It’s 2004 – you’re on MySpace enjoying Usher’s ‘Burn’ on your Apple iPod mini, and everything seems perfect.
In Hollywood, big names such as Tom Hanks, Ben Stiller, Julia Roberts, and Halle Berry are reigning supreme, having starred in iconic films like Pretty Woman, Cast Away, and Catwoman, respectively.
However, many of today’s household names were just emerging stars back then. Entertainment Weekly published its predictions about who would become prominent in the film industry over the following years.
A spread of the article has been circulating on Twitter recently, leaving people astounded to remember a time when celebrities like Ryan Gosling and Jennifer Aniston weren’t the massive stars they are today.
Here are some of the prominent figures that Entertainment Weekly predicted would hit the big time:
Hudson was forecasted to potentially be the next Meg Ryan and was described by Entertainment Weekly as having ‘doofy sex appeal’ and a ‘megawatt grin’.
Despite Hudson’s numerous qualities, the magazine highlighted that her movie Raising Helen didn’t perform well at the box office.
Looking back 20 years, The Greatest Showman star Hugh Jackman was just beginning to gain global recognition after starring in the X-Men franchise.
The publication suggested he could be the next Tom Cruise and described him as ‘equally appealing’ as the Top Gun favorite.
However, unlike Cruise, who had collaborated with major directors and co-stars from the beginning, Jackman took a bit longer to land such roles.
Oscar-nominated actor Gyllenhaal was described as ‘versatile, handsome in that boyish [Tom] Cruise way’ in 2004.
The article also noted that the Brokeback Mountain star seemed ‘more turned on by interesting parts than the box office,’ a trait that could have been a disadvantage.
It’s clear now that it wasn’t a drawback.
Aniston was arguably already a significant name in 2004, primarily known for her role as Rachel Green in the legendary sitcom Friends. The series had just concluded after ten years, and Aniston was moving into film roles.
Her first post-Friends movie was Along Came Polly with Ben Stiller.
Entertainment Weekly questioned whether audiences could see beyond her Rachel Green character.
In 2004, Gosling had just released The Notebook and was experiencing the surge of fame that came with it.
He portrayed Noah Calhoun in the film, a rather serious character.
Entertainment Weekly questioned whether he had the potential to be the next Mel Gibson, praising his intensity and his ability to ‘carry a romance’ following The Notebook, but noted that he seemingly lacked a ‘lighter side’.
Little did they know he’d go on to play the perfect (and hilarious) Ken in the Barbie movie.
With the magazine article going viral online, people have been sharing their thoughts on the 20-year-old piece.
One person said: “They actually made a few good calls here. But the Matt Damon entry is bizarre — he was already a major star in his own right by that point.”
Another commented: “Matt Damon as the next Denzel and Ryan Gosling with no evidence of a lighter side. This is amazing.”
Someone else remarked about Gosling: “Ryan Gosling is my fave because he would spend almost the next 20 years showing his lighter side.”
How times have changed.