Paul Rudd In ‘Ant-Man’ & 13 Other Formerly Small Stars Who Took On Huge Roles

In the old days: The elder Gyllenhaal sibling paved her early years of work with temperate dramas and comedies, but is (perhaps regrettably) best remembered by most for her role at the head of 2002’s sexually charged Secretary.

Tentpole breakout: The Dark Knight in 2008.

Ever since: Shall we call it business as usual? Gyllenhaal hasn’t done many “big” pictures since her turn as Rachel Dawes (with the sole exception of White House Down), opting instead for Oscar-friendly dramas like Crazy Heart and oddball gems like Frank.

Image: Warner Bros.

In the old days: Man, to think back on the era when we still looked at Shia LaBeouf as just a normal guy… The young actor gained familiarity on the small screen with the wholesome comedy Even Stevens, taking to film for the first time of note with the likewise family-oriented Holes.

Tentpole breakout: Transformers in 2007.

Ever since: As some are wont to do upon incurring the pressures of stardom, LaBeouf seems to have gone off the deep end. One harebrained stunt after another followed his Transformers tenure, including a skywriting scandal and a vow of ”un-famousness.” That said, he’s more devoted than ever to doing interesting work, including Lars von Trier’s 2014 film Nymphomaniac.

Image: Paramount Pictures

In the old days: Johansson’s notability sprouted through features like Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation and Peter Webber’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. From there, she took form as Woody Allen’s next featured star, for better (Match Point) or worse (Scoop).

Tentpole breakout: Iron Man 2 in 2010.

Ever since: The Marvel Cinematic Universe has worked Johansson hard with three additional films and counting, but it’s not as though the franchise has kept her on a tight leash. In the past couple of years, Johansson has managed to balance her blockbuster work with the elegant Her, the beautifully bizarre Under the Skin, and the pleasantly offbeat Don Jon.

Image: Disney/Marvel

In the old days: Remember when the now ubiquitous, universally crushed-upon Gordon-Levitt was just the long-haired kid from Third Rock from the Sun? And then the geeky kid from 10 Things I Hate About You? And then the grimacing kid from Brick? What a world.

Tentpole breakout: Inception in 2010. (Granted, The Dark Knight Rises in 2012 was his first proper franchise role, but Inception gave us our first glimpse of a JGL tailored for the blockbuster realm.)

Ever since: Ubiquity. Gordon-Levitt is a ready participant in every other casting conversation in the spheres of blockbuster, Oscar bait, and indie fare alike.

Image: Warner Bros.

In the old days: The 1980s had one image of the great Laura Dern — a dark, twisted, weird image that willingly alienated the mainstream, all thanks to her role in David Lynch’s mortifying masterpiece Blue Velvet.

Tentpole breakout: Jurassic Park in 1993.

Ever since: Other than a role in the dinosaur’s threequel, Dern has spent the past 20 years focusing her talents where they really belong: on strong dramas. Her best work in recent years, perhaps, was on the short-lived but acclaimed TV series Enlightened.

Image: Universal Pictures

In the old days: Depp was, admittedly, a bigger star even before his breach of the franchise world than most of the other actors on this list could claim to be. But his pre-blockbuster work treaded rather “actory”: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Ed Wood, Donnie Brasco, Chocolat.

Tentpole breakout: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003.

Ever since: Few and far between have been Depp’s “small, interesting” pictures since his first turn as Captain Jack Sparrow. Instead, we’ve seen big budget critical duds like Alice in Wonderland and The Lone Ranger, not to mention more Pirates movies than we ever asked for.

Image: Walt Disney Studios

In the old days: With his affable good looks, a young Maguire was perfect for cheeky dramedies like Pleasantville and schlocky pieces like The Cider House Rules, but was never strong enough an actor to handle truly meaty pieces.

Tentpole breakout: Spider-Man in 2002.

Ever since: Spider-Man 3 might have really done a number on this kid’s career. Nowadays, he mostly just spends his time narrating stuff like The Great Gatsby and Labor Day.

Image: Sony Pictures

In the old days: A very, very, very young Natalie Portman was an executor of real grit in the ’90s, breaking out with the fondly remembered Leon the Professional.

Tentpole breakout: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in 1999.

Ever since: She’s part of the Marvel canon, sure, but Portman’s name is mostly associated with her “classy” work. The magnificent Black Swan was the last Portman picture anyone really talked about. (And we’re still talking about it.)

Image: 20th Century Fox/Disney

In the old days: Mark Ruffalo was the kind of guy that you were always glad to see show up in the second tier of a grim or heady drama ensemble. Favorites included Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Where the Wild Things Are, or even a top-billed position in The Brothers Bloom.

Tentpole breakout: The Avengers in 2012.

Ever since: Here I long for the days of a pre-Hulk Ruffalo. Thanks perhaps to preoccupation with his followup Iron Man 3 cameo and Avengers: Age of Ultron role, Ruffalo seems to have lost his knack for picking good work, instead showing up in gaudy dramas like Foxcatcher and Begin Again.

Image: Disney/Marvel

In the old days: Empire Records. A movie so willingly “indie” that it would have released exclusively on Betamax if it could.

Tentpole breakout: Armageddon in 1998.

Ever since: Aside from a followup blockbuster attempt in The Incredible Hulk, Tyler has shied away from the tentpole world… and, really, the acting world in general. Last year’s HBO series The Leftovers was the first anyone had heard from her in ages.

Image: Buena Vista Pictures

In the old days: Oscar-winning drama, uproarious comedy, surprisingly engrossing tornado picture… you name it, he did it.

Tentpole breakout: Mission: Impossible III in 2006.

Ever since: The role didn’t make Hoffman miss a step. He returned immediately to doling out some of the most impressive performances the world is lucky to remember, chief among them in Doubt and Synecdoche, New York.

Image: Paramount Pictures