30 Huge Stars Who Started Out on Soap Operas
Kelly Ripa, Susan Sarandon, even Tom Selleck!
Making your way in Hollywood is no easy feat, but actors and actress like John Stamos, Tom Selleck, and Meg Ryan have managed to become household names. They all had to begin somewhere, though, and for many that included small or large roles on shows like Another World and Days of Our Lives. Take a hilarious trip down memory lane by scrolling through this list of celebs who got their start on soap operas.
John Stamos
Have, mercy! The Full House star was a hunk on General Hospital long before he became Uncle Jesse.
Tom Selleck
Yes, you're reading that right! Before he was heading up the NYPD on Blue Bloods, America's favorite mustache man was on was once Jed on The Young and the Restless.
Julianne Moore
The Oscar winner stole the screen in As the World Turns in 1985. Check out that costume!
Ricky Martin
Ricky was livin' the vida loca while steaming up TV screens as Miguel on General Hospital.
Meg Ryan
Everyone's favorite rom-com queen got her start as Betsy on As the World Turns.
Susan Sarandon
One of Susan's first listed roles was as Patrice on Another World in 1971.
Demi Moore
Demi was on General Hospital for two years as Jackie Templeton. Shortly after that, she went on to find fame thanks to films like St. Elmo's Fire and Ghost.
Kevin Bacon
Is it hot in here, or is it just Kevin Bacon's steamy performance on Guiding Light in the '80s?
Kelly Ripa
Aww, how adorable is Kelly from her All My Children days? The talk show host played Hayley for 20 years, and even met someone very important on the set...
Mark Consuelos
...Her husband, Mark! The two went from an on-screen couple, to a real-life family who now have three adorable children.
Nathan Fillion
We may know him from Castle and The Rookie, but Nathan played Joey on One Life to Live in his early acting years.
Brad Pitt
That's right: The megastar once played Chris for two episodes on Another World.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
There was no slaying vampires or fighting monsters alongside her real-life husband Freddie Prinze Jr. in her role as Kendall Hart on All My Children.
Josh Duhamel
The Transformers heartthrob first captivated audiences as Leo on All My Children. He appeared on the show from 1999-2011!
Heather Locklear
Most know Heather from the beloved drama Melrose Place, but she also appeared as Sammy Jo on Dynasty for nearly eight years.
Marisa Tomei
Remember Marcy Thompson on As the World Turns? She may not have been a big star then, but now Marisa is known for her parts on My Cousin Vinny, What Women Want, and more.
Ryan Phillipe
Reese Witherspoon's former husband did a year as Billy on One Life to Live.
Shemar Moore
The Criminal Minds star played Malcom Winters—the brother of the late Kristoff St. John's character, Neil—on The Young and the Restless many times throughout the years.
Alec Baldwin
The comedian had a very serious role as Billy on The Doctors in 1982.
Megan Stein is the executive editor for The Pioneer Woman, and oversees entertainment, features, and news for the website. Whether it's catching up on the latest true crime podcast, or re-watching the best '80s movies for the zillionth time, she's always here to talk about anything and everything relating to pop culture.
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