From unknown faces to global icons, these actors skyrocketed to fame with just one unforgettable role. Join us as we explore the films that transformed struggling performers into Hollywood's biggest stars. Our list showcases breakout performances that not only launched careers but also left an indelible mark on cinema history.
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00:00this drink i like it i know that's great right another welcome to miss mojo and today we're
00:04counting down our picks for the most notable films that were so remarkable they made their
00:09previously unknown actors household names you work on commission right uh yes big mistake big huge
00:20number 10 goodwill hunting matt damon long before he was one of the film industry's biggest names
00:27matt damon was a harvard student appearing in plays and a handful of films you know something
00:34i'm still gonna get into harvard
00:38and in 10 years nobody's gonna remember any of this after leaving the ivy league school
00:42he began collaborating with his pal ben affleck on a script which would become known as goodwill
00:47hunting not only did damon co-write the screenplay but he also starred as the titular character
00:53a mathematical genius from a rough upbringing you're gonna be convinced of that till next month
00:58when you get to james lemon then you're gonna be talking about how the economies of virginia and
01:01pennsylvania were entrepreneurial and capitalist way back in 1740 that's gonna last until next
01:06year you're gonna be in here regurgitating gordon wood talking about you know the pre-revolutionary
01:11utopia and the capital forming effects of military mobilization the film launched damon into the
01:17hollywood stratosphere and earned him and affleck the oscar for best original screenplay he soon
01:23found himself as one of hollywood's leading men with noteworthy turns in the talented mr ripley
01:28just two years later and the bourne franchise i swear to god if i even feel somebody behind me
01:33there is no measure to how fast and how hard i will bring this fight to your doorstep
01:38i'm on my own side now number nine slumdog millionaire dev patel before he became a
01:45movie star dev patel cut his teeth on the british teen drama series skins ever you
01:51sorry slept in slept in you mispronounced an excuse like that dad it's my birthday only
01:58a short time later he booked the lead role of jamal malik in danny boyle's slumdog millionaire
02:04a thrilling tale of a young man from mumbai who gets a chance to compete on who wants to be a
02:09millionaire the film became a huge success grossing nearly 400 million dollars and winning the oscar
02:16for best picture i knew you'd be watching patel was nominated for a BAFTA award and quickly saw
02:22his career transform significantly soon he was taking on more leading roles and even ventured
02:28into directing with 2024's monkey man there's my cv that's bleach chemical oil give me the
02:40job no one wants to do i'll do it some might call it luck but for patel his rise to fame has
02:47always been written number eight 12 years a slave lupita nyong'o there is god here
02:56god is merciful and he will give merciful eggs won't be no hell for you after graduating from
03:06the prestigious yale school of drama lupita nyong'o went from student to academy award-winning
03:11performer and all it took was one movie with her debut feature film role in the steve mcqueen
03:17period piece 12 years a slave nyong'o captivated audiences around the world and became a household
03:24name 500 pounds of cotton day in day out more than any man here and for that i will be clean
03:34that's all i the film follows the harrowing true story of solomon northup a free black man who was
03:40sold into slavery during the 1800s nyong'o played patsy a role which earned her rave reviews and
03:47the oscar for best supporting actress since then she has starred in hits like us and franchises
03:54such as star wars and black panther a star since her feature debut nyong'o certainly is a legend
04:01there is nothing to thank me for it is our duty to
04:09it was my duty to fight for what i love number seven thelma and louise brad pitt brad pitt is
04:15arguably one of the biggest movie stars of the century he's the biggest man i've ever seen
04:21i wouldn't want to fight him that's why no one will remember your name that said it is hard to
04:28imagine a time when he was a struggling young actor after earning small credits here and there
04:34he finally found his footing with an appearance in ridley scott's thelma and louise a thrilling
04:40crime drama about two best friends on the run it was the perfect vehicle for pitt simon says
04:45everybody down on the floor now nobody loses their head then nobody loses their head uh you sir his
04:52role as gina davis's love interest jd garnered him a lot of attention and set the stage for his
04:58meteoric rise to the spotlight today pitt is an a-list actor and producer with an award-winning
05:05career that many can only dream of good friend cliff i tried number six get out daniel kaluuya
05:15she laid there bleeding by the side of the road cold alone
05:24that's how she died an early morning cold alone
05:29and i was watching tv in 2017 the horror genre found its newest icon in the person of jordan
05:35peele the writer and director of get out forged a name for himself thanks to the film's acclaim
05:41and his oscar win but peel is not its only success story the film also made a star out of lead actor
05:47daniel kaluuya no stranger to showbiz kaluuya had appeared in several on-screen projects before
05:54landing the breakout role he's lying you've let me down you've let the service down and frankly i
06:01think you've let yourself down but now get out and the terrifying psychological horror he played
06:07chris a black man who discovers a sinister plot when he meets his white girlfriend's family
06:13it earned kaluuya an oscar nomination for best actor and though he didn't win in that category
06:19he ended up clinching a best supporting actor award just four years later political power flow
06:25for the barrel of a gun we in the black panther party don't believe in no culture said
06:30revolutionary culture what we mean by that is the culture that will free you number five the hangover
06:36zach galifianakis fans of zach galifianakis knew long before the hangover that he was a
06:42pretty big deal in the comedy scene which one of these ugly losers is ruining your life
06:47that one the pink parade over there that's your wife oh my god she is so effing hot
06:59what is wrong with you however it was the 2009 movie that truly launched him into superstardom
07:06the flick about a las vegas bachelor party gone very wrong also features bradley cooper and ed
07:13helms but it was galifianakis who stole the show as the perplexing but kind-hearted alan
07:19the success of the film produced sequels and a massive fan base i mean what if he's dead i can't
07:25afford to lose anybody close to me again it hurts too much so upset when my grandpa died oh so how'd
07:32he die world war ii it also brought galifianakis endless opportunities in the industry while
07:38allowing him to stay true to his unique and distinct brand of comedy i'm stew the tutor
07:44are you jake no i'm his father oh i'm stew the tutor right
07:54have you been smoking pot no sir not at all
07:59perhaps you're smelling my cat number four die hard bruce willis it's the police
08:05oh you won't hurt me oh yeah why not because you're a policeman there are rules for policemen
08:13yeah that's what my captain keeps telling me bruce willis has punched kicked and jabbed his way
08:20through some of the silver screen's biggest action flicks however his career wouldn't have been the
08:26same if it wasn't for a little film called die hard the 80s classic follows a cop trying to
08:32save as many lives as possible after a skyscraper gets overtaken by terrorists on christmas eve
08:38playing the role of john mcclain willis not only gave a great performance but turned the movie
08:44into a pop culture phenomenon i really like those sequins shirts do you really think you
08:49have a chance against us mr cowboy yippee-ki-yay it took him from being an actor known mostly for
08:58his tv work to one of hollywood's foremost leading men he went on to headline other action
09:04epics like 12 monkeys the fifth element and of course the die hard sequels you're looking for
09:10trouble as it always just seemed to find you you know after all these years i still ask myself the
09:21same question number three thor chris hemsworth joining the marvel cinematic universe almost
09:28always guarantees success just ask chris hemsworth so is this how you normally look
09:34more or less it's a good look the australian actor became a bonafide superstar when director
09:41kenneth branaugh cast him as the ultimate norse god thor in the eponymous 2011 film prior to that
09:48hemsworth was known primarily for his work on the aussie soap opera home and away i'll tell you what
09:53it was um it was weird being out like that was like a dream or something i had all these memories
10:00come flashing back to me although he had both tv and film credits under his belt thor was a game
10:06changer for his career the mcu afforded him worldwide recognition fame and an action-packed
10:12career in fact by 2014 forbes named hemsworth as one of the world's highest paid actors
10:20we're expected to spread barefaced lies so that you the ship owners in antarctica
10:27might line your pockets and sleep well at night well i will not embroider the truth
10:33number two speed sandra bullock today sandra bullock is known as an academy award-winning
10:40actress however in the late 80s she was an unknown name still trying to establish herself
10:46well we became
10:50friends friends yeah i mean it's important isn't it to be friends she appeared in a slew of both
11:00indie and action flicks but in 1994 her career picked up momentum alongside keanu reeves bullock
11:08starred in speed a vehicular thriller about a bomb on board a bus barreling its way through
11:13la the gripping blockbuster amassed 350 million dollars at the international box office and with
11:21numbers like that you could say bullock's career was steered in the right direction
11:29maybe
11:35i hope not because you know relationships that start under intense circumstances they
11:39never last oh yeah yeah i've done extensive studying on this she followed speed up with
11:44leading roles in other 90s films before becoming a bonafide superstar the next decade
11:49earning an oscar for 2009's the blind side so you you want me to go to tennessee
11:56i want you to do whatever you want it's your decision michael it's your life before we
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12:20woman julia roberts what is your name edward edward that's my favorite name in the whole world
12:28no i tell you what this is fate edward that's what this is 1990 was a big year for julia roberts
12:36not only was she nominated for an academy award for steel magnolias but she also starred in the
12:42film that would turn her into a leading lady in pretty woman roberts portrayed an escort vivian
12:48who is paid to spend the week with edward a well-off businessman played by richard gear
12:53so what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her she rescues him right back the
13:01romantic comedy was a massive box office success and became a cultural sensation due in large part
13:07to roberts's endearing performance the film even garnered her a second oscar nomination
13:13and a career that can't be topped i'm also just a girl
13:20standing in front of a boy
13:24asking him to love her which one of the breakout roles is your favorite
13:28let us know in the comments
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