10 Boomer Stars' First Roles

10 Boomer Stars' First Roles Even the world’s most critically acclaimed actresses had to start somewhere. These 10 famous boomers now have extensive film and television repertoires (and even a few awards) under their belts. Find out where they first started their careers!

Helen Mirren Having starred in six films in the past year, Mirren, 65, is one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood. Her career actually began on the stage of the Royal Shakespeare Company. One of her first film roles was also Shakespeare-related—she played Hermia in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (1968).

Sally Field From ‘Norma Rae’ to ‘Places in the Heart’, three-time Emmy winner and two-time Oscar winner Filed, 64, got her start in 1965 as the surfer chick Gidget in the TV comedy series by the same name.

Meryl Streep Where did one of today’s most respected actresses first get her feet wet? Before being nominated for 16 Oscar and 25 Golden Globes, Streep, 61, made her big screen debut in the 1977 film ‘Julia.’

Sharon Stone Stone, 53, is best known for playing Catherine Tramell in the erotic thriller, ‘Basic Instinct.’ Her first-ever role was as a random pretty girl in Woody’s Allen’s film ‘Stardust Memories’ (1980). One year later, she landed her first speaking part in the horror movie ‘Deadly Blessing.’

Susan Sarandon The actress who won an Academy Award for her performance in the film ‘Dead Man Walking (1995) landed her first role at a casting call in 1970 for the movie ‘Joe.’ Sarandon, now 64, portrayed Melissa Compton, a troubled teenager.

Annette Bening After a few brief stints on television, Bening, 52, landed her first movie role as Kate Craig in the 1988 comedy ‘The Great Outdoors.’ Since then, she’s been nominated for four Oscars for her performances in ‘The Grifters,’ ‘American Beauty,’ ‘Being Julia’ and ‘The Kids Are All Right,’ winning Golden Globe Awards for the latter two movies.

Kirstie Alley Alley, 60, is most well known for playing Rebecca Howe on the sitcom ‘Cheers’ for six years. In addition, one of her biggest movie roles was as Mollie Jensen in the ‘Look Who’s Talking’ series. It was in 1982, though, when Alley was cast in her first movie role as Lt. Saavik in ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,’ a performance that also landed her a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Florence Henderson Carol Brady of ‘The Brady Bunch’ was a TV icon and practically Florence Henderson’s alter ego. But Henderson, 77, first honed her acting chops on the Broadway stage, performing in the 1952 musical ‘Wish You Were Here.’ She made her film debut in 1970 in the musical film ‘Song of Norway.’

Goldie Hawn In 1967, Hawn started off her career in the short-lived comedy series ‘Good Morning World.’ Setting a pattern for decades to come, she played a stereotypical “dumb blonde.” But she’s a smart actress: Her role in the 1969 movie ‘Cactus Flower’ landed her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and was the catalyst to her successful career. Since then, Hawn, 65, has starred in big-name films like ‘Private Benjamin,’ ‘Foul Play’ and ‘The First Wives Club.’

Meg Ryan The ‘When Harry Met Sally’ actress started her movie career with a small part in the 1981 women’s drama ‘Rich And Famous.’ She went onto bigger stuff after appearing in independent films like ‘Promised Land’ in the 1980s. Ryan, 49, has also specialized in rom-coms, starring in box office successes like ‘Sleepless in Seattle,’ ‘City of Angels’ and ‘You’ve Got Mail.’