These days we love the magic that our favorite Hollywood movie starts bring to the big screen.  However, did you know that a lot of these big time actors got their start in TV.  Here are 10 movie stars that got their start on the small screen.

Robin Williams

Robin Williams actually studied theater at Julliard.  It was there he was discovered to play a small role on Happy Days.  That was the part of Mork.  It was such a success that it spawned into Mork and Mindy. He went on to the big screens in such movies as Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting (he won a Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), voiced the Genie in Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Patch Adams, the list goes on and on.  It seems that Robin Williams has come full circle and it now starring in the sitcom, The Crazy Ones on CBS.


Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker starred in a short lived sitcom in the 80's called Square Pegs.  She went on to appear in several made for TV movies and series.  She was cast in small movie roles in films such as Footloose, Flight of the Navigator, and LA Story.  It wasn't until starring in Honeymoon in Vegas with Nicolas Cage that she started getting bigger roles including Hocus Pocus, Ed Wood, The First Wives Club, and Mars Attacks.  SJP's big role came when she returned to cable TV and was cast as Carrie Bradshaw, the single writer in New York looking for love along with her three best friends in Sex in the City.  After the series ended, SJP has starred in several rom-coms as well as two theatrical releases of Sex and the City.


George Clooney

George Clooney got his start in TV.  He would play some guy in some series here and there and everywhere.  The most notable series from his early years was The Facts of Life, he played George Burnett from '85-'87.  He then appeared again, here and there on different shows.  He got a part on Rosanne playing Booker Brooks from '88-'91.  Then his big break came when he was cast as Dr. Doug Ross on the TV Drama ER.  That show shot Clooney to stardom and the movie star we know today.


Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling started out as a member of the All New Mickey Mouse Club (along with Christina Aguillera, Justin Timberlake, and Brittney Spears) from '93-'95.  He also starred as Hercules in the TV Series Young Hercules from '99-'99.  However, it was his role in The Notebook that shot him to Hollywood stardom.  Now he is considered one of the hottest men in Hollywood.


Shia LaBeouf

Shia started his career with small parts on different series.  In 2000 he was cast as a Louis Stevens on the Disney Channel show Even Stevens.  From there he went on to star in a full length movie for the series.  He also starred in the Disney movie Holes.  From that his career blossomed giving us Sam Witwicky on the Transformers movies.


Demi Moore

Demi Moore started her career as Jackin Templeton on General Hospital.  Then she found herself in the Brat Pack.  Then in 1990 she was cast in this small movie you might have heard of, Ghost, with Patrick Swayze and she became one of Hollywood's leading ladies.  Now days she is most known for dating and marrying younger men.


Leonardo DiCaprio

Leo started playing small parts in different series.  He was also on the soap opera Santa Barbara in 1990.  He was also on the short live Parenthood TV show in '91.  Let us not forget that young DiCaprio was cast on Growing Pains from '91-'92.  Then DiCaprio received his break through role playing Arnie Grape on What's Eating Gilbert Grape.  Then he was cast in this one movie called Titanic and the rest was history.  His most recent film was The Wolf of Wall Street.


Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds was first cast in the TV Series Fifteen in '90, followed by The Odyssey '93-'94.  Then people started noticing this cutie in Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.  Then soon he was getting cast as the funny sarcastic guy in movies.  The Proposal is still one of my favorite movies, and Just Friends cracks me up to this day.


Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks was cast in the TV series Bossom Buddies in 1980 where he got to dress in drag for half of the series.  After the series ended he had small roles on other series including Family Ties.  He was then cast in the movie Splash, and then many comedies after that.  In '91 he went a different direction and starred in the movie Philadelphia and won his first Oscar for his performance.  Tom Hanks is now one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood.  His most recent movie still in theaters, Saving Mr. Banks.

 

 

 

 

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