Todays famous stars that guest star on old shows before they became famous

[roadman65]

I was watching some old shows in syndication where young guest stars appeared that I did not realize at the time were stars of today.

Two weeks ago Me TV aired a Wonderwoman rerun that featured the younger sister of Wonderwoman known as Wondergirl.  I was amazed at her beauty, as she was (like her older sister) a model type of girl.  I then later read that it was Debra Winger who was the actress playing Wondergirl.

Last night on a Star Trek rerun, they did the episode where the Enterprise went back in time to 1968, to save the planet from total nuclear chaos.  In this episode Robert Lansing played interstellar agent Gary Seven who beamed back in that time period as well as he too was trying to accomplish what Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise crew was also trying to do.  There was also a young pretty blonde who was young Teri Garr, who I did not recognize at first, but she now has made a name back in the 80's and 90's for herself in Hollywood.  She played Miss Lincoln who was intended to be a sidekick for Seven as Gene Roddenberry was trying to spin off another Sci Fi show, but never got it off the ground like later Star Trek shows.  This would have been a ground show where both would solve science based cases from New York City at the time of the shows planned time period of airing.

Anyone else see episodes of famous people now playing small roles on previous famous shows?   Particularly, those you do not recognize at first glance would be the best if you can as TV is full of before the were famous scenarios.

[Takumi]

I remember John Ritter being on an early (season 2?) episode of M*A*S*H.

[briantroutman]

I remember a fairly episode of The Bob Newhart Show where Henry Winkler (pre-Happy Days) played a habitual thief that Dr. Hartley was trying to rehabilitate. If I recall correctly, Henry Winkler's character decided by the end of the show that he was incurable and was taken back to prison. It was odd to see a Fonzie-era winkler wearing a dapper suit in the office scenes.

[golden eagle]

Adam Sandler was a semi-regular on The Cosby Show. He was one of Theo's teammates on the basketball team.

Leonardo DiCaprio had a small role on later episodes of Growing Pains.

[Pete from Boston]

Oh god, M*A*S*H was practically a training program for future stars.  Patrick Swayze had a great part as the soldier who wanted to give blood to his dying buddy, only to learn he was the one dying (sorry for the spoiler if you were planning to go watch).

I watch the credits much more carefully in older movies than new ones in hopes of finding these early appearances.

[US81]

Star Trek (TOS) also had Joan Collins (Dynasty), Julie Newmar ("Catwoman" from the 60's TV Batman) and Mariette Hartley (Peyton Place, Logan's Run).

One thing that will drive me crazy is when an actor looks vaguely familiar so I make a point to look at the credits only to find that the role is uncredited or the credits are sped up or minimized enough that they can't be read.

[allniter89]

I just watched a episode of Gilligans Island where Kurt Russell played a native island boy. KR didnt have many lines, mainly repeating what people said to him. KR looked to be 7-10 yrs old.

[golden eagle]

I just read that Laurence Fishburne had a recurring role on One Life To Live in 1968, at age seven. He had a role in the movie Cornbread, Earl and Me in 1975, and he was Cowboy Curtis on CBS' Pee Wee's Playhouse.

[Pete from Boston]

I just read that Laurence Fishburne had a recurring role on One Life To Live in 1968, at age seven. He had a role in the movie Cornbread, Earl and Me in 1975, and he was Cowboy Curtis on CBS' Pee Wee's Playhouse.

He was a scrawny kid in Apocalypse Now.

[Jardine]

Kurt Russel was in an episode (first season) of Lost in Space, too.

I remember Brad Cooper in Nip/Tuck, the only show that attempted to 'jump the shark' every episode, and pretty much succeeded.

Chris Meloni was a villain in Law and Order several years before starring in a series, as a cop. He was in Oz too, as a bad guy.

The host of Blues Clues was a creepy teen murderer on Homicide: Life on the Street. Don't recall the name right now.

[Stephane Dumas]

Loni Anderson (before she was in WKRP) and Jeremy Brett(who later starred as Sherlock Holmes) was in the Incredible Hulk episode "Of guilt, Models and Murder".

Roy Thinnes guest starred in an episode of "The Fugitive" before he was the main star in "The Invaders".

Gene Hackman was in an episode of "The F.B.I"

John Ritter was in "The Streets of San Francisco", Kojak and Mannix before Three's Company.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Supposedly there is a Leave it to Beaver episode with Harrison Ford.  The later seasons of "Good Times" had Janet Jackson playing the little girl Penny.

There is an old B&W movie:  The Big Clock, where the magazine mogul has a young bodyguard who just shows up every once and a while looking sinister and had no dialog and is not in the credits, it is Harry Morgan about age 25.

[ethanhopkin14]

Hugh Laurie had a role in one episode of Friends where he was a passenger on an airplane sitting next to Rachel. It was a flight to the UK so he was British. It was next to see him in his accent.

[1995hoo]

It's not a guest appearance on a TV show, but the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread was the McDLT commercials.

Yes, that's George.

[Scott5114]

One thing that will drive me crazy is when an actor looks vaguely familiar so I make a point to look at the credits only to find that the role is uncredited or the credits are sped up or minimized enough that they can't be read.

Most of the time you can look up the episode on IMDB and all the roles will be listed, with links to cross-reference what else the actor has been in.

[Mr. Matté]

Game shows, especially the ones that taped in LA, often have as contestants pre-famous actors and actresses. Kirstie Alley was on Match Game and Password, Dr. Joyce Brothers on the $64,000 Question, Anderson Cooper on To Tell the Truth as a kid imposter, and three future presidents (Ford, Carter, Reagan) as Mystery Guests on What's My Line?

[akotchi]

Star Trek (TOS) also had Joan Collins (Dynasty), Julie Newmar ("Catwoman" from the 60's TV Batman) and Mariette Hartley (Peyton Place, Logan's Run).

Star Trek, the Next Generation, which I follow pretty regularly when it is on, has two episodes where a young Ashley Judd appears as an ensign in Engineering, Robin Loeffler.  I am sure there are other future stars in different episodes, but no others come to mind right now.

[Jardine]

I think it was Elijah Wood as another creepy teen murderer in Homicide: Life on the Street, years before Lord of the Rings.

[rawmustard]

I think it was Elijah Wood as another creepy teen murderer in Homicide: Life on the Street, years before Lord of the Rings.

Elijah Wood was a well-accomplished actor long before Lord of the Rings. His breakout role was probably in The Good Son, released in 1993.

[getemngo]

I think it was Elijah Wood as another creepy teen murderer in Homicide: Life on the Street, years before Lord of the Rings.

Elijah Wood was a well-accomplished actor long before Lord of the Rings. His breakout role was probably in The Good Son, released in 1993.

And his first film role was in Back to the Future: Part 2! He was one of the kids who Marty failed to impress with an 80s arcade game in the diner.

[ARMOURERERIC]

It's OT, but I have an IMDB page

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3098240/

[SidS1045]

I just read that Laurence Fishburne had a recurring role on One Life To Live in 1968, at age seven. He had a role in the movie Cornbread, Earl and Me in 1975, and he was Cowboy Curtis on CBS' Pee Wee's Playhouse.

...and in yet another episode of M*A*S*H.

Just got the Hill Street Blues full series DVD set, and there, in S1/E2&3, playing an Irish gang leader, is a very young David Caruso.

[Scott5114]

Game shows, especially the ones that taped in LA, often have as contestants pre-famous actors and actresses. Kirstie Alley was on Match Game and Password, Dr. Joyce Brothers on the $64,000 Question, Anderson Cooper on To Tell the Truth as a kid imposter, and three future presidents (Ford, Carter, Reagan) as Mystery Guests on What's My Line?

And let's not forget the time that Vanna White got yelled at by Bob Barker on Price is Right.

[Stephane Dumas]

It's not a guest appearance on a TV show, but the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread was the McDLT commercials.

Yes, that's George.

Speaking of "before they was stars in commercials", there was also Sarah Michelle Gellar for a Burger King ad.

[english si]

Hugh Laurie had a role in one episode of Friends where he was a passenger on an airplane sitting next to Rachel.

The thread topic is "Todays famous stars that guest star on old shows before they became famous" not "Famous stars that guest star on old shows as cameos because they are famous"...

When I saw that episode 15 years ago (when it first aired), I knew exactly who he was (ditto beardy Branson and Fergie). The producers and writers planned for that to happen - 'twas what they wanted.