When they were soap stars

Everyone had to start somewhere. And for many of the big Hollywood stars, that was on a TV soap…

  • Meg Ryan
  • Ricky Martin
  • Sarah Michelle Gellar
  • Demi Moore
  • Julianne Moore
  • Tommy Lee Jones

    Meg Ryan
    Soap: The star of such Hollywood blockbusters as When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle actually cut her teeth on American soap As The World Turns from 1982 to 1984. She played a character called Betsy Stewart Montgomery Andropoulos. The show's official site describes the soap as full of 'love and passion, triumph and defeat, confession and deception'.
    Fast facts about Meg:

  • Meg Ryan wasn't the only well-known face to grace the show's fictional town of Oakdale. Other stars include Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek and American Pie's Jason Biggs.
  • Rumour has it that Meg turned down the role made famous by Sharon Stone in the hit film Basic Instinct.
  • Meg only went into acting initially to earn extra money while working on her journalism degree.

    Ricky Martin
    Soap: We may know him as a sexy Latin singer, but Ricky has also tried his hand at acting on the small screen - joining the cast of American soap General Hospital in 1994. The daytime drama, centred on a community on the coast of upper New York, has featured such stunning plots as an evil weather machine. Ricky dedicated two years of his life to acting before returning to his first love - music.
    Fast facts about Ricky:

  • He turned down a part opposite Jennifer Lopez in West Side Story.
  • He began his career at the age of 12, as a member of the Puerto Rican music group Menudo.
  • He started his solo music career in 1991 with the release of his self-titled first album. His release became one of the highest debuts for a Latin artist under the Sony label for ten years.

    Sarah Michelle Gellar
    Soap: Best-known as the kick-ass Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the cult TV hit of the same name, petite blonde Sarah previously 'staked' her claim to fame in hit American soap All My Children from 1993 to 1995. She even won an Emmy Award for the role.
    Fast facts about Sarah:

  • She was first discovered by an agent when she was just four years old.
  • Sarah initially auditioned for the role of spoilt Cordelia in Buffy, but was determined to make producers believe she could be their Chosen One.
  • She studied Tae Kwon Do for five years, and she's now taking kickboxing, boxing, street fighting and gymnastics.
  • According to those in the know, Sarah has a tattoo of a Celtic symbol on her left hip and a tattoo of the Chinese symbol for integrity on her lower back.

    Demi Moore
    Soap: She may be coming out of self-imposed exile to appear in Charlie's Angels 2, but the star of such hits as Disclosure, Ghost and St Elmo's Fire first cut her teeth on American soap General Hospital from 1982 to 1983. However her role as a regular turned the 19-year-old's head - after her first three salaries, she apparently began celebrating at parties and sniffing cocaine. Her self-destructive behaviour lasted for three years until she was fired from the set of St Elmo's Fire for being high. She promptly cleaned up her act and was taken back on set.
    Fast facts about Demi:

  • She hired three cameramen to videotape the birth of her first child.
  • Demi was one of three finalists for the lead in Flashdance. Legend has it that no-one could decide between the three so a group of 50 men were brought into the room, shown the three audition tapes and asked who they would most like to sleep with. They chose Jennifer Beals.
  • She was once engaged to Emilio Estevez.

    Julianne Moore
    Soap: Like many other Hollywood actresses, the redheaded star of Hannibal is no stranger to soaps. She played Frannie and Sabrina Hughes (twins) in As the World Turns from 1985 to 1988. Her performance later led to an Outstanding Ingenue Daytime Emmy Award in 1988.
    Fast facts about Julianne:

  • She spent the early years of her life in more than two dozen locations around the world.
  • After Jodie Foster turned down the role of Clarice Starling in Hannibal, Julianne beat off contenders Helen Hunt, Gillian Anderson and Cate Blanchett to win the role.
  • She reads every script she receives.

    Tommy Lee Jones
    Soap: This charismatic Men in Black star played Dr Mark Toland in the soap One Life to Live from 1971 to 1975. One Life to Live premiered in 1968 and was centred on the lives of the citizens of the fictional town of Llanview, Pennsylvania. The show is credited as breaking several boundaries - depicting people from all backgrounds, showing an inter-racial relationship and being one of the first American soaps to explore drug addiction.
    Fast facts about Tommy:

  • He has never taken an acting class.
  • He and Al Gore were roommates while at Harvard University.
  • Before hitting the big time, he worked on underwater construction and on an oil rig.

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