Famous actors who got their start on soap operas

Elizabeth Banks, All My Children

In his very first episode of All My Children, Josh Duhamel charms a waitress into paying for his meal — and that waitress is none other than Elizabeth Banks. When the episode aired in 1999, Banks was just getting started as an actress. Her character only appeared in one scene.

Lucky for us, we'd get many more opportunities to see Banks on shows like Scrubs and Modern Family, and on the big screen in The Hunger Games and Pitch Perfect franchises. —Dylan Kickham

Kathy Bates, The Doctors

Before she earned 14 Emmy nominations (and two wins), eight Golden Globe nominations (and two wins), and four Academy Award nods (and one win), Kathy Bates landed her first taste of fame with a four-episode arc on The Doctors.

Bates played Phyllis Gillette, a role so small that two of her appearances were uncredited. Don't worry, Bates did okay after that, going on to star in classic films like Misery and Titanic. —Matt Sulem

Justin Hartley, Passions

He would eventually hit it big in prime time as one of This Is Us' Big Three, but Justin Hartley picked up his first onscreen acting credit with a main role on Passions, playing Nicholas Foxworth "Fox" Crane from 2002 to 2006. —Mary Sollosi

Amber Tamblyn, General Hospital

The Joan of Arcadia star and two-time sister of the Traveling Pants Amber Tamblyn kicked off her career on General Hospital, where she originated the role of Emily Quartermaine, which she held from 1995 to 2001. —Mary Sollosi

Shemar Moore, The Young and the Restless

Criminal Minds and S.W.A.T. star Shemar Moore kicked off his TV career starring as Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless from 1994 to 2005 (with a hiatus from 2002 to 2004). He returned to the soap for a guest appearance in 2014 and again in 2019 to honor cast member Kristoff St. John, who died that same year. —Mary Sollosi

Laurence Fishburne, One Life to Live

Before going on to appear in such iconic films as Apocalypse Now, Boyz N the Hood, and the original Matrix trilogy, a preteen Laurence Fishburne played Josh West Hall on One Life to Live from 1973 to 1976. —Mary Sollosi

Julianne Moore, As the World Turns

Before she starred in films like The Kids Are All Right and Still Alice (the latter of which earned her dozens of accolades, including both an Oscar and a Golden Globe), Julianne Moore won a Daytime Emmy for portraying both Frannie and Sabrina Hughes on As the World Turns. From 1985 to 1988, Moore played Frannie, and then did double the work by also playing Frannie's identical half-sister and cousin Sabrina starting in 1986. In 2010, Moore reprised her role as Frannie by coming back to appear on the show for an episode. —Dylan Kickham

Josh Duhamel, All My Children

From 1999 to 2002, Josh Duhamel ruled the soap world as one half of the All My Children super-couple Leo and Greenlee. Duhamel earned a Daytime Emmy for the role, but left the show to pursue other opportunities, leaving his character of Leo to die in a shocking twist. In 2011, Duhamel briefly reprised his role as Leo, visiting Greenlee in a dream.

Later on, Duhamel would star in the Transformers franchise and Love, Simon, among other films, as well as on the TV series Blade Runner: Black Lotus. —Dylan Kickham

Sarah Michelle Gellar, All My Children

Sarah Michelle Gellar may have become a household name from her titular role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but soap opera fans knew that she had a talent for acting even before she started dusting vampires.

From 1993 to 1995, the actress played troubled teen Kendall Hart on All My Children. The performance was well received, and even won Gellar a Daytime Emmy award, but she still decided to leave the show in 1995 to focus on different projects. In 2011, Gellar returned to All My Children for one episode. —Dylan Kickham

John Stamos, General Hospital

Well before Uncle Jesse moved into Full House, John Stamos played the streetwise Blackie Parrish on General Hospital. Even back in his early '80s stint on the soap, Stamos was interested in music: His character formed the band Blackie and the Riff Raff, although they were definitely no Jesse and the Rippers. In 1992, Stamos returned to General Hospital for one episode — this time playing himself. —Dylan Kickham

Leonardo DiCaprio, Santa Barbara

Many fans know of Leonardo DiCaprio's days as a child actor thanks to Roseanne and Growing Pains, but even before those early '90s roles, DiCaprio made appearances in five episodes of the '80s soap opera Santa Barbara. The future Oscar winner (The Revenant) appeared as the younger version of the character Mason Capwell. —Dylan Kickham

Alec Baldwin, The Doctors

The frequent Saturday Night Live host/guest performer and 30 Rock star's first television role was that of Billy Aldrich on The Doctors from 1980 to 1982. The story line of Alec Baldwin's character marked a more dramatic turn for the show — Billy would die if an older female character continued using a serum to make herself appear younger. —Dylan Kickham

Morgan Freeman, Ryan's Hope

Freeman didn't start his acting career until he was well into his 20s. Before becoming the Morgan Freeman we all know today—from films like The Shawshank Redemption and Bruce Almighty—he used his iconic voice in roles on soap operas like Ryan's Hope and Another World through the early-'80s. —Dylan Kickham

Mark Hamill, General Hospital

It's hard to picture Mark Hamill as any character other than Luke Skywalker, but a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, he actually appeared on General Hospital. In his first regular role, Hamill played Kent Murray from 1972 to 1973, and, later, referred to the experience as "some of the happiest months of my career." —Matt Sulem

Jensen Ackles, Days of Our Lives

Jensen Ackles had been a model since the age of 4, and broke into acting at around 18 as Eric Brady on Days of Our Lives. He landed the role in 1997 and held it until 2000. Ackles' soap opera past was referenced in an episode of his show Supernatural, where his character enters a parallel universe and discovers himself to be former daytime soap star Jensen Ackles. —Dylan Kickham

Demi Moore, General Hospital

Long before 1990's Ghost, 1992's A Few Good Men, and her tabloid-heavy marriages to Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore played investigative journalist Jackie Templeton on General Hospital from 1982 to 1983. —Dylan Kickham

Hayden Panettiere, One Life to Live

Fans may remember Hayden Panettiere's early acting days from her role in the 2000 film Remember the Titans, but she was acting on soap operas years before that. The young star played Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live from 1994 to 1997, and then went on to play Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light from 1997 to 2000. —Dylan Kickham

Kevin Bacon, Guiding Light

Kevin Bacon moved to New York City at 17 to try to make it big. National Lampoon's Animal House was eyed as his big break in 1978, but it didn't quite launch him to fame, so he went back to waiting tables and taking small roles. From 1980 to 1981 he played teenage alcoholic Tim Werner on Guiding Light. Of course, just a few years later, he would liberate an entire town with his smooth dance moves in Footloose (1984). —Dylan Kickham

Taye Diggs, Guiding Light

Taye Diggs had already shown off his acting chops on the stage with performances in Rent and Chicago, before making his television debut on Guiding Light in 1997. Diggs played Adrian "Sugar" Hill, one of the men Dahlia Crede dated. —Dylan Kickham

Ryan Phillippe, One Life to Live

Ryan Phillippe's first television role was a pretty groundbreaking one. As Billy Douglas on One Life to Live, he portrayed the first openly gay teenager on daytime TV. Phillippe was 18 at the time, and would go on to fill his résumé with films like Cruel Intentions and The Lincoln Lawyer. —Dylan Kickham

Brad Pitt, Another World

Brad Pitt may be one of the biggest stars in the world now, but before he made a name for himself in films like 1999's Fight Club and 2009's Inglourious Basterds, Pitt got his first television speaking role on the soap opera Another World. An Oscar winner for 2019's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Pitt got his start in 1987 playing a young basketball player named Chris. —Dylan Kickham

Nathan Fillion, One Life to Live

Before he played the titular character on Castle, Nathan Fillion booked one of his first roles with a gig on One Life to Live in the mid-'90s, as the teenaged Joey Buchanan. A large part of Fillion's time as Joey involved a romance with his mother's nemesis, Dorian Lord. Fillion briefly returned to the show as Joey in 2007 for the funeral of his character's adopted grandfather. —Dylan Kickham

David Hasselhoff, The Young and the Restless

David Hasselhoff is famous for his roles in Knight Rider and Baywatch, but to soap opera fans he is known as Dr. William "Snapper" Foster from The Young and the Restless. Hasselhoff played Snapper throughout the late-'70s and early-'80s. He even reprised his role in several episodes in 2010. —Dylan Kickham

Michael B. Jordan, All My Children

Long before he became the face of the Rocky spin-off franchise, Creed, Michael B. Jordan had a regular role in the first season of The Wire in 2002. The following year, Jordan was added to the cast of All My Children, where he stayed until 2006. Jordan played troubled teen Reggie Montgomery, a role originated by Chadwick Boseman, who objected to the stereotypical character and was fired as a result. —Matt Sulem

Leven Rambin, All My Children

Leven Rambin first started on All My Children in 2004 when she was just 13 years old. Rambin ended up compiling 161 episodes as Lily Montgomery (and occasionally her own older half-sister, Ava Benton), and accepted roles on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Grey's Anatomy while still appearing on the soap. Rambin was in the second season of HBO's True Detective in 2015. She also starred on Hulu's The Path and NBC's Gone in 2017. —Matt Sulem

Lauryn Hill, As the World Turns

Lauryn Hill is most famous for her music, but before she joined the Fugees and embarked on her critically acclaimed solo career, she gave acting a try. In the early '90s, Hill appeared as Kira Johnson on As the World Turns. —Dylan Kickham

Jordana Brewster, As the World Turns

Just a few months after making her TV debut in a 1995 episode of All My Children, Jordana Brewster landed a role as Nikki Munson on As the World Turns. Brewster played the police chief's daughter for more than 100 episodes between 1995 and 2001, before trying her hand at film, including a recurring role in the Fast & Furious franchise. Brewster found success once again on the small screen on Dallas (2012–2014) and Lethal Weapon (2016–2018). —Matt Sulem

Meg Ryan, As the World Turns

Seven years prior to When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan started her acting career with a role on As the World Turns. Although Ryan initially accepted the job just to earn money while she studied journalism as an undergraduate, the gig turned into a 31-episode run from 1982 to 1984 that saw her Betsy Stewart character wed Steve Andropoulos (Frank Runyeon) in an episode that attracted 20 million viewers. —Matt Sulem

Paul Wesley, Another World and Guiding Light

You might know Paul Wesley as Eddie Longo on the CBS anthology thriller Tell Me a Story, or from his breakthrough role on the CW teen drama The Vampire Diaries, but he actually cut his teeth with a one-off appearance on Another World in 1999. Wesley, who was 19 and still using his birth surname of Wasilewski, quickly parlayed this into a six-episode part on Guiding Light, in which he played an always-on-the-run orphan named Max Nickerson. —Matt Sulem

Tom Selleck, The Young and the Restless

Soap fans know that Eric Braeden, who has been playing Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless for over 40 years, looks a bit like actor Tom Selleck—but few remember that Selleck actually had a role on the same soap from 1974 to 1975. On Y&R, Selleck played Jed Andrews, a book editor with a short character arc and no mustache. He briefly reprised the role in 2005.

Of course, Tom Selleck (and his mustache) would go on to entertain us on shows like Magnum, P.I. and Blue Bloods. —Matt Sulem

Susan Sarandon, A World Apart

Before winning an Academy Award for Dead Man Walking (and earning four other Oscar nods for films including Thelma & Louise), Susan Sarandon's early-career role on A World Apart wasn't just a bit part; she was one of the show's stars! A World Apart ran for 325 episodes on ABC from 1970 to 1971—brief, by soap standards—but Sarandon appeared in every one as the character Patrice Kahlman. —Matt Sulem

Kevin Kline, Search for Tomorrow

In 1991, Kevin Kline starred in—and earned a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination for—the all-star comedy Soapdish, which centered on a fictional soap opera. Kline had some useful experience that prepared him for the role, as the actor's very first credit was playing Woody Reed on the CBS daytime drama Search for Tomorrow. —Matt Sulem

Robin Wright, Santa Barbara

Robin Wright is now famous for playing the icy Claire Underwood on House of Cards and for her roles in 1994's Forrest Gump and 1987's The Princess Bride, but one of her first acting jobs was playing Kelly Capwell, a protagonist on the soap opera Santa Barbara. In the late '80s, Wright portrayed Kelly as she struggled to choose between two men, and found out one was a serial killer. She was nominated for three Daytime Emmys for the role. —Dylan Kickham

Kelly Ripa, All My Children

When Kelly Ripa replaced Kathie Lee Gifford in 2001 as the new cohost of what would become Live With Regis and Kelly (and, later, Live With Kelly and Ryan), she was still acting on All My Children in a role she originated all the way back in 1990. Ripa played hard-partying teen Hayley Vaughan until her 2002 departure, and briefly returned to Pine Valley as Hayley for a pair of episodes in 2010. —Matt Sulem

Mark Consuelos, All My Children

Mark Consuelos was a regular on Riverdale for four seasons as Veronica's dad, Hiram Lodge, but he's best known for his very first role: playing Mateo Santos Sr. on All My Children. Consuelos was only 24 years old when he started on the soap in 1995, and the role not only launched his career, but also introduced him to his future wife (who also played his eventual wife on the show), Kelly Ripa. —Matt Sulem

James Earl Jones, Guiding Light and As the World Turns

Way before James Earl Jones took on the iconic voice roles of Darth Vader and Mufasa, he appeared on two soaps in the 1960s: Guiding Light and As the World Turns. Coincidentally, Jones portrayed a doctor on both of the shows: Dr. Jim Frazier on the former and Dr. Jerry Turner on the latter. —Matt Sulem

Kathleen Turner, The Doctors

Several people on this list have credits from The Doctors, but none like Kathleen Turner, who recorded an impressive 243 episodes between 1978 and 1979 as Nola Dancy Aldrich. Turner went on to earn two Tony nominations (for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), one Oscar nod (for 1986's Peggy Sue Got Married), and two Golden Globe wins (for 1984's Romancing the Stone and 1985's Prizzi's Honor), and is still active on both stage and screen. —Matt Sulem

Ricky Martin, General Hospital

Ricky Martin wasn't always just known for his singing. Back in the mid-'90s, Martin was living la vida drama on General Hospital. He played Miguel Morez, a singer with a troubled past. —Dylan Kickham

Brittany Snow, Guiding Light

Before scoring roles in teen movies like John Tucker Must Die, Hairspray, and starring in the beloved Pitch Perfect trilogy, Brittany Snow picked up one of her first credits as Susan "Daisy" Lemay on Guiding Light from 1998 to 2000. —Mary Sollosi

Lindsay Lohan, Another World

Before fans fell in love with LiLo in The Parent Trap, she was playing Alli Fowler on Another World from 1996 to 1997. Lindsay Lohan had already been a fashion model with Ford Models since the age of 3, and, at the time of her television debut, was considered a young show-business veteran. —Dylan Kickham

Ray Liotta, Another World

Aside from a pair of TV movies, Ray Liotta's first Hollywood credit was a 37-episode arc as Joey Perrini on Another World from 1978 to 1981. Liotta later became a household name as the star of films like Something Wild (1986), Goodfellas (1990), and Identity (2003), and returned to TV as Lieutenant Matt Wozniak on NBC's Shades of Blue from 2016 to 2018. He also starred in The Many Saints of Newark (2021) and Apple TV+'s Black Bird (2022). Liotta died in May 2022 at the age of 67. —Matt Sulem

Judith Light, One Life to Live

Technically, Judith Light's career started on stage—including a 1975 Broadway debut in a revival of A Doll's House—but her first notable on-camera credit was playing Karen Wolek on One Life to Live from 1977 to 1983. After nabbing Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in back-to-back years for the soap, Light became a household name as Angela on the sitcom Who's the Boss? and, later, as Shelly on Amazon's Transparent. Light has continued to work on Broadway and earned Tony awards in 2012 and 2013, as well as the theater community's philanthropy-based Isabella Stevenson Award in 2019. —Matt Sulem

Anne Heche, Another World

Anne Heche amassed an impressive 71 episodes as Vicky Hudson (and, occasionally, her twin sister, Marley Love) on Another World from 1988 to 1992 prior to launching a successful film career. Heche acted in indie films and continued working on TV shows, including the NBC drama Chicago P.D. She also starred in the Lifetime movie Girl in Room 13. Heche died following a tragic car accident in August 2022 at the age of 53. —Matt Sulem

Melissa Leo, All My Children

Even though it was just her first role, most soap fans will remember Melissa Leo's stint on All My Children. After all, the respected actress spent four years as Linda Warner from 1984 to 1988, and even earned a Daytime Emmy for the part. Of course, she also found further fame as Sergeant Kay Howard on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1997 and her highly praised roles in the films 21 Grams (2003), Frozen River (2008), and The Fighter (2010) — with the latter earning Leo a Best Supporting Actress award at both the Golden Globes and Oscars.

Leo has gone on to appear in a number of films like Prisoners (2013), The Big Short (2015), and Alone Together (2022). Plus, she's had major roles on TV shows like I'm Dying Up Here and I Know This Much Is True. —Matt Sulem

Christian Slater, Ryan's Hope

Aside from various single-episode appearances on TV shows (including the soaps Search for Tomorrow and All My Children), Christian Slater's first significant acting role was playing D.J. LaSalle in 20 episodes of the ABC soap opera Ryan's Hope in 1985, when he was just 16 years old.

Slater went on to star in films like Heathers (1989) and Interview With the Vampire (1994), and on USA's Mr. Robot—a role that earned him a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe in 2016—and Peacock's Dr. Death. —Matt Sulem

Lori Loughlin, The Edge of Night

Despite her role in a highly publicized college admissions scandal, Lori Loughlin is still best known as Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis of Full House (1988–1995) and Fuller House (2016–2018) fame. However, Loughlin's breakthrough role—and still her largest to date in terms of episodes—was playing Jody Travis on The Edge of Night for 543 installments from 1980 to 1984. —Matt Sulem

Kristin Davis, General Hospital

Although she grew up in Colorado and South Carolina, Kristin Davis is best known for playing characters that live in New York. Davis' first major role was as Nurse Betsy Chilson in 19 episodes of General Hospital in 1991. But, the actress made a name for herself as Charlotte on HBO's Sex and the City for six seasons, two movies, and the revival series, And Just Like That. —Matt Sulem

Marcia Cross, The Edge of Night

Marcia Cross is best known for the prime-time soap operas Melrose Place (1992–1997) and Desperate Housewives (2004–2012), so it's no surprise she got her start on daytime soaps. Cross had a short stint as Liz Corell on The Edge of Night in 1984, a one-off on Another World in 1986, and occasional appearances as Kate Sanders on One Life to Live from 1986 to 1988. Later, she'd have notable roles on Quantico (2015–2017) and The Edge of Sleep (2019). —Matt Sulem

Lacey Chabert, All My Children

Seven actresses played Bianca Montgomery at various points on All My Children, including Lacey Chabert, who held the role for 10 episodes from 1992 to 1993, when she was just 10 years old. Chabert got her breakthrough only a year later as a star of Party of Five and made her mark in film as Gretchen Wieners of Mean Girls fame. She has since become a year-round lead in Hallmark movies. —Matt Sulem

Melissa Fumero, One Life to Live

Playing Sergeant Amy Santiago on Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been Melissa Fumero's most famous role, but it hasn't been her largest. Her eight seasons as Santiago didn't surpass the 207 episodes Fumero compiled as Adriana Cramer on One Life to Live from 1998 to 2011. She also appeared as Adriana in a pair of episodes of All My Children in 2005.

Not only did the actress get her first major TV role on One Life to Live, back when she was known as Melissa Gallo, but the show introduced her to actor and model David Fumero, whom she married in 2007. —Matt Sulem

Kyra Sedgwick, Another World

Before her breakout role in the 1989 war biopic Born on the Fourth of July and her Golden Globe and Emmy-winning role as Deputy Chief Johnson on TNT's The Closer from 2005 to 2012, Kyra Sedgwick's very first credit was playing Julia Shearer in 16 episodes of Another World from 1982 to 1983.

Tommy Lee Jones, One Life to Live

Before starring in modern classics like Men in Black and No Country for Old Men, Tommy Lee Jones starred on One Life to Live from 1971 to 1975. He played Dr. Mark Toland, an ultimately troubled character who was shot and killed during a case of mistaken identity while en route to blackmailing Victor Lord. —Matt Sulem

Naomi Watts, Home and Away

Although born in England, Naomi Watts spent much of her youth in Australia, where she got her start as an actress. Known best for films like Mulholland Drive (2001), 21 Grams (2003), The Impossible (2012), and Birdman (2014), Watts actually began her career on TV. In 1991, she did a 19-episode stint as Julie Gibson on the Australian soap opera Home and Away. —Matt Sulem

Ellen Burstyn, The Doctors

Ellen Burstyn had a lot of one-off TV appearances early in her career, but her first substantial role was as Dr. Kate Bartok on The Doctors in 1965. Burstyn won an Oscar nearly a decade later for her moving portrayal of the titular character in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974). She has consistently been on the big screen since then, in films like Lucy in the Sky (2019) and on TV shows like House of Cards and The First Lady. —Matt Sulem

Ted Danson, Somerset and The Doctors

A pair of daytime dramas kicked off Ted Danson's career. From 1975 to 1976, Danson briefly played Tom Conway on Somerset, and had a longer stint on The Doctors. In the latter soap, Danson initially played Dr. Chuck Weldon for seven episodes in 1975, but returned to the show as a completely different character, Mitch Pierson, in an even longer arc two years later.

Over the course of his lengthy career, audiences would come to know and love Danson in roles such as Sam on Cheers and Michael on The Good Place. —Matt Sulem

Eva Longoria, General Hospital

Eva Longoria had a flair for the dramatic in her hit show Desperate Housewives, but it all started for her on daytime soaps. The actress landed a guest spot on General Hospital back in 2000 and went on to book a regular role on The Young and the Restless as Isabella Braña from 2001 to 2003. —Dylan Kickham

Christopher Reeve, Love of Life

Christopher Reeve only had a handful of acting credits before he was cast as the star of Superman (1978), and one of those was a three-episode arc on the long-running CBS soap Love of Life. Reeve was one of the actors who played Ben Harper, and was just 23 years old when cast. —Matt Sulem

Marisa Tomei, As the World Turns

Oscar winner Marisa Tomei's first role on a TV series was Marcy Thompson in 18 episodes of As the World Turns in the mid-1980s. Tomei would go on to star on the big screen in films like My Cousin Vinny, What Women Want, and The Wrestler. She also played Aunt May in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. —Dylan Kickham