Wait, was that Ben Affleck?!
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00:00The primary purpose of an extra is to keep a scene lively and realistic, but it can be
00:06a rather thankless task. Sure, you get to grace the small screen with your presence
00:11and make your mark on TV, but outside of family and friends, very few people actually notice
00:17the people in the background, and that's by design.
00:20However, the modern viewership landscape is not what it used to be, with every tiny detail
00:25of a TV show being searched and analysed by fandoms and keen viewers. Yes, although
00:30the figures in the background are typically your everyday people, there are a few occasions
00:35where stars of a huge magnitude pop up.
00:38So with that in mind then, I'm Ellie with WhatCulture, and here are 8 huge actors you
00:43didn't notice as extras in TV shows.
00:46Number 8, Christopher Lloyd in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
00:51Christopher Lloyd, the legendary Doc Brown, co-star to Danny DeVito in Taxi, icon of the
00:58screen, and extra in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Really? When on earth was he
01:05in that? You'd think he'd be easy to spot, right? Well, as it turns out, his cameos seem
01:11to fly over people's heads like Santa's sleigh itself.
01:15The Always Sunny Christmas special was a hilarious look into holiday life as led by this gang
01:20of sociopaths. One of the most shocking and hilarious moments came when Charlie recalled
01:25his young Christmas days, when multiple men dressed as Santa would come along, give him
01:29a present, and cheer his mum up for a while. Yikes.
01:34But among the cascade of red-clad jolly men was an actor of high repute. During the montage
01:39of Santa's arriving, one of them is of course played by Christopher Lloyd. It's easy to
01:44miss as his beard covers most of his face, but you'll never be able to unsee it once
01:48you spot it. It's a hilarious cameo for sure, but still, you don't want to imagine the kind
01:54of things he did to Charlie's mum. Great Scott.
01:58Number seven, Lady Gaga in The Sopranos. The Sopranos is a series that needs no introduction.
02:05It's one of the biggest shows to ever grace the small screen. But more than simply boasting
02:10the greatest of all time status, it also features the acting debut of one of the biggest pop
02:16stars of the last decade, Lady Gaga. The episode The Tell-Tale Moosadel featured a
02:21scene that saw AJ Soprano and friends breaking into their school and messing around in the
02:26swimming pool. There, cheering them on in the background as Girl at Swimming Pool Number
02:31Two was the future megastar. No one would blame you for missing this one, as the future
02:35Lady Gaga, credited here as Stephanie Germanotta, was only 15 when she took to those bleachers.
02:42Hell, even those who decide to watch the show back might struggle to recognise her, thanks
02:46to how much she has changed since then. Gaga herself has even critiqued this early role,
02:51stating that she could see exactly what she did wrong in that scene, and claimed that
02:56she has grown as an actor since then. Well, she certainly did leap out of the background
03:00and into the spotlight, and even has a Best Actress Academy Award nomination under her
03:05belt, so there's no arguments here.
03:08Number six, Leonardo DiCaprio in Roseanne. It's a little tough for the younger generation
03:13to imagine Leonardo DiCaprio as anything but the big, shouty leading man he is today. But
03:20everybody's got to start somewhere, and DiCaprio definitely found himself some very interesting
03:25roles way before he started chewing on Gilbert's grape. The future Oscar winner scored a hunk
03:31of minor, non-speaking parts when he was but a little seedling in the acting world, with
03:36one of the most notable being the classic 90s comedy hit Roseanne. Yes, you can spot
03:42the young Jack Dawson in the background of a scene from the episode Home Ec, playing
03:47one of Darlene's classmates. It's a well-known fact that the bona fide Hollywood star only
03:52takes top-billing roles, with the exception to that rule being just about as rare as a
03:57bad Quentin Tarantino movie. Which is why it's all the more amusing to look back at
04:02this sitcom and see him playing a part that he didn't even get credit for. It might not
04:07have been the most glamorous of roles, but at least he was free from being torn apart
04:11by bears.
04:13Number five, Mahershala Ali in CSI, Crime Scene Investigation. Mahershala Ali is one
04:19of the few actors to have won multiple Academy Awards, and he managed to do it all within
04:23two years. Talk about impressive. But like almost every other actor that came before
04:29him, he wasn't always a leading man, and this small part on that road is a big sign
04:34of that. When watching the CSI episode Lucky Strike, you'll be introduced to Tavian Toomes,
04:40a real piece of work who was in desperate need of protection, which he found in the
04:44character Toomes' security guard. Okay, that name isn't particularly impressive, but as
04:50you've probably guessed, the name behind that character most certainly is. That being, Mahershala
04:55Ali.
04:57Suppose you ever find yourself binging a boatload of early CSI episodes. In that case, you'd
05:02likely feel pretty jarred at seeing this multiple-time Oscar winner playing the simple background
05:08role of a security guard. But naturally, he does a great job, even without lines or camera
05:13focus.
05:14Twenty years later, and Toomes' security guard is now a vampire slayer in the MCU. I wonder
05:20if he's still on the payroll.
05:23Number four, Danny Pudi in Cougar Town. Calling Danny Pudi a huge star might be a bit of a
05:29stretch, but the hilarious actor does have a big following thanks to his performance
05:33as Abed in the cult sitcom Community. And he also made an appearance in the MCU, so
05:39who can argue against that?
05:41One of the funniest aspects of Abed's character was his obsession with the show Cougar Town.
05:46This reference paid off massively in Cougar Town's Something Good Coming Part 2. The episode
05:52featured a scene where Laurie and Travis were having a nice chat outside a subway,
05:56and behind them was an extra who seemed oddly interested in their conversation.
06:00Naturally, it was Danny Pudi playing the role of Abed inside Cougar Town. Talk about meta!
06:06Watching this scene must have been massively confusing for those who aren't fans of the
06:10cult sitcom, but for those who loved the show, this was a hilarious in-joke.
06:14Still, it was made even better when Cougar Town's Busy Phillips and Damn Bird returned
06:19the favour by appearing in a crowd shot in the Community episode for a few paintballs
06:24more. Who knew the small screen was such a small world?
06:28Number 3, Lin-Manuel Miranda in The Sopranos.
06:31Well, it would seem that if you're looking for a musical genius, all you've got to do
06:35is search the background of The Sopranos, because it seems to be dripping with them.
06:40Lady Gaga and Lin-Manuel Miranda? It's a bona fide all-star cast back there!
06:45But unlike Gaga, Miranda actually did have a few lines, so good for him!
06:51The future creator of Hamilton can be spotted in the Season 6 episode Remember When. His
06:56Blink and You'll Miss It cameo came as Tony and Paulie pulled up to a motel, only to find
07:01it replaced by a new hotel. There, they accosted a familiar-looking bellman, who gave them
07:06blank stares and a lack of information. Of course, this familiar face was that of Lin-Manuel
07:11Miranda, scoring his first acting job on a major television show.
07:15Interestingly, Miranda had already written one of his most notable projects, his debut
07:20musical In The Heights, when he scored this minor role, so he certainly had his fingers
07:24in some pies back in 2007. The man was certainly on his way to stardom after he portrayed this
07:30nameless character, and he definitely did not throw away his shot.
07:35Number 2, Jennifer Lawrence in Monk.
07:38If playing an extra helps you fade into the background, then donning a mascot costume
07:43must turn your face into John Cena. Because nobody will see it. Taking on the role of
07:48a sports mascot on TV must be heaps of fun, but you can never really tell who is underneath
07:53that mask. This anonymity makes for a hilarious plot twist for anyone deciding to rewatch
07:59the classic Tony Shalhoub-led sitcom Monk, as one of their extras would go on to do great
08:04things.
08:05In the episode Mr. Monk and the Big Game, the titular character became a basketball
08:10coach whilst trying to solve a murder. During one sequence, Monk found himself getting irritated
08:14by an overly enthusiastic mascot dressed up as a lion. The moment was pretty funny, and
08:19the lion did a great job. However, after this came a brief moment where the mascot removed
08:24her head, and who happened to be underneath? Why, it was the future Oscar winner, Katniss
08:29Everdeen herself, Jennifer Lawrence.
08:31Of all the first roles you could get, playing a mascot extra is one hell of a way to start.
08:37Number 1, Ben Affleck in Curb Your Enthusiasm. Many sitcoms like to include celebrity cameos,
08:44and Curb Your Enthusiasm is no exception. In fact, the setting in the world of TV makes
08:49it essential. Thanks to this, the show has seen some truly epic guest spots, with highlights
08:54including Shaquille O'Neal, Wanda Sykes, and the previously mentioned Lin-Manuel Miranda.
08:59But there's one that you probably missed. Whether you love him or hate him, there's
09:03no denying that Ben Affleck is a big Hollywood star. That's what makes this guest spot such
09:08a surprise, as he simply acts as an extra leaving an apartment store in the episode
09:12Officer Krupke. That's it. He's literally on the screen for a second as he bolts out
09:18of the store. The man did more work as a basketball player on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is
09:23a hilarious moment for those who manage to catch it, and plays into the show's loving
09:27mockery of celebrity culture. The cameo came about because Ben Affleck was visiting the
09:31set and Larry David asked him if he'd like to be an extra in the episode. It does go
09:36to show that you can never go wrong by asking. And that concludes our list. If you can think
09:41of any that we missed, then do let us know in the comments below. And while you're there,
09:45don't forget to like and subscribe and tap that notification bell. Also, head over to
09:50Twitter and follow us there, and I can be found across various social medias just by
09:53searching Ellie Littlechild. I've been Ellie with What Culture, I hope you have a magical
09:58day, and I'll see you real soon.