These movies were so good that they launched careers. For this list, we’ll be looking at the best times that a great film helped introduce an actor or take their career to the next level.
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00:00 There's only one person in the world who decide what I'm gonna do and that's me.
00:03 Welcome to Ms. Mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 movies that were so good they launched careers.
00:11 Work in Essex County, page 98, right?
00:13 Yeah, I read that too.
00:15 For this list, we'll be looking at the best times that a great film helped introduce an actor or take their career to the next level.
00:21 Did we forget about a film that changed somebody's career for the better?
00:24 Let us know in the comments below.
00:28 Number 10, Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls.
00:30 Before her standout role in this Broadway adaptation, Jennifer Hudson showed off her voice on American Idol.
00:36 It's an evil wind that blows no good, yeah, yeah.
00:44 Her natural talents as a vocalist translated perfectly to her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls.
00:50 Hudson also managed to offer up a passionate acting performance in this entertaining musical.
00:55 Playing the complex role with tremendous emotion, she really won audiences over with her singing of an "I am telling you, I'm not going".
01:02 And now I'm telling you, I ain't going.
01:06 It could even be argued that she won the Academy Award for that scene alone.
01:10 The multi-talented artist would go on to a prosperous career in music and hosting, hitting new highs with her unbeatable range.
01:17 Who said I could do it all alone?
01:20 Number 9, Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween.
01:23 John Carpenter's Halloween helped introduce the slasher genre to fans of horror in the late 1970s.
01:29 Tommy!
01:30 Tommy, it's me!
01:33 It also featured the breakthrough performance of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie.
01:37 Her work as the terrified hero brought immense reality to the character, with her performance in the movie's final chapter being especially notable.
01:45 I always liked you.
01:47 Curtis demonstrates what seems to be natural ability in this project that has translated to her storied career.
01:53 She eventually transcended scary flicks for comedy and action, but would later return to the series that made her a star.
01:59 The Oscar winner never forgot her roots as she created an iconic role that earned her the title "Scream Queen".
02:05 Can we make Jack-o'-lanterns?
02:07 Sure.
02:08 Can we watch the monster movies?
02:09 Sure.
02:10 Number 8, Tatum O'Neil, Paper Moon.
02:12 At a young age, Tatum O'Neil shocked viewers with her witty performance in Paper Moon.
02:17 Keep your sunny side up, up, hide the side that gets blue.
02:23 The period comedy starred the actress alongside her father as an unlikely pair of con artists.
02:30 Director Peter Bogdanovich brought together a wonderful cast to deliver the fantastic script, shepherding the younger O'Neil to an eventual Oscar win.
02:38 Oh, she'll like that.
02:41 She absolutely stole the movie with her precocious part, so it's unsurprising to hear she stole the award, even if she was just 10 years old at the time.
02:49 With lots more time to pursue her passion, the actress continued performing into adulthood and proved she was much more than a one-off talent.
02:56 You still owe me $200.
03:00 Number 7, Cameron Diaz, The Mask.
03:03 In the year that Jim Carrey became a megastar, Cameron Diaz also found herself in the park of a lifetime.
03:09 That's an interesting time, Mr...
03:11 Ipkiss, Stanley Ipkiss.
03:14 Tina Carlyle, pleased to meet you.
03:16 The Mask allowed her to go toe-to-toe with the comedy master.
03:19 Diaz's inviting persona clearly got the attention of the entertainment industry.
03:23 Bringing a charm to her supporting role, the actress exudes electricity every minute of her screen time.
03:28 Stanley, what are you doing here?
03:31 Within just a handful of years, she was a household name with roles in There's Something About Mary and Charlie's Angels.
03:37 As for her former co-star, Carrey obviously did more than fine for himself.
03:41 His breakout movie came only months before with Ace Ventura, Pet Detective.
03:45 If the former two endeavors weren't enough to solidify his star status in 1994, the release of Dumb and Dumber the same year likely did it.
03:53 Thanks.
03:55 For what?
03:57 Lots of things.
03:58 Number 6, Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins.
04:02 After proving herself on the stage, Julie Andrews was more than ready to become a movie star.
04:07 Pour a spoonful of sugar, helps the medicine go down.
04:12 Her lead role as Mary Poppins is a truly star-making performance from start to finish.
04:17 She's able to sing like an angel, charm her castmates, and even perform some comedy for good measure.
04:22 Oh, it's a jolly holiday with you, but gentlemen like you are few.
04:30 Now vanish and breathe, that's me.
04:31 Andrews fits perfectly into the part of the English maid who brings a little magic to the Banks family.
04:36 Following her award-winning turn in the Disney film, she did miraculous work in more classics like The Sound of Music.
04:42 The hills are alive with the sound of music.
04:50 The actress has become nothing short of an international treasure for her extensive work in all sorts of musicals and comedies.
04:56 You won't go Mary Poppins, will you?
04:58 Spitz bod.
05:00 Number five, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
05:03 Good Will Hunting.
05:04 Even though they both acted in movies before, Good Will Hunting established Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as something more.
05:10 They actually co-wrote the screenplay together and their performances both prove just how well they work off of each other.
05:16 Stop brushing me back.
05:17 Stop crowding the plate.
05:19 Which one will it be?
05:21 Damon plays the role of a damaged genius, while Affleck is his best friend who wants him to do better.
05:28 Each actor jumps off the screen with their authenticity.
05:31 Is that your thing? You come into a bar, you read some obscure passage and then pretend you pawned it off as your own idea just to impress some girls? Embarrass my friend?
05:40 Their Boston roots lend more legitimacy to the project, making the story all the more compelling.
05:45 The duo won the Oscar for their script before running off to further fame in their respective careers.
05:50 One became an action star and the other an award-winning filmmaker.
05:54 Through it all, they've also stayed close friends.
05:57 You don't owe it to yourself.
05:58 You owe it to me.
06:00 As the Duchess of Bay Ridge, Margot Robbie wowed audiences with her breakthrough role in The Wolf of Wall Street.
06:10 Hi. Naomi. Nice to meet you.
06:13 She was even able to steal scenes away from the legs of Leonardo DiCaprio.
06:17 So I was, um, a little surprised you asked Christie for my number.
06:22 In a bold performance, Robbie arrived as a fully formed movie star in a wild exploration of wealth and excess.
06:29 Her role allowed her to showcase a range of emotions while still being able to lean into the humor of it all.
06:34 The performer ultimately played her supporting part like a lead character and she was all the better for it.
06:39 If you agree to the divorce right now, I will allow visitation. Okay? Don't try to fight it.
06:44 It'll save us both a lot of money and I got a feeling you're gonna need it.
06:48 Following the collaboration with Martin Scorsese, she continues to excite audiences with characters like Tonya Harding, Harley Quinn and Barbie.
06:55 According to multiple actors, Marlon Brando changed the face of acting in the 20th century.
07:05 Man, look at what's fast in the hot weather.
07:07 You want a shot?
07:09 He lit up the Broadway stage as Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire before claiming the role in the film adaptation.
07:17 Stanley!
07:18 Now will you just open your eyes to this stuff here?
07:21 For the next several decades, many actors followed his lead and were inspired by his vulnerable performances.
07:26 His turn as Kowalski showcased his ability to explore the darkest depths of masculinity.
07:32 Brando's blend of charisma and rage was rarely seen on the silver screen before and barely has been since.
07:38 He did win multiple awards for his work, but no award could properly describe his impact on the acting scene as a whole.
07:45 Until that day, accept this justice as a gift on my daughter's wedding day.
07:51 In just his second film, Dustin Hoffman immediately set himself apart from the pack.
07:58 Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me.
08:00 Aren't you?
08:05 His performance in Mike Nichols' The Graduate still pops with a spontaneous energy all these years later.
08:11 Hoffman was nominated for an Oscar for his leading role as Benjamin Braddock, and it's easy to see why.
08:16 In a movie about a college graduate having an affair with an older woman, Hoffman is able to find the drama and humor in the story masterfully.
08:24 This includes several laugh-out-loud moments of his character awkwardly fumbling through relationships.
08:29 Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!
08:39 While he didn't win an Academy Award for this film, he went on to win two for other undertakings and become one of the most critically lauded actors of his generation.
08:48 82, 82, 82.
08:50 82 what?
08:51 How much is this?
08:53 Toothpick.
08:54 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
08:58 Francis McDormand, Blood Simple.
09:00 This future Oscar winner shines in the Coen brothers' impressive debut.
09:04 You leaving?
09:05 Isn't that what you want?
09:07 You want to come with me?
09:13 I gotta know what happened first.
09:16 Edward Norton, Primal Fear.
09:18 The standout work from this courtroom drama comes with Norton's multifaceted killer.
09:22 Well, good for you.
09:25 Marty, I was gonna let it go.
09:29 You was looking so happy just now, I was thinking, "Hmm."
09:32 Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit.
09:34 Young as she was, Steinfeld steals every scene in this engaging western.
09:38 They tell me you're a man with true grit.
09:41 Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch.
09:44 Before Split and The Menu, Joy proved herself in a chilling and slow burn horror.
09:49 You let mother be as thy master.
09:51 You cannot bring the crop sealed. You cannot hunt.
09:54 Is that truth enough?
09:56 Enough.
09:57 Thou canst do nothing, Zane Cotwood!
09:59 Michael Cera and Jonah Hill, Superbad.
10:03 This duo cemented themselves as kings of awkward comedy with this classic.
10:07 You changed your name to McLovin?
10:10 - Uh-uh. - McLovin?
10:12 What kind of a stupid name is that, Fogle?
10:15 What, are you trying to be an Irish R&B singer?
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10:33 #1 Orson Welles, Citizen Kane
10:36 Few success stories can compete with Orson Welles.
10:39 They've been making statues for 2,000 years, and I've only been buying for five.
10:43 In his feature film debut, the performer directed himself
10:46 in one of the most acclaimed works to grace Hollywood history.
10:49 His layered performance as the wealthy Charles Foster Kane
10:53 tracks the title character from his early years to his death.
10:56 Rosebud.
11:01 #2 It's a Moving Tale
11:04 It's a moving tale about a man slowly losing grip with reality
11:09 and pining for the days of his youth.
11:11 Critics were wowed by Welles' take on the material,
11:13 making him the wonder boy of the entertainment industry.
11:16 And his brilliant screen persona would only continue to elevate many films afterwards.
11:20 To point out and make public the dishonesty,
11:24 the downright villainy of boss Jim W. Getty's political machine.
11:29 Despite some problems he had making future films,
11:32 the performer remained an esteemed artist
11:34 known for progressing filmmaking as a medium.
11:37 Do you agree with our picks?
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11:45 [Music]