Eddie Murphy
48 Hrs. (1982) Murphy was a huge Hollywood star in the ‘80s, he was already appearing on Saturday Night Live at the age of 19. He eventually made the leap into film, and his first R-rated role was in the movie 48 Hrs. The movie starred Nick Nolte and Murphy, who teamed up as a cop and convict duo to catch two cop killers. Eddie was nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of convict Reggie Hammond, who teams up with Nolte’s character Jack Cates who needs to solve a crime case in 48 hours.
48 Hours was said to be the first film that had the “buddy cop” theme, which then gave way to the release of subsequent films of the same genre, like Beverly Hills Cop, Lethal Weapon, and Rush Hour. Murphy is a comedian who started out as a stand-up comic before bringing his talents to the silver screen. He also writes, sings, and produces films for a living.
Matthew McConaughey
Dazed and Confused (1993) Matthew was an unknown who was plucked from nowhere by Director Richard Linklater and cast in his first R-rated role in the coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused. The film showcases a huge ensemble of actors who would later become famous, like Ben Affleck, Jason London, Milla Jovovich, Cole Hauser, Adam Goldberg, Parker Posey, Joey Lauren Adams, Nicky Katt, and Rony Cochrane. The film is about a bunch of Texas teens during the last day of school in 1976.
McConaughey was known for his roles in romantic comedies in the 2000s, films like Failure to Launch, The Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Fool’s Gold, and Failure to Launch were all hits during that decade.
Natalie Portman
Léon: The Professional (1994) Portman was born to act, as shown in her first R-rated film Leon in 1994. This was her feature film debut as Mathilda, a young protegee of a hitman (Jean Reno). Being 11 years old at that time, Portman was able to give a great performance as an orphan who has her family killed by a corrupt DEA agent, played by Gary Oldman.
We all remember Natalie Portman for her role as Padme Amidala in Star Wars Episode 1- The Phantom Menace. She was still in high school during this time when she played this role which gave her international recognition. Being part of such a huge production as Star Wars was only the start of bigger success for Portman. In 2004, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and eventually won a Golden Globe Award for a role in the drama film Closer.
Elliot Page
Hard Candy (2005) Page’s appearance in the thriller Hard Candy was a coming-out party for him. he gives a great performance as a teen who is able to turn the tables on a predator played by actor Patrick Wilson. he was only 18 years old during that time but looked years younger due to the short hair cut he had back then. The movie was directed by David Slade and written by Brian Nelson. This was the first feature film for Slade, who was known for directing music videos.
Page is an actor and producer, he began her career in Canadian TV, which included shows like Pit Pony, ReGenesis, and Trailer Park Boys. he won the Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress for Hard Candy. For the movie Juno, he was nominated for An Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress.
Nicolas Cage
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Sean Penn was not the only star to make his R-rated debut in director Amy Heckerling’s teen flick classic. Cage was barely in the film, but he manages to bring it the only way Nicolas Cage can. Cage has been awarded a Golden Globe, an Academy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his classic performance as an alcoholic Hollywood writer in the film Leaving Las Vegas.
He has also ventured into film directing and has been nominated for a Grand Special Prize at the Deauville Film Festival for the movie Sonny. Cage also owns the film production company Saturn Films, which has produced the likes of The Life of David Gale and Shadow of the Vampire. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998 with a Star for motion pictures which can be seen at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.