Am I the only one who feels like they hit the jackpot when stumbling upon old auditions or behind the scenes footage from some of today’s biggest stars?  As a kid, I lived for blooper reels and those rare moments when my favorite stars stepped from behind the camera and gave me a glimpse of who they really were.  One of the best memories I have of my days at Nickelodeon was when a day or organizing the tape closet turned into a search of early auditions from those who had passed through the Nick doors on their way to Hollywood.  Imagine watching a young Brittany Spears  or Alicia Keys in action, before the world knew their name.  So  fresh, raw and organic, the way a performance should be.

Sparked by an old Sandra Bullock audition making its way around the internet, I thought I share a few of my favorites.  Be sure, to let me know you thoughts.  It’s pretty clear that although Scarlett and Natalie are around the same age, they are light years apart in regards to their performance.  That said, they’ve both gone off to have great careers.  The last clip speaks for itself…Hugh Laurie, being nothing less than AMAZING!  Enjoy!!!

Scarlett Johanson-Jumanji

(So cute, but so not ready for a movie like Jumanji)

Natalie Portman–The Professional

 (All I can say is wow!  A true organic performance)

Hugh Laurie–HOUSE MD  

(Hugh is House.  Period.)