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Actors Who Had the Greatest Film Debuts of All Time: Jamie Lee Curtis, Audrey Hepburn and More

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Feb 19, 2025 6:23 pm·

By LOUISE A. BARILE

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There have been countless memorable movies made over the years, but only a few actors were lucky enough to have some of the best film debuts of all time thanks to their raw talent and undeniable star power.

Jamie Lee Curtis, for example, rose to fame in the 1978 horror flick Halloween, and has since maintained her charm in Hollywood. The Oscar winner starred in eight out of 13 of the franchise’s flicks, including Halloween Ends (2022).

Everyone has to start somewhere, but these A-list performers came out with a bang.

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Jamie Lee Curtis

The daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh made her film debut in 1978’s Halloween — one of the most successful independent films ever. “Thank you, [director] John Carpenter for choosing me to embody the every girl, Laurie Strode,” said Jamie on the film’s 46th anniversary in October 2024.

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Tatum O’Neal

“Most people on the set hated me, especially the actors!” recalled Tatum about shooting 1973’s Paper Moon. She admitted she was undisciplined and precocious — exactly the right characteristics to play a child grifter. At 10, Tatum became the youngest Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner ever.

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Whoopi Goldberg

The Color Purple’s author, Alice Walker, recommended Whoopi to play Celie in the 1985 movie. “You dream about this kind of stuff,” said the actress, who won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for the role.

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Julie Andrews

“I was extremely nervous,” recalls Julie about her first day on the set of 1964’s Mary Poppins. “I was acutely aware of the camera’s presence and surprised by the number of shots required to make up one small scene.” Released in August, the musical about a magical nanny became a classic and made Julie a household name — and an Oscar winner!

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Robert Duvall

At 31, Robert had one line in 1962’s classic To Kill a Mocking Bird. “That was all, but they cut the line,” he recalled. That’s okay, his performance as Boo Radley in this acclaimed film would lead to bigger roles, seven Oscar nominations and one win.

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Barbra Streisand

“I saw [the movie] Funny Girl … and it just seemed to me, I must say, okay,” said Barbra of her starring role in the 1968 film that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. “I felt that [Fanny Brice and I were] so instinctively alike that I didn’t have to work to get her.”

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Gene Kelly

When the actor and dancer debuted at age 29 opposite Judy Garland in For Me and My Gal, he was “appalled” to see himself on the big screen. “ I had an awful feeling that I was a tremendous flop.”

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Jennifer Hudson

“When I was on American Idol, I would see articles saying, ‘Jennifer Hudson for Effie White,’” recalled the performer about the character in Dream Girls. “I was like, ‘Who’s Effie White?’” She found out! Her co-starring role as Effie in the 2006 adaptation won her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

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Audrey Hepburn

“She had everything I was looking for: charm, innocence, and talent,” said William Wyler, who directed Audrey to a Best Actress Academy Award for her debut in 1953’s Roman Holiday. “She also was very funny.”

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