Photos of 25 iconic actors at the start of their careers vs. now

Michael Putland // Getty Images Not only is Hollywood an incredibly hard place to get your foot in the door, but it’s an even more difficult one to stick around in for decades. Ever-changing trends, shifting audience preferences, and persistent ageism can mean that today’s biggest stars could soon become tomorrow’s has-beens. Though crafting a long-lasting career in the industry seems next to impossible, there are a handful of actors who have withstood the test of time. Their careers–some of which began when they were just kids–have spanned decades and are still thriving. These stars have churned out hit after hit, set box office records, and wormed their way deep into the hearts of audiences around the world. In celebration of these beloved stars, Stacker looked back at photos of 25 actors from around the time they got their big break and traced their careers to where they are today. Using information from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and celebrity news outlets like People, the following list highlights the careers of these icons. Read on to see if your favorite actor made the cut. Tom Cruise at the start Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images Tom Cruise burst onto the scene in 1983 with three hit movies: “Risky Business,” “The Outsiders,” and “All the Right Moves.” He soon followed with turns in “Top Gun,” “Rain Man,” and “Born of the Fourth of July,” which quickly cemented his status as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men throughout the ’80s and ’90s. Tom Cruise now Mike Coppola/WireImage // Getty Images In the 40 years since his big break, Cruise has won three Golden Globes and has been nominated for three acting Academy Awards. Now in his 60s, Cruise is mainly an action star, appearing in movies like the “Mission: Impossible” franchise and 2022’s hugely successful and long-awaited “Top Gun” sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.” Among celebrity watchers, Cruise is just as well-known for his personal life, like his marriages to Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes as well as his devotion to Scientology. Meryl Streep at the start Steve Kagan // Getty Images A stage actor by training, Meryl Streep was already a Tony nominee when she made her film debut in 1977’s “Julia.” She followed the World War II drama with several more critically acclaimed movies, like “The Deer Hunter,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” and “Sophie’s Choice” in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Meryl Streep now Arturo Holmes/WireImage // Getty Images Widely regarded as one of the most talented actors of her generation, Streep has starred in a huge number of critically acclaimed films and blockbusters alike over the last five decades, including “Mamma Mia!,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Julie & Julia,” and “The Bridges of Madison County.” If that list isn’t evidence enough of her talent, she currently holds the record for both the most acting Oscar nominations of all time (21) and the most Golden Globe nominations of all time (32). Morgan Freeman at the start Kyle Ericksen/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images Morgan Freeman also got his start on the stage. Some of his earliest notable roles were in an all-Black production of “Hello, Dolly!” and the Broadway hit “The Mighty Gents,” which earned him a Tony nomination in 1978. He also rose to fame playing the Easy Reader on the ’70s Children’s Television Workshop series “The Electric Company” before the release of his first big film, “Eyewitness,” in 1981. Morgan Freeman now Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images Freeman now has 50 years and more than 100 films under his belt, as well as an Oscar for his work in “Million Dollar Baby.” Some of his most acclaimed films to date also include “Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Invictus,” and “The Bucket List.” His distinctively deep voice has also made him a prolific narrator, lending his voice to a significant number of documentary projects, from “March of the Penguins” to “Through the Wormhole.” Nicole Kidman at the start Patrick Riviere // Getty Images Australian native Nicole Kidman’s breakthrough role was in “Dead Calm,” a 1989 film set on the Great Barrier Reef. Though she had been appearing in Australian movies since 1983, the psychological thriller was the first to bring her critical acclaim internationally. The following year, Kidman starred in “Days of Thunder” alongside Tom Cruise, whom she married later that year, and things took off for her from there. Nicole Kidman now ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images These days, Kidman is best known for projects like “The Hours,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Moulin Rouge!” and “The Others.” More recently, she’s branched into TV, with well-received roles in series like HBO’s “Big Little Lies” and Hulu’s “Nine Perfect Strangers.” For her performances, Kidman has won an Emmy, five Golden Globes, and an Academy Award (becoming the first Australian to win Best Actress). Tom Hanks at the start 20th Century-Fox // Getty Images Though many would think of him today as the quintessential movie star, Tom Hanks’ first project was on the small screen. He starred in the ABC sitcom “Bosom Buddies” with actor Peter Scolari as two friends who dress in drag in order to live in a well-priced hotel that’s only for women. Though the show ran for two seasons from 1980 to 1982, it wasn’t until the 1984 romantic-comedy “Splash” with Daryl Hannah that audiences began to recognize Hanks as a true leading man. Tom Hanks now Kate Green // Getty Images After “Splash,” Hanks spent the rest of the ’80s and ’90s landing a slew of fan-favorite roles in movies like “The Money Pit,” “Big,” and “A League of Their Own.” His most famous projects are almost too extensive to name–“Toy Story,” “Forrest Gump,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Philadelphia,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” and the list goes on and on. With over $9 billion in global ticket sales, Hanks is the second-highest-grossing actor worldwide. His performances have earned him two Oscars and four Golden Globes. In addition to appearing in front of the camera, Hanks is also a prolific director and producer. Angela Bassett at the start Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images Two of Angela Basset’s earliest speaking roles were in 1991’s “Boyz n the Hood” and 1992’s “Malcolm X.” But it was her depiction of Tina Turner in 1993’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It” that earned her wide acclaim, with one critic calling it “the performance of a lifetime.” Angela Bassett now Emma McIntyre/WireImage // Getty Images Despite winning two Golden Globes, a recent NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year, and an honorary Academy Award, it seems Bassett has no plans to slow down anytime soon. More recently, she’s endeared herself to a new generation of fans with her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing as Queen Ramonda in “Black Panther,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” She’s also become a fixture on television, thanks to the horror anthology series “American Horror Story” and the Fox drama “9-1-1.” George Clooney at the start Michael Ochs Archives // Getty Images Heartthrob George Clooney got his big break on “The Facts of Life,” the beloved spinoff of “Diff’rent Strokes,” which he appeared in during the mid-’80s. After a handful of episodes of “Roseanne” at the end of the decade, he shot to fame as Dr. Doug Ross on the drama “ER.” It didn’t take long for Clooney to shift his focus to the big screen though, starring in “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “One Fine Day,” “Out of Sight,” and “Three Kings” in the late ’90s. George Clooney now Joshua Sammer // Getty Images At the turn of the 21st century, Clooney really showed off his acting chops in movies like “The Perfect Storm” and the Coen brothers’ “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and he won over the masses thanks to the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise. Clooney has had an illustrious career, winning two Academy Awards: one for his acting work in “Syriana” and another for producing “Argo.” While he’s slowed down on the acting front in recent years, his producing and directing credits continue to grow. Gwyneth Paltrow at the start Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Kids these days would call Gwyneth Paltrow a “nepo baby,” but others might consider her Hollywood royalty; she’s the daughter of actor Blythe Danner and late director Bruce Paltrow. Her big break came when she was cast as Wendy in “Hook,” her godfather Steven Spielberg’s Peter Pan retelling from 1991. Over the next decade, she went from up-and-comer to bona fide star with appearances in major movies like “Se7en,” “Emma,” and “Shakespeare in Love.” Gwyneth Paltrow now Stefanie Keenan // Getty Images for Netflix After starting her own family in the mid-2000s with ex-husband Chris Martin, Paltrow began scaling back the number of roles she would accept. One of her most memorable from the last 15 years though is Pepper Potts, who she played in seven movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These days, she’s best known for her lifestyle brand, Goop. Jennifer Lopez at the start Ron Davis // Getty Images A singer, actor, and dancer, triple-threat Jennifer Lopez has always been the full package. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, she had a successful career as a professional dancer, working with MC Hammer, New Kids on the Block, and Janet Jackson. She was also hired as a Fly Girl on the sketch comedy show “In Living Color.” A few years later, she became a household name when she was cast as Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in the 1997 biopic “Selena.” Jennifer Lopez now Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic // Getty Images Though Lopez’s acting career continued to thrive, she’s also had a successful run as a pop star with hits like “If You Had My Love,” “Ain’t It Funny,” and “I’m Real” throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s. Now, she’s had eight studio albums, a Las Vegas residency, and, in 2014, she received the Billboard Icon Award–making her the first woman to do so. She’s also continued to focus on acting; some of her biggest commercial hits are “Maid in Manhattan,” “Monster-in-Law,” and “Hustlers.” Leonardo DiCaprio at the start Catherine McGann // Getty Images Though Leonardo DiCaprio starred in commercials as a youngster, his career really took off when he became a teenager. First, it was the TV series “Growing Pains” in the early ’90s and his critically acclaimed performance in 1993’s “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.” Later that decade, films like “Romeo + Juliet” in 1996 and the box-office-smashing “Titanic” in 1997 made DiCaprio the star he is today. Leonardo DiCaprio now Samir Hussein/WireImage // Getty Images Having worked steadily for the last three decades, DiCarprio’s resume has been jam-packed with major projects from acclaimed directors, including hits like “Catch Me If You Can,” “Inception,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “The Revenant,” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Outside of work, he’s a devoted environmental activist and a member of the United Nations Messenger of Peace program. He also frequently lands himself in the tabloids thanks to his eventful love life. Jodie Foster at the start