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Leonardo DiCaprio -

Most know DiCaprio starred on shows like 'Roseanne' and 'Growing Pains' when he was young, but even before then DiCaprio made an appearance on the '80s soap opera 'Santa Barbara,' playing the younger version of the character Mason in a flashback.

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Robin Wright -

Now well known for her icy role as Claire Underwood on 'House of Cards,' and prior to this becoming known for her role in 'The Princess Bride,' Wright's first acting gig was playing Kelly Capwell, one of the protagonists on 'Santa Barbara.'

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Kathy Bates -

The award-winning actress began her journey to fame with a four-episode arc on 'The Doctors,' in which she played the tiny role of Phyllis Gillette.

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Alec Baldwin -

The first television role the now-famed actor landed was that of Billy Aldrich on 'The Doctors' from 1980-1982.

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Tom Selleck -

Tom Selleck took a role on 'The Young and the Restless' in 1974, playing the role of Jed Andrews, a book editor with a short character arc and, significantly, no mustache.

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Eva Longoria -

The actress, now well known for her dramatic antics on 'Desperate Housewives,' landed a guest spot on 'General Hospital' back in 2000 and later landed a regular role on 'The Young and the Restless' as Isabella Brana.

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David Hasselhoff -

Famous to many for his roles in 'Knight Rider' and 'Baywatch,' in the soap world Hasselhoff is better known as Dr. William “Snapper” Foster from 'The Young and the Restless.'

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Shemar Moore -

The steamy 'Criminal Minds' actor got his start on 'The Young and the Restless' as Malcolm Winters from 1994-2005 (with a hiatus from 2002–2004).

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Julianne Moore -

The actress gained two times the experience on 'As the World Turns' as she played not only Frannie Hughes but also her half-sister and cousin Sabrina Hughes, from 1985 to 1988.

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Meg Ryan - Long before 'When Harry Met Sally,' Meg Ryan took a role on 'As the World Turns' to reportedly fund her degree in journalism, but the gig turned into a 21-episode run from 1982 to 1984. 

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Marisa Tomei -

The actress' first role was on 'As the World Turns' in the mid-'80s as Marcy Thompson.

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Laurence Fishburne -

A pre-teen Laurence Fishburne played Josh Hall on 'One Life to Live' from 1973 to 1976.

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Tommy Lee Jones -

The famed actor long ago played hunky Dr. Mark Toland on 'One Life to Live' from 1971-1975, a role that is almost unrecognizable now as he once had so much hair.

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Jensen Ackles -

An episode of 'Supernatural' cheekily references Ackles' past acting as Eric Brady on 'Days of Our Lives' from 1997 to 2000 by putting Ackles' character in a parallel universe where he discovers himself to be a former daytime soap star.

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Naomi Watts -

The actress spent many years of her youth in Australia, where she consequently got her start as an actress. Long before 'Mulholland Drive'(2001), her first break was a 19-episode stint as Julie Gibson on the Aussie soap opera 'Home and Away.'

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Susan Sarandon -

The award-winning actress' early-career role on 'A World Apart' was no small thing—she was one of the leads! She appeared in every one of the 325 episodes from 1970 to 1971 as the character Patrice Kahlman.

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Josh Duhamel -

Josh Duhamel earned a Daytime Emmy for his role as one half of the 'All My Children' super-couple Leo and Greenlee, which he held from 1999 to 2002.

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Elizabeth Banks -

In Josh Duhamel's very first episode of 'All My Children,' his character charms a waitress into paying for his meal, and that waitress was none other than Elizabeth Banks. That was the only scene she appeared in!

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Sarah Michelle Gellar -

Though she became a household name from her role in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' soap fans knew her from her 1993-1995 stint as troubled teen Kendall Hart on 'All My Children'.

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Michael B. Jordan -

In 2003, Michael B. Jordan landed the role of troubled teen Reggie Montgomery on 'All My Children,' where he stayed until 2006. The role was originally held by Chadwick Boseman, who objected to the stereotypical character and was fired as a result.

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John Stamos -

Long before he became the beloved Uncle Jesse on 'Full House,' Stamos played Blackie Parrish on 'General Hospital.'

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Demi Moore -

Long before the famous '90s films and the tabloid-crazy relationships, Moore played investigative journalist Jackie Templeton on 'General Hospital' from 1982 to 1983.

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Mark Hamill -

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Mark Hamill played the regular role of Kent Murray on 'General Hospital' from 1972 to 1973.

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Kristin Davis -

Better known now as Charlotte York from 'Sex and the City,' Davis' first major role was as Nurse Betsy Chilson on 'General Hospital' in 1991.

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Amber Tamblyn -

The 'Joan of Arcadia' star kicked off her career on 'General Hospital,' where she originated the role of Emily Quartermaine, which she held from 1995 to 2001.

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Christian Slater -

Aside from various single-episode appearances on other shows, Christian Slater landed his first significant acting role playing D.J. LaSalle on the ABC soap 'Ryan's Hope' in 1985—he was just 16 years old!

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Morgan Freeman -

Long before becoming the Morgan Freeman we all know today, the actor picked up roles on soap operas like 'Ryan's Hope' and 'Another World' through the early '80s.

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Brad Pitt -

Even Brad Pitt has soap operas to thank! His first TV speaking role was on 'Another World' in 1987, in which he played a young basketball player named Chris.

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Lindsay Lohan - Lindsay Lohan had started modeling at age three, so when she started playing Alli Fowler on 'Another World' from 1996 to 1997, she was already accustomed to show business.

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Ray Liotta -

Besides a pair of TV movies, The 'Goodfellas' star's first Hollywood credit was a 21-episode arc as Joey Perrini on 'Another World' from 1978 to 1981.

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Justin Hartley -

Now one of the main stars on 'This Is Us,' Hartley's first credit as a main role was on 'Passions,' playing Nicholas Foxworth “Fox” Crane from 2002-2006.

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Kevin Bacon -

'National Lampoon's Animal House' didn't quite launch the actor into fame back in 1978, so he took up small roles on soap operas like 'Guiding Light' until really hitting it big.

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Taye Diggs -

The stage actor made his TV debut in 'Guiding Light' in 1997 as Adrian “Sugar” Hill, a love interest of Dahlia Crede.

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Brittany Snow -

Before scoring roles in teen movies like 'John Tucker Must Die,' 'Hairspray,' and the 'Pitch Perfect' trilogy, Brittany Snow landed her first acting credit as Daisy Lemay on 'The Guiding Light' from 1998-2002.

See also: Surprising celebrities who got their start on Broadway.

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