Famous Surprises

Where they are now, and how none of us can believe they've become so famous.

Fast forward 20 years ago. Will Smith was just this cute kid in a rap duo  with DJ Jazzy Jeff. Then he had that  little sitcom about a boy sent to live  in his Aunt and Uncle's mansion. Sure the show was funny and we liked it. But did you ever watch that show and think 'Wow! That Will Smith is really going to go places!" 

Or how about in the late 90s when you were watching MTV's TRL and singing along  with that super cute curly haired boy bander Justin Timberlake. Did you ever stop to consider what the possibilities of him being a very successful solo singer, actor, and hilariously funny SNL host were? 

No one can honestly say they thought he's be around longer than a few years and a few catchy pop tunes. Or that they see so many big budget blockbuster movies with that dude that rapped about parents just not understanding. But that's what is so baffling about hollywood. Sometimes it's not all about the talent but their character, personality, and of course their agents. 

Jennifer Aniston can be discussed as somewhat of a surprise for many reasons. First of all, she managed to make it past all the attention her hairstyle got, then she managed to become the breakout star of a show with 5 other actors that could be considered better than her. But the  biggest surprise is how easily it seems she was able to transition into other roles (even while still on FRIENDS) and that audiences actually enjoyed it. 

The 80s were filled with some very cheesy movies. And worse than cheesy movies are cheesy DANCE movies. And that decade was jam packed with them. And one of the best ones (or worst depending on how you look at it) was "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" starring none other than an innocent Sarah Jessica Parker. Now, I think I speak for everyone when I say no one imagined that one day we'd be watching the same girl that was scared to tell her father she was in a dance contest as a fashion icon  sexually active New York City sex columnist who so many people loved in "Sex and the City."

How does a person catapult into a huge hit? I wonder how they make that turn into uber stardom? Is it after years of bad choices and forgettable roles or is it simply just luck? I guess no one can say for sure how it happens, but no matter how famous you've become, we still remember when you first broke into show business. Cough! Cough! Mark Walburgh. You can pretend it didn't  happen that way, but our first memory of you was you  dancing around with your underwear hanging out of pants singing with the Funky Bunch. 

Isn't show business grand?!