From Anne Hathaway to James Franco, every star has acted in an R-rated movie at some point. Some were only seven years old while others had already filmed ten different movies, but at some point, these celebrities crossed over to the dark side.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper’s first R-rated film was Wet Hot American Summer. Since then, Cooper has been nominated for 7 Academy Awards. His films have grossed over $7.8 billion globally.
Scarlett Johansson
Prior to Johansson’s role as Black Widow in Marvel’s Avengers franchise, she made her R-rated film debut at the age of 10 in Just Cause (1995) alongside veteran actors Sean Connery and Ed Harris.
From Anne Hathaway to James Franco, every star has acted in an R-rated movie at some point. Some were only seven years old while others had already filmed ten different movies, but at some point, these celebrities crossed over to the dark side.
Natalie Portman
Portman was best known for her role as Padme Amidala in Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace. At the time, she was still in high school. But even before that, Portman acted in her first R-rated film, Léon, in 1994. The 11-year-old played Mathilda, an orphan who has her family murdered by a corrupt DEA agent (Gary Oldman).
Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence was the highest-paid actress in the world from 2015 to 2016. She has also been named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in the world. Although some would guess that Lawrence’s youngest R-rated role was in Winter’s Bone, it was actually Poker House, a 2008 drama documenting Lori Petty’s difficult upbringing.
Eddie Murphy
Murphy was already appearing on SNL in the ’80s at the age of 19. He eventually took the plunge with film, his first R-rated role being that of convict Reggie Hammond in 1982’s 48 Hrs. Murphy’s performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
Matthew McConaughey
McConaughey’s first big break was in the R-rated film Dazed and Confused in 1976. The ensemble cast also featured actors like Ben Affleck and Adam Goldberg, who would go on to have prolific careers in the industry.
Jessica Alba
Alba was once a relatively unknown TV actress who broke into film with her role in 1999’s Idle Hands, which was her first R-rated film. Alba played a lazy teen whose hand gets possessed and goes on a murderous rampage.
Ellen Page
Page was only 18 years old when she appeared in 2005’s Hard Candy, but her short hair made her look even younger. This was the first feature film directed by David Slade.
Nicolas Cage
Even though Cage was barely featured in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, it was still technically his first R-rated movie in 1982.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer was only 21 when she starred as a high schooler in the 1980 R-rated frat house comedy The Hollywood Knights. She played Suzie Q, the girlfriend of Tony Danza.
Leonardo DiCaprio
DiCaprio’s first R-rated film was arguably Poison Ivy, but he only appeared in it for about a second. In This Boy’s Life, however, DiCaprio plays Tobias Wolff in the 1993 biopic.
Meryl Streep
Streep’s debut R-rated film The Deer Hunter (1978) was an epic war drama starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and John Savage. Streep was already 28 at the time and the film marked her first Academy Award nomination ever. She would go on to become the most nominated film actress in history.
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis is considered by some critics to be the greatest living actor in cinema history. Day-Lewis’ first R-rated film is My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), which has now become a landmark for gay cinema.
Julia Roberts
Roberts’ first R-rated appearance was in the coming-of-age drama Mystic Pizza in 1998. Film critic Roger Ebert said the movie “may someday become known for the movie stars it showcased back before they became stars.”
Jodie Foster
Foster’s first R-rated movie was the notorious American thriller Taxi Driver (1976) directed by Martin Scorsese. Foster, who was only 12 years old during the time it was filmed, played an underage sex worker. There were explicit scenes during which Foster’s sister had to be used as a body double.
Matt Damon
Damon also made his R-rated film debut in Mystic Pizza alongside Julia Roberts in 1998. Damon was only 17 at the time of filming. He plays the role of Roberts’ rich new boyfriend’s younger brother.
Reese Witherspoon
Witherspoon’s first R-rated film was S.F.W. back in 1984. In the movie, which bombed with an abysmal 12% on Rotten Tomatoes, Witherspoon starred alongside Stephen Dorff as a hostage victim who navigates celebrity status after the ordeal was caught on camera.
Halle Berry
Berry’s first-ever R-rated film was Spike Lee’s classic Jungle Fever in 1991. She plays the love interest of Samuel L. Jackson. As of 2018, Berry is the only African American woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Angelina Jolie
Jolie was 20 years old when she made her R-rated debut in 1996 with the rom-com Love Is All There Is. The film was based on the story of Romeo and Juliet, except it was set in the Bronx.
Anne Hathaway
Even though Hathaway rose to fame through roles in movies like Princess Diaries and Ella Enchanted, she soon pivoted to a grittier character in 2005’s Havoc, in which Hathaway ventures into a world of crime and drugs.
Winona Ryder
Ryder first appeared in the R-rated coming-of-age indie film 1969, which was released in 1988. The film stars Robert Downey Jr. and Kiefer Sutherland. Ryder plays Downey Jr.’s sister with whom Sutherland falls in love.
Edward Norton
Norton had one of the best debuts in cinema history. The 1996 hit Primal Fear became a cult classic. Norton’s incredible performance carries the intricate plot; he won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Oscar in 1997 for Best Supporting Actor.
Johnny Depp
Before he became Captain Jack Sparrow, Depp made his R-rated debut in the classic horror flick A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). He got the part when his friend, Nicolas Cage, pushed him to enter the entertainment industry. Director Wes Craven hired him on the spot.
Ryan Gosling
Gosling earned attention from critics for his first R-rated role as a conflicted Jewish Nazi in The Believer (2001), which was loosely based on the true story of Dan Burros. Gosling put on some muscle, shaved his head, and delivered a number of violent beatings. His performance was critically acclaimed.
Eric Stoltz
Stoltz was another star who made his R-rated debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He was Sean Penn’s shirtless surfer buddy. Stoltz was later cast and then fired from Back to the Future; he was supposed to be Marty McFly, but was later replaced by Michael J. Fox.
Jonah Hill
Hill bagged his first-ever role in the R-rated David Huckabee film I Heart Huckabees (2004). He was only 20 years old at the time and went on to star in hits like Superbad and Moneyball. He also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Wolf of Wall Street.
Jeff Goldblum
Goldblum’s debut in the R-rated Death Wish (1984) starred as one of the young thugs who terrified Charles Bronson’s family. Goldblum went on to star in some of the highest-grossing films of the decade like Independence Day and Jurassic Park.
Kevin Bacon
Bacon was fortunate enough to debut in what is now known as one of the greatest comedy films ever, Animal House (1978). Bacon starred alongside John Belushi, Karen Allen, and Tim Matheson, playing the role of a snobby rich pledge who ditches the good guys to join the ranks of the elite.
Emily Blunt
Blunt’s first feature film was an R-rated LGBTQ movie My Summer of Love, showcasing the intricacies of class politics and two women’s infatuation over the course of a summer vacation.
Sean Penn
Penn’s first R-rated film became one of the most universally beloved teen movies on the 1980s. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) earned Penn an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as Jeff Spicoli, a surfer burnout with big dreams.
Ben Affleck
Like a number of other actors on this list, Academy Award-winner Affleck’s first R-rated movie was Dazed and Confused. Previously, he had appeared on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and School Ties.
Renée Zellweger
Zellwegger was yet another Dazed and Confused alum. She was originally selected for a larger role but a majority of her scenes were cut in the final edit. Zellwegger later became one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.
Kristen Stewart
Stewart began her film career as a child actor in a variety of R-rated films like Undertow, Panic Room, and Cold Creek Manor. However, her first credited role was in The Safety of Objects. Stewart was only 11 years old at the time of its release.
Frances McDormand
Oscar-winner McDormand started her career with one of the best crime films to date, Blood Simple. The R-rated flick also marked her husband Joel Coen’s screenwriting and directorial debut alongside his brother, Ethan.
Evan Rachel Wood
Wood was 16 years old when she played a 13-year-old in the coming-of-age drama Thirteen. She starred as Tracy, an honors student who spirals into chaos and destructive behavior after befriending one of the popular girls at school.
Kerry Washington
Washington’s debut was in the R-rated movie Our Song (2000), which was later considered one of the year’s most underrated films. Washington went on to receive critical acclaim for the role and her career subsequently blossomed.
Nikki Reed
Reed was cast alongside Evan Rachel Wood in 2003’s Thirteen. She co-wrote the script along with director Catherine Hardwicke, who was her “surrogate mother.” The film deals with sensitive topics like addiction and sex, which was loosely based on Hardwicke’s own struggles. Reed won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance.
Amy Poehler
Poehler starred alongside Bradley Cooper in 2001’s Wet Hot American Summer. Although her role in the movie was somewhat minimal, she went on to become a Golden Globe winner for her role as Leslie Knope in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation.
Vanessa Hudgens
Hudgens also makes an appearance in Thirteen, which was her first R-rated film. She plays the role of a friend who gets left behind in the mayhem. She later starred in High School Musical, which was responsible for shooting her to stardom.
Viggo Mortensen
Mortensen’s silver screen debut was in 1985’s Witness, where he played an Amish farmer named Moses Hochleitner. The thriller also starred Harrison Ford. Witness was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning two for Best Film Editing and Best Original Screenplay.
Norman Reedus
Reedus became known for having a reverse career: he started off in film and later moved to television. He is best known for The Walking Dead. His first R-rated film was Guillermo Del Toro’s Mimic (1997), where Reedus played the role of Jeremy.
Luke and Owen Wilson
The Wilson brothers made an appearance in Wes Anderson’s first feature film, Bottle Rocket (1996). The brothers play best friends who scheme together to rob a factory. Later, Owen earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Anderson’s movie The Royal Tennenbaums.
James Franco
Franco appeared in the American crime drama film Deuces Wild (2002), which is set in 1958 Brooklyn. Franco was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor in 127 Hours. He also won a Golden Globe for playing Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist.
Selena Gomez
Disney sweetheart Selena Gomez broke the traditional good girl mold with her performance in Spring Breakers (2012). Gomez joined the film to do something “more adult.” It earned $31 million worldwide and starred James Franco as Alien, a drug dealer who takes her with him on a life of crime.
Zooey Deschanel
Mumford (1999) was Deschanel’s R-rated debut. It was her first role in a feature film. Deschanel’s performance in Mumford came almost a year before her notable performance in Almost Famous.
Ashley Benson
Benson, similar to Gomez, was a young and somewhat inexperienced actor when she decided to accept a role in the film Spring Breakers. Benson was also known for playing Hanna Marin on the popular teen drama series Pretty Little Liars.
Chris Pine
Pine’s first role in an R-rated film was in Confession (2005), a Catholic school thriller about a student who frames a priest for a gruesome murder. Pine plays bad boy Luther Scott, who runs a black market for students that sells contraband like alcohol and cigarettes.
Zac Efron
The former Disney heartthrob stuck to the good boy routine for ten films in a row before taking on an R-rated role in The Paperboy (2012). Efron plays the lead who falls for an older woman. Although the film performed poorly at the box office, costar Nicole Kidman received multiple nominations.
Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin might have the best acting debut of all time after becoming the second-youngest Oscar winner in history. Paquin played the daughter of a mute woman in the R-rated film The Piano (1993), which was a booming commercial and critical success.
Garrett Hedlund
Hedlund’s first R-rated role was in the movie Troy (2004), which documents the epic battle between the kingdoms of Troy and Sparta. Even though the film was panned by critics, Hedlund’s performance was well-received overall.
Chloë Grace Moretz
Moretz gained notoriety for playing the hardcore Hit-Girl in 2010’s R-rated Kick-Ass, but her first R-rated gig came long before. Moretz starred in Poker House (2008) alongside Jennifer Lawrence, playing J-Law’s younger sister.
Hilary Duff
Although to some Hilary Duff will always be Lizzie McGuire, but her first R-rated movie proved she wasn’t a kid anymore. Duff was 20 years old when she starred in War Inc. (2008) in which she acted alongside John Cusack. However, critical reception was poor, and the film only received a 30% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Before Gordon-Levitt starred in 500 Days of Summer and Looper, his first R-rated role was in a 1994 suspense thriller called The Road Killers. The 13-year-old Gordon-Levitt plays the son of Christopher Lambert.
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano is best known for her role on the hit WB show Charmed, but her first R-rated movie was released long before. Milano starred in the 1985 action movie Commando with Arnold Schwarzenegger, where she played Schwarzenegger’s daughter, Jenny. Alyssa was only 13-years-old at the time of filming.
Alyson Hannigan
Hannigan may be best-known for her memorable role in the American Pie franchise, but her first R-rated film was in the 1998 black comedy Dead Man on Campus. Although Hannigan only has a minor role in the movie, it helped to launch her career.
Julia Stiles
The 10 Things I Hate About You star is known for playing moody roles, and her character in the R-rated flick Wicked was no different. Stiles, who played a 14-year-old who murders her mother, landed the role in 1998 when she was just 17.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Love Hewitt starred in the cult classic I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). She was only 18 when the movie was filmed. Love Hewitt went on to feature in shows like Ghost Whisperer and Criminal Minds.
Dakota Fanning
Fanning reached the height of her career before the age of 18. She was only 7 years old when she landed a role in her first R-rated movie, Trapped (2002), in which she played a 5-year-old girl who is kidnapped and held captive while her parents fight to get her back.
Elle Fanning
Fanning’s younger sister Elle, who is only four years Dakota’s junior, also had an appearance in the 2002 movie Trapped. Elle played a younger version of Dakota’s character Ally.
Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald starred in some of the most iconic movies of the ’80s, but the first R-rated productions was actually Sixteen Candles, which is one of the many John Hughes films in which Molly starred. She was actually 16 when the movie came out.
Lindsay Lohan
Prior to Lindsay Lohan’s early career was mostly child acting roles in films like The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, and Herbie Fully Loaded. Lohan was 20 by the time she starred in an R-rated movie, Bobby, which was about the Kennedy assassination.
Saoirse Ronan
Irish actress Saoirse Ronan acted in a number of serious movies since she was a child. While many are under the impression the first R-rated one was The Lovely Bones in 2009, it was actually Atonement two years prior in 2007, in which she served as the catalyst for the demise of a relationship.