10 Famous Movie Actors That Started Out In Soap Operas

By ETCanada.com Staff. 20 Dec 2014 4:14 AM

We all need to start somewhere right? And as much as daytime dramas are derided for their abject cheesiness, they’ve launched the careers of more box office stars than you can shake an evil twin at. Here are ten A-listers who started off shilling for the soaps…

Ray Liotta ('Goodfellas,' 'Field of Dreams')

Kevin Bacon ('Mystic River,' 'Apollo 13')

Tommy Lee Jones ('No Country for Old Men,' 'Lincoln')

Kathleen Turner ('Body Heat,' 'Peggy Sue Got Married')

Meg Ryan ('Sleepless in Seattle,' 'When Harry Met Sally')

Marisa Tomei ('My Cousin Vinny,' 'In The Bedroom')

Susan Sarandon ('Thelma & Louise,' 'Dead Man Walking')

Ryan Phillippe ('Crash,' 'Flags of Our Fathers')

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Ray Liotta ('Goodfellas,' 'Field of Dreams')

My boy Ray played nice guy (but not wiseguy) Joey Perrini on 'Another World' from 1978 to 1981. You'll be pleased to know he did very little stabbing.
Kevin Bacon ('Mystic River,' 'Apollo 13')

From 1980 to 1981, the Baconator played a troubled teen (is there any other kind?) on 'Guiding Light.' Yep, this was a solid three years before 'Footloose,' meaning you'd need at least nine degrees to link another actor to young Kev.
Tommy Lee Jones ('No Country for Old Men,' 'Lincoln')

Everyone's favourite cantankerous Oscar winner played the equally cantankerous Dr. Mark Toland on One Life to Live from 1971 to 1975. You know, until his character was MURDERED! Dun-dun-DUN!
Kathleen Turner ('Body Heat,' 'Peggy Sue Got Married')

From 1978 to 1979, K.T. was Nola Dancy, everyone's favourite promiscuous working class gal on 'The Doctors.' YOLO, Nola!
Demi Moore ('Ghost,' 'A Few Good Men')

Thirty years ago, Demi locked down the role of scoop-driven reporter Jackie Templeton on 'General Hospital.' Soon afterward, she was scooped away by the infamous Brat Pack.
Meg Ryan ('Sleepless in Seattle,' 'When Harry Met Sally')

In the early '80s, Meg spent two years as sweet-as-pie Betsy Stewart on 'As the World Turns.' This was the perfect training ground for her 95 subsequent sweet-as-pie movie roles.
Marisa Tomei ('My Cousin Vinny,' 'In The Bedroom')

From 1983 to 1985, Marisa played ditzy teen Marcy Thompson on 'As The World Turns.' Spoiler alert: she eventually became British royalty after marrying Lord Stewart Cushing. Which means in Soap Opera Universe, her likeness is probably on the Canadian $10 bill.
Susan Sarandon ('Thelma & Louise,' 'Dead Man Walking')

40 years ago (!), the Divine Ms. S. played a – wait for it – killer hobo named Sarah Fairbanks on 'Search for Tomorrow.' Ah, if only all killer hobos looked like this.
Brad Pitt ('Moneyball,' 'Fight Club')

Hard to believe the Pitt-man wasn't always a household name. Case in point, his brief stint in the 1980s as Chris on 'Another World.' I'd describe his acting abilities back then as, uh… 'handsome.'
Ryan Phillippe ('Crash,' 'Flags of Our Fathers')

At age 17, Ryan appeared on 'One Life to Live, as Billy Douglas the first-ever gay teenager on a daytime drama. What's most shocking here is the fact producers cast an actual teenager to play a teenager. Groundbreaking move indeed.

10 Famous Movie Actors That Started Out In Soap Operas

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