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From a charming SS officer to a blockbuster heroine, we’re diving into the movies that launched actors from near anonymity to international stardom. Watch how Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Hemsworth, and many others captivated audiences worldwide, turning career tides with unforgettable performances that reshaped Hollywood and pop culture. Which breakout role surprised you most? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most notable movies
00:08that took an actor from relative obscurity to household names practically overnight.
00:2020. Inglourious Bastards – Christoph Waltz
00:23You're sheltering enemies of the state, are you not?
00:3221. You're sheltering them underneath your floorboards, aren't you?
00:38Before Quentin Tarantino came calling, Christoph Waltz had spent decades working in German-language
00:44television and theater. He was respected within European circles, but virtually invisible to
00:49international audiences. That all changed in 2009 when Tarantino cast him as SS Colonel
00:55Hans Landa in his revisionist World War II epic Inglourious Bastards.
01:0021. There was another thing I wanted to ask you.
01:0421. But now, in my life, it's impossible to remember.
01:1821. Waltz's portrayal of the charming, multilingual, and utterly terrifying Jew hunter was so magnetic,
01:2422. It seemed almost unfair to the rest of the cast. The performance earned him the Best Actor Award
01:30at the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
01:3522. Tarantino has openly credited Waltz as saving the film, and watching him work? It's easy to believe it.
01:4122. Ooh, that's a bingo!
01:4822. Is that the way you say it? That's a bingo?
01:5022. You just say bingo.
01:5223. Bingo! How fun!
01:5519. Basic Instinct, Sharon Stone
01:58Sharon Stone had already been circling Hollywood for years, landing a few supporting roles, including
02:04a notable turn in Paul Verhoeven's Total Recall.
02:0723. Take it easy, Doug, okay? Tell me exactly what happened. Why would spies want to kill you?
02:1323. I don't know, but it had something to do with Mars.
02:1524. Mars? You've never even been to Mars.
02:1724. I know, it sounds crazy, but you see, I went to this recall place after work.
02:2124. You went to those brain butchers?
02:2225. But it was two years later, back with Verhoeven on the erotic thriller Basic Instinct,
02:27that everything shifted for her. As Catherine Trammell, Stone delivered a performance
02:32that was bold, provocative, and impossible to ignore.
02:3524. The film became a cultural lightning rod, and Stone's now-iconic interrogation scene
02:41sealed her place in pop culture history.
02:4324. How'd you feel when he died?
02:4525. I loved him, it hurt.
02:4625. How'd you feel when I told you Johnny Bones had died?
02:4926. I felt like someone had read my book and was playing a game.
02:5326. But it didn't hurt.
02:5426. No.
02:5426. Because you didn't love him.
02:5527. That's right.
02:5627. Her Golden Globe nomination followed soon after, but more importantly, so did global recognition.
03:0127. After this movie, Stone transitioned from just another actress trying to break through
03:06into a bona fide Hollywood star.
03:2328. Taxi Driver, Jodie Foster
03:27Child actors rarely get handed material that truly tests them, and even fewer rise to the occasion.
03:34Jodie Foster was only 12 years old when Martin Scorsese cast her as Iris,
03:39a pivotal character in his neo-noir film Taxi Driver.
03:4229. Can you understand why I came here?
03:4529. I think I understand.
03:4730. I tried to get into your cab one night, and now you want to come and take me away.
03:5530. Is that easy?
03:5630. The role was risky, controversial, and demanded a maturity that most adult actors
04:01would struggle to deliver. But even at such a young age, Foster did deliver,
04:06holding her own opposite the more established and experienced Robert De Niro.
04:1131. Why do you want me to go back to my parents?
04:1431. I mean, they hate me. Why do you think I split in the first place?
04:1831. There ain't nothing there.
04:1932. Yeah, but you can't live like this. It's a hell. A girl should live at home.
04:2432. Didn't you ever hear of women's lib?
04:2732. The performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress,
04:32announcing to Hollywood that she was a serious talent.
04:3533. Decades later, Foster remains celebrated for choosing bold, complex roles,
04:40and it all traces back to that pivotal 1976 film.
04:4433. Are you a scorpion?
04:4533. What?
04:4633. That's it. You're a scorpion. I can tell every time.
04:5033. Besides, I gotta stay here.
04:5233. Come on, why?
04:5334. I got something very important to do.
04:5634. Oh, so what's so important?
04:5734. Number 17. The Hunger Games – Jennifer Lawrence
05:00A few smaller credits, including 2010's Winter's Bone, which earned her an Oscar nomination,
05:06suggested Jennifer Lawrence had talent.
05:0935. There's things happening and I don't know what to do.
05:15Can you please help me this one time? Mom. Mom, look at me.
05:2335. But suggestion and proof are very different things. When she was cast as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger
05:29Games, the entire film rested on her shoulders, and Lawrence proved she had enough talent to carry it.
05:3535. I volunteer. I volunteer. I volunteer as tribute.
05:4136. I believe we have a volunteer.
05:4536. Her physical intensity, emotional authenticity, and commanding screen presence,
05:5037. The film grossed nearly $700 million worldwide, and made Lawrence one of the most bankable stars of
06:02her generation almost instantly. She was just 21 years old at the time of its release. Not bad for someone
06:08audiences barely knew two years prior.
06:1136. How did you feel when you found him by that river?
06:20I felt like the happiest person in the world.
06:26I couldn't imagine life without him.
06:2936. Call Me By Your Name – Timothee Chalamet
06:32Timothee Chalamet had appeared in a few films early on in his career,
06:3637. But his roles were small enough that most viewers barely registered his name.
06:4137. Call Me By Your Name changed that conversation entirely.
06:4538. We only come here for Christmas and some other vacations.
06:4839. Christmas. I thought you were Jewish.
06:5039. Well, we are Jewish, but also American, Italian, French, somewhat atypical combination.
06:5639. Besides my family, you're probably the only other Jew to set foot in this town.
07:0039. Director Luca Guaragnino cast him as Elio Perlman, a love-struck teenager navigating
07:06a passionate and complicated romance with an older graduate student, played by Armie Hammer in sun-soaked
07:131980s Italy. Chalamet's performance was achingly nuanced, raw without being melodramatic,
07:19restrained without feeling cold.
07:2139. I had to work.
07:2339. Yeah, but you completely disappeared?
07:2639. Yeah, I don't know. I just, uh…
07:3040. There's a lot to do.
07:3340. It earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, making him the third youngest
07:39nominee in that category ever. The film announced him not as a teen heartthrob, but as a generational
07:45acting talent, he has far surpassed expectations since.
07:4940. I think he was better than me.
07:5240. I think he was better than me.
07:5740. I'm sure he'd say the same thing about you.
08:0040. He'd say the same thing.
08:0340. Which flatters you both.
08:0440. It was everything. It was my whole world and all the people in it.
08:1240. And the inertia of my life, plunging ahead in me, powerless to stop it.
08:1840. This theater-trained English actress was already building an impressive resume throughout
08:23the early to mid-90s. Her film debut in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures in 1994 turned heads,
08:29and her BAFTA award-winning performance as Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility the following year
08:35confirms she was something special.
08:3740. What is the matter? Why have you not come to see me?
08:4240. Were you not in London? Have you not received my letters?
08:4740. But global superstardom arrived aboard the RMS Titanic in 1997.
08:5240. James Cameron's epic romance became the highest-grossing film in history at the time,
08:58earning over $2.1 billion worldwide.
09:0140. I see you had that undertaker of a manservant follow me. How typical.
09:0440. You will never behave like that again, Rose. Do you understand?
09:0840. I'm not a foreman in one of your mills that you can command.
09:1640. I'm your fiancée.
09:1840. As Rose Dewitt Bukater, Winslet delivered a performance that was emotionally expansive and
09:23completely captivating. She earned an Academy Award nomination for the role and secured her place as
09:29one of the defining actresses of her generation.
09:3240. You're so stupid, Rose. Why did you do that? Why?
09:3840. You jump high, jump right.
09:4240. All right.
09:4340. X-Men, Hugh Jackman.
09:4740. Storm.
09:50What do they call you? Wheels?
09:5440. This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
10:00Cyclops, right? You want to get out of my way?
10:0440. Before unsheathing those adamantian claws, Hugh Jackman was primarily known for stage work and
10:10Australian television, but had very little international recognition. That changed dramatically
10:16when he was cast as Wolverine in X-Men, a role he actually stepped into late in production.
10:22Jackman's intense physicality, emotional depth, and undeniable charisma turned Wolverine into the
10:28standout character of the film.
10:3050. Fight with you? Or join the team? Be an X-Man? Who the hell do you think you are?
10:34You're a mutant.
10:35The whole world out there is full of people that hate and fear you, and you're wasting your time
10:39trying to protect them? I've got better things to do.
10:42As X-Men helped launch the modern superhero era, it also launched Jackman into global stardom.
10:49He would go on to portray the character for over two decades, from the original trilogy to Deadpool
10:54and Wolverine. That bald chick was right about one thing. You will never save the world. You
11:00couldn't even save a relationship with a goddamn stripper. Motherf***er, I wish I could say you'd die
11:07alone. But it's one of God's best jokes that you can't die, except that's on all of us!
11:12Jackman has also embodied several iconic roles in film and on stage, and has earned several awards,
11:18including a Grammy, an Emmy, and two Tonys.
11:37The search for Scarlett O'Hara was one of Hollywood's most publicized casting processes,
11:43with virtually every prominent actress of the era considered for the role.
11:48Vivian Leigh, a British actress with modest film credits, including small parts in several
11:53productions in 1935, and a supporting role in Fire Over England in 1937, was something of a long
12:00shot. Producer David O. Selznick took a chance, and the result was cinematic history.
12:21Lee's fiery and utterly captivating portrayal of Scarlett earned her the Academy Award for Best
12:27Actress. Gone with the Wind became the highest grossing film of its era, and Lee became an
12:32international icon almost the moment the credits rolled.
12:36I can't because I was so miserable that I thought of you in trouble.
12:39Oh, I know, I was mad at you the night you left me on the road to Tara, and I
12:42still haven't forgiven you.
12:44Oh, Scarlett doesn't say that.
12:45Well, I must admit, I might not be alive now. Only for you.
12:4912. Rocky, Sylvester Stallone
12:52Here's a story almost as compelling as the film itself. Sylvester Stallone was a struggling,
12:57nearly broke actor when he wrote the script for Rocky in just three days,
13:02inspired by Muhammad Ali's 1975 fight against Chuck Wepner.
13:07Apollo's seen your fight. He likes you. He wants to fight you.
13:13Well, it's just that you see, uh, I fight in clubs, you know, and I'm really a ham and egg,
13:18or this guy, he's the best, and, uh, it wouldn't be such a good fight.
13:21Studios wanted the script, but not Stallone. They offered him significant money to sell it
13:27without the starring role attached. He refused repeatedly. Eventually, United Artists relented,
13:34and Rocky was made on a modest budget of around $1 million.
13:38Mr. Jergens, the poster's wrong.
13:41What do you mean?
13:43Well, I'm wearing white pants with a red stripe.
13:49It doesn't really matter, does it? I'm sure you're gonna give us a great show.
13:54The film grossed over $225 million worldwide, won the Academy Award for Best Picture,
14:01and launched one of cinema's most beloved franchises.
14:04Stallone went from struggling actor to Hollywood legend almost entirely through sheer stubborn determination.
14:10You ain't doing me no favors! You're embarrassing me in front of everybody. You can make me look bad in
14:15front of your sister.
14:16See the cigar? I'll stick it in your ear. Now, don't do these things to me.
14:20You should have called me up or something. Leave a message. Don't do that.
14:2411. Star Wars – Harrison Ford
14:27Back in the early 70s, Harrison Ford was a struggling actor who worked as a carpenter at director Francis Ford
14:34Coppola's offices just to make ends meet.
14:37Look, Jabba, even I get bored sometimes. You think I had a choice? But I got a nice, easy charter
14:45now. I'll pay you back, plus a little extra. I just need a little more time.
14:49He had appeared in small film and television roles, but nothing that suggested a career-defining moment was coming.
14:56George Lucas, who had previously worked with Ford in American Graffiti in 1973, cast him as the roguish smuggler Han
15:03Solo in Star Wars,
15:04somewhat against the studio's wishes.
15:07Yet I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but
15:11I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful force controlling everything.
15:17There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny. It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense.
15:24The film became a cultural phenomenon, grossing nearly $800 million worldwide on an original budget of just $11 million.
15:33Ford's charismatic, effortlessly cool performance made Han Solo iconic and transformed a part-time carpenter into one of Hollywood's most
15:43enduring leading men.
15:44Still. Still. Still out of spirit. I don't know. What do you think? Do you think a princess and a
15:52guy like me?
15:52No.
15:5610. Good Will Hunting
15:58Matt Damon
15:59Long before he was one of the film industry's biggest names, Matt Damon was a Harvard student, appearing in plays
16:06and a handful of films.
16:08After leaving the Ivy League school, he began collaborating with his pal Ben Affleck on a script which would become
16:14known as Good Will Hunting.
16:16Not only did Damon co-write the screenplay, but he also starred as the titular character, a mathematical genius from
16:23a rough upbringing.
16:24You're going to be convinced of that until next month when you get to James Lemmon. Then you're going to
16:27be talking about how the economies of Virginia and Pennsylvania were entrepreneurial and capitalist way back in 1740.
16:33That's going to last until next year. You're going to be in here regurgitating Gordon Wood, talking about, you know,
16:38the pre-revolutionary utopia and the capital forming effects of military mobilization.
16:42The film launched Damon into the Hollywood stratosphere and earned him and Affleck the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. He
16:50soon found himself as one of Hollywood's leading men with noteworthy turns in the talented Mr. Ripley just two years
16:57later and the Bourne franchise.
16:59I swear to God, if I even feel somebody behind me, there is no measure to how fast and how
17:03hard I will bring this fight to your doorstep. I'm on my own side now.
17:079. Slumdog Millionaire, Dev Patel
17:11Before he became a movie star, Dev Patel cut his teeth on the British teen drama series' skins.
17:18Where were you?
17:19Sorry. Slept in.
17:21Slept in? You misprays with an excuse like that?
17:24Dad, it's my birthday.
17:26Only a short time later, he booked the lead role of Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire.
17:32A thrilling tale of a young man from Mumbai who gets a chance to compete on Who Wants to Be
17:37a Millionaire, the film became a huge success, grossing nearly $400 million and winning the Oscar for Best Picture.
17:45I knew you'd be watching.
17:47Patel was nominated for a BAFTA award and quickly saw his career transform significantly.
17:53Soon, he was taking on more leading roles and even ventured into directing with 2024's Monkey Man.
17:59There's my CV. That's bleach. Chemical. Oil. Give me the job no one wants to do. I'll do it.
18:11Some might call it luck, but for Patel, his rise to fame has always been written.
18:16Number 8. 12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong'o
18:21There is God here. God is merciful. And you forgive merciful acts. Won't be no hell for you.
18:32After graduating from the prestigious Yale School of Drama, Lupita Nyong'o went from student to Academy Award winning performer
18:40and all it took was one movie.
18:42With her debut feature film role in the Steve McQueen period piece 12 Years a Slave, Nyong'o captivated audiences
18:49around the world and became a household name.
18:53500 pounds of cotton day in, day out. More than any man here. And for that, I will be clean.
19:02That's all I am.
19:03The film follows the harrowing true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was sold into slavery during
19:10the 1800s.
19:11Nyong'o played Patsy, a role which earned her rave reviews and the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
19:18Since then, she has starred in hits like Us and franchises such as Star Wars and Black Panther.
19:24A star since her feature debut, Nyong'o certainly is a legend in the making.
19:29There is nothing to thank me for. It is our duty to...
19:36It was my duty to fight for what I love.
19:39Number 7. Thelma and Louise – Brad Pitt
19:42Brad Pitt is arguably one of the biggest movie stars of the century.
19:47He's the biggest man I've ever seen. I wouldn't want to fight him.
19:53That's why no one will remember your name.
19:55That said, it is hard to imagine a time when he was a struggling young actor.
19:59After earning small credits here and there, he finally found his footing with an appearance in Ridley Scott's Thelma and
20:06Louise.
20:07A thrilling crime drama about two best friends on the run, it was the perfect vehicle for Pitt.
20:12Simon says, everybody down on the floor. Now, nobody loses their head, then nobody loses their head.
20:18Uh, you sir.
20:20His role as Gina Davis' love interest, J.D., garnered him a lot of attention and set the stage for
20:26his meteoric rise to the spotlight.
20:29Today, Pitt is an A-list actor and producer, with an award-winning career that many can only dream of.
20:36You're a good friend, Cliff. I try.
20:39Number 6. Get Out, Daniel Kaluuya
20:43She lay there bleeding by the side of the road, home to the woman.
20:51That's how she died in the early morning, cold to the woman.
20:57And I was watching TV.
20:58In 2017, the horror genre found its newest icon in the person of Jordan Peele.
21:04The writer and director of Get Out forged a name for himself thanks to the film's acclaim and his Oscar
21:10win.
21:10But Peele is not its only success story.
21:13The film also made a star out of lead actor Daniel Kaluuya.
21:17No stranger to showbiz, Kaluuya had appeared in several on-screen projects before landing the breakout role.
21:32In the terrifying psychological horror, he played Chris, a black man who discovers a sinister plot when he meets his
21:39white girlfriend's family.
21:41It earned Kaluuya an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
21:45And though he didn't win in that category, he ended up clinching a Best Supporting Actor award just four years
21:51later.
21:52Political power flowed for the barrel of a gun.
21:55We in the Black Panther Party don't believe in no culture except revolutionary culture.
21:59What we mean by that is a culture that will free you!
22:02Number 5. The Hangover
22:04Zach Galifianakis
22:05Fans of Zach Galifianakis knew long before The Hangover that he was a pretty big deal in the comedy scene.
22:12Which one of these ugly losers is ruining your life?
22:16That one. The pink parade over there.
22:19That's your wife?
22:22Oh my god, she is so effing hot.
22:27What is wrong with you?
22:29However, it was the 2009 movie that truly launched him into superstardom.
22:34The flick about a Las Vegas bachelor party gone very wrong also features Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms.
22:41But it was Galifianakis who stole the show as the perplexing but kind-hearted Alan.
22:47The success of the film produced sequels and a massive fanbase.
22:51What if he's dead?
22:52I can't afford to lose anybody close to me again.
22:55It hurts too much.
22:57I'm so upset when my grandpa died.
22:59Oh, so how'd he die?
23:01World War II.
23:02It also brought Galifianakis endless opportunities in the industry.
23:06While allowing him to stay true to his unique and distinct brand of comedy.
23:11I'm Stu the Tudor.
23:12Are you Jake?
23:13No, I'm his father.
23:15Oh.
23:17I'm Stu the Tudor.
23:19Right.
23:22Have you been smoking pot?
23:23No sir, not at all.
23:26Perhaps you're smelling my cat.
23:28Number 4.
23:29Die Hard.
23:30Bruce Willis.
23:31It's the police.
23:33You won't hurt me.
23:35Oh yeah?
23:36Why not?
23:37Because you're a policeman.
23:39There are rules for policemen.
23:41Yeah.
23:43That's what my captain keeps telling me.
23:45Bruce Willis has punched, kicked, and jabbed his way through some of the silver screen's biggest action flicks.
23:51However, his career wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't for a little film called Die Hard.
23:57The 80s classic follows a cop trying to save as many lives as possible after a skyscraper gets overtaken by
24:04terrorists on Christmas Eve.
24:06Playing the role of John McClane, Willis not only gave a great performance, but turned the movie into a pop
24:12culture phenomenon.
24:13I really like those sequined shirts.
24:16Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mr. Cowboy?
24:22Yippee-ki-yay, m***a.
24:24It took him from being an actor known mostly for his TV work to one of Hollywood's foremost leading men.
24:30He went on to headline other action epics like 12 Monkeys, The Fifth Element, and of course, the Die Hard
24:37sequels.
24:37You're looking for trouble as it always just seemed to find you.
24:44You know, after all these years, I still ask myself the same question.
24:53Joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe almost always guarantees success.
24:58Just ask Chris Hemsworth.
24:59So is this how you normally look?
25:01More or less.
25:03It's a good look.
25:04The Australian actor became a bona fide superstar when director Kenneth Branagh cast him as the ultimate Norse god Thor
25:12in the eponymous 2011 film.
25:15Prior to that, Hemsworth was known primarily for his work on the Aussie soap opera Home and Away.
25:20I'll tell you what, it was, um, it was weird being out like that.
25:24It was like a dream or something.
25:25I had all these memories come flashing back to me.
25:29Although he had both TV and film credits under his belt, Thor was a game changer for his career.
25:35The MCU afforded him worldwide recognition, fame, and an action-packed career.
25:41In fact, by 2014, Forbes named Hemsworth as one of the world's highest-paid actors.
25:48We're expected to spread bare-faced lies so that you, the ship owners of Nantucket, might line your pockets and
25:56sleep well at night.
25:58Well, I will not embroider the truth.
26:04Today, Sandra Bullock is known as an Academy Award-winning actress.
26:09However, in the late 80s, she was an unknown name, still trying to establish herself.
26:26She appeared in a slew of both indie and action flicks, but in 1994, her career picked up momentum.
26:34Alongside Keanu Reeves, Bullock starred in Speed, a vehicular thriller about a bomb on board a bus barreling its way
26:41through L.A.
26:42The gripping blockbuster amassed $350 million at the international box office.
26:48And with numbers like that, you could say Bullock's career was steered in the right direction.
26:54You're not going to get mushy on me, are you?
26:57Maybe.
26:58I'm not.
26:59I hope not, because, you know, relationships that start under intense circumstances, they never last.
27:08Oh, yeah?
27:08Yeah, I've done extensive studying on this.
27:10She followed Speed up with leading roles in other 90s films before becoming a bona fide superstar the next decade,
27:17earning an Oscar for 2009's The Blind Side.
27:20So you want me to go to Tennessee?
27:24I want you to do whatever you want.
27:27It's your decision, Michael.
27:29It's your life.
27:30Number 1.
27:32Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts.
27:34What is your name?
27:36Edward.
27:38Edward?
27:38That's my favorite name in the whole world.
27:40No.
27:41I tell you what.
27:43This is fate, Edward.
27:43That's what this is.
27:451990 was a big year for Julia Roberts.
27:48Not only was she nominated for an Academy Award for Steel Magnolias, but she also starred in the film that
27:54would turn her into a leading lady.
27:57In Pretty Woman, Roberts portrayed an escort Vivian, who is paid to spend the week with Edward, a well-off
28:03businessman played by Richard Gere.
28:05So what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her?
28:11She rescues him right back.
28:12The romantic comedy was a massive box office success and became a cultural sensation due in large part to Roberts'
28:20endearing performance.
28:22The film even garnered her a second Oscar nomination and a career that can't be topped.
28:28I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.
28:37Think we missed a career-defining performance?
28:40Let us know in the comments below.
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