John Medland / © Disney Channel / Courtesy: Everett Collection
Every Hollywood star has to start somewhere. Long before they were headlining blockbusters, walking red carpets, and winning awards, they landed their first movie role. And for some, those early performances are almost unrecognizable today. From Oscar and Emmy Award winners to action heroes and rom-com favorites, here’s what 26 of Hollywood’s biggest stars looked like in their first role compared to their most recent role:
Note: These do not include voice roles or uncredited roles.
1. To start, here’s Zendaya in her first movie role, Frenemies (2012).
And here’s Zendaya in her most recent movie role, Dune: Part Three, which releases on December 18, 2026.
Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
John Medland / © Disney Channel/ Warner Bros/ Courtesy Everett Collection
2. Here’s Tom Holland in his first movie role, The Impossible (2012).
Jose Haro/Summit Entertainment / courtesy Everett Collection
And here’s Tom in his most recent movie role, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which releases on July 31, 2026.
Sony Pictures / Viayoutu.be
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Jose Haro/Summit Entertainment / courtesy Everett Collection/ Sony Pictures
3. Here’s Zac Efron in his first movie role, Melinda’s World (2003).
Dawntreader Films / Viayoutu.be
And here’s Zac in his most recent movie role, A Family Affair (2024).
Tina Rowden / © Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Dawntreader Films/Tina Rowden / © Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
4. Here’s Angelina Jolie in her first movie role, Lookin’ to Get Out (1982).
©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
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And here’s Angelina in her most recent film role, Couture (2025).
Pathe Films /Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Paramount/ Pathe Films /Courtesy Everett Collection
5. Here’s Queen Latifah in her first movie role, Jungle Fever (1991).
Universal Pictures / Viayoutu.be
And here’s Queen Latifah in her most recent movie role, End of the Road (2022).
Ursula Coyote /© Netflix /Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Universal Pictures/Ursula Coyote /© Netflix /Courtesy Everett Collection
6. Here is Kate Hudson in her first movie role, Desert Blue (1998).
©Samuel Goldwyn Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
And here is Kate in her most recent movie role, Song Sung Blue (2025).
Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Samuel Goldwyn Films/Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection
7. Here is Jacob Elordi in his first movie role, Swinging Safari (2018).
Screen Australia / Viayoutu.be
And here is Jacob in his most recent movie role, Wuthering Heights (2026).
Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Screen Australia/ Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection
8. Here is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in his first movie role, The Mummy Returns (2001).
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
And here is Dwayne in his most recent movie role, Moana (2026).
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Viayoutu.be
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Universal/A24 / courtesy Everett Collection
9. Here is Keke Palmer in her first movie role, Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004).
20th Century Fox / Viayoutu.be
And here is Keke in her most recent movie role, I Love Boosters (2026).
NEON / Viayoutu.be
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And here are those pictures side-by-side.
20th Century Fox/ NEON
10. Here is Glen Powell in his first movie role, Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003).
Dimension Films / Viayoutu.be
And here is Glen in his most recent movie role, How to Make a Killing (2026).
Ilze Kitshoff /© A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Dimension Films/Ilze Kitshoff /© A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection
11. Here is Amandla Stenberg in her first movie role, Colombiana (2011).
Carlos Somonte/©TriStar Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection
And here is Amandla in their most recent movie role, My Animal (2023).
Paramount Global Content Distribution / Viayoutu.be
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Carlos Somonte/©TriStar Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection/Paramount Global Content Distribution
12. Here is Demi Moore in her first movie role, Choices (1981).
Oaktree Productions / Viayoutu.be
And here is Demi in her most recent movie role, I Love Boosters (2026).
NEON / Viayoutu.be
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Oaktree Productions/ NEON
13. Here is Mindy Kaling in her first movie role, The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005).
Universal Pictures / Viayoutu.be
And here is Mindy in her most recent movie role, Locked Down (2021).
Warner Bros. Pictures / Viayoutu.be
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Universal Pictures/ Warner Bros. Pictures
14. Here is Jenna Ortega in her first movie role, Insidious: Chapter 2.
Blumhouse Productions / Viayoutu.be
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And here is Jenna in her most recent movie role, Klara and the Sun, which releases October 23, 2026.
Sony Pictures Releasing / Viayoutu.be
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Blumhouse Productions/ Sony Pictures Releasing
15. Here is Jennifer Lopez in her first movie role, Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7 (1993).
CBS / Viayoutu.be
And here is Jennifer in her most recent movie role, Office Romance (2026).
Ana Carballosa / © Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
CBS/Ana Carballosa / © Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
16. Here is Zoe Saldana in her first movie role, Center Stage (2000).
©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
And here is Zoe in her most recent movie role, Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025).
Mark Fellman /© 20th Century Studios /Courtesy Everett Collection, 20th Century Studios / courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
©Columbia Pictures/20th Century Fox/ Courtesy Everett Collection
17. Here is Lindsay Lohan in her first movie role, The Parent Trap (1998).
Walt Disney Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
And here is Lindsay in her most recent movie role, Freakier Friday (2025).
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Walt Disney Pictures/ Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection
18. Here is Leonardo DiCaprio in his first movie role, Critters 3 (1991).
New Line Home Video / Viayoutu.be
And here is Leonardo in his most recent movie role, One Battle After Another (2025).
Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
New Line Home Media/Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection
19. Here is Robert Pattinson in his first movie role, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005).
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
And here is Robert in his most recent movie role, The Odyssey (2026).
Melinda Sue Gordon / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection / Melinda Sue Gordon / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
20. Here is Robert Downey Jr. in his first movie role, Pound (1970).
United Artists / Viayoutu.be
And here is Robert in his most recent movie role, Oppenheimer (2023).
Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
United Artists/ Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
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21. Here is Will Smith in his first movie role, Where the Day Takes You (1992).
©New Line / courtesy Everett Collection
And here is Will in his most recent movie role, Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024).
© Sony Pictures Releasing / Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
New Line/ © Sony Pictures Releasing / Courtesy Everett Collection
22. Here’s Ariana Grande in her first movie role, Swindle (2013).
Nickelodeon / Viayoutu.be
And here’s Ariana in her most recent movie role Focker-In-Law, which comes out November 25, 2026.
Atsushi Nishijima /© Universal Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those photos side-by-side.
Nickelodeon/ Atsushi Nishijima /© Universal Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection
23. Here’s Margot Robbie in her first movie role, Vigilante (2008).
Outlandish Films / Viayoutu.be
And here’s Margot in her latest movie role, Wuthering Heights (2026).
Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those photos side-by-side.
Outlandish Films/Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection
24. Here is Meryl Streep in her first movie role, Julia (1977).
20th Century Fox / Viayoutu.be
And here is Meryl in her most recent movie role, The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026).
Macall Polay /© Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those two photos side-by-side.
20th Century Fox/ Macall Polay /© Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection
25. Here is Anne Hathaway in her first movie role, The Princess Diaries (2001).
Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
And here is Anne in her most recent role, The Odyssey, which comes out on July 17, 2026.
Melinda Sue Gordon / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those two photos side-by-side.
Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection/ Melinda Sue Gordon / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
26. And finally, here’s Ryan Gosling in his first movie role, Frankenstein and Me (1996).
Telefilm Canada / Viayoutu.be
And here’s Ryan in his most recent movie role, Project Hail Mary (2026).
Amazon MGM Studios /Courtesy Everett Collection
And here are those pictures side-by-side.
Telefilm Canada/ Amazon MGM Studios /Courtesy Everett Collection
Which star had the biggest change from their first movie to their most recent one? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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