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Famous Hollywood Actors Who Were in Soap Operas
Get ready to be blown away as we take a journey from soap opera sets to the glamorous world of Hollywood’s A-listers. Yup, you heard it right! Some of your favorite big-screen heartthrobs actually kick-started their careers in the soap world. Get ready for a trip down memory lane as we look at the top 15 Hollywood actors who once were in Soap operas. So, without any further ado let’s get right into it.
Brad Pitt
When we talk about Hollywood, Brad Pitt is one of the stars that comes first in our mind. But before Pitt got famous from movies like Fight Club, Inglorious Bastards, Once Upon a time in Hollywood for which he won an Oscar in 2019, did you know he actually started out from the soaps?
Right at the start of his career, in 1987, Pitt landed a role as a young basketball player named Chris in long running soap, Another World. Although it was for just two episodes, it was his first time in a big show after working in a restaurant called El Pollo Loco dressing up as a chicken. Now look how far he has come, a real star.
Leonardo Di Caprio
There is not one person in this world who doesn’t know the Oscar winning Leonardo Dicaprio. Hollywood’s A-lister, Leo has been famously recognized for almost all his movies, like Titanic, Wolf of Wall Street, Inception and many more.
Being in the acting industry since he was a small kid, many people might know him as the child star from Roseanne and Growing Pains, but before the 90’s roles, he was actually in the hit 80’s soap, Santa Barbara. Leo was in it for five episodes, playing the younger version of the character Mason Capwell. His stint as a child actor was basically the universe saying, “This kid’s going to make it big,” and boy, did he live up to it!
Kevin Bacon
The iconic star from Footloose, Kevin Bacon made the bold move to NYC at the age of 17, dreaming of hitting it big. His shot at fame with National Lampoon’s Animal House in 1978 didn’t quite do the trick, so he went back to waiting tables, and doing small roles.
But, before Kevin Bacon became a household name, he actually landed a role in the soap opera,Guiding Light. From 1980 to 1981, he played the part of Tim Werner, a teenage alcoholic and, fast forward three years, there he was, rising to fame with his smooth moves on the dance floor in Footloose, making him a Hollywood hotshot.
Demi Moore
Demi Moore is a household name in Hollywood and how could she not be after her hit movies like, 1990’s Ghost, 1992’s A Few Good Men, and 2003’s Charlie’s Angels.
Plus her marriage with Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher was an addition to her fame as well. But before all her Hollywood fame, she was actually in General Hospital from 1982 to 1983, where she played the role of investigative journalist, Jackie Templeton.
Margot Robbie
Before becoming one of the hottest movie stars of Hollywood, Margot Robbie was a familiar face on the Australian soap, Neighbors. She portrayed Donna Freedman from 2008 to 2011 and even made a cameo in 2022.
After deciding to leave Neighbors at the end of her contract, she skyrocketed to fame with blockbuster films such as The Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad, Babylon, and the most recent, Barbie.
Laurence Fishburne
Now, let’s talk about Laurence Fishburne and make sure you don’t get him confused with Samuel L Jackson although they almost look the same.
So before Fishburne rose to fame and became one of the top Hollywood actors with his iconic movies like, The Matrix trilogy, John Wick Franchise, Apocalypse Now and Boyz N the Hood, he actually made his debut in the soap, One life to Live. At just the age of 11, he landed the role of Josh Hall in One Life To Live from 1973 to 1976.
Eva Longoria
I bet all the Y&R fans still remember Eva Longoria when she landed the regular role of Isabella Brana from 2001 to 2003 on the show. But that wasn’t her first soap, she actually got her first soap debut when she landed a guest spot in General Hospital in 2000.
And just after a year of her Y&R stint, she landed a role of Gabrille Solis on the hit show Desperate Housewives and now she is a soap star turned Hollywood actress. She even got a Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Lindsay Lohan
All the 2000s chick flick movies were basically ruled by Linday Lohan like Mean Girls, Freaky Friday, and till this day, she is one of the top Hollywood actors. Starting her career as a child star, she got famously recognized in Hollywood from her role as Lilo in Parent Trap.
At just the age of 3, she had been a fashion model for Ford Models, and right before her role in Parent Trap she also had a role as Alli Fowler on Another World from 1996 to 1997. Lindsay was also known as a young show-business veteran.
Ricky Martin
The amazing and talented Ricky Martin from Puerto Rico rose to fame as a member of the Latin American boy band Menudo, after which he became a solo artist in 1990 with hit songs like, Livin’ La Vida Loca and She bangs. But singing wasn’t the only thing he was limited to.
Back in mid 90’s, he went onto join the acting scene when he landed a role as Miguel Morez, the singer with troubled past in General Hospital.
Tom Selleck
Many of the fans might agree that Victor Newman, aka Eric Braeden from Y&R looks a lot like Tom Selleck. It’s probably because of the mustache too.
But there was a time when Tom was also in the Y&R where he played the role of Jed Andrews, a book editor without the iconic mustache from 1974 to 1975 and making a quick return in 2005 as well. Of course, Selleck and his ‘stache went on to charm us in shows like Magnum, P.I., and Blue Bloods.
Paul Wesley
Many people probably know Paul Wesley, as Stefan Salvatore, for his iconic role in hit tv show, The Vampire Diaries.
But way back in ’99, when he was just 19 and still using his birth name Wasilewski, he had a one-shot appearance on Another World. This led to a six-episode gig on Guiding Light, where he played the ever-on-the-run orphan, Max Nickerson.
Michael B Jordan
Michael B Jordan is another top and hottest star of Hollywood who has been popping up in some blockbuster movies like Black Panther, I am Legend and who has also become the face of the Rocky spin off franchise, Creed. But long before this, he was also in the soap opera, All My Children.
From 2003 to 2006, he played the role of the troubled teen, Reggie Montgomery. But did you know that Reggie’s character was originally portrayed by the late Black Panther star, Chadwick Boseman, who was fired after he objected to the stereotypical character.
David Hasselhoff
We all know David Hasselhoff as the Knight Rider and Baywatch guy, but before the turbo cars and beach rescues, he was Dr. William “Snapper” Foster on The Young and the Restless back in the late ’70s and early ’80s. He even made a comeback with the character on Y&R back in 2010.
Morgan Freeman
It feels like Morgan Freeman has been in the acting industry forever, but he only jumped into acting when he hit his 20s.
Before becoming the legendary Morgan Freeman we all love, starring in classics like The Shawshank Redemption and Bruce Almighty, he was already using that iconic voice in soap operas like Ryan’s Hope and Another World in the early ’80s.
Shemar Moore
Shemar Moore, known for Criminal Minds and S.W.A.T., started his TV journey rocking as Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless from 1994 to 2005 .
Since then he has been popping back for guest appearances like in 2014 and again in 2019 to pay respects to Kristoff St. John, who passed away that year, and just recently in 2023 as a tribute to Kristoff. Which Hollywood star shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments below.