First-time actors often go unnoticed. This can be because their role is simply too small and lacking the weight needed to show off their skills. However, this is typical in TV and cinema, as many thespians climb the ladder for years until they are finally noticed.
Yet, there are many examples of first-time actors who came out of nowhere and lit up the screen. Some of these had never acted before, others were plucked right out of drama school, and some went on to win Oscars. So, here’s our pick of the best best acting debuts of all time.
5. Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween (1978)
Despite her mother being the original scream queen Janet Leigh (Psycho), when Halloween hit movie theaters in 1978, nobody knew who Jamie Lee Curtis was. However, writer director John Carpenter was well aware. After being impressed by her audition, he then discovered that she was the daughter of a horror legend. However, Curtis still wasn’t his first choice but he was convinced by producer and screenwriting partner Debra Hill to cast Curtis because she wanted to generate buzz around the daughter of Janet Leigh.
While many may call this nepotism, Carpenter is a true visionary artist and it’s hard to believe he would cast someone he didn’t think could act. Plus, any shades of nepotism thrown at the project would have been quickly cast aside when Curtis stole the show with a tour-de-force performance, rising from a timid teenage babysitter to a fierce fighter by the end of the movie. At only 19-years-of-age at the time of filming, Curtis handled the weight of such a demanding role, appearing in nearly every single frame and shooting on a tight schedule. The result is a groundbreaking acting debut that kickstarted a prosperous career for the now Oscar-winning actress.
4. Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit (2010)
One of the finest examples of first-time actors shining comes from the Coen Brothers‘ 2010 remake of the classic western movie, True Grit. Although Hailee Steinfeld had appeared in a few short films prior to making this film, these were small parts that went unnoticed. However, this wasn’t due to lack of ability, as she proved when she took on the role of Mattie Ross, a stubborn teenager who hires a tough-as-nails U.S. Marshall to track down her father’s murderer.
Sharing the screen with seasoned Hollywood heavyweights like Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin, Steinfeld stood her ground and delivered a nuanced rendition that perfectly balances innocence, bravery, and the perplexing battle of coming-of-age in the strangest of circumstances. True Grit surpassed the original movie in terms of acclaim, landing 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Steinfeld. At the time of her nomination, she was the ninth youngest nominee ever in that category. Since then, she has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising talents, recently starring in the hit blockbuster Sinners.
3. Barkhad Abdirahman in Captain Phillips (2013)
Captain Phillips was one of the most critically-acclaimed films of 2013, garnering 6 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Barkhad Abdi in his acting debut. The plot follows the titular character Captain Richard Phillips (played by Tom Hanks) as he wrangles to protect his crew when his ship becomes the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. Based on a true story, Hanks delivers an exceptional role as the real-life hero, however, it is Abdi who steals the show as Muse, the ruthless leader of the pirates.
Prior to his role in Captain Phillips, the Somalian-born Abdi had zero acting experience. When speaking with The New Yorker in 2014, he explained how he was working as a driver for his brother’s limousine company when he saw a casting call for Somalis at a local community centre in Minneapolis. Director Paul Greengrass was wowed by his audition and cast him in the role. Despite never having any previous desire to act, Abdi managed to elevate the film’s tension massively. This was helped by the fact that the actors portraying the pirates were kept apart from the actors playing crew members. So, the first scene when they descend on the boat was encased with real fear and panic. Abdi’s line “I’m the captain now” quickly became iconic thanks to his menacing delivery and hard, soul-piercing stare. While every pirate character is intimidating to watch, it is Abdi who really petrifies the viewers. This Oscar-nominated role kicked off a string of supporting roles for Abdi, starring in acclaimed films like Blade Runner 2049, Good Time, and Eye in the Sky.
2. Owen Cooper in Adolescence (2025)
In early 2025, Netflix’s Adolescence took the TV industry by storm, garnering a wealth of positive reviews, impressive viewership, and also creating a much-needed dialog about issues such as toxic masculinity, knife crime, and the dangers of the internet. With each episode filmed in one continuous take, this impressive feat got a lot of people talking. While this exemplifies many masters of their crafts at work behind the scenes, it also showcases just how solid the actors are. Each actor had to remember every single line, because if the take was ruined, they’d have to start all over again. Now, this would be a daunting task for any actor, even the seasoned Stephen Graham, but Owen Cooper truly showcased just how gifted he is by executing this style of filming for his very first role.
Adolescence serves as Owen Cooper’s acting debut. At the time of filming, he was just 14 years old and had only acted as part of his short time training at The Drama Mob, a Manchester-based drama school. Cooper plays Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old accused of murder. The first episode opens thick and fast and sees Jamie being arrested and taken to the police station, scared witless. He confides in his father Eddie (Stephen Graham) and protests his innocence. Yet, as each episode goes on, we start to see a different side to Jamie. In episode 3, this is where Cooper really showcases his extraordinary conveyor belt of talents as a young thespian. The episode sees him take part in a behavioural analysis session where he switches from timid to playful to outright menacing within seconds of each other. Although he is enthralling in every episode he appears in, it is this episode that cements him as a rising star as he deftly weaves between emotions, all in one singular take.
1. Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields (1984)
Out of all of the first-time actors that dazzled audiences, Haing S. Ngor arguably left the biggest mark on cinema when he captivated Hollywood and the world with his luminous performance in The Killing Fields, a powerful yet deeply haunting picture that chronicles the brutal Khmer Rouge regime and its devastating impact on Cambodia. The film’s narrative chronicles the horrific experiences of Dith Pran, a journalist for the New York Times, who goes through unspeakable loss and agony during the genocide in Cambodia. Ngor, who had never performed before, was chosen to play the part of Dith Pran, a real-life survivor and human rights activist. His performance won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the second ever amateur actor to win, and the first Asian actor to win Best Supporting Actor.
Ngor was a native of Cambodia, a former physician and medical officer in the Cambodian army before the outbreak of war. His transformation from a healer to a Hollywood star was nothing short of extraordinary, however, his personal life remained deeply intertwined with his homeland, never chasing fully-fledged fame. To that, he continued working with human rights organizations, advocating for Cambodians in resettlement camps and striving to bring justice to those responsible for the atrocities committed during the Cambodian massacre. Sadly, Ngor was discovered shot dead in the driveway of his Los Angeles condominium on February 25, 1996. His life and death are a monument to his unyielding commitment to justice and human dignity, since his friends and family attested that his murder was connected to his vocal resistance to the Khmer Rouge, and not the result of a botched robbery.
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