Author Archives: robin
Before They Were Stars: Vince Vaughn on “Doogie Howser, M.D.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ae9XIX_Iew Neil Patrick Harris’ career resurrection during this past decade has always been considered one of the most unlikely celebrity comebacks of all time and it’s likely that many people from today’s generation don’t even have any idea what NPH … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Richard Dreyfuss in “Hello Down There”
This past weekend marked the 40th anniversary of the release of Jaws, so I thought it would be fun to put the spotlight on an earlier Richard Dreyfuss foray into the water six years beforehand. 1969 saw the release of … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Bryan Cranston in a Prudential Commercial
Just add this one to the spate of 1980s Bryan Cranston commercials I’ve dug up and posted on The Back Row. This one is for Prudential Financial, Inc. and aired during the 1989 Peach Bowl, but it’s also notable because … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Vincent D’Onofrio in “It Don’t Pay to Be an Honest Citizen”
In between appearing in a Troma film and delivering his breakthrough performance in Full Metal Jacket, Vincent D’Onofrio starred in an ultra-low budget 1984 Brooklyn-shot film called It Don’t Pay to Be an Honest Citizen. D’Onofrio plays a hoodlum who … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Sam Neill in a Water Conversation Documentary
Here’s quite piece of obscurity featuring the screen debut of a young Sam Neill. Produced in his native New Zealand in 1972, The Water Cycle was a 25-minute documentary funded by the National Water and Soil Conservation Authority, which explored … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Jeff Goldblum is Beaten Up by Charles Bronson in “St. Ives”
As you might already know, Jeff Goldblum made his film debut as “Freak#1” in Death Wish, which was a very atypical role for him. Goldblum’s character basically jumpstarts the entire franchise by beating Charles Bronson’s wife to death and forcing … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Wayne Knight in “The Sex O’Clock News”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL_foFPaYTo The recent success of Jurassic World has made me think back to the career trajectory of Wayne Knight, who found fame after taking on the roles of Newman on Seinfeld and Dennis Nedry in Jurassic Park during the same … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Bryce Dallas Howard as “Surprised Who” in “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”
When the children of famous directors become successful actors, they often like to get their feet wet by appearing as extras in their parents’ films. Case in point: Bryce Dallas Howard, who was an extra in several films from her … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Chris Pratt in “Cursed Part 3”
If there’s one person you can thank for the immense success Chris Pratt is enjoying right now, it would probably be popular 1980s actress Rae Dawn Chong, best known for playing Arnold Schwarzenegger’s sidekick in Commando. Over 15 years ago, … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Dusty Rhodes in “The Wrestler (1974)”
Film fans everywhere were saddened to hear of the passing of Christopher Lee this past Wednesday, but later that very same day, wrestling fans also received a shocking blow of their own when it was announced that “The American Dream” … Continue reading
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