9 Actors Who Started Their Careers in TV Commercials

Before the red carpets and franchise roles, plenty of famous actors were selling soap, dog food, and sunscreen to living rooms across America. A thirty second spot can seem like a small gig. For some young performers, it was the first door that opened.

The names below all appeared in commercials early on, and each later moved into film or television work that made them well known. Details of childhood careers can vary a little between interviews and biographies, so this list sticks to the broadly documented milestones.

Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster is among the best known examples. As a toddler, she appeared in a Coppertone sunscreen commercial, reportedly at around age three. It was a very early start, and it led to more commercial work in Los Angeles.

From there she moved into television roles in the late 1960s, including the sitcom Mayberry R.F.D. Her later film career brought her two Academy Awards for Best Actress, for The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs. Few actors have such a long path from sunscreen ads to Oscar night.

Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields began modeling as a baby. She is widely credited with appearing in an Ivory Snow ad when she was only about eleven months old. That job gave her a head start in the advertising world long before she could speak in full sentences.

Her acting career followed in the 1970s, including the 1978 film Pretty Baby, made when she was twelve. She went on to star in The Blue Lagoon and the sitcom Suddenly Susan. Her story shows how commercial work and fashion modeling can overlap with an acting career.

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore comes from an acting dynasty, yet her own screen debut was a commercial. As a baby, she appeared in a Puppy Chow dog food ad, which is often cited as her first on-screen job. Hollywood was already part of her family life, and this made it part of her résumé too.

Her breakout came in 1982 with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, when she was a child. She later built a career as an actress, producer, and talk show host. Not many people can say their first co-star was a puppy chow commercial dog.

Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning started acting at a very young age, with her first role reportedly in a Tide laundry detergent commercial at age five. That early gig led to guest parts on television shows. Casting directors noticed how comfortable she was on camera.

Her major breakthrough came with the 2001 drama I Am Sam, in which she played the daughter of Sean Penn’s character. She has since worked steadily in film and television as she moved from child roles into adult ones. Her path is a modern example of a commercial leading to a lasting career.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Before he was a leading man, Leonardo DiCaprio worked as a child in commercials and educational programming in Los Angeles. His ads included spots for products like Matchbox cars. He has spoken about being a working kid actor before his teen years.

He moved into television with series such as Growing Pains, then into film with Critters 3 and This Boy’s Life in 1993. That last film, alongside Robert De Niro, helped establish his reputation. Titanic and an Oscar win for The Revenant came later.

Kirsten Dunst

Kirsten Dunst began working as a child model and in commercials, starting at about age three. She appeared in numerous ads as a young girl while she lived in New York. These early jobs gave her screen experience that most children her age never got.

Her film breakthrough was Interview with the Vampire in 1994, where she played Claudia. She went on to star in Little Women, Bring It On, and the Spider-Man trilogy as Mary Jane Watson. Her career continues into prestige drama, including an Oscar nomination for The Power of the Dog.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar was a child performer who appeared in television commercials before she became a soap opera and primetime star. Reports of her childhood career commonly mention ads she did as a kid in New York. That background helped her land more demanding screen work as a teenager.

She worked on daytime soaps, including All My Children, for which she won a Daytime Emmy. Then she became a household name as the title character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series ran for seven seasons and remains one of the most influential shows of its era.

Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood’s early career included modeling and commercial work after his family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child. He has described how that period led to auditions for film roles. It was a practical first step, not an overnight leap.

He had small film roles in the late 1980s, including a cameo in Back to the Future Part II. He later gained wider fame as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He has since balanced big projects with independent films and voice work.

Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes began acting as a child, and she’s often cited as having done commercials around age seven. Her comic timing stood out in those short ads. Nickelodeon took notice of that talent.

She joined the sketch show All That in the mid 1990s and then starred in The Amanda Show. Later film roles included What a Girl Wants, Hairspray, and Easy A. Her early television stardom grew out of a childhood spent doing advertising work.

Commercials rarely get credit as a training ground, but these nine careers show how useful they can be. A child who can hit a mark and take direction in a short spot already has skills that casting directors value. It’s also worth remembering that most children in commercials don’t become stars. Talent, timing, and a good deal of luck still decide who goes on to a long career.

Next time a familiar young face turns up in an ad, it’s worth a second look. Some of today’s biggest names started exactly that way.