From Soap Operas to Stardom: Celebrities’ Journey to Success

We all know that it can be extremely challenging to break onto the Hollywood scene. Los Angeles is filled with hopeful actors waiting to make their big break — but they can’t just sit back and wait for the opportunity to come to them. The road to fame requires a lot of hard work, including work to pay the bills while you audition and fight for roles.

In fact, some of the biggest names in Hollywood today started out working odd jobs to make ends meet. Did you know that Brad Pitt worked as a fast food restaurants chicken mascot? Or that Mark Consuelos was a roadie and exotic dancer before settling into his role on All My Children?

Luckily, these stars didn’t have to work regular jobs for too long before making their way to the small-screen with roles in some of your favorite soap operas. From there, they catapulted their careers and have become some of the most well-known actors in the industry. The team at Hola looked at the journey to stardom for actors like Pitt, Consuelos and more, and their humble beginnings, their start on soap operas, and when they caught their first big break.

Julianne Moore, John Stamos, James Corden Act Out Soap Opera on 'The Late Late Show' Using Taylor Swift Lyrics

On Monday night's episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden featured a soap opera sketch with Corden, Julianne Moore (ex-Frannie/Sabrina, As the World Turns) and John Stamos (ex-Blackie, General Hospital) that used Taylor Swift song lyrics to play out a breakup.

The bit found Corden and Moore starring in in The Bold and the Lyrical as "James Cordone" and "Juliette Moore," two young, reckless lovers who take things way too far. The scene opens when Corden saunters home one night with a weak explanation for his whereabouts: "I've been cruising. Can't stop, won't stop moving."

John Stamos played "John Stamosa," who was "feeling 22."

Watch The Bold and the Lyrical below:

'As the World Turns' Alum Julianne Moore Wins Oscar for 'Still Alice'

Julianne Moore

Former As the World Turns actress Julianne Moore, who won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1988 for her portrayal of Frannie and Sabrina on the soap, won her first Academy Award on Sunday night. Moore earned the Oscar after brilliantly playing renowned linguistics professor Alice Howland, whose family bonds are tested following her Alzheimer's diagnosis. Alec Baldwin (The Doctors, Knots Landing) plays her husband.

Watch Moore acceptance speech below, as well as her very first appearance on ATWT from April 2, 1985.

87th Academy Awards: Complete List of Nominations

As the World Turns Emmy winner Julianne Moore was nominated for
her work in Still Alice.

The nominees for the 87th Academy Awards have been revealed. Check out the complete list of Oscar nominations below:

Nominations (by movie):
Birdman – 9
The Grand Budapest Hotel – 9
The Imitation Game – 8
Boyhood – 6
American Sniper – 6
Whiplash – 5
Interstellar – 5
Foxcatcher – 5

Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Actor in a Leading Role
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Actress in a Leading Role
Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

The Story Behind the Selfie by Nelson Aspen

Photo courtesy of Nelson Aspen

I've interviewed Julianne Moore before and made a point before the cameras rolled to mention my own early career in the world of soaps so that we could quickly compare notes about our mutual degrees of separation...and there are many! As I write at length in my new book, "My Prime Time" (coming in June 2014), Julianne is an exciting example of why 50+ is nothing to be frightened of: Fabulous on every level, at the top of her game and more beautiful and in command than at any time previously (Not uncommon for those of us who happily hit the Half-Century Mark, as you'll read in my book).

When we were to meet again for the release of her new film Carrie, a lot had transpired. AS THE WORLD TURNS was celebrating its final anniversary before Cancellation and she made her memorable cameo return as "Frannie Hughes," convinced by her pal Noelle Beck (Lily) that it would be a fun and nostalgic moment. Was it ever! As Executive Producer Christopher Goutman told me, Julianne made it easy and seamless...and her on-screen sister/cousin, Colleen Zenk (Barbara) confirmed that it was all as warm and familiar as if an actual prodigal child were coming home for a party.

NEWS: R.J. Mitte joins SWITCHED AT BIRTH; Julianne Moore Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

BREAKING BAD actor R.J. Mitte joins SWITCHED AT BIRTH
He will play Campbell, a pre-med college student paralyzed by a snowboarding accident who works at the free clinic alongside Daphne (Katie Leclerc).

Creator Lizzy Weiss also tweeted out the casting Thursday morning to her followers on Twitter, writing, "We are thrilled to have him."

THE WEST WING Government Shutdown Episode Is Frighteningly Familiar
In fifth season episode "Shutdown," the fiscal year is nearing its September 30 close. Democratic President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and House Speaker Jeff Haffley (Steven Culp) have verbally agreed on budget cuts of 1 percent, mostly from social programs. However, at the last moment, the Republican speaker demands 3 percent in cuts that would slash funding on education programs, clean energy research, and other issues near and dear to the president’s heart.

NEWS: Patrick Duffy on Pamela's Possible Return; Oldest Teens on TV; Ian Ziering Joins Las Vegas Chippendales

DALLAS' Patrick Duffy on Pamela's Possible Return, Following in J.R.'s Path and Renewal Hopes
Victoria Principal, who played Bobby's first wife Pamela for 10 seasons before she left the show and was briefly replaced by Margaret Michaels the following season, issued a statement back in March saying she had no interest in reprising the character on the TNT reboot. "I thought it was very interesting," Duffy says. "But when I opened that script, I thought, OK, maybe it's another reunion. Who knows?"

But would it be a romantic reunion for Bobby's Romeo and his former Juliet? "I think he's come to grips with everything," Duffy says. "So her return to the show, if it were to happen, would definitely throw a hammer in the works, but I think Bobby is not tempted any more in that direction. Plus, look at who he's married to now."

NBC will preempt REVOLUTION tonight for coverage of the Boston bombing tragedy
Anchored by Brian Williams, an NBC News hour-long primetime special with reports from Matt Lauer, Lester Holt, Ron Allen, Pete Williams, Katy Tur and others.

Ian Ziering joins the Las Vegas Chippendales
The GUIDING LIGHT and BEVERLY HILLS 90210 alum will performing at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino during most of June.

First Look at Seans Faris as PRETTY LITTLE LIARS' New Hot Cop
[SPOILER ALERT] Looks like his work begins at some sort of gathering — perhaps a funeral with the world's most fabulous dress code? — but is this guy to be trusted? According to Faris, it sounds like our girls won't be dealing with another dastardly Detective Wilden-type, despite whatever it was they found in the dirty cop's trunk in last season's finale. "In the end," says Faris, "all we are looking for is the truth."

AS THE WORLD TURNS alum Julianne Moore is "The Fairest of Them All"
For Moore, taking on the vocal inflections, the mannerisms, the emotional undercurrents and psychic thunderstorms of another human being is essentially just a way of seeing us all more deeply. She looks deeper into her characters, inhabits them more fully, loves them more completely and with less judgment than just about any actor out there. As a result, her best work has, in some small but undeniable way, managed not just to entertain but to elevate and ennoble the rest of us.

HOLLYOAKS actress and EASTENDERS alum Danniella Westbrook reveals she was kidnapped and raped
According to the Sunday People, the Brit actress was held for three days in a grimy flat where she was subjected to a series of hellish sex assaults by three thugs.

Cornell S. John joins EASTENDERS
John will play Dexter Hartman's father, Sam James. [SPOILER ALERT] Ava and Dexter will be shocked when Sam returns following the death of his father, and is determined to get to know his son. Dexter has never met his father, who left a pregnant Ava when he went to get milk and never returned.

Starz’s Hits Viewership High With DA VINCE'S DEMONS Debut & SPARTACUS Finale
The series premiere of DEMONS and the series finale of SPARTACUS: WAR OF THE DAMNED this weekend was seen by 4.8 million over multiple viewings.

Which TV Show Has The Oldest "Teenagers"?
The average actor playing a teen role on TV is about 24 — but some shows have more age-appropriate casts than others.

HBO Orders Comedy Pilot About Group of Gay Friends
Hours after picking up a project about siblings in New Jersey, the premium cable network said Friday that it has ordered to pilot a comedy about three gay friends living in San Francisco.

WINNERS: 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

DOWNTON ABBEY won for Outstanding Performance by an
Ensemble in a Drama Series

SAG-AFTRA presented its coveted Actor® statuette for the outstanding motion picture and primetime television performances of 2012 at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in ceremonies attended by film and television’s leading actors, held Sunday, January 27, at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

Honored with individual awards were Daniel Day-Lewis, Anne Hathaway, Tommy Lee Jones and Jennifer Lawrence for performances in motion pictures and Alec Baldwin, Bryan Cranston, Kevin Costner, Claire Danes, Tina Fey and Julianne Moore for performances in television.

Golden Globe Winners

Julianne Moore won for her role as Sarah Palin in Game Change.

The 70th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best of the year in film and television, were handed out Sunday night in a ceremony hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Check out complete list of winners below:

Best Television Series - Drama
HOMELAND

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Damien Lewis - HOMELAND

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
Claire Danes - HOMELAND

70th Golden Globe Awards Tonight!

The 70th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best of the year in film and television, will air tonight on NBC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Check out the full list of nominations below:

Best Television Series - Drama
BREAKING BAD
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
DOWNTON ABBEY
HOMELAND
THE NEWSROOM

NEWS ROUNDUP: Irna Phillips, Tracey E. Bregman, Ming-Na, Kamar de los Reyes, Wally Kurth

Irna Phillips: Brief life of soap opera’s single mother (1901-1973)
Lynn Liccardo writes in the January-February 2013 issue of Harvard Magazine: "Haunted by her lost pregnancy, in 1972 she created ATWT's beautiful and independent Kim Reynolds, who was meant to have a baby of her own. Of course, to conceive that baby, Kim seduced her sister’s husband. Sponsor Procter & Gamble, unwilling to reward adultery, chose to veto that happy ending; when Phillips—increasingly difficult to work with and unwilling to sensationalize her plots to compete with rival shows—was fired, Kim’s pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. It’s hard to say what caused Phillips more pain—losing the show that was so real to her, or reliving the loss of her baby as Kim lost hers. A few months later, she died of a heart attack, or perhaps of a broken heart."

Ming-Na to guest star in NASHVILLE
Ming-Na will appear in an upcoming episode of NASHVILLE as Calista Reeves, a successful Los Angeles music-label exec with designs on luring Connie Britton’s country superstar away from her Edgehill roost.

Y&R Star Tracey E. Bregman Drives a Fisker Karma (Video)
The attention Bregman (Lauren) gets driving her Karma makes her feel like a rock star.

Watch the video below:

Golden Globe Nominations: The Complete List

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association officially kicked off the final leg of the year's awards race by announcing the nominations for the 70th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best of the year in film and television. Check out the full list of nominations below:

Best Television Series - Drama
BREAKING BAD
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
DOWNTON ABBEY
HOMELAND
THE NEWSROOM

NEWS ROUNDUP: Eric Braeden Loves Sports, Controversial Telenovela Book; Plus, Julianne Moore, DALLAS in UK, Todd Akin

Y&R's Eric Braeden knows sports drama
“The great thing about America, what I’ve loved about it, is how sports-friendly it is,” Braeden said. “In America, sports are respected and loved.”

“America has the best athletic programs,” Braeden said. “Even when the Soviet Union existed, that was Mickey Mouse compared to the U.S.”

“That’s the biggest shame there is, that LA doesn’t have a team,” he said. “I was a big fan of the LA Rams and when they left, I lost interest. Then there was the Raiders, and they left. How they can’t have a football team in the biggest market in the world is beyond me.”

NEWS ROUNDUP: British Soap Award Winners; Julianne Moore As 'Carrie' Mom? TRUE BLOOD, NEWSROOM Videos

The British Soap Awards 2012: The winners revealed
EASTENDERS was once again voted as the UK's favorite soap. It was also a big night for CORONATION STREET which walked away with the biggest haul of awards including Best Actress and Best Exit. EMMDERDALE also had a decent night picking up 3 awards including Best Actor and Best Storyline while HOLLYOAKDS and DOCTORS were left empty handed.

TRUE BLOOD Season 5: Waiting Sucks - Eric/Pam Video

Julianne Moore versus Sarah Palin: A Scene-For-Scene Comparison

A YouTube user has created 1 scene-for-scene comparison of Sarah Palin's actual media appearances and Julianne Moore's reenactments of them from the HBO movie, Game Change, which premiered on March 10. Did you watch the movie? If so, what did you think of Moore's performance?

Watch the comparison below:

PREVIEW: Game Change Movie Starring Julianne Moore (Premieres Saturday Night on HBO)

The new HBO film, Game Change, follows John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, from his selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, to their ultimate defeat in the general election. Game Change premieres on March 10 at 9 p.m. ET.

Watch a preview below:

HBO Releases Trailer For 'Game Change' Movie

We loved "Game Change" the book. We even listened to the audio book version. So imagine the HBO film starring former soap star Julianne Moore! HBO's Game Change premieres on March 10, 2012, and they have now released a trailer for the film. Watch it below.

WATCH: Julianne Moore As Sarah Palin In 'Game Change' Promo

AS THE WORLD TURNS Emmy winner Julianne Moore plays Sarah Palin, the former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential nominee, in the upcoming HBO film Game Change, which chronicles the 2008 election with a special focus on the campaign of Republican John McCain.

The film, based on the brilliant book, "Game Change," written by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, stars Ed Harris as the Arizona Senator and GOP candidate McCain. Woody Harrelson plays adviser Steve Schmidt.

Watch a preview below:

NEWS ROUNDUP: Alan Ball Abortion Doctor Drama, Kellie Martin to ARMY WIVES, Mitch Pileggi to DALLAS

TRUE BLOOD EP Alan Ball Developing HBO Medical Drama
WICHITA would revolve around a Kansas abortion doctor who inadvertently becomes the focal point of a contemporary political, cultural and ethical war.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES Arielle Kebbel to Recur on 90210
Kebbel will play Vanessa, a charismatic, edgy and vivacious former bad girl who enjoys a little risk-taking now and again. She'll also become romantically involved with one of the show's leading men.