Summary
- Many big actors, including Brad Pitt and Mark Hamill, started their careers in soap operas, showcasing their acting skills and honing their craft before moving on to blockbuster films.
- Soap operas possess well-developed characters and talented actors, allowing them to cycle through different characters while maintaining a dedicated fanbase.
- Soap opera roles, such as those played by Margot Robbie and Morgan Freeman, often differ from the actors’ later works, highlighting their versatility and range as performers.
Though they’re now known for other roles, many big actors got their start in soap operas. With shows like General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, and The Young And The Restless drawing huge audiences, soap operas have thrived on TV for decades. These shows include serialized storylines with family conflicts, sex, and romantic relationships. The genre thrives on twists and turns that seem larger than life.
While soap operas are often looked down, the genre possesses many strengths, including well-developed characters and phenomenal actors. Unlike other types of television, soap operas frequently cycle through actors and characters, allowing these series to continue without constraint. This has allowed multiple big-name actors to get their start with soaps. Many of these actors have blockbusters under their belts, causing people to forget their soap opera origins.
15 Brad Pitt
Although he’s a major movie star with projects like Fight Club and World War Z under his belt, Brad Pitt’s first credited role was a character named Chris, who appeared in a two-episode arc on the soap opera Another World. Chris was a teenager on the high school basketball team, and he developed a connection with John Hudson. Less than a year later, Pitt had a four-episode arc as Randy, Charlie Wade’s boyfriend, in the soap Dallas. When comparing these roles to his later works, Pitt clearly honed his acting skills over time.
14 Mark Hamill
Before he acted as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, Mark Hamill played Kent Murray on General Hospital. Kent and his sister, Carol, went to live with their aunt Jessie Brewer after their father died. Though Kent Murray frequently appeared, Carol got more attention in the plot. Despite this, Hamill’s role as Kent has come up frequently in speeches, including J.J. Abrams’ 2018 speech at the Oscar Wilde Awards (via Variety). That same year, Hamill shared on Twitter that his job on General Hospital provided some of the happiest months of his entire acting career.
13 Margot Robbie
Before Margot Robbie acted in movies like Barbie and Birds of Prey, she played Donna Freedman on the Australian soap Neighbours. Robbie appeared for almost three years, then she came back for the series finale nearly a decade later. Though Donna starts out as a Ty Harper groupie, she quickly becomes part of the in-crowd. Her storylines during her 328-episode arc included a romance with Ringo Brown, the search for her biological father, and a hit-and-run. Margot Robbie left the show to pursue Hollywood and became a superstar.
12 Justin Hartley
Justin Hartley made his name in soap operas before he got his role as Kevin Pearson in the show This Is Us. From 2002 to 2006, he played Fox Crane in Passions. Fox was obsessed with Whitney Russell and convinced they were meant to be together. Hartley also played Adam Newman in The Young and the Restless from 2014 to 2016. This role was played by different actors before and after Hartley. Adam was Victor Newman’s youngest son who was ruthless, two-faced, and unbelievably lovable. Hartley only left this role in order to start acting on This Is Us (via TheList).
11 Morgan Freeman
Like Pitt, Morgan Freeman started out on Another World before getting his Hollywood breakthrough. Freeman played a man named Roy Bingham. Little was known about his character other than the fact that he was an architect. In the few clips still available online, Roy seemed sweet and protective of his love interest. Freeman’s two-year stint only included five episodes total. This role contrasted with many of Freeman’s later roles, which swayed toward action and thriller movies.
10 Shemar Moore
Before his role in Criminal Minds, Shemar Moore acted in a soap opera. Between 1994 and 2005, Moore played Malcolm Winters in The Young and The Restless. Malcolm was the half-brother of Neil Winters. His storyline included two marriages, tension with Neil, and getting his half-sister-in-law pregnant. Though Moore moved on to more prominent roles, he returned to The Young and the Restless in 2014, continuing as Malcolm to this day.
9 John Stamos
Though he’s widely recognized as Uncle Jesse from Full House, John Stamos first starred as Blackie Parrish on General Hospital. Blackie was Rick and Leslie’s child, who they adopted after the death of Laura. He became friends with Laura’s husband Luke, and it devastated him when Luke ran off with a still-alive Laura. The last time he was seen, Blackie was falsely imprisoned for murdering his girlfriend. In 1983, Stamos won a Daytime Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama due to his role in General Hospital. This role contrasted deeply with his Full House character, highlighting Stamos’ emotional range as an actor.
8 Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei has acted in popular movies like My Cousin Vinny and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man trilogy, but she started out as Marcy Thomspon on the soap As The World Turns. Marcy was a wild-child teenager who got into lots of trouble. Throughout her arc on the show, she engaged in numerous romances. This culminated in a marriage to Lord Steward Cushing, the prince of England. She moved there and became Lady Cushing. Tomei has grown from this role, taking on more serious and comedic roles since.
7 Angela Bassett
Before she made it big in Hollywood, Angela Bassett had a single-episode arc as Angela in one of the longest-running soap operas: Guiding Light. Very little information is available about the character Angela. Based on the few clips and images on the internet, she seemed to be a friendly, compassionate nurse at a hospital. In the decades since this role, Bassett has performed in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Black Panther, and American Horror Story.
6 Chris Hemsworth
The mighty Thor actor Chris Hemsworth acted as Kim Hyde in the Australian soap opera Home and Away from 2004 to 2007. Kim was the son of Summer Bay High’s principal, with whom he had a contentious relationship. Early in the show, he moved out of the house. Additionally, Kim went through many relationships, all of which produced plenty of drama. Later in his story arc, Kim developed a substance use disorder as well. Needless to say, Hemsworth proved he can play a range of characters and storylines well before his Marvel debut.
5 Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon has become an iconic actress, but she started out with a one-year arc on the show A World Apart. Her character, Patrice Kahlman, was a single mom who decided to give up her infant child. When reflecting on her career, Sarandon said of this role, “I went through so many catastrophes just in one year, from getting kicked out of school to getting pregnant by a terrorist, so that was really fun” (via Entertainment Weekly). This wide array of plot lines may have contributed to her later ability to portray vastly different characters.
4 Eva Longoria
Superstar Eva Longoria performed in two different soaps early in her career. On General Hospital, Longoria played an uncredited role as “Brenda Barrett lookalike.” Additionally, she acted as Isabella Braña Williams in The Young and the Restless for a 303-episode arc. Isabella experienced a number of issues that made her life difficult. She came to town in order to break up Paul Williams and Christine Blair, and ultimately, she had an affair with Paul. She also wound up having a son with him. This comes off as similar to Longoria’s breakout role in Desperate Housewives; however, it is extremely different from her modern roles.
3 Nathan Fillion
Before Firefly and Castle, Nathan Fillion acted as Joey Buchanan in the soap opera One Life to Live. Though Buchanan remained on the show for almost 30 years, Fillion only filled the role from 1994 to 1997. Buchanan developed a secret relationship with Dorian Lord, the nemesis of his former step-grandmother. Later, Joey romanced Dorian’s niece, Kelly, until she left him for his brother. Fillion’s performance gave strong leading-man energy, winning him a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series.
2 Jensen Ackles
Now known for his role as Dean in Supernatural, Jensen Ackles got his start as Eric Brady on Days of Our Lives, appearing in nearly 450 episodes. Eric was the sweet and angelic twin to the chaotic and troubled Sami. He had a meaningful romance with Nicole Walker, but they didn’t end up together down the line. This pushed him to leave for the priesthood. In 1998, Ackles gained a Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Male Newcomer due to his role in Days of Our Lives. The contrast between these fantasy and soap opera roles feels strong, showing Ackles’ abilities as an actor.
1 Michael B. Jordan
Before gaining fame for projects like Friday Night Lights and Creed, Michael B. Jordan played the role of Reggie Montgomery from the soap All My Children. Interestingly, he took over the role from the late Chadwick Boseman, who later played opposite him in Black Panther. Reggie was involved in a gang due to his difficult home life, and he wound up tangled in the legal system. By the end of his character arc, Jack adopted Reggie, who he attended college on a basketball scholarship. This role matches up nicely with the complexity of Jordan’s other roles.
Sources: Variety, Twitter, TheList, Entertainment Weekly