- 18/11/2023
Wait, was that Ben Affleck?!
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00:00 The primary purpose of an extra is to keep a scene lively and realistic, but it can be
00:05 a rather thankless task. Sure, you get to grace the small screen with your presence
00:10 and make your mark on TV, but outside of family and friends, very few people actually notice
00:17 the people in the background, and that's by design.
00:19 However, the modern viewership landscape is not what it used to be, with every tiny detail
00:25 of a TV show being searched and analysed by fandoms and keen viewers. Yes, although the
00:30 figures in the background are typically your everyday people, there are a few occasions
00:35 where stars of a huge magnitude pop up.
00:38 So with that in mind then, I'm Ellie with WhatCulture, and here are 8 huge actors you
00:43 didn't notice as extras in TV shows.
00:46 Number 8, Christopher Lloyd in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
00:51 Christopher Lloyd, the legendary Doc Brown, co-star to Danny DeVito in Taxi, icon of the
00:58 screen and extra in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Really? When on earth was he in that? You'd
01:06 think he'd be easy to spot, right? Well, as it turns out, his cameos seem to fly over
01:11 people's heads like Santa's sleigh itself.
01:14 The Always Sunny Christmas special was a hilarious look into holiday life as led by this gang
01:19 of sociopaths. One of the most shocking and hilarious moments came when Charlie recalled
01:24 his young Christmas days, when multiple men dressed as Santa would come along, give him
01:29 a present and cheer his mum up for a while. Yikes.
01:34 But among the cascade of red-clad jolly men was an actor of high repute. During the montage
01:39 of Santa's arriving, one of them is of course played by Christopher Lloyd. It's easy to
01:44 miss as his beard covers most of his face, but you'll never be able to unsee it once
01:48 you spot it. It's a hilarious cameo for sure, but still, you don't want to imagine the kind
01:54 of things he did to Charlie's mum. Great Scott.
01:58 Number seven, Lady Gaga in The Sopranos. The Sopranos is a series that needs no introduction.
02:05 It's one of the biggest shows to ever grace the small screen. But more than simply boasting
02:10 the greatest of all time status, it also features the acting debut of one of the biggest pop
02:16 stars of the last decade, Lady Gaga. The episode "The Tell-Tale Moosadel" featured a scene
02:21 that saw AJ Soprano and friends breaking into their school and messing around in the swimming
02:26 pool. There, cheering them on in the background as "Girl at Swimming Pool Number Two" was
02:31 the future mega star. No one will blame you for missing this one, as the future Lady Gaga,
02:36 credited here as Stephanie Germanotta, was only 15 when she took to those bleachers.
02:41 Hell, even those who decide to watch the show back might struggle to recognise her, thanks
02:46 to how much she has changed since then. Gaga herself has even critiqued this early role,
02:51 stating that she could see exactly what she did wrong in that scene, and claimed that
02:55 she has grown as an actor since then. Well, she certainly did leap out of the background
03:00 and into the spotlight, and even has a Best Actress Academy Award nomination under her
03:04 belt, so there's no arguments here.
03:07 Number 6 - Leonardo DiCaprio in "Roseanne" It's a little tough for the younger generation
03:13 to imagine Leonardo DiCaprio as anything but the big, shouty leading man he is today. But
03:20 everybody's got to start somewhere, and DiCaprio definitely found himself some very interesting
03:25 roles way before he started chewing on Gilbert's grape. The future Oscar winner scored a hunk
03:31 of minor, non-speaking parts when he was but a little seedling in the acting world, with
03:36 one of the most notable being the classic 90s comedy hit "Roseanne". Yes, you can spot
03:42 the young Jack Dawson in the background of a scene from the episode "Home Ec" playing
03:47 one of Darlene's classmates. It's a well-known fact that the bona fide Hollywood star only
03:52 takes top-billing roles, with the exception to that rule being just about as rare as a
03:57 bad Quentin Tarantino movie. Which is why it's all the more amusing to look back at
04:02 this sitcom and see him playing a part that he didn't even get credit for. It might not
04:07 have been the most glamorous of roles, but at least he was free from being torn apart
04:11 by bears.
04:12 Number 5. Mahershala Ali in "CSI - Crime Scene Investigation"
04:17 Mahershala Ali is one of the few actors to have won multiple Academy Awards, and he managed
04:22 to do it all within two years. Talk about impressive. But like almost every other actor
04:28 that came before him, he wasn't always a leading man. And this small part on that road
04:33 is a big sign of that.
04:35 When watching the CSI episode "Lucky Strike", you'll be introduced to Tavian Toombs, a real
04:40 piece of work who was in desperate need of protection, which he found in the character
04:45 "Toombs' security guard". Ok, that name isn't particularly impressive, but as you've probably
04:50 guessed, the name behind that character most certainly is. That being Mahershala Ali.
04:57 Suppose you ever find yourself binging a boatload of early CSI episodes. In that case, you'd
05:02 likely feel pretty jarred at seeing this multiple-time Oscar winner playing the simple background
05:07 role of a security guard. But naturally, he does a great job even without lines or camera
05:13 focus.
05:14 20 years later, and Toombs' security guard is now a vampire slayer in the MCU. I wonder
05:20 if he's still on the payroll.
05:22 Number 4. Danny Pewdie in "Cougar Town"
05:26 Calling Danny Pewdie a huge star might be a bit of a stretch, but the hilarious actor
05:31 does have a big following thanks to his performance as Abed in the cult sitcom "Community".
05:37 And he also made an appearance in the MCU, so who can argue against that?
05:41 One of the funniest aspects of Abed's character was his obsession with the show "Cougar Town".
05:46 This reference paid off massively in "Cougar Town's Something Good Coming Part 2". The
05:51 episode featured a scene where Laurie and Travis were having a nice chat outside a subway,
05:56 and behind them was an extra who seemed oddly interested in their conversation.
06:00 Naturally, it was Danny Pewdie playing the role of Abed inside Cougar Town. Talk about
06:05 meta!
06:06 Watching this scene must have been massively confusing for those who aren't fans of the
06:09 cult sitcom, but for those who loved the show, this was a hilarious in-joke.
06:14 Still, it was made even better when Cougar Town's Busy Phillips and Dan Bird returned
06:19 the favour by appearing in a crowd shot in the Community episode for a few paintballs
06:24 more. Who knew the small screen was such a small world?
06:28 Number 3. Lin-Manuel Miranda in The Sopranos.
06:31 Well, it would seem that if you're looking for a musical genius, all you've got to do
06:35 is search the background of The Sopranos, because it seems to be dripping with them.
06:39 Lady Gaga and Lin-Manuel Miranda? It's a bona fide all-star cast back there.
06:45 But unlike Gaga, Miranda actually did have a few lines, so good for him.
06:51 The future creator of Hamilton can be spotted in the season 6 episode "Remember When".
06:56 His "Blink and You'll Miss It" cameo came as Tony and Paulie pulled up to a motel, only
07:00 to find it replaced by a new hotel. There, they accosted a familiar-looking bellman,
07:05 who gave them blank stares and a lack of information.
07:08 Of course, this familiar face was that of Lin-Manuel Miranda, scoring his first acting
07:13 job on a major television show. Interestingly, Miranda had already written one of his most
07:18 notable projects, his debut musical "In the Heights", when he scored this minor role,
07:23 so he certainly had his fingers in some pies back in 2007.
07:27 The man was certainly on his way to stardom after he portrayed this nameless character,
07:31 and he definitely did not throw away his shot.
07:35 Number 2. Jennifer Lawrence in "Monk". If playing an extra helps you fade into the
07:40 background, then donning a mascot costume must turn your face into John Cena.
07:45 Because nobody will see it. Taking on the role of a sports mascot on TV must be heaps
07:50 of fun, but you can never really tell who is underneath that mask.
07:54 This anonymity makes for a hilarious plot twist for anyone deciding to re-watch the
07:59 classic Tony Shalhoub-led sitcom "Monk", as one of their extras would go on to do great
08:04 things.
08:05 In the episode "Mr. Monk and the Big Game", the titular character became a basketball coach
08:10 whilst trying to solve a murder. During one sequence, Monk found himself getting irritated
08:14 by an overly enthusiastic mascot dressed up as a lion. The moment was pretty funny, and
08:19 the lion did a great job. However, after this came a brief moment where the mascot removed
08:24 her head. And who happened to be underneath? Why, it was the future Oscar winner, Katniss
08:29 Everdeen herself, Jennifer Lawrence.
08:31 Of all the first roles you could get, playing a mascot extra is one hell of a way to start.
08:37 Number 1. Ben Affleck in "Curb Your Enthusiasm". Many sitcoms like to include celebrity cameos,
08:44 and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is no exception. In fact, the setting in the world of TV makes
08:48 it essential.
08:49 Thanks to this, the show has seen some truly epic guest spots, with highlights including
08:54 Shaquille O'Neal, Wanda Sykes, and the previously mentioned Lin-Manuel Miranda. But there's
08:59 one that you probably missed.
09:01 Whether you love him or hate him, there's no denying that Ben Affleck is a big Hollywood
09:05 star. That's what makes this guest spot such a surprise, as he simply acts as an extra
09:10 leaving an apartment store in the episode "Officer Krupke". That's it. He's literally
09:15 on the screen for a second as he bolts out of the store. The man did more work as a basketball
09:20 player on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
09:22 It is a hilarious moment for those who manage to catch it, and plays into the show's loving
09:26 mockery of celebrity culture. The cameo came about because Ben Affleck was visiting the
09:31 set and Larry David asked him if he'd like to be an extra in the episode. It does go
09:36 to show that you can never go wrong by asking.
09:39 And that concludes our list. If you can think of any that we missed, then do let us know
09:43 in the comments below. And while you're there, don't forget to like and subscribe and tap
09:47 that notification bell. Also, head over to Twitter and follow us there, and I can be
09:51 found across various social medias just by searching Ellie Littlechild.
09:55 I've been Ellie with WhatCulture, I hope you have a magical day, and I'll see you real
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