- 6/16/2025
These movies featured ensembles packed with rising stars and future icons—long before we realized just how legendary their casts would become. From classic comedies and high school dramas to groundbreaking indies and genre-defining epics, see which films quietly assembled some of the most impressive acting lineups in movie history!
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00:00There's a new fiesta in the making as we speak. It's out at the Moontown. Full kegs. Everybody's
00:06gonna be there. Welcome to Ms. Mojo. And today, we're counting down our picks for the best
00:11examples of film ensembles that featured many unknown or up-and-coming stars. You really have
00:18a fantastic way with words. You should be a speechwriter or a demagogue or something.
00:22Number 30. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. From Maggie Smith to Alan Rickman to
00:30Richard Harris, the first Harry Potter movie had no shortage of experienced legends. Yet,
00:35it's the young cast of then-unknowns who would define a generation, even after the series
00:40reached its end.
00:52Pleasure.
00:53Over nearly a decade, we watched Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton,
01:00Matthew Lewis, and several others grow up. This industry isn't known for being kind to
01:05child stars once they grow out of their roles. With a franchise as iconic as Harry Potter,
01:10it'd be especially easy to get typecast.
01:12Hey, she's only interested in you because she thinks you're the chosen one.
01:16But I am the chosen one.
01:18Okay, sorry. Um, kidding.
01:21Thankfully, these former first years have not only become well-adjusted adults,
01:26but highly successful ones. Harry himself even won a Tony for his performance in Merrily
01:31We Roll Along.
01:32Our turn coming through. Me and you, pal, me and you.
01:39Number 29. Taps.
01:41We stick together, we go the whole nine yards. Agreed?
01:45Agreed.
01:47Sound the general alarm.
01:49Upon release in 1981, this movie's marquee names were George C. Scott, who won an Oscar
01:55about a decade prior, and Timothy Hutton, who accepted an Oscar only a few months earlier.
02:01Several supporting players would eclipse their fame in the years to come.
02:04Captain Sean.
02:06Sir.
02:06Call the court information.
02:09Everyone?
02:10Yes, everyone.
02:12Sir.
02:12After popping up in Endless Love that same year, Tom Cruise made his second on-screen
02:17appearance here as the unpredictable cadet Captain David Sean.
02:21Also among the young cadets were Evan Handler, who you might recognize from shows like Sex
02:26and the City, and Giancarlo Esposito, who you'll definitely recognize as Hollywood's go-to actor
02:32for reserved yet threatening villains. Perhaps the most notable discovery was a future two-time
02:37Oscar winner, Sean Penn, in his feature debut.
02:41That wasn't Grace. That was crazy.
02:43That all depends on your point of view, doesn't it?
02:45Number 28.
02:4610 Things I Hate About You.
02:48Now over here.
02:49Oh my god.
02:58What group is she in?
03:00Larissa Olenek was arguably this teen comedy's most established star, having spent four seasons
03:06on the secret world of Alex Mack. Joseph Gordon-Levitt had been on Third Rock from the Sun, although
03:11his star would rise significantly in the years to come. Likewise, Gabrielle Union would bring
03:16it on the following year, while Julia Stiles was just two years away from saving the last
03:21dance. Even actors who had been working for a while, like Allison Janney, saw a spike in
03:26their filmographies.
03:27Judith!
03:30What's another word for engorged?
03:34I'll look it up.
03:36Okay.
03:3610 Things I Hate About You also marked a star-making turn from an Australian actor named Heath Ledger.
03:42He sadly wouldn't live to see the film's 10th anniversary, but in that time, he formed
03:48an unparalleled cinematic legacy.
03:50Hey, you're pretty baby, now that I've found you staying, let me love you baby, let me love
03:59you.
04:03Number 27.
04:04Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
04:06Michael Cera is iconic as Scott Pilgrim, but every time we re-watch this 2010 comedy, we're
04:13reminded just how stacked the cast is.
04:15Hey, Coma, you know everyone, right?
04:17Yeah, pretty much indeed.
04:18You know this one girl with her like this?
04:20Even if the ensemble wasn't comprised of unknowns per se, many were just on the cusp of superstardom,
04:27like Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, and Jason Schwartzman.
04:31The names keep coming with Scott's inner circle, including Aubrey Plaza, Alison Pill, and a future
04:37Best Actress winner in Brie Larson.
04:39See, you're like a superstar now.
04:41Yeah, it's not really something I can put in a word.
04:44Speaking of Oscar winners, Kieran Culkin returned following a hiatus from mainstream movies.
04:50Chris Evans went from playing one of Ramona's evil exes to making his MCU debut as Steve
04:55Rogers the next year.
04:56Yet, some still cite Scott Pilgrim as the best comic book movie of Evans' career.
05:02Oh, you are a pretty good actor.
05:05I'm going for the Oscar this year.
05:07Number 26, The Social Network.
05:10We can't connect.
05:13The network's down.
05:15Unless it's a coincidence, I think this is us.
05:17It's not a coincidence.
05:19Although he'd been working for more than half of his life, Jesse Eisenberg was still often
05:23confused for Michael Cera in 2010.
05:25That started to change with his Oscar-nominated performance as Mark Zuckerberg.
05:30Just as Zuckerberg didn't build Facebook alone, the social network is far from a one-man show.
05:36Is there anything we can do?
05:37No.
05:38That's it.
05:38Yale and Columbia.
05:39Let's go.
05:40And Stanford.
05:41What?
05:42Stanford.
05:43It's time for them to see this in Palo Alto.
05:45Since breaking out as Eduardo Saverin, Andrew Garfield has won a Tony, scored an Oscar nomination,
05:52and had an underrated tenure as Spider-Man.
05:55Armie Hammer, despite falling from grace, showed potential with his dual performance.
06:00There are no small roles with Rooney Mara, Rashida Jones, and Dakota Johnson going on to
06:06bigger things.
06:07Even if Justin Timberlake was already a pop sensation, this film made critics say,
06:12that kid might have a future in acting.
06:14You don't even know what the thing is yet.
06:16How big it can get, how far it can go.
06:18This is no time to take your chips down.
06:20A million dollars isn't cool.
06:22You know what's cool?
06:22You.
06:23Number 25.
06:24The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension.
06:28Little life choice, Buckaroo.
06:29From Planet 10.
06:30Planet 10?
06:31How do you guys know that?
06:32It's all on the yellow record.
06:33Come on.
06:33Peter Weller landed his career-defining role in RoboCop.
06:37Three years earlier, he starred in another satirical sci-fi action film that should have
06:41started a franchise.
06:43They even had the perfect sequel title, Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League.
06:48Alas, Buckaroo Banzai has yet to return, in film at least.
06:52But the cast certainly had staying power.
06:55I got some pictures, boys.
06:58Looks like a practical joke.
07:01Check out these names.
07:02Christopher Lloyd, then better known for his TV work, played Doc Brown a year later.
07:07Jeff Goldblum was soon upgraded to leading man status in The Fly.
07:11The film was among the first roles for Clancy Brown, Jonathan Banks, and Ellen Barkin.
07:16John Lithgow was fresh off an Oscar nomination, although even his film career was just starting,
07:22this being an early example of his knack for unhinged characters.
07:25Hello, Doc.
07:27Who are we today?
07:29Albert Einstein?
07:29Oh, Lord John Worsley.
07:33If there's one thing I hate, it's to be mistaken for somebody else.
07:37Number 24.
07:38Diner.
07:39Not long before Buckaroo Banzai, Ellen Barkin got her big break in this Barry Levinson film.
07:44She wasn't the only discovery.
07:46Are you in?
07:47Yeah, I'm in.
07:48I'm in.
07:48I'm in.
07:49You in?
07:50You in?
07:51I'm in.
07:52All right.
07:54Yeah.
07:54By the end of that decade, Steve Guttenberg joined the police academy.
07:59Mickey Rourke spent nine and a half weeks exploring the human body.
08:03Paul Reiser helped a fellow cop headed to Beverly Hills.
08:06Daniel Stern reflected on the wonder years of his youth.
08:10And Kevin Bacon liberated a small town through the power of dance.
08:13See, this is our time to dance.
08:16It is our way of celebrating life.
08:22Diner centers on a group of young friends who are bound to experience change now that
08:25one of them is getting hitched.
08:27Just as the characters are at a turning point, so were each of these actors, who all had more
08:32great roles on the horizon.
08:34You constantly do this.
08:35You constantly walk out behind me.
08:36You stand there.
08:37Maybe you've got plans or something.
08:38No, I have no plans.
08:39It's four in the morning.
08:40I have no plans.
08:40Do you want a ride?
08:42I'll go with you if you want.
08:43You know, I can't.
08:43Do you want to go with you?
08:44Say the words.
08:45I want a ride.
08:46Number 23.
08:47Carrie.
08:48We all know that Carrie White turned Sissy Spacek into a star.
08:52This classic Stephen King adaptation also introduced film audiences to Amy Irving as Sue
08:57Snell, one of the few characters to survive that fateful prom night.
09:01What could you possibly have had in mind?
09:02I thought it would be a good thing for Carrie to get her to join in with a few things and
09:08be with people.
09:09Make her a part of things.
09:11Right.
09:11The other students aren't as lucky, but the actors who played them had long careers ahead.
09:17William Catt went from playing Carrie's date to becoming the greatest American hero.
09:21Believe it or not, PJ Souls had another memorable death scene in 1978's Halloween.
09:27All right, all right, come on, where's my beer?
09:31Well, can't you answer me?
09:36The standout was John Travolta, who had only made one minor film appearance prior to Carrie.
09:42He'd hit the dance floor in Saturday Night Fever the subsequent year and hit the big time
09:46as Danny Zuko in Grease a year after that.
09:49Number 22, Boys in the Hood.
10:02Lawrence Fishburne and Angela Bassett co-starred as parents a couple of years before earning
10:07Oscar nominations for What's Love Got to Do With It?
10:10Their son in Boys in the Hood is played by Cuba Gooding Jr., who'd become an Oscar winner
10:14by the end of the 90s.
10:16Jerry, does that make you feel good just to say that?
10:18Say it with me one time, Jerry.
10:21Show you the money.
10:22Oh, no, no, you can do better than that, Jerry.
10:23I want you to say it with me and him, brother.
10:26John Singleton's debut feature paved the way for another future Oscar winner in Regina
10:30King.
10:31It'd be the first time on the silver screen for King, Morris Chestnut, and Ice Cube,
10:36the latter of whom was hot off the album straight out of Compton.
10:39Either they don't know, don't show, or don't care about what's going on in the hood.
10:49The young characters in this drama have their whole lives ahead of them, making it all the
10:53more tragic when one is cut short.
10:55For every actor, though, the future was full of promise.
10:59What up, G?
11:00Trey, love me.
11:01Hey.
11:02Yo, what's up, Trey?
11:03What's up, Chris?
11:04Heard you, like, Mr. GQ Smooth, man.
11:07Number 21, Stand By Me.
11:09We're just here to take a couple steelhead out of the river, and look what we found.
11:13Yeah, come on, man, we're gonna be famous.
11:16Kiefer Sutherland and John Cusack are just some of the names you may recognize from this
11:21coming-of-age gem.
11:23The success of Stand By Me resides with its four central cast members, however.
11:27Let's do it.
11:28What do you say?
11:28All right.
11:29Cordy.
11:30Sure.
11:31Vern?
11:32I don't know.
11:33While Corey Feldman already had a few high-profile roles under his belt, this would be Jerry O'Connell's
11:39cinematic debut.
11:40Will Wheaton had slightly more experience, although this was his first lead role in a theatrical
11:45film.
11:46Do you think I'm weird?
11:48Definitely.
11:49No, man, seriously.
11:51Am I weird?
11:54Yeah, but so what?
11:54Everybody's weird.
11:55It was only the second feature for River Phoenix, who tragically had the shortest career of the
12:01four.
12:01Between his early work in films like this and his untimely death in 1993, Phoenix left
12:06behind a lasting body of work.
12:09Rewatching Stand By Me, we cry over the friends lost, but are forever grateful for the memories.
12:14Oh, great.
12:16Great story.
12:17Yeah, it's a great story, Cordy.
12:19I just didn't like the ending.
12:20Number 20.
12:21Animal House.
12:22National Lampoon started as a humor magazine, but eventually the brand expanded into films,
12:28notably with the now iconic Animal House.
12:31The talent in front and behind the camera was nothing short of iconic.
12:35From now on, your name is Flounder.
12:41Flounder.
12:46Tom Hulse was a few years away from playing Mozart in Amadeus, while Karen Allen was on
12:52her way to play Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
12:55Donald Sutherland was already a star, but youngsters like Kevin Bacon were fresh on the scene.
13:00Most importantly, SNL legend John Belushi stole the show as Bluto.
13:06Belushi's performance helps to power a comedy that's still outrageous and hilarious.
13:11Let's do it.
13:13Let's go!
13:18Go!
13:19Go!
13:20Go!
13:20Number 19.
13:22Raising Arizona.
13:23Turn to the right!
13:24You're a flower, you are.
13:27Just a little desert flower.
13:29For their second film, directors Joel and Ethan Coen went all out with a zany comedy.
13:35They also hired a standout cast to play in this kooky crime adventure.
13:39Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter give two spectacular performances as the lead couple,
13:45both proving themselves as generational talents.
13:48They're also welcomed by the likes of John Goodman, William Forsyth, and Randall Tex Cobb.
13:54Hunter was having a breakthrough year in 1987,
13:56starring in the award-worthy Broadcast News that same year.
14:01Cage was well on his way to becoming a leading man as this movie and Moonstruck further elevated his career.
14:07And Frances McDormand returns after starring in the Coen's first film,
14:12later going on to win several Oscars.
14:14He's an angel straight from heaven!
14:16No, honey.
14:17I had all my kids a hard way.
14:19You just gotta tell me how you got this little angel.
14:21What do you do?
14:21Just fly straight down from heaven.
14:23Number 18.
14:24The Goonies.
14:25It's one of the most famous kid films from the 1980s.
14:29The Goonies also boasts a fantastic cast,
14:32making this exciting and entertaining movie come to life.
14:35Oh my god, it's working!
14:37It's working, you did it!
14:39Way to go, Annie, way to go!
14:41I'm coming back in now!
14:42Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Martha Plimpton, and Corey Feldman
14:46all make their early mark in this adventure.
14:49Ki Hui Kwan once again lights up the screen
14:52after his memorable turn in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
14:56Short round.
14:57Step on it.
14:59Okie dokie, Dr. Jones.
15:00Hold on to your potatoes!
15:01Character actors Joe Pantoliano and Robert Davey
15:05also show up as fun villains,
15:07both of whom would be prolific performers in the following years.
15:11It's hard not to love this classic
15:12that's overflowing with treasured performances.
15:15Dad, it's my marble bag!
15:17The Fratelli forgot to check it!
15:19See, I emptied out the marbles and I put the jewels in!
15:21We don't have to leave the goon bag!
15:23Number 17.
15:24Short Term 12.
15:26At a group home for teenagers,
15:28the counselors and residents help each other
15:30through difficult times.
15:32It's a heavy subject that's expertly performed
15:34by an incredible cast.
15:36My dad has been in there for 10 years.
15:45I don't want that for you.
15:47This indie drama includes a compelling performance
15:50from Brie Larson,
15:51showing her skills as a lead performer before Room.
15:55There's also supporting work from Rami Malek,
15:57Caitlin Deaver,
15:58and Lakeith Stanfield.
16:00With some relative unknowns among the ensemble,
16:03director Destin Daniel Cretton
16:05helps the actors craft amazing portraits
16:07of broken people.
16:09I can't marry you.
16:12I can't have your baby.
16:13I can't do anything.
16:15Stanfield is just one of many standouts here,
16:18years before his work in everything
16:20from Get Out to Judas and the Black Messiah.
16:22If you haven't seen Short Term 12,
16:25you should definitely check out this lesser-known gem
16:27from the 2010s.
16:29Number 16.
16:31The Big Chill
16:31Directed by Lawrence Kasdan,
16:34this ensemble drama packs in laughs,
16:36tears,
16:37and plenty of talented stars.
16:39The cast is full of actors
16:40that were in the midst of their breakthrough decade.
16:43This includes the likes of Jeff Goldblum,
16:45Glenn Close,
16:46Kevin Kline,
16:47Tom Berenger,
16:48and Jo Beth Williams.
16:50William Hurt,
16:51fresh off his work in Body Heat,
16:53was only a few years away from winning an Oscar.
16:56Oh, Nick.
16:57Give me a break.
16:58Spare us a tragic existential pose.
17:01Sorry, Sam.
17:01Didn't mean to get into your area.
17:03They all give nuanced and human performances
17:05as former classmates mourning their friend Alex.
17:08The latter role was given to future star Kevin Kosner,
17:11but the actor was cut out of the final product.
17:14Along with its great soundtrack,
17:16the Big Chill excels because of its choice casting.
17:19So, how'd everybody sleep last night?
17:23Did anybody sleep last night?
17:27I know I did,
17:28all alone in my airplane,
17:29no co-pilot.
17:30I slept like a baby.
17:32Even wet the bed.
17:33Number 15, Superbad.
17:35From the minds of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg,
17:38Superbad stands out as one of the funniest comedies
17:41of the 2000s.
17:42Good as it is,
17:43the script wouldn't work
17:44without the perfect performers.
17:46Thankfully,
17:47the filmmakers cast Jonah Hill and Michael Cera.
17:50They both had experience in the genre,
17:52but they really came into their own here
17:54as comedy leads.
17:55I love you.
17:57It's like,
17:57why don't we say that every day?
17:58Why can't we say it more often?
17:59I just love you.
18:00I just want to go to the rooftops and scream,
18:02I love my best friend Evan.
18:03We should go up on the roof.
18:05For sure.
18:07There's also a handful of talented supporting cast members
18:09to help them out.
18:10Emma Stone made her debut in this movie,
18:12while Bill Hader was only a few years
18:14into an amazing run on Saturday Night Live.
18:18Christopher Mintz-Plass also earns plenty of laughs
18:20as McLovin.
18:21This guy's either gonna think,
18:23here's another kid with a fake ID,
18:24or here's McLovin,
18:25the 25-year-old Hawaiian organ donor.
18:29Okay?
18:29So what's it gonna be?
18:31I am McLovin.
18:33The entire film only works
18:35if these players are all operating
18:37at the top of their game.
18:39Number 14, Dead Poets Society.
18:42We didn't just read poetry.
18:44We let it drip from our tongues like honey.
18:48Spirits soared, women swooned,
18:50and gods were created, gentlemen.
18:53Not a bad way to spend an evening, eh?
18:54Anyone that sees this inspirational drama
18:56remembers Robin Williams' performance.
18:59He's the heart and soul of the movie,
19:01but he's far from the only performer here.
19:04Robert Sean Leonard, Josh Charles, and Ethan Hawke
19:07played three of the boarding school students.
19:09Each actor gives an authenticity to their work,
19:12with their characters coming into their own
19:14through the power of poetry.
19:16Hawke in particular has spoken about Williams' kindness,
19:19mentioning that the comedy legend
19:21helped to get him an agent afterwards.
19:24Captain, my captain.
19:26Sit down, Mr. Anderson.
19:30Do you hear me?
19:32Sit down.
19:33Leonard and Charles also show their promise
19:36his future film and TV stars.
19:39Under the direction of Peter Weir,
19:41the cast of Dead Poets Society
19:42ultimately brings the best
19:44out of a timeless and hopeful story.
19:46Number 13, The Last Picture Show.
19:50Adapting Larry McMurtry's novel,
19:52Peter Bogdanovich needed young actors
19:54to play teenagers.
19:56He ended up finding Jeff Bridges,
19:58Timothy Bottoms,
19:59Sybil Shepard,
20:00and Randy Quaid.
20:01Bridges was even nominated
20:02for an Academy Award for his performance,
20:05while Hollywood veteran Ben Johnson
20:06and TV legend Cloris Leachman
20:09won Oscars for their supporting roles.
20:12You've ruined it.
20:13It's lost completely.
20:18You sure need me won't make it come back.
20:20Ellen Burstyn and Eileen Brennan
20:22fill out this impressive ensemble,
20:25delivering richly textured characters
20:27in 1950s Texas.
20:29This classic wouldn't be the same
20:31without the immense talent featured
20:32in every role.
20:34Several stars went on to further fame,
20:36awards, and iconic movies after this.
20:38But The Last Picture Show
20:40stands as some of their finest work.
20:42Reckon you and her
20:43would've got it all straighted out
20:44if I hadn't butted in?
20:45Oh, no.
20:47No.
20:48No.
20:49Not even know me too,
20:50even if we had.
20:51Number 12, Platoon.
20:54Based on director Oliver Stone's
20:55experiences in Vietnam,
20:57Platoon won multiple Oscars
20:59for its unflinching portrayal
21:00of military life.
21:02The filmmaker also enlisted
21:03an eclectic group
21:04of incredible actors.
21:06He got a young Charlie Sheen
21:07to play the main soldier,
21:09Chris Taylor,
21:10surrounding the lead
21:11with other up-and-coming performers.
21:13Maybe I can see something
21:14I don't yet see
21:15or learn something
21:16I don't yet know.
21:18I miss you.
21:20I miss you very much.
21:21Sheen's co-stars include
21:23Kevin Dillon and Johnny Depp
21:25before his success on TV.
21:26You'll likely spot
21:28other recognizable faces
21:29filling out a squad
21:30that also features
21:31John C. McGinley,
21:33Tony Todd,
21:34and Keith David.
21:35Tom Berenger
21:36and Willem Dafoe
21:37played their leaders,
21:38earning Academy Award nominations
21:40for their roles.
21:41What happened today
21:42is just the beginning.
21:45We're gonna lose this war.
21:47The power of their work
21:49and the film itself
21:50still resonates to this day.
21:52Number 11, The Godfather.
21:54The Godfather might be
21:56one of the greatest films
21:57and ensembles of all time,
21:59but not every member
22:00of its cast
22:01was originally
22:02a high-profile star.
22:03Oscar winner Marlon Brando
22:05is among several veterans
22:06in the lineup.
22:07It doesn't make any difference
22:08to me what a man does
22:09for a living, I understand.
22:12But your business
22:13is a little dangerous.
22:17But there are also
22:17a number of performers,
22:19including Al Pacino,
22:20Diane Keaton,
22:21James Caan,
22:22and John Cazal,
22:23who were early
22:24in their careers.
22:26Pacino arguably
22:27has the most important role
22:28next to Brando,
22:29but he wasn't even
22:30who the studio wanted
22:32as Michael Corleone.
22:33This wasn't enough time, Michael.
22:35It wasn't enough time.
22:37We'll get there, Pop.
22:39It's hard to imagine
22:40that this lineup
22:40was ever considered
22:41anything less than legendary.
22:44Number 10, Pretty in Pink.
22:46What?
22:46The record.
22:49Oh, the record.
22:50Yeah, I thought
22:50it was a little too, uh...
22:52Too hip, maybe?
22:55Yeah, a little too hip.
22:57Among John Hughes'
22:58finest films
22:59is Pretty in Pink,
23:00starring Molly Ringwald
23:02after her success
23:03in The Breakfast Club
23:04and Sixteen Candles.
23:06Andrew McCarthy
23:07appears as the rich kid
23:08who falls for her,
23:09and John Cryer
23:11is her hopelessly devoted friend.
23:13Cryer is among
23:14the standouts of the cast
23:15as the lovable ducky,
23:17along with Ringwald
23:18delivering one
23:19of her best performances.
23:20So when you get
23:21your heart splatted
23:22all over hell
23:23and you're feeling
23:23really low and dirty,
23:25don't look to me
23:26to help pump you back up
23:27because maybe
23:29for the first time
23:29in your life,
23:30I won't be there.
23:31Both the future
23:32Two and a Half Men star
23:33and McCarthy
23:34play off Ringwald well
23:36in career-making turns.
23:38There's also the evil
23:39and charismatic energy
23:40of James Spader
23:41during his early days.
23:43You can argue
23:44which Hughes film
23:45is the greatest,
23:46but there's no debating
23:46the power of this cast
23:48all these years later.
23:49It doesn't matter, does it?
23:53You told me you couldn't believe
23:54when somebody
23:54didn't believe in you.
23:55I believed in you.
23:57Always believed in you.
23:59Number 9.
24:00Clueless.
24:01Adapting Jane Austen
24:02for the 1990s,
24:03Clueless brings out
24:04the charm and humor
24:05of every cast member.
24:07Many of these actors
24:08received a major step up
24:10in their burgeoning careers.
24:11Alicia Silverstone
24:13commands the screen
24:14as Cher Horowitz,
24:15becoming an icon
24:16before the movie
24:17is even over.
24:18It's just like
24:19these nervous creatures
24:20that jump
24:20and slobber all over you.
24:22Ew!
24:23Get off of me!
24:25Ugh, as if!
24:27She also stars
24:28alongside the bubbly work
24:29of Brittany Murphy
24:30and the underrated
24:31Donald Faison
24:32before Scrubs.
24:34Paul Redd shows up
24:35in his first film role ever,
24:37proving that he had
24:38an instant ability
24:39to steal scenes.
24:40I'm just curious,
24:41how many hours a day
24:42do you spend
24:42grooming yourself?
24:44Some people are not
24:45lucky enough
24:46to be as naturally
24:47adorable as you are.
24:48Stop it,
24:49you're making me blush.
24:50We haven't finished
24:51naming the other highlights
24:52from the cast,
24:53including Breckin Meyer,
24:55Stacey Dash,
24:55and Elisa Donovan.
24:57While there have been
24:57many high school movies since,
24:59this one still stands
25:00as a cultural phenomenon
25:01partly because of
25:02the elite cast.
25:04Girls,
25:04she's about to throw
25:05the bouquet.
25:06Oh, come on!
25:08Look, we got a pool
25:09going to see
25:10whose girl gets a bouquet.
25:11It's up to $200.
25:13It's in the bag.
25:15Number 8.
25:16The Magnificent Seven
25:17After winning an Oscar,
25:19Yul Brynner took the lead
25:20in this Western
25:21as arguably the biggest
25:23star of the film.
25:24His character,
25:25Chris Adams,
25:26recruits a group
25:26of gunfighters
25:27to defend a Mexican village.
25:29I'm in front of Harry Lux.
25:31He tells me you're broke.
25:32I'm doing this
25:35because I'm
25:35an eccentric millionaire.
25:37It's a job for six men
25:38watching over a village
25:40south of the border.
25:41These men are played
25:42by the likes of
25:42Steve McQueen,
25:44Charles Bronson,
25:45and James Coburn.
25:46Between the three of them,
25:47they represented
25:48some of the coolest
25:49screen presences
25:50of the next two decades.
25:52Each of them showed off
25:53their action skills
25:54before they were all
25:55considered leading men.
25:56You see them?
25:58Uh,
26:00they're too far back
26:01in the trees.
26:01Chris?
26:03Yeah.
26:04Try and make it up
26:05in those rocks.
26:06I'll recover you.
26:07Eli Wallach was more
26:08established by this time
26:09playing the villain,
26:10but he was still years
26:11away from his immortal
26:13work in The Good,
26:14The Bad,
26:14and The Ugly.
26:15Looking back,
26:16it's amazing that
26:17any one of these guys
26:18was on the squad.
26:19Think of the odds.
26:21Harry,
26:22nobody's asking you
26:24to go back.
26:25Right on, Harry.
26:27It's all right.
26:28Number seven,
26:29Trainspotting.
26:30All I am trying
26:31to do, Mark,
26:32is to help you
26:32understand that
26:33The Name of the Rose
26:34is merely a blip
26:36on an otherwise
26:37uninterrupted
26:38downward trajectory.
26:40Trainspotting treads
26:41the line between
26:41comedy and drama
26:43with precision.
26:44It also has
26:45an all-star cast
26:46that juggles
26:47Irvine Welsh's
26:48material with
26:48their own
26:49electric performances.
26:51Future Star Wars
26:51actor Ewan McGregor
26:53plays Renton
26:54in an iconic role,
26:55while his friends
26:56are played by
26:56talented performers
26:57such as Robert Carlyle
26:59and Johnny Lee Miller.
27:00It's fresh air.
27:02Look, Tommy,
27:03we know you're
27:03getting a hard time
27:04off Lizzie,
27:05but there's really
27:06no need to take it
27:07out on us.
27:08Doesn't it make you
27:09proud to be Scottish?
27:10With stellar supporting
27:11work from Ewan Bremner
27:13and Kelly MacDonald,
27:14The Best of Scotland
27:15fills out the cast
27:16with their energetic
27:17and funny presence.
27:19Many of them
27:19have since found
27:20dynamic parts
27:21in everything
27:21from Oscar-winning films
27:23to animated features.
27:24Directed by Danny Boyle,
27:25this film retains
27:27all of its power
27:28because of the
27:28genius casting.
27:30And just for a moment
27:30it felt really great.
27:32Like we were all
27:33in it together,
27:34like friends,
27:34like it meant something.
27:36A moment like that
27:37can touch you
27:37deep inside,
27:38but it doesn't last long.
27:40Number 6,
27:41School Ties.
27:42You know you're
27:42the very first ringer
27:43St. Matt's ever hired.
27:45What are you doing?
27:46No, he is.
27:48That's something
27:48of an honor.
27:49Aren't you honored, Green?
27:50I haven't really
27:51thought about it.
27:52If you haven't seen
27:53this early 1990s drama,
27:54you're missing out
27:55on a pointed drama
27:56about hatred
27:57and anti-Semitism.
27:59The film features
27:59a cast of young actors
28:01that were destined
28:01for greatness.
28:03Brendan Fraser stars
28:04as David Green,
28:05a Jewish teenager
28:06struggling against
28:07the narrow-minded views
28:08of his classmates.
28:09The other students
28:10include characters
28:11played by Ben Affleck,
28:12Matt Damon,
28:13Chris O'Donnell,
28:14and Cole Hauser.
28:15With future Oscar winners
28:16among the cast,
28:17School Ties assembled
28:18leading men
28:19who would leave
28:20the decade
28:21as bona fide stars.
28:22Fraser and Damon
28:24in particular
28:25reveal their dramatic chops
28:26long before
28:27they were nominated
28:28for awards.
28:29I'm begging you.
28:32Look, I'm sorry.
28:33I was a prick, okay?
28:34I was a prejudice prick.
28:35I know that.
28:36This doesn't have
28:36anything to do with that.
28:38Just confess.
28:39Number 5.
28:40Dazed and Confused
28:41Richard Linklater's third film
28:52is arguably one of the best
28:54of the 1990s,
28:55but it's also remembered
28:56for its impressive cast.
28:58The filmmakers found
28:59newer actors
29:00that could pull off
29:00the 1970s setting
29:02and play natural performances.
29:05Matthew McConaughey
29:05is a standout,
29:07playing the poetic
29:08and laid-back Wooderson.
29:09I get older,
29:11they stay the same age.
29:12There's also Parker Posey
29:14and Joey Lauren Adams
29:15as the popular girls
29:16willing to humiliate
29:18the underclassmen.
29:19Even Resident Evil star
29:20Mila Jovovich
29:21appears here
29:22next to other future stars.
29:24Linklater can weave
29:25through the characters
29:26with a delicate touch,
29:27letting the performers
29:28deliver in small scenes
29:29that prove
29:30they've been well chosen.
29:31I gotta get going.
29:33Me and my loser friends,
29:35you know,
29:35we gotta go get
29:35Aerosmith tickets.
29:37Top priority of the summer.
29:39Number four,
29:40Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
29:42In the 1980s,
29:44Fast Times at Ridgemont High
29:45served as one of
29:46the strongest teen comedies.
29:49The film also boasts
29:50an enviable cast
29:51of all kinds
29:52of varied performers.
29:53Most famously,
29:55Sean Penn plays
29:56the stoner Jeff Spicoli
29:57long before his days
29:59as a brooding lead actor.
30:00Sorry I'm late.
30:01It's just like
30:02this new schedule
30:03is totally confusing.
30:05I know that, dude.
30:09Mr. Spicoli.
30:12That's the name they gave me.
30:13There's also
30:13Jennifer Jason Leigh
30:14in an early role
30:15as she learns
30:16the highs and lows
30:17of relationships.
30:19Forrest Whitaker,
30:20Judge Reinhold,
30:21and Phoebe Cates
30:22also make memorable
30:23appearances here.
30:24Hi, Brad.
30:26You know how cute
30:27I always thought you were.
30:28We'd also be remiss
30:29not to point out
30:30the acting debut
30:31of cinematic heavyweight
30:32Nicolas Cage.
30:33All of these exciting
30:35performers converge
30:36for a high school movie
30:37full of hilarious hijinks
30:39and iconic set pieces.
30:41When you get out there,
30:42do you ever fear
30:42for your life?
30:43Well, still,
30:44I'll tell you,
30:44surfing's not a sport.
30:45It's a way of life,
30:47no hobby.
30:48It's a way of looking
30:48at that wave
30:49and saying,
30:50hey, bud,
30:51let's party.
30:53Number three,
30:54Wet Hot American Summer.
30:56Assembling some newcomers
30:57and members
30:58of the state comedy troupe,
30:59Wet Hot American Summer
31:00parodies summer camp comedies.
31:02My journal.
31:04Write my thoughts
31:05in it every day.
31:07Oh, you mean a journal?
31:10Yeah, whatever.
31:12Guess I'm not all smart like you.
31:14The critics
31:14and box office numbers
31:15failed to recognize
31:16the amount of talent
31:17on display.
31:18Among the many success stories
31:20to come out of this movie,
31:21Bradley Cooper started
31:22his film career
31:23in this cult classic.
31:24I may regret saying this,
31:26but how dare you
31:28usurp my authority
31:30as producer?
31:30Director slash choreographer
31:32of this talent show.
31:33Amy Poehler,
31:34Elizabeth Banks,
31:35and others
31:36also starred in promising roles
31:38before joining
31:38the upper echelon
31:39of Hollywood.
31:41Over the next decade,
31:42the movie developed
31:43a following
31:43that eventually led
31:44to two Netflix series.
31:46Bringing together
31:47some great performers,
31:48this project managed
31:49to be a launch pad
31:50for comedy legends.
31:51I'm really going to miss
31:53this place.
31:54Me too.
31:56Hey, let's all promise
31:58that in 10 years from today,
31:59we'll meet again
32:00and we'll see what kind
32:02of people we've blossomed into.
32:03Number two,
32:04American Graffiti.
32:06Before he created
32:07Star Wars,
32:08George Lucas directed
32:09an acclaimed comedy
32:10about teenagers
32:10contemplating their future.
32:12This look into
32:131960s car culture
32:15also includes several actors
32:16on the cusp of greatness.
32:17I can't believe it.
32:20I don't know what to say.
32:23I'll love and protect
32:24this car
32:25until death do us part.
32:26Ron Howard was arguably
32:28the most well-known name
32:29in the cast,
32:30but he'd mainly worked
32:31on television
32:31up to that point.
32:32Richard Dreyfuss
32:33had only acted
32:34in smaller parts
32:35and absolutely shined here
32:37in his first
32:38major screen role.
32:39How do you know me?
32:41It's not important.
32:42It's important.
32:43It's important to me.
32:45You're the most beautiful,
32:46exciting thing
32:47I've ever seen
32:48in my life
32:48and I don't know
32:49anything about you.
32:50Other key actors
32:51such as Cindy Williams
32:52would go on
32:53to be a TV star
32:54while Charles Martin Smith
32:55would work
32:56with Brian De Palma.
32:57The most famous
32:58of them all
32:59is a fresh-faced
33:00Harrison Ford
33:00as a mean driver.
33:02Hey, I like the
33:02color of your car
33:03there, man.
33:04What's that supposed to be?
33:05Sort of a cross
33:05between piss yellow
33:07and puke green, ain't it?
33:08Altogether,
33:09these artists
33:10create a lived-in
33:11atmosphere
33:11that remains timeless.
33:13Before we continue,
33:15be sure to subscribe
33:15to our channel
33:16and ring the bell
33:17to get notified
33:18about our latest videos.
33:19You'll have the option
33:20to be notified
33:21for occasional videos
33:22or all of them.
33:23If you're on your phone,
33:24make sure you go
33:25into your settings
33:26and switch on notifications.
33:29Number one,
33:30The Outsiders.
33:31In order to film
33:32this adaptation
33:33of the classic novel,
33:35director Francis Ford Coppola
33:36needed a huge cast
33:38of young actors.
33:39Most of the primary
33:40speaking roles
33:41went on to become
33:41the biggest stars
33:42of their era.
33:43Look at your tough hair.
33:46Boy,
33:48I thought we lost you
33:52like we did mom and dad.
33:54These include
33:55Ralph Macchio,
33:56Matt Dillon,
33:56Emilio Estevez,
33:58Rob Lowe,
33:58and Diane Lane.
34:00We didn't even mention
34:00the likes of Patrick Swayze
34:02and the most successful
34:03of them all,
34:04Tom Cruise.
34:05Portraying S.E. Hinton's
34:14characters with skill
34:15and natural talent,
34:17the group really comes
34:18together as an engaging
34:19ensemble.
34:20It's incredible to know
34:21that most of them
34:22were only beginning
34:22their careers.
34:24Coppola's vision
34:24not only did justice
34:26to the book,
34:26it allowed for the next
34:27great generation
34:28of artists to emerge.
34:30There's still lots
34:31of good in the world.
34:34Tell Dally I don't think
34:35he knows.
34:37Your buddy Johnny.
34:39What other films
34:40provided launching points
34:41for their casts?
34:42Let us know
34:43in the comments.
34:45Get in, loser.
34:46We're going shopping.
34:48Do you agree
34:48with our picks?
34:49Check out this other
34:50recent clip from Ms. Mojo
34:51and be sure to subscribe
34:52and ring the bell
34:53to be notified
34:54about our latest videos.
35:05We'll see you next time.
35:06We'll see you next time.
35:06We'll see you next time.
35:07Bye.
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