-year-old Barrymore can be seen gleefully eating a free
23:33sundae with her family.
23:41In a different commercial, she eats warm and gooey Pillsbury cookies after coming in cold
23:45and wet from outside.
23:54Number 5.
23:55Burger King – Ben Affleck
24:03Before he was a world-famous actor, and even before the commercial, Ben Affleck appeared
24:07in an educational children's program called The Voyage of Mimi, which was shown to sixth-grade
24:13science classes.
24:18In 1989, when Affleck was 17, he starred in a Burger King commercial that saw him delivering
24:23a BK salad to a woman who accidentally called him, believing his number to be Burger King's.
24:34In 2016, Affleck was shown the commercial on Good Morning America while promoting a
24:38film.
24:42Four years after the commercial aired, Affleck appeared as Fred O'Banion in Dazed and Confused,
24:47and Affleck credits director Richard Linklater for opening his eyes to the filmmaking process.
24:52The very next year, he finished writing a little movie called Good Will Hunting.
25:07Number 4.
25:08Preparation H – Bryan Cranston
25:16Walter White will forever remain Cranston's role, and his place in television history
25:21has been firmly established.
25:28Before that, it was Hal on Malcolm in the Middle.
25:40And then maybe before that, it was Tim Watley on Seinfeld, even though he only appeared
25:44in five episodes of the show.
25:48And then before that, he was the guy in the Preparation H commercial.
25:52The exact year is unknown, but Cranston appears as a suited-up corporate bigwig in an early
25:5780s commercial for Preparation H, going on enthusiastically about how oxygen action
26:03relieves inflamed hemorrhoids.
26:06No one said commercial work was glamorous.
26:14Number 3.
26:15Listerine and Polaroid – Morgan Freeman
26:18Throughout much of the early 70s, Freeman starred in the classic children's program
26:22The Electric Company, which ran on PBS.
26:25And while the role brought him some mainstream recognition, he wasn't nearly the megastar
26:30that he is today.
26:37In the interim, Freeman appeared in various commercials.
26:49One cast him as an electrician talking about the wonders of Listerine.
26:59And another has him and his family taking pictures with a Polaroid.
27:03Both aired throughout the 70s.
27:07Despite years of work, Freeman didn't earn his breakout role until the late 80s, thanks
27:15to Oscar-nominated roles in Street Smart and Driving Miss Daisy.
27:24Number 2.
27:25Coca-Cola – Keanu Reeves
27:30In 1989, Reeves made his major starring debut as Ted Logan in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure,
27:37which grossed a solid $40 million at the box office.
27:43Reeves wasn't yet the major star he is today, but it certainly got his name out there.
27:48But Reeves was acting throughout much of the 80s, both in film and commercials.
27:52In 1983, he appeared as a bicyclist in a Coca-Cola commercial, complete with his signature surfer
27:58dude line delivery.
28:10That certainly wasn't the only commercial that Reeves appeared in, but it is his most
28:14famous owing to being discussed on both David Letterman and James Corden.
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28:44Number 1.
28:45Brown's Chicken – Steve Carell
28:54Some actors don't get really, really famous until they're a little bit older.
28:58Steve Carell is one of those actors.
29:00Of course, he gained recognition on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but it wasn't until
29:04both The Office and The 40-Year-Old Virgin in 2005 that he became a national celebrity.
29:12By then, Carell was 43 years old.
29:15In 1989, over 15 years before his big break, Carell appeared in a commercial for Brown's
29:20Chicken.
29:21He plays a manager advertising the chain's new cholesterol-free chicken.
29:25Despite being just 27 at the time, he looks pretty much the same as he did later at 43.
29:31Is chicken fat a preservative?
29:37Is there someone in a recent commercial that you could see rising to fame?
29:41Let us know in the comments.
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