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.
Hugh Jackman (CHAPPIE)
Looks like Hugh Jackman’s hairstyle in CHAPPIE took some influences from one of his first major roles in the Australian television-drama CORRELLI (1995). As mullet-enthusiast Kevin Jones, Jackman plays a convict with a dark secret. After being arrested, Jones is badly beaten and suffers brain damage because of it. Once an intelligent criminal, Jones now has trouble placing a marble into a bottle. It is now up to the prison’s psychologist, Louisa Correlli, to figure out what happened to Jones and get him the treatment he needs.
Apart from being one of his first starring roles, CORRELLI also introduced Jackman to his future wife Deborra-Lee Furness! She played the titular role in the series, Louisa Correlli. The couple has been together since 1996.
Sigourney Weaver (CHAPPIE)
Ah, remember the days when Pepsi commercials were cool? Before she was kicking ALIEN ass, Sigourney Weaver was featured in a Pepsi commercial (1978). Look for her at the :22 mark. Of course, we know her career skyrocketed only one year later thanks to her role as Ellen Ripley in the ALIEN franchise.
A recent interview with Jimmy Fallon alerted me to another cool clip from before Weaver was famous. In 1962, a twelve-year-old Sigourney went to a Beatles concert at the Hollywood Bowl. As it turns out, the venue filmed her in the crowd and all of these years later, the footage was found! Check out the short clip below and see Sigourney Weaver screaming out for John Lennon.
J.K. Simmons (WHIPLASH)
While his Oscar-winning performance in WHIPLASH certainly showed J.K. Simmons isn’t afraid to speak his mind, his guest-starring role in the cult-classic Nickelodeon show, THE ADVENTURES OF PETE AND PETE, showed he can also be eerily quiet. Playing “Silent Dan” the barber, Simmons freaks Big Pete out by not engaging in the typical idle chitchat you associate with getting your hair cut. So, with the help of his brother Little Pete, Big Pete sets out to discover Dan’s interests, hoping that will spark a lively conversation. As it turns out, Dan is really interested in footwear, and once Big Pete mentions the “Krebstar Nightwalkers”, Dan won’t shut up. This doesn’t bode well for Pete, who gets a very, very unfortunate haircut from the distracted Dan. Which begs the question, whose haircut is worse, Pete or Hugh Jackman?
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