Before They Were Famous in the Nineties (and now), in the Eighties They Were..., Actors First Names Beginning with D

This is a list of actors from the little and big screen, and the small roles they had before their big break. I'm not looking for what a particular actor did outside of acting, I'm looking more for bit roles and TV commercials. I think you could just write down waiter for almost any actor if you really wanted to if that were the case.

This page currently edited by: IndyGent. Past editor: Banasy



Actors beginning with: [Index] [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z] [misc]
Damon Wayans
Co-starred opposite of Jeff Goldblum in "Earth Girls Are Easy". He also sold the bananas to Eddie Murphy which he put in the tail pipe in Beverly Hill Cop.
Dan Aykroyd
Was a cast member on "Saturday Night Live", appeared in films like "The Blues Brothers" with the late John Belushi, and "Ghostbusters" with Bill Murray.
Dan Aykroyd
He was the dad on the movie "My Stepmother is An Alien". His daughter is played by Allison Hanigan and the stepmom is played by Kim Basinger.
Dan Aykroyd
Helped Indy, "doll", and shortround into the "cargo full of live poultry" in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Dana Carvey
Dana Carvey had a brief appearnce in "Halloween II" as one of the News crew members standing outside of Laura's house.
Dana Carvey
Was in the movie "Moving" with Richard Pryor and Randy Quaid. Was also in "Tough Guys" with Kirk Douglas.
Dana Carvey
In 'Spinal Tap,' he was one of the mime waiters at the 'Smell the Glove' album launch party, along with Billy Crystal.
Dannii Minogue
She was on a natonal talent show called "Young Talent Time" hosted by 60's idol Johnny Young, she also had a part in the Australian series "Home and Away" and in the film "Secrets".,
Danny Cooksey
Played bullying campmate Bobby Budnick on Nickelodeon's "Salute Your Shorts, and before that was on "Diff'rent Strokes".
Danny Elfman
Was the lead singer of the punk rock group Oingo Boingo.
Dave Coulier
Before playing Joey Gladstone on "Full House", David Coulier was the host on Nickelodeon's "Out of Control".
Dave Foley
Played a guy at a party (classmate?) of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables -- part 2. He wanted to dance with her, but she was busy working the benefit party and was preoccupied with Gilbert Blythe -- ya Canadian movies!
David Schwimmer
Played a young lawyer in the first season of NYPD Blue. His character got murdered.
David Alan Grier
Appeared in a movie called "Beer" with Loretta Swit in 1984 and was also in the movie "A Soldier's Story" with Denzel Washington. Was on the show "In Living Color" from 1989-1995.
David Boreanaz
Played one of Kelly Bundy's boyfriends on "Married...With Children".
David Duchovny
Was a snobby neighbor in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". Was also a snobby businessman in the kid movie "Beethoven" about a St. Bernard dog.
david duchovny
Was not in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". That character was played by Nicholas Guest. But Duchovny was in "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead".
David Faustino
Played the son of one of Stephen's friends in a 1983 episode of "Family Ties", as well as "Married..With Children".)
David Foley
Had smole role as a clerk in a grocery store in three men and a baby. Starred in the canadian film High Stakes. Also starred in the late 80's sketch comedy show The Kids In The Hall.,
David Hyde Pierce
He played a bookstore co-worker of Amy Irving's in the Jewish Romantic classic "Crossing Delancey"
David Hyde Pierce
Why, who's that tending bar at the fashion shoot in Bright Lights, Big City? It's a very young David Hyde Pierce. All suited up, sort of in anticaption of his Faiser role no doubt. His voice is unmistakable.
David Schimmer
He was also in Biloxi Blues with Mathew Broderick. He was on the bus scene!,
David Schwimmer
Played a Stoner in the B Movie "Crossing the Bridge" starring Stephen Baldwin.
David Schwimmer
Played the liberal son of arch-conservative talk show host Henry Winkler in the short-lived series "Monty".
David Schwimmer
In the movie "Flight of the Intruder", which as based on a Stephen Koonts novel, and starred Danny Glover, William Dafoe, and Rosanna Arquette, a duty officer was played by David Schwimmer. This was back in 1991 and was his first role in a movie. Then in 1994 was a cop in Jack Nicholson's "Wolf". Also was in a forgotten film called "Crossing the Bridge" in 92.
David Schwimmer
Before he was on "Friends," he was playing Kevin Arnold's sister's boyfriend on "The Wonder Years.",
David Schwimmer
Played the part of Karen's boyfriend on the "Wonder Years", they even got married
David Spade
Along with Sharon Stone and Lisa Kudrow, Comedian and SNL alumn David Spade was in the movie "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol" three years before SNL.
David Spade
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987). David Spade was the main skateboarding punk (whose stunt double during the fancy skateboarding scenes was Tony Hawk)
Dean Cain
Dean Cain appeared in Great White's video "Desert Moon".
Debbi Morgan
Angie in All My Children, A character named Lisa in A Different World who turned Dwayne's head and caused Whitley to break off her engagement to him.,
Debbie Gibson
Deborah (Debbie) Gibson appeared on some commercials like Mandee Department Store & Wendy's in the early/mid 1980's. Also appeared in a very short role in "Ghostbusters" as the girl in the tavern. She became a pop singer, in 1987 with some hits like "Only In My Dreams", "Foolish Beat", & "Lost In Your Eyes".
Demi Moore
She was in the 80's movie "Blame It On Rio" as Michael Cain's daughter.
Demi Moore
She had a part in the pilot episode of a T.V. show that only lasted about 12 episodes called The Master Ninja which also starred real life ninja master Sho Kosugi.,
Demi Moore
Playing the front-gal in a Nantucket rock band to her love interest John Cusack in Savage Steve Holland's 1986 movie 'One Crazy Summer'
Demi Moore
In the early 80's, Demi played Jackie, who was the sister of the Laura Spencer look-alike.
Denise Richards
She was in a movie called "Tammy and the T-Rex".
Denise Richards
She played the secret admirer of Slater on the last "beach" episode of save by the bell,
dennis haysbert
Played a small role on the 80's TV show called "Buck Rogers In the 25th Century" with Gil Gerard.
Denzel Washington
Played Dr. Chandler in St. Elsewhere. Was also George Segal's son in the flop movie "Carbon Copy".
Dermott Mulroney
Winona Ryder's boyfriend in "How to Make an American Quilt".
Diane Lane
She played Cherry Valens in the movie "The Outsiders" along side many up and coming young actors.
Diane Lane
She was in a wonderful film with Sir Laurence Olivier, "A Little Romance" in 1979. She was 14 at the time.
Don Cheadle
Don played Rocket in the movie "Colors" with Sean Penn and Robert Duvall. He also played Mouse with Denzel Washington in the movie "Devil in a Blue Dress".
Doris Roberts
Played the mother of Corinne's priest boyfriend in the 70s comedy "Soap".
Doris Roberts
She played the lovable secretary Mildred in the series "Remington Steele" from 1983-1987.
Drew Barrymore
Played Margaret Jessup in "Altered States" (1980) at the age of 5 before hitting it big in "E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial".
Drew Barrymore
Played Gertie in "ET", Charlie in "Firestarter", as well as several other roles in lesser known movies like "Far From Home" and "Cat's Eye".
Dustin Nguyen
Played Officer Harry Truman Ioki on 21 Jumpstreet from 1987 until 1990.
Dylan McDermott
Was in the movie "Hamburger Hill".
Dylan McDermott
Character of Jackson, the scessful lawyer whom Shelby (played by Julia Roberts)marries,


Actors beginning with: [Index] [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z] [misc]
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