Becoming famous usually involves at least a few years of taking whatever work you can get, which means some very recognizable faces are hiding in movies from long before anybody knew their names. They were party guests, students, restaurant customers and assorted people whose main responsibility was basically to make a room look occupied. Watching those movies decades later turns an otherwise ordinary background shot into a tiny celebrity scavenger hunt. Some future stars can only be seen for a few seconds, while others were technically given characters so insignificant that they never even received a name. Either way, nobody watching at the time was supposed to pay much attention to them. Here are 15 famous people who showed up in movie backgrounds before they were famous.RedditBrad Pitt in Less Than ZeroBefore anyone was paying attention to Brad Pitt, he was an uncredited partygoer in 1987’s Less Than Zero. He also spent that year popping up anonymously in several other movies.RedditRenée Zellweger in Dazed and ConfusedLook closely at the students in Dazed and Confused and a young Renée Zellweger is among them. Her uncredited appearance came years before Jerry Maguire made her instantly recognizable.RedditCuba Gooding Jr. in Coming to AmericaCuba Gooding Jr. appears briefly as a young customer getting a haircut in the barbershop in Coming to America. There was no Oscar-winning actor to recognize yet, just another guy sitting in the background.RedditNicolas Cage in Fast Times at Ridgemont HighOne of Nicolas Cage’s earliest movie appearances came in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Credited under his birth name Nicolas Coppola, he can be spotted working at the burger restaurant.RedditKristen Stewart in The Flintstones in Viva Rock VegasYears before Twilight, Kristen Stewart had an uncredited childhood appearance in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. It was one of two tiny movie appearances she made before landing more substantial roles.RedditJason Segel in Can’t Hardly WaitJason Segel’s first movie role was about as anonymous as possible: “Watermelon Guy” in Can’t Hardly Wait. He appears briefly at the graduation party years before becoming a sitcom star.RedditCharlize Theron in Children of the Corn III: Urban HarvestCharlize Theron’s movie debut consisted of silently appearing among a group of followers in Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest. She had no dialogue and wasn’t credited.RedditSigourney Weaver in Annie HallA year before Alien, Sigourney Weaver was hiding in plain sight in Annie Hall. She appears briefly near the end of the movie as Alvy’s date.IMDbSharon Stone in Stardust MemoriesSharon Stone made her movie debut in Stardust Memories, appearing as a woman on a train. It was a tiny beginning for someone who would become one of the most recognizable stars of the following decade.RedditJulia Louis-Dreyfus in Hannah and Her SistersBefore Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus could be spotted in Hannah and Her Sisters. She was one of several future stars who turned up in surprisingly small parts in the movie.RedditLarry David in Radio DaysSpeaking of future Seinfeld royalty, Larry David appeared in Radio Days years before most audiences knew his face. His tiny role makes rewatches considerably more entertaining now.RedditPaul Giamatti in Mighty AphroditeLong before becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognizable character actors, Paul Giamatti appeared in Mighty Aphrodite. His role was small enough that plenty of viewers probably never noticed him at all.RedditJennifer Garner in Deconstructing HarryJennifer Garner was still years away from Alias when she appeared briefly in Deconstructing Harry. It’s the kind of early appearance that becomes much easier to notice once you already know the face.IMDbSam Rockwell in CelebrityBefore his career really took off, Sam Rockwell turned up in Celebrity. Looking back, his small appearance is another reminder of just how many future stars were quietly filling out movie casts.RedditZach Braff in Manhattan Murder MysteryNearly a decade before Scrubs, Zach Braff appeared in Manhattan Murder Mystery. He played the son of Woody Allen and Diane Keaton’s characters, making it an easy early appearance to miss if you weren’t looking for him.The post 15 Famous People Who Showed Up in Movie Backgrounds Before They Were Famous appeared first on Den of Geek.