The most unknown films from famous stars

Sure, you can reel off the names of your favourite actors’ biggest hits, but what about their very first roles, or those they’ve taken on in indie movies that may have slipped under your radar?



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Meryl Streep, She-Devil, 1989

Though this talented actress’ performance resulted in a Golden Globe nomination, this little movie was quickly forgotten. Streep plays an author of romantic novels who steals the husband (Ed Begley Jr.) of an ordinary woman, brilliantly played by Roseanne Barr. The jilted wife goes to great lengths to ruin the life of the home wrecker.



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Julianne Moore, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, 1992

In this psychological thriller, a woman who has lost everything, played by Rebecca De Mornay, adopts a new identity in order to destroy one mother’s family life. Julianne Moore plays Marlene, an ill-fated friend who uncovers this villainous plan.



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Halle Berry, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, 1999

This made-for-television movie was Halle Berry’s major breakthrough. Her portrayal of the first black woman nominated for a Best Actress Oscar in 1954 gained her a Golden Globe and paved the way for larger roles, in particular Monster’s Ball in 2001.



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Amy Adams, Drop Dead Gorgeous, 1999

This devilish black comedy slipped under the radar when it was released, despite an all-star cast including Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney and Kirstie Alley. In this mockumentary, a crew follows contestants in the Sarah Rose Cosmetics Mount Rose American Teen Princess Pageant, held in a small town in Minnesota. One of these beauty queens is Amy Adams in her first role.



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Charlize Theron, That Thing You Do!, 1996

Tom Hanks’ directorial debut, this musical movie tells the story of the rise to fame of a ‘60s pop band and stars Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Steve Zahn and a young, blonde Charlize Theron, who at that time had only appeared in one previous movie, 2 Days in the Valley, from the same year.



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Kate Winslet, Heavenly Creatures, 1994

Well before she became Rose DeWitt in Titanic, this British actress starred in this Peter Jackson drama at the tender age of 19. Performing alongside Melanie Lynskey, she played one of two rebellious friends with wicked intentions.



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Robert Downey Jr., Only You, 1994

This romance stars Marisa Tomei in the role of a woman who heads to Italy on a whim in order to meet the man bearing the same name as the man who will be the love of her life, according to a fortune teller she consulted as a child. As you may have guessed, the man in question is Downey Jr., who is now one of Hollywood’s best-paid actors thanks to his role as Tony Stark in the Marvel movies.



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Lena Headey, Possession, 2002

Directed by Neil LaBute, this small-scale movie about two historians (Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart) discovering the story of a secret love affair between two English poets in the Victorian era has largely slipped under the radar in spite of great performances, notably from Jennifer Ehle and Headey, who later appeared in 300 and Game of Thrones.



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Scarlett Johansson, Ghost World, 2001

Before becoming the best-paid actress in the world, Johansson, who has grown up on the big screen, played a directionless teenager in this indie movie that has now achieved cult status. She starred alongside another child actress, Thora Birch.



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Gwyneth Paltrow, Great Expectations, 1998

Released just a few weeks after the box-office smash Titanic, this chic romantic drama passed most people by. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón and based on the novel of the same name, this movie tells the story of Finn, an artistic boy from a poor background who falls in love with Estelle, a high-society girl. Ethan Hawke, Robert De Niro and Anne Bancroft complete the all-star lineup.



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Jude Law, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, 1997

Adapted from a book and directed by Clint Eastwood, this movie (also featuring John Cusack) stars Kevin Spacey in the role of an art collector from Savannah, Georgia, accused of murdering his lover, played by Law. In spite of interesting cinematography, this movie was panned by critics and was a commercial flop.



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Dermot Mulroney, There Goes My Baby, 1994

Before he shot to success with My Best Friend’s Wedding in 1997, a fresh-faced Mulroney was breaking hearts in this coming-of-age drama. A group of freshly graduated friends, featuring Noah Wyle and Rick Schroder, find themselves having to face the reality of life in the ‘60s—the Vietnam war, flower power and the Watts race riots in L.A.



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Christina Ricci, Pumpkin, 2002

This indie comedy never made it big, but it’s certainly worth a watch. Christina Ricci, who most recently starred in the series Z: The Beginning of Everything, plays a young student living in a perfectly manicured world. However, this is torn apart when she falls in love with a disabled boy. Double Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy also features in the marvellous cast for this must-see dark comedy.



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Kevin Bacon, Stir of Echoes, 1999

In spite of a good script and interesting plot, this movie was never a big box-office earner, coming out just after other films of the same genre such as The Sixth Sense and The Blair Witch Project. In this supernatural thriller, the main character, played by Bacon, has horrific visions after undergoing amateur hypnosis.



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Cate Blanchett, The Gift, 2000

Sam Raimi, the director behind the Spider-Man trilogy and Oz The Great and Powerful, directed this movie that relates the strange events that occurred in a small town in Georgia. Blanchett plays the role of a fortune teller who tries to help the town’s residents, including Greg Kinnear and Hilary Swank.



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Jennifer Aniston, The Good Girl, 2002

In one of her more serious movie roles, the actress that had for years been known only as Rachel from Friends surprised many with her performance in this independent movie directed by Miguel Arteta. She plays Justine, an ordinary woman with a job in a big-box store who falls in love with the character played by Jake Gyllenhaal, a young man with a tortured soul.



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Chris Evans, Not Another Teen Movie, 2001

Few could have predicted when they saw this ‘90s teen-movie parody that Evans would become one of Hollywood’s most popular actors, taking on the role of Captain America. He stars alongside Jaime Pressly and Chyler Leigh in this comedy that makes fun of clichéd teen rom-coms.



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Mark Ruffalo, In the Cut, 2003

In this independent movie directed by Jane Campion, Meg Ryan has one of her more serious roles, playing a woman who embarks on an affair with a detective investigating the murder of a young woman. The mysterious, moustachioed policeman is played by Ruffalo, whose talent shines in this erotic thriller, co-produced by Nicole Kidman.



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Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl, 2007

Playing the role of Lars, a strange but endearing young man who starts a romantic relationship with a plastic mannequin, Gosling once again demonstrates his ability to move and provoke audiences. His performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination.



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Jim Carrey, Earth Girls Are Easy, 1988

This guilty pleasure stars Geena Davis as a young woman visited by aliens, played by Jeff Goldblum, Damon Wayans and Jim Carrey, who quickly adapt to the American way of life. Carrey’s career was in its infancy at this point, and though this musical romantic comedy has been largely forgotten, it’s worth a watch.



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