HOT GALLERY: Muppets Actors Before They Were Stars

Alan Arkin Senior Yearbook High Schoo photo 1951

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Who Am I?

Alan Arkin Senior Yearbook High Schoo photo 1951 muppets movie photo

Alan Arkin as Tour Guide

Give up? It's Alan Arkin. According to our research department (a.k.a. "Google"), Mr. Arkin is the only cast member from The Muppets who also appeared on The Muppet Show (1976–1981). Check out this clip of Alan Arkin doing terrible things to a group of singing bunny rabbits circa 1979. To be fair, he was under the influence of one of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's potions at the time. (Also, it was the '70s.) Arkin has another Muppet-related credit: a series of sketches on Sesame Street with his then-wife Barbara Dana. Here they are as Larry and Phyllis, making strange noises. Arkin's role in The Muppets is listed as "Tour Guide." He won an Oscar in 2007 for Little Miss Sunshine. We're guessing he has a good sense of humor.

Amy Adams Young Junior Yearbook High School Photo 1991

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Who Am I?

Amy Adams Young Junior Yearbook High School Photo 1991 Muppets movie photo 2011

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library, Scott Garfield/Disney

Amy Adams as Mary

You know something? Amy Adams doesn't look all that different now than she did then. Of course, "then" was only 1991. The adorable Ms. Adams has much more than a cameo in The Muppets. She plays Mary, girlfriend of Gary (Jason Segel). Together they are a cute couple who help Walter, the world's biggest Muppets fan (who appears to be a Muppet himself), try to raise enough money to save the Muppet Theater from destruction. C'mon, it's Amy Adams and Muppets. What more do you need to know?

Amy Adams is one kick-ass lead! Click here to see more photos of Kick-Ass Women.

Chris Cooper Young Senior Yearbook High School Photo 1968

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Who Am I?

Chris Cooper Young Senior Yearbook High School Photo 1968 Muppets Movie Photo 2011

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library, Scott Garfield/Disney

Chris Cooper as Tex Richman

If you guessed Chris Cooper, you are either (a) lying or (b) a really big fan of his. (Note: Either answer is acceptable. We're nothing if not flexible.) In The Muppets, Cooper plays the incredibly evil and awesomely named oilman Tex Richman, who wants to knock down the old Muppet Theater because there's oil underneath it. He can't do that! Somebody stop him! Oh, wait—that's the plot of the movie. Sorry. We get confused sometimes.

Jack Black Young Junior Yearbook High School Photo 1986

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Who Am I?

Jack Black

Okay, this one you should have gotten—Jack Black looked like Jack Black back in 1986. In The Muppets, Black has an uncredited cameo in which he stands onstage, tied up with rope, with a bowling pin on his head. Like we said, it's a Muppet movie. Actors will do anything to work with the Muppets. (Actually, he's worked with Muppets before—Jack paid a visit to Sesame Street to explain the word "octagon.")

Jason Segel Young Freshman Yearbook High School Photo 1994

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Who Am I?

Jason Segel Young Freshman Yearbook High School Photo 1994 Muppets Movie Photo 2011

Jason Segel as Gary

You'll be forgiven if you missed this one. Seen side by side, it's clear that the grainy black-and-white photo is Jason Segel, but separately, it's harder to make a positive ID. Segel is a self-described Muppet maniac, and early reviews on Rotten Tomatoes say that The Muppets, of which he is both writer and star, is Muppetational. There is no higher praise in Hollywood. Not even winning an Academy Award is as great an honor as being called Muppetational.

THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER movie photo Miss Piggy Kermit the Frog 1981

Universal/Everett Collection

Who am I?

THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER movie photo Miss Piggy Kermit the Frog 1981, muppet movie 2011

Universal/Everett Collection

Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog

Yes, we knew you'd get this one right. (At least we hoped you would.) What's funny is that Kermit and Miss Piggy have changed quite a bit since The Great Muppet Caper hit screens in 1981. Back then, Kermit was played by the late Jim Henson, and Miss Piggy was played by Frank Oz. In The Muppets, Steve Whitmire plays Kermit, and Eric Jacobson is the French-speaking, karate-chopping Miss Piggy. Bonus video: If you want to see something so cute it could melt steel, watch this interview that Drew McWeeny's son Toshi did with Kermit and Piggy for HitFlix.com. Seriously, it's amazing.

Think Kermit and Miss Piggy are a cute couple? Check out our Before They Were Stars gallery on Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez!

Neil Patrick Harris Young Senior Yearbook High School Photo 1991

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Who Am I?

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris, now also known simply as NPH, was the star of Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989-1993). We know what he used to look like because, well, he was on television at the time. As of this moment, no one is having a more varied career than Mr. Harris. He does superhero voice-overs (Justice League: The New Frontier, Batman: Under the Red Hood), musicals (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, many Broadway shows), even musical superhero voice-overs (The Music Meister on Batman: The Brave and the Bold). Oh, and he's got one of those network sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother, costarring with Jason Segel. He even has previous Muppet experience. Here's NPH on Sesame Street making Elmo laugh. And referring to himself as "Neil." Dude's funny.

Rashida Jones young 3rd Grade school photo 1984

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Who Am I?

Rashida Jones young 3rd Grade school photo 1984 muppets movie photo 2011

Rashida Jones as CDE Executive

You so did not get this one! C'mon! Well, maybe you did. The lovely Rashida Jones was a cutie-pie in third grade, and seeing the two pics side by side shows that she managed to keep her dimples intact. In The Muppets, Jones gets to tell Fozzie and the gang that they "aren't famous anymore," which we imagine was really fun, despite the fact that it's not very nice. We know, we know. It's just a movie. But still.

Sarah Silverman young photo Community Auditions 1985

Who Am I?

Sarah Silverman young photo Community Auditions 1985 muppets movie photo 2011

Sarah Silverman as Greeter

Yes, that really is Sarah Silverman. You know what she was doing? Singing. Not one of the filthy ditties she's become known for. Singing for real. Check out this video for proof. Silverman is billed simply as Greeter in The Muppets. See for yourself. We're thinking cameo.

Who Am I?

Wanda Sykes Chris Rock Show 1997 photo muppets movie photo 2011

Scott Garfield/Disney

Wanda Sykes as The Law

Wanda Sykes has been consistently funny since forever, and her appearances on The Chris Rock Show (1997-2000) are no exception. (Note: Send the kids out of the room before you watch these clips.) Here's some proof. And here's some more. In this image from The Muppets, Sykes is described thusly: "Kermit the Frog appeals to The Law, played by Wanda Sykes..." That's right. Wanda Sykes is The Law. Anyone want to argue with that? We didn't think so.