it would just help me if you talk to me
for a minute tell me what happened they
roamed the earth as unknowns before
they’re big bricks welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten acting
debuts in film for this list we’re
taking a look at movie debuts of actors
who had no feature film experience prior
to their breakout performances in
full-length movie hits
what’s the secret back secret I don’t
know I think you just got to find
something you love to do and then do it
for the rest of your life
number 10 Suraj Sharma Life of Pi I’m
sorry what are we talking look Sharma
was just a regular teenager who
accompanied his little brother to an
audition when he stumbled into the lead
role in a blockbuster film something I
never forget with no prior acting
experience or even swimming ability
Sharma landed the role over 3,000
hopefuls those do you want from me the
new actor underwent extensive training
including swimming lessons to eventually
deliver an honest and nuanced
performance as pie in the
oscar-nominated film
I’m not I gotta fire you
number nine Christian Bale Empire of the
Sun oh yeah did you like Hershey bar
so that I kid you got one although he’d
already appeared in a number of
made-for-tv movies and a short
miniseries Christian Bale’s big break
didn’t come until he landed the starring
role in 1987’s Empire of the Sun I’m
thinking of joining the Japanese adipose
actually thanks to a recommendation from
Amy Irving his former co-star and Steven
Spielberg’s wife at the time bailed
nabbed the role of Jim a British expat
stuck in a Japanese internment camp and
he excelled in the part that’s new wood
today that’s one was like a white light
in the sky
like gold taking a photograph number 8
Jason Schwartzman Rushmore I’m sorry did
someone say my name shorts Minh snagged
the role of max in this quirky and
offbeat Wes Anderson comedy the director
at a party maybe I’m spending too much
of my time starting up clubs and putting
on plays with no previous acting
experience the 17 year old Schwartzman
impressed the director by showing up to
his audition in a homemade prep school
outfit
I like your nurse’s uniform guy these
are our scrubs Oh are they being the
nephew of Francis Ford Coppola probably
didn’t hurt either
but even so Schwartzman was praised for
embodying his character so perfectly
thank you very much number 7 Jamie Lee
Curtis Halloween I’ll kill you if this
is a joke Curtis wasn’t director John
Carpenter his first choice when it came
to Casting a leave for his low-budget
slasher flick as usual I have nothing to
do it’s your own fault and I don’t feel
a bit sorry for you although she’d been
appearing on television in minor roles
for a number of years being the daughter
of Tony Curtis and psycho actress Janet
Leigh is what ultimately gave her the
edge to land the lead in the classic
horror movie and helped cement her
status as a scream queen number 6 Edward
Norton primal fear lookee here who are
you heyyou Norton was working as a
struggling waiter slash actor and
starring in off-broadway stage
productions before he was hired for his
first feature film role opposite Richard
Gere hot hired by hope playing an altar
boy accused of murder
Norton’s intense audition blew away
casting directors you’ve seen the tape
okay and his two-faced performance in
the film landed him an Oscar nomination
for Best Supporting Actor I knew the
minute minute you came into my cell I
knew everything was gonna be okay
Hughes you saved my life
number five Hailee Steinfeld True Grit
I’m Mattie Ross daughter of Frank Ross
this unknown beat out 15 thousand other
girls to play the role of Mattie Ross in
the Coen brothers remake of this classic
western Steinfeld had previously found
work in commercials and short films
before reportedly auditioning eight
times for the role of a young girl
looking to avenge her father’s death
they tell me you’re a man with true grit
I’m looking for the man who shot and
killed mom father Frank Ross in front of
them on Mount boarding house man’s name
is Tom Chaney they say is over in Indian
Territory and I need somebody to go
after her standout performance garnered
critical acclaim as well as an Oscar nod
for Best Supporting Actress you have
misjudged me if you think I’m silly
enough to give you $50 and watch you
simply write off all mobo need you as
Marvel hip waste but a little with me I
will see the thing done number four
Natalie Portman Leon the professional
huh a child star in the making
Portman had no prior acting experience
when she was cast in this 90s classic
she had turned down offers for child
modeling in pursuit of an acting career
I have an audition at Julliard next
month and I have to practice and she sat
as an understudy alongside Britney
Spears for an off-broadway stage play
before landing her first movie role
across town is very important and her
performance as a tween assassin in
training is legendary well if we’re
making exceptions pride job well done
a betta kiss the movies number three
Anna Paquin the piano we can’t sneak the
piano in her first acting role Paquin
plays a precocious kid who acts as the
voice of her mute mother she says no she
says she’d rather be boiled in life by
ageism and get back in your stinking
tote
however she had never acted before and
after tagging along with her sister and
her friend to an open casting call for
the piano
nine-year-old Paquin charmed the
director and got the spot a song her
first feature film appearance actually
won her an Academy Award at the age of
11
number two Tatum O’Neal Paper Moon Eddy
Eddy what a sweet little named Eddy
famous director Peter Bogdanovich met
eight-year-old Tatum O’Neal while
working with her father Ryan on another
movie
the rest as they say is history you’re
not pop course I ain’t you paw Tatum was
cast alongside her father as a
depression-era con artist duo how much
money we got eight hundred and thirty
seven and some change 42 cents I think
and her performance in the film was so
iconic she walked away with a Best
Supporting Actress Oscar at the age of
10 making her the youngest ever to win
an Academy Award
before we unveil our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions as I
expected MARY POPPINS practically
perfect in every way
yippee-ki-yay I’m not sure
of myself here in many ways I think I
need a little more time than the others
not for yourself and for the people who
love you
nobody loved me oh my life I had to
fight but I never thought I had to fight
in my own house I must have some booth I
demand to have some booth so did you
enjoy your first visit in that house yes
Shh come on you forgave him because you
threw a ring of his worth $3,000 in the
river that’s right and you forgave me
number one Orson Welles Citizen Kane
thank you very much everybody I I’m
sorry I can’t accept it oh well spent
time refining his acting talent by
appearing in off-broadway productions
but after his success with the War of
the Worlds radio broadcast he was given
carte blanche creative control for a
feature film don’t believe everything
you hear on the radio that ultimately
became Citizen Kane which was also
co-writer / director / producer Welles
first time acting in a movie
people will think what I tell him to
think his breakout performance went down
in cinematic history in a film renowned
as the greatest movie ever made
do you agree with our list what are your
favourite actor film debuts for more
entertaining top 10s published every day
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com
for a minute tell me what happened they
roamed the earth as unknowns before
they’re big bricks welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten acting
debuts in film for this list we’re
taking a look at movie debuts of actors
who had no feature film experience prior
to their breakout performances in
full-length movie hits
what’s the secret back secret I don’t
know I think you just got to find
something you love to do and then do it
for the rest of your life
number 10 Suraj Sharma Life of Pi I’m
sorry what are we talking look Sharma
was just a regular teenager who
accompanied his little brother to an
audition when he stumbled into the lead
role in a blockbuster film something I
never forget with no prior acting
experience or even swimming ability
Sharma landed the role over 3,000
hopefuls those do you want from me the
new actor underwent extensive training
including swimming lessons to eventually
deliver an honest and nuanced
performance as pie in the
oscar-nominated film
I’m not I gotta fire you
number nine Christian Bale Empire of the
Sun oh yeah did you like Hershey bar
so that I kid you got one although he’d
already appeared in a number of
made-for-tv movies and a short
miniseries Christian Bale’s big break
didn’t come until he landed the starring
role in 1987’s Empire of the Sun I’m
thinking of joining the Japanese adipose
actually thanks to a recommendation from
Amy Irving his former co-star and Steven
Spielberg’s wife at the time bailed
nabbed the role of Jim a British expat
stuck in a Japanese internment camp and
he excelled in the part that’s new wood
today that’s one was like a white light
in the sky
like gold taking a photograph number 8
Jason Schwartzman Rushmore I’m sorry did
someone say my name shorts Minh snagged
the role of max in this quirky and
offbeat Wes Anderson comedy the director
at a party maybe I’m spending too much
of my time starting up clubs and putting
on plays with no previous acting
experience the 17 year old Schwartzman
impressed the director by showing up to
his audition in a homemade prep school
outfit
I like your nurse’s uniform guy these
are our scrubs Oh are they being the
nephew of Francis Ford Coppola probably
didn’t hurt either
but even so Schwartzman was praised for
embodying his character so perfectly
thank you very much number 7 Jamie Lee
Curtis Halloween I’ll kill you if this
is a joke Curtis wasn’t director John
Carpenter his first choice when it came
to Casting a leave for his low-budget
slasher flick as usual I have nothing to
do it’s your own fault and I don’t feel
a bit sorry for you although she’d been
appearing on television in minor roles
for a number of years being the daughter
of Tony Curtis and psycho actress Janet
Leigh is what ultimately gave her the
edge to land the lead in the classic
horror movie and helped cement her
status as a scream queen number 6 Edward
Norton primal fear lookee here who are
you heyyou Norton was working as a
struggling waiter slash actor and
starring in off-broadway stage
productions before he was hired for his
first feature film role opposite Richard
Gere hot hired by hope playing an altar
boy accused of murder
Norton’s intense audition blew away
casting directors you’ve seen the tape
okay and his two-faced performance in
the film landed him an Oscar nomination
for Best Supporting Actor I knew the
minute minute you came into my cell I
knew everything was gonna be okay
Hughes you saved my life
number five Hailee Steinfeld True Grit
I’m Mattie Ross daughter of Frank Ross
this unknown beat out 15 thousand other
girls to play the role of Mattie Ross in
the Coen brothers remake of this classic
western Steinfeld had previously found
work in commercials and short films
before reportedly auditioning eight
times for the role of a young girl
looking to avenge her father’s death
they tell me you’re a man with true grit
I’m looking for the man who shot and
killed mom father Frank Ross in front of
them on Mount boarding house man’s name
is Tom Chaney they say is over in Indian
Territory and I need somebody to go
after her standout performance garnered
critical acclaim as well as an Oscar nod
for Best Supporting Actress you have
misjudged me if you think I’m silly
enough to give you $50 and watch you
simply write off all mobo need you as
Marvel hip waste but a little with me I
will see the thing done number four
Natalie Portman Leon the professional
huh a child star in the making
Portman had no prior acting experience
when she was cast in this 90s classic
she had turned down offers for child
modeling in pursuit of an acting career
I have an audition at Julliard next
month and I have to practice and she sat
as an understudy alongside Britney
Spears for an off-broadway stage play
before landing her first movie role
across town is very important and her
performance as a tween assassin in
training is legendary well if we’re
making exceptions pride job well done
a betta kiss the movies number three
Anna Paquin the piano we can’t sneak the
piano in her first acting role Paquin
plays a precocious kid who acts as the
voice of her mute mother she says no she
says she’d rather be boiled in life by
ageism and get back in your stinking
tote
however she had never acted before and
after tagging along with her sister and
her friend to an open casting call for
the piano
nine-year-old Paquin charmed the
director and got the spot a song her
first feature film appearance actually
won her an Academy Award at the age of
11
number two Tatum O’Neal Paper Moon Eddy
Eddy what a sweet little named Eddy
famous director Peter Bogdanovich met
eight-year-old Tatum O’Neal while
working with her father Ryan on another
movie
the rest as they say is history you’re
not pop course I ain’t you paw Tatum was
cast alongside her father as a
depression-era con artist duo how much
money we got eight hundred and thirty
seven and some change 42 cents I think
and her performance in the film was so
iconic she walked away with a Best
Supporting Actress Oscar at the age of
10 making her the youngest ever to win
an Academy Award
before we unveil our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions as I
expected MARY POPPINS practically
perfect in every way
yippee-ki-yay I’m not sure
of myself here in many ways I think I
need a little more time than the others
not for yourself and for the people who
love you
nobody loved me oh my life I had to
fight but I never thought I had to fight
in my own house I must have some booth I
demand to have some booth so did you
enjoy your first visit in that house yes
Shh come on you forgave him because you
threw a ring of his worth $3,000 in the
river that’s right and you forgave me
number one Orson Welles Citizen Kane
thank you very much everybody I I’m
sorry I can’t accept it oh well spent
time refining his acting talent by
appearing in off-broadway productions
but after his success with the War of
the Worlds radio broadcast he was given
carte blanche creative control for a
feature film don’t believe everything
you hear on the radio that ultimately
became Citizen Kane which was also
co-writer / director / producer Welles
first time acting in a movie
people will think what I tell him to
think his breakout performance went down
in cinematic history in a film renowned
as the greatest movie ever made
do you agree with our list what are your
favourite actor film debuts for more
entertaining top 10s published every day
be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com
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