That Moment When...

[Buscemi]

...you realize that a familiar actor was in a movie, TV show or commercial and you didn't realize it until a few years later. I started this conversation on the Reel Society Facebook page and I figured I would expand it here.

Here are a few that Six, Surfer, Chien, Ipkiss and another that I don't know his handle came up with:

- Michael Shannon was the Wrestlemania guy in Groundhog Day.
- Nick Swardson was the David Bowie fan in Almost Famous.
- Tobey Maguire was the kid with the mullet in The Wizard.
- Glenn Close played a pirate in Hook.
- Michael Fassbender was in a Guinness ad.
- Alexander Skarsgard was the blonde model in the Jeep in Zoolander.
- Oz's college girl in American Pie was also in American Pie 2 (this one was really obscure to me, Ipkiss will need to explain further).
- John Cho was the MILF guy in American Pie.
- Kim Catrall was the love interest in both Police Academy and Big Trouble in Little China.
- Bret McKenzie was Figwit in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
- Peter Jackson and Cate Blanchett are in Hot Fuzz (Jackson was the crazy Santa, Blanchett played Pegg's ex).
- Dreama Walker played Walt's granddaughter in Gran Torino.
- Treat Williams played Aron Ralston's father in 127 Hours.
- Treat Williams and Mickey Rourke are in 1941 (1941's was also Rourke's acting debut).
- Rosemarie Dewitt, Michael Ealy and Krysten Ritter are all in Margaret.

Does anyone have more to add?

More from me:

- Jim Dale (the narrator of the Harry Potter audiobooks and narrator of Pushing Daisies) was a contract player for Disney in the 1970's, most notably appearing in Pete's Dragon.
- Tom Selleck was in the Michael Douglas medical thriller Coma.
- Jeffrey Donovan was the lead in Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.
- Sam Lloyd (Ted Buckland from Scrubs) was the basketball coach and Wil Wheaton was his star player in Flubber.
- Gael Garcia Bernal was in the Levi's ad with Air's Playground Love.
- Neil Flynn (The Janitor from Scrubs) was the first baseman in Rookie of the Year.
- Isiah Whitlock Jr. was the DEA agent who busts Edward Norton in 25th Hour (he even does his trademark line from The Wire).
- Kat Dennings and Chloe Moretz played sisters in Big Momma's House 2.
- Simon West, the director of The Expendables 2 and Con Air also directed Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up video (yes, the Rickroll).
- Seth Rogen was a fellow student in Donnie Darko.

[Chienfantome]

- Seth Rogen was a fellow student in Donnie Darko.

Huh, I didn't know that.

[Buscemi]

Seth Rogen in Donnie Darko.



Not related, but I knew a guy who resembled Seth Rogen from this era.

And I just found out Ashley Tisdale (from the High School Musical movies) was also in Donnie Darko. Which shows you that she is much older than you'd think.

[numbersix]

Arnold Schwarzenegger is an uncredited goon in Altman's The Long Goodbye

[JohnErle]

Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz, and Nicholas Cage were Jeff Spicoli's stoner buddies in Fast Times At Ridgemont High.

(Just watched that recently so it's the only one that leaps to mind, but it happens all the time when watching old movies & TV shows.

[SuperShaan]

Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) on the Price is right



Billy Zane Back to the Future



Sam Rockwell Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles



and the most bizarre one is George Lucas Beverly Hills Cop III

[Geezer]

I still can't believe that Captain America was Jake Wyler in Not Another Teen Movie.

[transformers2]

Seth Rogen in Donnie Darko was easily the most surprising one of these moments for me.
Some other ones that haven't been mentioned yet:
Toby Maguire as the hitchhiker in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Jeremy Renner as one of the lead soldiers in 28 Weeks Later
Kal Penn as one of the fake hood kids in B-Rad's posse in Malibu's Most Wanted
Taraji P.Henson as one of the hookers in Hustle & Flow
Terrence Howard as the villain in Big Momma's House

[numbersix]

Billy Crystal's kid in City Slickers is played by Jake Gyllenhaal.

[Buscemi]

Because of The Price is Right, I will forever refer to Aaron Paul as Aaron "$26,000" Paul.

Another one I just remembered: Billie Piper and Lily Allen have bit parts in Elizabeth. I don't think either one had dialogue though.

[Shrykespeare]

Wil Wheaton and Shannon Doherty played the voices of the two oldest children in The Secret of NIMH.
Chris Rock's first on-screen appearance was as the Playboy Mansion valet in Beverly Hills Cop 2.
Jim Carrey played one of Nic Cage's high-school buddies in Peggy Sue Got Married.

[Buscemi]

Some more:

- Huey Lewis is the talent show director in Back to the Future.
- Jello Biafra played a cop in Tapeheads (he even namedrops his old band in his scene).
- Rainn Wilson was in Almost Famous (and shortly after, he filmed House of 1,000 Corpses but that wasn't released until 2003).
- Rob Zombie directed the hallucination sequence in Beavis and Butt-head Do America.
- Bruce Campbell has a voice cameo in Fargo (he's the soap opera actor heard from the snowy TV).
- John Hurt played himself in Spaceballs.
- Shane Black played the nerdy soldier in Predator.
- Emily Blunt was the redheaded writer in The Devil Wears Prada.
- Keira Knightley played Queen Amidala's double in Star Wars: Episode 1.
- Philip Seymour Hoffman was in Scent of a Woman and Twister (the suck zone).

Also, ARoode added Andy Garcia appearing in an episode of Murder, She Wrote trying to mug Angela Lansbury.

[redraider]

Dennis Haysbert (President Palmer from 24) as Pedro Cerrano in the Major League movies

[Geezer]

Dennis Haysbert (President Palmer from 24) as Pedro Cerrano in the Major League movies

Yes! I was shocked at this one too!

[Chienfantome]

- Shane Black played the nerdy soldier in Predator.

Yeah I noticed that one only a few weeks ago too !