Years before he became famous for his rubber-faced antics on TV's In Living Color and his first major films, The Mask and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, comedian Jim Carrey filled small roles in big-name films, like Peggy Sue Got Married, The Dead Pool, and Earth Girls are Easy.

Unknown Richard Dreyfus had two lines in the blockbuster film The Graduate (1967), which also starred newcomers Dustin Hoffman and Katherine Ross, with veteran actress Anne Bancroft.

David Niven's first film role was that of a Mexican wrapped in a blanket in a Hopalong Cassidy film. He was an extra or a walk-on in 26 other insignificant westerns, and then earned some small film parts, until he got his first major part in Splendor (1935).

Sophia Loren made her film debut as an extra in crowd scenes in the film Quo Vadis (1950), seven years before she arrived in Hollywood with husband Carlo Ponti.

Jamie Farr's signature role will always be that of Corporal Max Klinger, the resourceful enlisted man who wore women's clothing to get out of the Army on the TV's M*A*SH. Farr's film debut was as Santini, a student in Blackboard Jungle (1955), which credited him as Jameel Farah (his real name). He was a stock player as a delivery boy on The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1961. Farr's role on M*A*S*H, from 1972 through 1983, evolved from a bit part as a transvestite in the fourth episode of the series. Following the success of his debut performance, Farr became a permanent and prominent character on the show.

Some film stars got their first crack at stardom in television commercials. Susan Sarandon, Harrison Ford, and F. Murray Abraham are among those who later achieved fame on the big screen, but started as actors in ads. Tom Selleck was popular in Chaz commercials and Farrah Fawcett's face (and blonde tresses) became well-known to the public from Wella Balsam ads. Sela Ward, Sarah Michelle Geller, Shelley Long, Jaclyn Smith, Scott Bakula, Melissa Joan Hart, John Goodman, and Faith Ford also started in TV commercials.

Sean Penn made his television debut in an episode of Barnaby Jones. He had one line.

Author: Vicki McClure Davidson

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