Before They Were Stars: James Gunn in “Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV”

Given the recent massive success of Guardians of the Galaxy, there is no better subject for “Before They Were Stars” this week than director James Gunn, especially since he started off his career working for Troma. I’ve already featured Gunn’s appearance in a Troma-produced anti-masturbation PSA featuring Sgt. Kabukiman, and here is making a cameo in Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV as a Stephen Hawking-esque character who gets run over by a car. It’s also worth noting that a young Eli Roth was an extra in Citizen Toxie, so Troma was clearly a beneficial early career path for aspiring young filmmakers.