Ever since TV knocked on the door of his career and George Clooney wore a medical gown ER – Doctors on the front line, nothing was like before. A very similar fate befell many colleagues and colleagues, considered today movie superstar but once almost relegated to the son of a lesser god (the TV, in fact). There are those – from Ryan Gosling to Zendaya – who started in the court of Mickey Mouse or children’s programs and those who, on the other hand, had to go through a long, very long apprenticeship before snatching a leading role.
From Hugh Jackman to Chris Hemsworth, then, the list of those who have passed from soap operas is long, a genre that some time ago was still considered a step below what at the time were called telefilms.
Whatever the stepping stone was today allowed them to conquer a place of honor in Hollywood and they are proud of it. Will Smith and Jennifer Aniston, for example, attended their respective series reunions, showing gratitude for a golden opportunity.
In short, well before Netflix had a hand in it, that’s it 10 celebrities who changed their lives thanks to one TV series.
1-George Clooney
It was 1994 and its Doug Ross in ER – Doctors on the front line (now on Prime Video) has broken hearts in the audience. For five full seasons it was all about him, long before the advent of Patrick Dempsey’s Dr. Strangelove in Grey’s Anatomy. Happy Nurse Carol!
2-Johnny Depp
.jpg)
In 1987 the former Captain Sparrow was a cop in The four of the police school (21 Jump Street): for eighty episodes his agent Tom Hanson tried to bring order to the streets of Los Angeles fighting for justice always at favor of the weakest. Chapeau!
3-Jennifer Aniston
Unforgotten and unforgettable Rachel by Friends, also involved then ex-husband Brad Pitt in an episode. The sitcom (now available on Netflix) for ten years – from 1994 – wrote a glorious and hilarious page in the history of TV. And she, Jennifer Aniston, not only received one of the highest paychecks on the small screen (1 million euros for each of the last episodes) but she found her best friends on the set, Courtney Cox (Monica) and Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe ).
4-Leonardo DiCaprio
In the Nineties one of the teen idols born of TV was Kirk Cameron of Parents in Blue Jeans, today a meteor. Instead, the foundling of the Seaver house, Luke, who earned fame episode after episode, was played by a very young Leonardo DiCaprio. Everyone from Brad Pitt to Hilary Swank has passed through this family series, but he is the star of Titanic the real revelation.
5-Will Smith
Willy, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (now on Netflix) had a reunion and a remake and remains one of the most iconic films of the 90s to this day. Will Smith lived the adventures of a troublemaker and restless alter ego, adopted by his uncles in a mega mansion where he really did everything. The hilarious sitcom instantly launched him into the starsystem.
6-Chris Pratt
Its bright in Everwood remains one of the cutest TV boyfriends ever in a teen drama. At the time Chris Pratt was engaged to Emily VanCamp, who played his sister, and that youthful lovestory inflamed the hearts of fans.
7-Jared Leto
In the Nineties Jared Leto was already making a revolution: in the teen drama My so-called life they dealt with delicate and problematic subjects and he, in the role of Jordan Catalano, left his mark. Too bad it closed after only one season.
8-Robin Williams
Mork & Mindy was a very successful hybrid experiment between sitcom and science fiction born from a rib of Happy Days. The character of Robin Williams was so successful that he deserved a series of his own, the apotheosis of pop culture thanks to the unpredictable ideas of the late actor who, as this alien from Ork would say, greeted us too soon with a Dwarf dwarf.
9-Bruce Willis
In moonlighting Bruce Willis played the role of a sui generis private detective who made everyone’s head spin in the 1980s. Thanks to the ongoing erotic tension with former model and partner Maddie (Cybill Sheper) really sparked.
10- Pierce Brosnan
In Never say yes Pierce Brosnan was an ante-litteram James Bond but on the opposite side of justice. In the 1980s, as this high-class con man who turns private detective, Remington Steel really won the hearts of the public.
More stories from Vanity Fair that may interest you:
The paper house, the second life of Berlin
The lying life of adults, the cast
Bridgerton, the first romantic trailer of the prequel
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
