Top 10 Before They Were Famous Actor Performances in Music Videos

Before some of our favorite actors got their big breaks, they were starring in some of our favorite music videos. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 actors who appeared in music videos before they were famous.

For this list, we’re looking at actors and actresses who appeared in a music video that got a wide viewing before they made their breaks and became famous. Actors who have made a career for themselves and then appeared in the video as a cameo, do not count – sorry fans of Mumford and Sons.

Kicking off our list is the 1980s heartthrob that danced his way into our hearts with “Dirty Dancing,” and proved he could still kick ass in “Red Dawn.” But before that, his blending of masculinity and dance floor skills got him a part in this music video by Toto. He can be seen in a street gang preparing for battle using dance in the same vain as Michael Jackson’s iconic music video for “Beat It.” If he’s tough to see, just look out for the grey tank top.

Before he joined the ranks of earth’s mightiest heroes, and became a multi-Oscar nominated actor, Jeremy Renner was an eyeliner-wearing sheriff in the music video for this pop-punk star from the early 2000s. That’s right, Hawkeye can be seen picking a fight with, and eventually arresting Pink. We get that he’s supposed to be the bad guy in this video, but we can’t help it if he’s also our favorite part.

Way back in 2002, before anyone had even heard the name Heisenberg, Aaron Paul made an appearance in this music video by Korn. Playing a tortured high school student, the soon-to-be Jesse Pinkman gets a pretty good stage to display some of his acting talent, venting the anger and rage felt by a student who feels alone and helpless in school. If you feel bad for him while watching it, just remember: He’s got good things coming.

It’s true that Christina Hendricks made a variety of appearances in TV shows and the like before making it big with “Mad Men.” However, a lot of us still remember her for her featured appearance in this music video by Everclear. Hendricks plays the innocent girl with wide eyes, caught up in the plastic world of game shows and television. In a song about the lust for fame and fortune and everything else that comes with it, Hendricks is a breath of fresh air that stays with us long after the song ends.

Before Deschanel was that cute quirky girl from those movies we love, she was the red-haired quirky girl from the 1998 music video by punk rock band The Offspring. The video, a mixture of live action and animation, shows Deschanel’s imagination injecting her own ideas into the everyday world. Despite the music video being early in Zooey’s career, she continues to play the same quirky girl type of character she became famous for, and that we’ve all come to love.

Before Matt LeBlanc got his break playing a young actor, he was one. Just try to imagine the look on Joey Tribbiani’s face if he knew he’d gotten a part in a Bon Jovi video. Playing a free spirited biker alongside Jeff Beck and the Bon Jovi himself, LeBlanc comes off as the handsome one in the group as they cruise through a small town in Mexico. We gotta say, he doesn’t look too bad on that steel horse of his.

If you’re making a pop music video in the ‘90s and need some Latin spice in the dancing, look no further than Jennifer Lopez. Before she made it big as a pop star and actress herself, she stole the show in this Jackson sister number. Blending into the groove of the music, and standing out from the scenery and other dancers - including Janet herself - it’s no wonder she was soon tapped to be a star herself.

In any list that includes narrative music videos, there’s bound to be at least one involving a tragic love story. This one makes our list for starring Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey. Playing the boyfriend and first love of a young girl, we slowly get the impression that he’s just no good for her. He’s the wrong kind of paradise, but we can’t help but love seeing him in the video.

Turns out Aerosmith videos are a hotbed for up and coming actors, with Eva Mendes and Seann William Scott appearing in the video for “Hole in my Soul,” and even Steven Tyler’s own daughter appearing in the video for “Crazy.” However, after a small breakout role, the band picked Alicia Silverstone to star in a series of their videos. In this one, Silverstone plays a woman scorned who decides to try and strike out on her own. She jumps off the screen as a young die-hard who would do anything to avoid being dependent on a man.

Before we recognize our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Angelina Jolie
“Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through” (1993) by Meat Loaf
- Jack Black
“Sexx Laws” (1999) by Beck
- Ke$ha
“I Kissed a Girl” (2008) by Katy Perry
- Norman Reedus
“Fake Plastic Trees” (1995) by Radiohead

The second star of “Friends” to make this list, Courteney Cox was a model with big dreams of being an actress. Her big break came when she was cast by Brian De Palma in this Bruce Springsteen video. Incidentally, Cox plays just another face in the crowd, until she is pulled up on stage alongside The Boss himself. The music video is so iconic; Springsteen would attempt to replicate the famous dance with a lucky audience member during live performances. Courteney Cox may have just been a face in the crowd, but this performance made her a star.

Did you agree with our list? Which of your favorite actors who have appeared in music videos did we miss? For more top tens about your favorite music videos, subscribe to WatchMojo.com.