Tags
Breaking the Waves, Debut performances, Dustin Hoffman, Edward Norton, Emily Watson, Leon, Natalie Portman, Primal Fear, The Color Purple, The Graduate, Whoopi Goldberg
Sometimes a debut performance by a rising star can go unnoticed, but in some cases there are debuts that transform careers and announce the arrival of a whole new talent. I am writing this post as I have seen quite a few debut performances that really stuck in my memory. So have a think about which debuts had an impact on you and why?In case people out there are struggling to remember debut performances, I will list some of the ones that I consider very memorable:
Natalie Portman as Mathilde, a young girl who wishes to avenge her families murder and is taken in by a hit man in Leon.
Edward Norton as Aaron Stampler, a stuttering altar boy accused of murder in Primal Fear.
Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock, a college graduate who begins an affair with an attractive older woman in The Graduate.
Emily Watson as Bess McNeill, a devoutly religious woman who takes other partners at the wish of her paralysed husband in Breaking the Waves.
Whoopi Goldberg as Celie Harris, a poor girl who must overcome adversity
, prejudice and abuse in The Color Purple.
vinnieh 
I’d have to go with Dustin Hoffman for The Graduate. Back then he was an unknown actor, and his performance was so good that it made his career.
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That is a good choice and what a debut
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Now that I know Dustin Hoffman’s debut was The Graduate (after reading ckckred’s comment) I’d go with that one. Either that or Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People.
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Thanks for the comment, I remember watching Hutton’s performance years ago and thinking it was great
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I’m going back in years, but I have to say Angela Lansbury in Gaslight. She was great in that role.
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Thanks for the comment, I read somewhere that she was only 17 when she apperared in Gaslight.
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A couple of very memorable debuts from the world of noir stand out for me: Richard Widmark as Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death & Burt Lancaster as the Swede in The Killers. Both men gave very different but equally intense performances that pointed towards greatness.
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Dustin Hoffman is a really good one, but I’d have to say that my absolute favorite is Audrey Hepburn’s debut performance in Roman Holiday.
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Thanks for the comment, yes Hepburn was just so radiant
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Jeff Bridges in The Last Picture Show was the first thing I thought of…But Hoffman in the Graduate is a good pick too
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Glad someone mentioned Bridges in the Last Picture Show
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Yes for Dusty in The Graduate. I would add Ewan McGregor in Shallow Grave. I am surprised he could act damn well
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Thanks, I remember watching Shallow Grave years ago
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Yup it’s such a great film.
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Sigourney Weaver in Alien is another good one.
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Thanks, I forgot to add that one. I love her performance as Ripley
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