The road to becoming an A-list celebrity is long, arduous, and filled with numerous obstacles. The final reward of fame and money is usually worth it, however.
Everybody has to start somewhere, and it is almost always fascinating to look back upon one's humble beginnings. Sometimes it is downright embarrassing for the celebrity himself, but of course, there is no shame in looking a little dorky during one's younger years.
While many of these stars may want to hide their younger selves from the public, the internet is here to make sure that the past never becomes entirely forgotten.
This list will be taking a look at handsome leading men before they were anywhere as famous as they are today. For the stars featured, this means a variety of different things. S
ome of these photos will showcase the stars as children or teenagers, as their stardom began in their young adulthood. For others, the photos will already reveal them as grown men, but before they came into the spotlight. They they often look very different than audiences remember.
With the amount of photos featured, the stars will not only be from modern Hollywood, but from its entire history. Leading men are not a modern invention, after all.
While many stars may not want to be reminded of their more awkward years, we have no intention to shame them. We all had embarrassing phases, so it is encouraging to know that these seemingly infallible stars also went through similar periods in their pasts.
With that said, here are 25 Photos Of A-List Leading Men Before They Were Famous.
Tom Hardy
Here is Tom Hardy displayed as a young adult, well before his role in 2003's Star Trek: Nemesiss. As we can see by his neck, he was not quite the muscular hunk that audiences know and fawn over today.
Instead, he looks a lot slimmer.
He is still attractive, but he does not seem like someone who could put up much a fight.
Now at forty years old, Hardy is as beautiful as ever and will probably only get more attractive as time goes on. In this photo, though, the British actor still looks like a baby.
Samuel L. Jackson
People are often shocked to hear just how old Sam Jackson is, and this picture proves that the man defies aging.
Most people would be afraid to ask the actor to do most things, so just imagine being the inevitable march of time asking him to get older.
During his younger years, Jackson was just as bold and intimidating as some of his most famous characters. At one point, he even took a university's board of trustees hostage in an attempt to change the school's policies.
He was also heavily involved in the civil rights movement before starting his acting career.
Ryan Reynolds
Before becoming the Merc with a Mouth, and even long before exercising his improvisational chops on the disastrous Blade: Trinity, Ryan Reynolds was cutting his teeth on Canadian television.
Gone are the big muscles and the perfect five o'clock shadow. In their place is a baby faced pr-teen, who looks incredibly innocent.
All leading men have to start somewhere, though, and there are much worse places to begin than on the airwaves of the United States' neighbor to the north.
Back then, it's doubtful that anyone would have thought that Reynolds would reach the stardom he has today.
Pierce Brosnan
While Pierce Brosnan would find his way into audience's hearts eventually as the heartthrob detective on Remington Steele and then as the fifth Bond, this photo only displays a man with dreams-- well, dreams and dashing good looks.
Looking at Brosnan posed here, combing his hair in a white jacket, its no surprise that he later went on to nab leading roles.
They say you have to dress for the job you want, and here the Irish actor is certainly dressed like a famous, suave movie star ready to woo the ladies.
Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd is known for being one of the more handsome comedic actors, with his transition to leading man material only taking fruition a few years ago with the release of Ant-Man.
Still, even he had his awkward years, as displayed in this year book photo.
Rudd is forty nine now, placing this photo somewhere in the late eighties.
The end of that decade was a strange time for fashion, but even someone back then should have had the sense to know that haircut only belongs on the members of Tears For Fears.
Matt Damon
Some people say Jason Borne is like an American James Bond. Maybe that is why Matt Damon is trying his best impression of Roger Moore by raising his eyebrow for this photograph.
He can't be blamed for wanting to imitate one of the world's coolest actors, but Damon's attempt falls flat, making him look entirely uncomfortable with himself.
Nobody would be surprised if Trey Parker and Matt Stone said this picture was their inspiration for the actor's character in Team America: World Police.
Damon was said to have been a good sport about his portrayal in that movie, fortunately.
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando is known for being father of Superman, the Godfather, Colonel Kurtz, and Stanley Kowalski. He's also known for several other flawless performances.
However, this image hearkens back to a time when Marlon Brando was a student at Shattuk Military Academy.
His time at the school was brief, as he was expelled for breaking his probation after already engaging in insubordination.
Despite being allowed back next year, Brando opted to drop out of school altogether and eventually started his acting career in New York City. As we all know, film is a better art form because of his decision.
Jason Statham
What many people may not know about Jason Statham is that he had a short stint as a competition diver.
Shortly after this, he became a model and was eventually discovered by Guy Ritchie for a main role in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.
Here, the English acting star is barely recognizable with a scalp covered in hair. Most people may dread baldness, but Statham himself rocks the look with ease and confidence.
Of course, it is much easier to have no hair when you have the body of a model.
Hugh Jackman
Given how tough Hugh Jackman is on screen, one would his expect his upbringing to involve wrestling dangerous animals in the outback on a regular basis.
The truth is less extravagant, since we can see that Jackman's teen years were spent like many others'-- as a student.
His face is largely recognizable in this image, and it would not be convincing as a tired, angry, and adamantium-clawed mutant.
Shortly after high school, Jackman entered acting school, where by his own admission he was behind most of the other students. Now, however, he has become a full-fledged A-lister.
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington has had success in almost every genre, from hard hitting dramas to edge of your seat action thrillers. Before any of those, however, he was just your average teenage.
The young Denzel grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, but he was sent to a private school further up north in the state when he was fourteen.
He says this decision by his mother changed his life because it removed him from an environment filled with negative influences.
Had he stayed in Mount Vernon and gone to school there, he may not have become the legendary actor audiences adore today.
Ben Affleck
Now a respected director, there was a time when Ben Affleck was remembered primarily for his role as a relentless bully in Dazed and Confused.
This picture makes him look more like a modern bro, as opposed to his character in the 1970s nostalgia-driven coming of age comedy.
It certainly is not the kind of face you would expect to see on somebody who would go on to win two Oscars, one of which was for Best Picture.
It just goes to show you that looks can be deceiving in positive ways too.
Vin Diesel
It has been well documented that Vin Diesel loves Dungeons & Dragons and video games.
What people may be less aware of, however, is that back in the day, Diesel starred in an instructional break dancing video.
This was not just an acting gig either-- Diesel would dance in all of the famous New York City spots in the 1980s.
There will be no poking fun at him for that, though, since nobody can disrespect someone whose tastes range from dancing and tabletop RPGs to acting and directing.
Tom Cruise
This hardly looks like someone who would eventually go on to do such insane stunts as climbing the tallest building in the world, holding his breath for insane amounts of time, and completing numerous dangerous HALO jumps all for the sake of cinema.
That face and smile look more like they would fit in an advertisement that wanted to sell you a used 1998 Toyota Corolla.
However, that is the mug of world renowned, and sometimes controversial, actor Tom Cruise.
He's certainly cute here, but too soft around the edges to play someone like Ethan Hunt, Jack Reacher, or Pete Maverick.
Sylvester Stallone
The eyes never change, and that rings true with this picture of the Italian Stallion. Not long after this picture, Sylvester Stallone would move to New York City and get so down on his luck that he had to sleep in the Port Authority Bus Terminal for a few weeks.
He's instantly recognizable here, but he has yet to live the life of a struggling artist, something that would give him the character and motivation to pen the classic boxing drama Rocky.
The artist was always in there, but it needed an impetus to truly unleash itself upon the world.
Ryan Gosling
This one here is a two for one. The boy next to Canadian heartthrob Ryan Gosling is none other than singer, actor, and ex NSYNC member Justin Timberlake.
The two first met as cast members on The Mickey Mouse Club and quickly became great friends.
Timberlake's mother even became Gosling's legal guardian after his mother returned to her native Canada for work.
Gosling has said that the two are not in close touch these days, but are still supportive of each other.
Except for growing taller, the two's faces have not changed that dramatically since childhood.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. hit fame at a fairly young age, so a picture of him before becoming a leading man would have to be a picture of him before becoming a man.
It's sad to think that not long after, or even already by the time this snapshot was taken, RDJ was introduced to illegal substances by his father, who struggled with similar demons throughout his life.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending, as both his father and himself are now clean and sober.
Who knew that Iron Man was such an adorable child, though?
Robert De Niro
At such a young age, Robert De Niro's stare was filled with attitude. Even with those chubby baby faced cheeks, his look still says "you talkin' to me?"
The New York City upbringing breeds a certain kind of person, and De Niro is a perfect example of the archetype.
This is the exact reason why he was so perfect to play young Vito Corleone, Travis Bickle, and even Rupert Pupkin in King of Comedy.
If these movies had not utilized his acting chops to realize these characters, cinema would be a less exciting medium.
Bruce Campbell
All horror movie fanatics want to be Ash Williams. Before becoming the silver fox he is today, and even before the debut of his most iconic character, he was shooting numerous short movies with the Raimi brothers on a shoestring budget.
Thankfully, the crew eventually got bold enough to do their first feature. The difficult shoot ended up becoming The Evil Dead, which spawned two sequels, a remake, and a television show that lasted three seasons.
This exact picture is reminiscent of his small, but unforgettable, role in Spider-Man 3.
In it, he plays the host who tries to help Peter Parker propose to Mary Jane.
Paul Walker
While most famous as a Fast and Furious undercover cop, Paul Walker got his start in show business when he was still learning speak as a toddler.
Starting out as a model, he then made the transition into acting in the mid nineteen eighties.
Slowly but surely, he climbed up the ladder to become the action star audiences grew to love.
Even if the movies themselves were less than stellar, Walker was always a compelling presence on the screen.
It is a shame he was taken away so soon, but the body of work he left will be enjoyed for generations to come.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio has been a big property ever since his stunning performances in movies like What's Eating Gilbert Grape, This Boy's Life, and especially as Jim Carroll in The Basketball Diaries.
Before that hard hitting biographical movie, the actor was already cutting his teeth in the business on television shows such as Growing Pains and Facts of Life.
This picture speaks nothing about the bright future the actor was going to have tackling countless challenging roles and working with the best directors in the world like Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and Alejandro G Inarritu.