The 1980s were a golden era for teen idols and iconic movie stars, but did you know that many of these famous faces had humble beginnings? From early roles to high school photos, let's take a look at some of the biggest names in Hollywood before they hit the big time.
Demi Moore
Before she became a household name as part of the Brat Pack, Demi Moore was just a regular 15-year-old in Los Angeles. She even took part in a photo shoot documenting the life of an LA teen while studying at Fairfax High School. But it was her role in the 1980s film Blame It on the Rita that launched her into the spotlight.
Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates, a beloved icon of the 1980s, had a career in modeling during the 1970s. She attended performing arts schools like Juilliard and the Professional Children's School, but a knee injury ended her dancing dreams. She began taking modeling more seriously but decided to move into acting, landing her debut role in 1982 with Paradise. Her big break came with roles in '80s hits like Gremlins and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox is now known and beloved as the time-traveling adventurer Marty McFly, but before that, he had a few smaller roles to his name. Four years before the Back to the Future role that would define his career, Michael worked on two seasons of Palmerstown, U.S.A. between 1980 and 1981 as the character Willy-Joe Hall. His international fame came in the 1980s, but his journey to stardom began with these smaller roles.
Kristy McNichol
Kristy McNichol got her start onscreen in the 1970s with appearances on rom-com series Love, American Style and family drama Run, Joe, Run, working up to a 16-episode run on Apple's Way. Her most-loved roles came later on in the 1970s and into the following decade, including the film Little Darlings and shows like Family and Empty Nest. Her big break came in the mid-1970s, but her fame was built with smaller appearances.
Molly Ringwald
Brat Pack superstar Molly Ringwald defined '80s adolescence with roles in The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Sixteen Candles. The actress started on-screen with Diff'rent Strokes and its spinoff, The Facts of Life, in 1979 and 1980. Stardom soon followed in the mid-1980s with the release of Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club in 1984 and 1985, respectively. Her career grew alongside the decade, and she became a defining face of the era.
Ralph Macchio
Ralph Macchio's iconic run as the karate kid himself earned him a place in the history books of '80s cinema. We all learned to wax on, wax off under the guidance of Mr. Miyagi alongside Ralph in The Karate Kid (1984) and witnessed the chaos of graduate life in The Outsiders (1983). Prior to landing those major movie roles, Ralph's career started at the beginning of the decade with a role in the comedy Up the Academy (1980) and on the series Eight is Enough (1980-81).
Daryl Hannah
Daryl Hannah reached mainstream fame with her role in the Ridley Scott classic Blade Runner (1982), following it up with features like Splash, Wall Street, and Steel Magnolias. Before her big break in the early 1980s, Daryl had a small role in body horror The Fury (1978), her first role on-screen and her only credit of the 1970s. Her exciting end to the 1970s paved the way for her iconic 1980s career.
Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe was stealing teenage hearts in The Outsiders just a few years before he starred in the sitcom A New Kind of Family, which aired between 1979 and 1980. Rob reached '80s fame with The Outsiders in 1983 and in 1985 with other Brat Pack members in St. Elmo's Fire. His journey to stardom began with these early roles, and he quickly became a heartthrob of the decade.
