Before They Were Stars (2-for-1 Special): James Spader and Michael Madsen in “Diner: The TV Pilot”

Barry Levinson’s 1982 coming-of-age movie, Diner, is often cited as a prime example of a “Before They Were Stars” flick since it featured a ton of big-name actors in early roles, including Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke, Daniel Stern, Paul Reiser, Steve Guttenberg and Ellen Barkin. One year later, CBS attempted to turn Diner into a television series, but it never made it past the pilot stage. Paul Reiser was the only actor from the movie to reprise his role in the pilot, but he was joined by two more well-known actors in early roles: James Spader and Michael Madsen.