Hilary Swank
Before Buffy the Vampire Slayer became a hit TV series, it was a 1992 film written by Joss Whedon—starring none other than 16-year-old Hilary Swank as Kimberly Hannah. "I was completely nervous because I didn't want to mess up," Swank said. "I'd all of the sudden got this opportunity to live my dream. I was living the high life, working in the day and working in the night." She credits the film's director, Fran Rubel Kuzui, for kickstarting her film career.
Tom Hanks
You might know him as the loveable lead in all of your favorite rom-coms, but believe it or not, Tom Hanks' debut film role was actually a small part in the 1980 slasher flick He Knows You're Alone. Despite the size of his role, Hanks was reportedly so good at his job that the writer decided to ax the death scene they had planned for him. Who knew that within the same decade, he would become an Oscar-nominated actor?