Before They Were Famous: Daniel Craig, Chris Hemsworth & John Goodman

November 4th 2015, 9:29pm

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Welcome to “Before They Were Famous“, where we take a look at some of the past exploits of today's biggest stars, be it from movies, television, Broadway, competitions, etc.! The more embarrassing, the better. Our memories are long, but the internet's memory is forever, so jump back in time with us to witness some of our favorite stars before they were marquee names.

Chris Hemsworth (IN THE HEART OF THE SEA)

What. Is. Happening. How did I not know Chris Hemsworth was once a contestant on Australia's version of DANCING WITH THE STARS? During his stint on the Australian soap opera HOME AND AWAY, Hemsworth signed up to compete for the Mirrorball Trophy in season 5 of the reality dance competition (2006).

In an interview with Access Hollywood, Hemsworth remembered his time on the show, "I thought, 'Why not?' I consider myself an alright dancer down at the pub. It didn't really translate onto the ballroom side of things, but it was fun all the same."

Although he and his partner Abbey Ross came in fifth place, Hemsworth still danced into our hearts a few years later when he had a brief cameo in STAR TREK, then of course went on to be Thor. I wonder if we can petition for an awesome dance scene to be written into THOR: RAGNAROK? After all, if the last edition of Before They Were Famous is any indication, Tom Hiddleston will give Chris a run for his money. Oh, and in case you didn't get your fill, here's a little more… with goofy training videos and ballroom dancing.

Daniel Craig (SPECTRE)

Remember A KID IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT (1995)? You know, that Disney movie you used to watch over and over as a kid – or was that just me? In case you need a refresher, the film centers around a Little League baseball player who is swallowed up by an earthquake and is subsequently sent back in time. Calvin (played by Thomas Ian Nichols, who you may remember from ROOKIE OF THE YEAR and later AMERICAN PIE) has futuristic technology (e.g. a Walkman) that enables him to wow King Arthur's Court and secure Arthur's power over the kingdom.

As it turns out, the film not only stars a young Kate Winslet, it also stars James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, as Kane… Master Kane… her stable boy lover. With all of the drama surrounding Craig's comments about 007, I would be interested to hear what he thinks of his role as stable boy? Especially since it is Winslet's Sarah that does a good portion of the ass kicking in the film.

John Goodman (TRUMBO)

Believe it or not, the svelte, lion-maned actor in this Foot Locker commercial from 1981 is the one, the only John Goodman. With a voice like that, it's no wonder he was hired for commercials. I'm just glad this "bro" stage of his career didn't stick around for very long.

In an interview with Seth Meyers, Goodman talked about his commercial days, "I did a ton of commercials, which caused me a lot of angst because I was hanging out with guys who were actually doing movies and plays and I was like, 'Well, I got another commercial I guess.'… I don't think I even worked with her, but [Megan Mullally] and I were on the same McDonald's commercial. The only thing I remember about it is going upstate. I had just got a new Walkman and I was blowing my ears out [listening to] The Police." I never anticipated the Walkman would be such a big part of this article, but here we are.

Below are a few more of Goodman's commercials, including the one for McDonald's (starring a young Megan Mullally).