The 1990s was a decade filled with acid-wash jeans, colorful suits, slap bracelets, and so much more. It was also an incredible time for film as it produced some truly great movies while introducing us to some of the biggest names currently working in Hollywood. 10 acting debuts stand out among the crop, as these actors either starred in an iconic film in their first go around or have gone on to have truly great careers. In the care of full disclosure, some performances on this list mark the actor's first "mainstream" debut and not necessarily their first-ever role on screen.
10 Amy Adams - Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Before she was a six-time Academy-Award nominated megastar, Amy Adams was Leslie Miller in the 1999 mockumentary Drop Dead Gorgeous. The film follows a documentary crew as they cover a beauty pageant in a small Minnesota town. The film features hilarious performances from Allison Janney and Denise Richards, while introducing and showcasing the acting talents of newcomer, Amy Adams.
9 Reese Witherspoon - The Man in the Moon (1991)
Not to be confused with the Jim Carey-led biopic of Andy Kauffman, The Man in the Moon is a 1991 coming-of-age film featuring the debut of Reese Witherspoon as Dani Trant, a 14-year-old girl living in Louisiana. The film received universal praise from critics for the performances of the actors involved, including that of the 15-year-old Witherspoon in her first-ever role.
8 Kirsten Dunst - Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Having starred in a handful of roles in smaller films in the early '90s, Interview with the Vampire marked the mainstream debut of Kirsten Dunst, starring alongside the likes of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt who play the vampire fathers who raise her character of Claudia. Dunst would go on to have a fruitful career over the next two-plus decades.
7 Lindsay Lohan - The Parent Trap (1998)
Say what you will about the strange career path Lindsay Lohan had later in life, her ability to play two separate characters in 1998's The Parent Trap is a testament to her young acting talents at the time. Playing both Hallie Parker and Annie James, sisters separated by divorce who meet one another at summer camp. The comedic timing of Lohan and the not-all-that-terrible British accent help make for a memorable debut for the actor.
6 Edward Norton - Primal Fear (1996)
Earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in your debut performance is certainly an impressive way to begin a career. That is precisely what Edward Norton did with his role as Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear. Working alongside acclaimed actor Richard Gere, Norton hit the ground running and hasn’t looked back since.
5 Jason Schwartzman - Rushmore (1998)
From one Wes Anderson alumni to another, Jason Schwartzman knocks it out of the park as eccentric scholarship student Max Fischer in Anderson’s second-ever directorial project, Rushmore. Flexing acting and comedic talents alongside the likes of Bill Murray, Schwartzman would go on to be a fixture in Wes Anderson's projects moving forward.
4 Kate Winslet - Heavenly Creatures (1994)
Before Peter Jackson ventured off to Middle Earth and Kate Winslet boarded the Titanic, the visionary director featured Winslet in her debut role in Heavenly Creatures. Telling the tale of a high profile New Zealand murder case from the '50s, Heavenly Creatures showcased the talents of both Winslet and Jackson, who would go on to participate in some of Hollywood's most awe-inducing projects.
3 Leonardo DiCaprio - What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
While What's Eating Gilbert Grape is technically Leonardo DiCaprio's third feature film, but it does mark what was his most high-profile performance at the time. This complex and important portrayal of family is amplified by performances like DiCaprio's in the film. Playing intellectually disabled Arnie Grape, younger brother to Johnny Depp's Gilbert Grape, DiCaprio's acting received universal praise and was only a mere glimpse of the career the young actor would go on to have.
2 Ralph Fiennes - Schindler’s List (1993)
An esteemed theater actor before jumping into feature films, Ralph Fiennes would star as Nazi commander Amon Göth in Stephen Spielberg's 1993 drama, Schindler's List. As the truly evil and awful Göth, this would mark Fiennes' first mainstream acting role and earn him an Academy Award nomination. Fiennes would go on to receive another Oscar nomination just three years later for his role in The English Patient, and would feature in his most recognizable role as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise.
1 Jim Carrey - Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
While Jim Carrey was known throughout the '80s and early '90s for his standup career and appearance on the hit sketch comedy show In Living Color, as well as a handful of small movie roles. 1994 truly marked the "debut" of the Carrey audiences know and love. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective would kick off an incredible year for the actor as he would star in some of the biggest and best comedies of all time in 94, Dumb and Dumber and The Mask.
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