The old saying “ya gotta start somewhere” usually warrants an eye roll, but it’s true, especially if you’re an actor. Many actors work their way up the ranks by appearing in featured roles in an episode of a major show. If you look back on the history of television over the last 50 years, you will see many up-and-coming names appear on hit television shows before they became famous.
Usually, a hit show is the perfect platform for someone with a lot of talent and industry backing to make their presence felt to audiences. TV has always worked better as a launching pad for talent to be discovered. Many more people are watching every night to catch these “no names” that could be somebody in Hollywood, and in the early 2000s, the hit medical drama on Fox.
House,was the perfect place for many young actors to get discovered. You may have missed these faces back then, so here is a reminder of who appeared in a small featured role on the show but eventually got a lot of industry recognition.
10John Cho
Season 1, Episode 20 - “Love Hurts”
John Chomade us laugh back in the late 1990s in a small role inAmerican Pie. He played a character named John,who coined the phrase “milf"in the film. His career would continue after that in more small roles, but right around the timeHarold and Kumar Go to White Castlewere brought into the world, Cho also appeared in a role on season one ofHouse.
Harvey Suffers a Stroke
It’s kind of funny that Cho’s Harold and Kumar co-star Kal Penn would go on to play a major factor inHouselater on in the series, but in season one, Cho would play the role of Harvey, a man who has no issue with BDSM and is an asphyxia addict. However, being choked all the time makes him have a stroke. See the scene below to understand more.
9Skylar Astin
Season 8, Episode 21 - “Holding On”
Skylar Astin’s career was about to get somewhat big not long after his appearance onHouse. He would go on to play the character of Jesse Swanson in thePitch Perfectmovies. Astin appeared on another little Fox show you may have heard of called Glee. It must’ve been easy for him to make the jump over toHousefor an episode.
Astin Plays a Troubled College Student
Before he would play a love interest in the competitive world of college choir groups, he showed up in an episode ofHouseas a college cheerleader who has dizziness and nosebleeds and also hears the voice of his deceased brother. As he worsens, he attempts suicide, but House has other plans for him in a highly dramatic scene. A great line is delivered by Hugh Laurie in the climactic scene: “It is our human responsibility to stay alive!”
8Evan Peters
Season 5, Episode 9 - “Last Resort”
In the last couple of years,Evan Petersshocked us with the Netflix limited seriesMonster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story.His portrayal of serial killer Jeffery Dahmerleft us shaken to our core. He is an actor who can dive into a part and make us lose sight of him on screen. He also had a brief stint as Quicksilver in theX-Menuniverse ten years ago, and many admire his work onAmerican Horror Story.
Captured by a Patient
In Season 5 ofHouse,Peters made an appearance as a character named Oliver, who is one of the few held hostage by a man in the hospital. Oliver has a chance to make a run for it, but ends up deciding to stay behind to watch the patient and captor be worked on by House. Peters is known for his vulnerability and versatility in his roles right now, and the early workings of that talent can be seen here.
7Leighton Meester
Season 3, Episode 3 - “Informed Consent”
Leighton Meesterwent on to become one of the queens of young adult drama television in the early 2000s as one of the two leads of the showGossip Girl. She would transition into romantic dramas and thrillers on the big screen in the years that would follow, but right around the timeGossip Girlwas about to air, she got a little flirty over onHousefor a few episodes.
Meester Plays an Underage Girl Enamored with House
In season three ofHouse, Meester shows up as the teenage daughter of a patient with a bad case of the flu. Rather than being sympathetic to her sick parent, she takes an interest inHouse, which gets a little uncomfortable. Meester technically appears in two episodes, as her character shows up the following week still enamored with the eccentric doctor.
Related:The 20 Best Episodes of Gossip Girl, Ranked
6Jermey Renner
Season 4, Episode 9 - “Games”
A lot of people forget thatJeremy Renner’scareer went on long before his debut in theMarvel Cinematic Universe.He had brief big-screen roles, like a villain in the filmS.W.A.T. with Collin Farrell. But a few years before he dawned the bow and arrows as Hawkeye to team up withThe Avengers, Renner appeared in a Season 4 episode of House.
Renner Plays an Ailing Musician
It’s crazy to think that not long after this episode aired, Renner would become an Oscar-nominated actor. In the episode, he plays a punk rocker whose long run of hard living has caught up to him. Years and years of drug abuse on the road as a rock star have begun to eat away at Renner’s character. His performance here is another testament to his range as an actor.
5Lin Manuel Miranda
Season 6, Episode 1 - “Broken”
Lin-Manuel Mirandawould have quite a career ahead of him in just a few years after his appearance on House. Miranda has gone on to become a successful actor, songwriter, and playwright behind two of the biggest Broadway shows of all time,HamiltonandIn the Heights.
Miranda as House’s Roomate
Lin Manuel Miranda appeared in two episodes of season six. He was in the season premiere and the back end of the episode in season 20. Miranda played House’s bipolar roommate at the Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital, named Alvie. The two characters have great chemistry with one another, and you can spot Miranda’s versatility in his singing and acting through his performance inHouse.
4Amanda Seyfried
Season 1, Episode 11 - “Detox”
Amanda Seyfriedhas gone on to become one of the biggest stars in film and television over the last two decades. Her appearance onHousecame a little after her big-screen appearance as Karen inMean Girlsearlier that year. AlthoughMean Girlswas a hit, Amanda Seyfried was still no star yet, so seeing her inHousemost likely had fans of the film pointing her out.
From Karen to Pam
In the season one episode, Seyfried plays the role of Pam, a girlfriend who has a need for speed. Out on the road, her boyfriend coughs up blood, resulting in a car crash. Pam walks away without any real physical damage; her boyfriend is a different story. Seyfried still seems like she is being typecast a bit in this phase of her career, but you never know what one role can lead to, as she has gone on to have a massive career.
3Taraji P. Henson
Season 2, Episode 6 - “Spin”
Taraji P. Hensonwas just starting to get in front of the eyes of the right people to make her a star around this time. She would have small, but pivotal roles in films likeHustle and Flowand, nearly a decade later, become iconically known as Cookie Lyon onFox’s hit showEmpire, a role in which she became an Emmy-nominated actress for.
Crooked Manager
Henson’s versatility is unmatched. She goes over the top with her performance, but can also play a methodical character. In her season two appearance onHouse, she plays the manager of a professional cyclist who gets treatment from House. Her client admits to using performance-enhancing drugs. Henson’s character ends up being the one to go behind their back and leak that information to the press.
2Michael B. Jordan
Season 8, Episode 14 - “Love Is Blind”
Michael B. Jordanis another prime example of an actor who passed through the halls of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and went on to have a remarkable career. Jordan is a part of theMCUand helped revive theRockyfranchise with a brand-new leading character in theCreedfilms. What hasn’t he done in the last ten years?
Losing His Sight
Jordan would play a man losing his sight in a season eight episode ofHouse. Jordan had appeared in a few films prior to his role inHouse. Many forget he co-starred in theKeanu Reeves 2001 dramaHardballwhen he was a kid, and not long after his appearance onHouse, Jordan’s star began to rise. The drama of his role is amplified even more in the episode, as he was about to propose to his longtime girlfriend but is not going to go blind soon.
Related:Creed IV Officially in the Works with Michael B. Jordan Back in Director’s Chair
1Elle Fanning
Season 2, Episode 11 - “Need to Know”
There is just something about the Fanning family. Like her sister Dakota,Elle Fanningwould go on to have an illustrious career in front of the camera. Technically, Elle made herbig-screen debut inI Am Samas a younger version of her sister Dakota’s character. But it’s in this episode ofHousethat she shows how much of a powerhouse she is.
A Patient’s Daughter
Fanning plays the patient of a daughter who is experiencing muscle spasms. At seven years old, she wanders the halls of the hospital while her mother rests and discusses the truth about wanting another child with her husband. She has a scene opposite Hugh Laurie that gives us some early evidence as to why she became such a powerhouse as the years went on. Being able to hold the screen with Laurie in character is a tough thing to do, and seven-year-old Fanning did just that.
