Discover 10 Twilight Zone Episodes Featuring Future Stars Before They Were Famous!

As a devoted film enthusiast, I can say that Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone” was unique among spooky anthology series. It provided budding actors with captivating roles that would later become pivotal in their careers. Before they became household names, stars like the leading man of “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid,” two key characters from “Star Trek: The Original Series,” and the trainer from “Rocky” all graced its episodes. “The Twilight Zone” wasn’t their very first project, but it was one of their early ones, a significant stepping stone on their path to stardom, offering them a platform that eventually catapulted them into bigger or smaller screen projects.

Not every episode was a peak moment for the series, but some certainly were. And while not all of them reached the pinnacle of excellence, the rising stars who played central roles in these episodes made them stand out.

William Shatner in “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”

Without a doubt, one of the most impactful episodes of “The Twilight Zone” is titled “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” In this episode, William Shatner portrays a man who’s been recently discharged from a mental health facility and finds it extremely difficult to be on an airplane. The atmosphere is particularly distressing…particularly when there appears to be a mischievous Gremlin-like figure on the wing of the plane.

In “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” William Shatner wasn’t making his debut on “The Twilight Zone” – he had starred in the episode “Nick of Time” three years earlier. Yet, this classic Season 5 episode aired nearly three more years before Shatner became famous as Captain James T. Kirk on “Star Trek: The Original Series.

Carol Burnett in “Cavender is Coming”

In the show “Cavender is Coming,” we follow a guardian angel tasked with assisting Carol Burnett’s character, Agnes Grep – a woman known for her string of mishaps and struggles to keep employment. The angel aims to enhance her life, but he’ll find it anything but straightforward.

Before this 1962 episode of “The Twilight Zone” aired, Carol Burnett was already well-known in the comedy world, having made significant appearances on “The Garry Moore Show.” However, her fame skyrocketed after this episode, leading to greater and faster success. The following year, she hosted the TV special “An Evening with Carol Burnett,” and in 1966, she first appeared (of four times) on “The Lucy Show.” But it was in 1967 when she launched and starred in “The Carol Burnett Show,” a legendary sketch comedy series that ran for over a decade.

Dennis Hopper in “He’s Alive”

One of the riskier episodes in ‘The Twilight Zone‘ is ‘He’s Alive.’ Despite being set in a different time, it still carries a profoundly sad relevance. This is because it revolves around an American neo-Nazi character (played by Dennis Hopper) who encounters the spirit of Hitler.

Back in 1963, I found myself captivated by the powerful performance of Dennis Hopper in an extraordinary episode. By then, Hopper had graced our screens with roles in shows like Sugarfoot, The Rifleman, and The Defenders, as well as sharing screen space with James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. Established, yes, but not yet the leading man we’d come to know six years later when he took on the triple role of writer, director, and co-lead in Easy Rider.

Burgess Meredith in “Time Enough at Last” (& Three Other Episodes)

In one of the most shocking endings from “The Twilight Zone“, the story “Time Enough at Last” presents a man who values reading above all else and has little regard for people. When an explosion annihilates everyone around him, he believes he’s been given a lifetime to read. However, to fully enjoy his newfound leisure, he needs his eyeglasses’ lenses to remain unharmed.

In “The Twilight Zone” story called “Time Enough at Last”, we meet a man who loves reading more than people. After an explosion leaves him alone, he thinks he can now spend eternity reading. But for that, he needs his glasses’ lenses to be undamaged.

Meredith, like Jack Klugman of “The Odd Couple,” was a frequent and significant figure on “The Twilight Zone” outside of Rod Serling and Robert McCord (who appeared in 67 episodes). He featured in four episodes: the famous one from Season 1, “Mr. Dingle, the Strong” and “The Obsolete Man” from Season 2, and “Printer’s Devil” from Season 4. “Time Enough at Last” and “The Obsolete Man,” widely regarded as two of the show’s best episodes, owe a great deal to Meredith’s performance. At that time, he was not yet known for his major roles as The Penguin in “Batman” or Mickey Goldmill in “Rocky.” In fact, if we consider his debut on “The Twilight Zone” in 1959, Meredith was seventeen years away from his most iconic big-screen role as Mickey Goldmill.

Robert Duvall in “Miniature”

In “Miniature,” Robert Duvall’s character, Charley Parkes, becomes spellbound by a dollhouse in a museum. His fascination stems from his belief that real people inhabit the miniature dwelling.

In the early stages of his career, Duvall made his mark with a role in “Miniature.” Prior to this 1963 appearance, he had minimal roles in four episodes of Naked City, an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and a brief stint as Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird on the small screen. It was several years later that he began to gain recognition with minor roles in television shows like The Outer Limits and Combat!, followed by more substantial screen time in films such as Bullitt (1968), True Grit (1969), and M*A*S*H. His first significant role in a movie was THX 1138, directed by George Lucas.

Cloris Leachman in “It’s a Good Life”

To this very day, the chilling episode of The Twilight Zone, titled “It’s a Good Life,” remains particularly unnerving. The storyline revolves around a town where the adults are submissive to the demands of a child, six-year-old Anthony Fremont. His mother, portrayed by Cloris Leachman, is even petrified of him. This is because he has supernatural abilities and an explosive temper.

Cloris Leachman had already made a name for herself on television before appearing in her 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone. She starred in Lassie from 1957 to 1958 with 28 episodes, but it was when she played Phyllis Lindstrom on The Mary Tyler Moore Show that she truly gained recognition. Interestingly, just a year after joining that show, she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Peter Bogdanovich’s remarkable film The Last Picture Show.

George Takei in “The Encounter”

Among the episodes featured on this list, “The Encounter” stands out as arguably the most compelling one, primarily because it focuses on just two characters: Fenton, an American World War II veteran, and Arthur (George Takei), a Japanese-American gardener. Intriguingly, they find themselves confined in Fenton’s attic, sharing space with a mysterious sword that appears to be cursed. As the story unfolds, racial prejudices escalate, leading to a violent climax where both characters become involved in a tragic confrontation, resulting in bloodshed.

Prior to his iconic role as Sulu on “Star Trek: The Original Series,” Takei appeared in an episode titled “The Encounter.” However, this wasn’t the role that catapulted him to fame, as CBS deemed it too intense for repeat broadcasts. On a lighter note, did you know that Takei had already worked on significant projects before his stint on “The Twilight Zone“? He lent his voice to the dubbed versions of “Godzilla Raids Again” (1955) and “Rodan” (1956).

Elizabeth Montgomery & Charles Bronson in “Two”

In this post-apocalyptic setting, “Two” depicts a world marked by desolate cities and a scarcity of survivors. Elizabeth Montgomery portrays a soldier who stumbles upon a town and encounters a man (Charles Bronson), clad in the uniform of an adversary’s army. Will they engage in hostilities or offer aid to one another?

Montgomery initially made her mark on her father’s program, Robert Montgomery Presents, and later appeared as a guest star on shows such as The Third Man and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. This was prior to her 1961 appearance on The Twilight Zone, which solidified her status in the entertainment industry. However, it wasn’t until three years later that she would become widely recognized as Samantha Stephens on Bewitched. As for Bronson, he had previously made brief appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents and an episode of Gunsmoke. Following this, he spearheaded The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters on television, and featured in an episode of The Fugitive. Generally, Bronson avoided TV work. Notably, in 1967 (shortly after Jaimie McPheeters concluded), he landed a significant role in The Dirty Dozen, followed by Once Upon a Time in the West the next year, and his most renowned role as Dr. Paul Kersey in Death Wish in 1974.

Robert Redford in “Nothing in the Dark”

In the less celebrated film titled “Nothing in the Dark,” we find ourselves focusing on merely two characters. Wanda Dunn is an older woman who’s miraculously evaded death numerous times and, as a result, has spent her life largely alone. One day, a young man (portrayed by Robert Redford) appears at her doorstep, injured and pleading for assistance. Initially hesitant, she eventually grants him entry, but she might discover that Death himself holds a fresh surprise in store.

Prior to his major breakthrough in Hollywood, Robert Redford had made several appearances on television shows like “The Untouchables,” “The Virginian,” and “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.” However, these were only one-time roles, and it wasn’t until a few years later that he gained significant recognition in the film industry. In 1966, he starred in Sydney Pollack’s film “This Property Is Condemned,” and the following year he co-starred in “Barefoot in the Park.” But it wasn’t until the release of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” in 1969 that Redford became a bona fide A-list star.

Peter Falk in “The Mirror”

The film ‘The Mirror’ revolves around the downfall of a Central American dictatorship. At the heart of this revolution is Peter Falk’s character, Ramos Clemente, who receives a warning from the dethroned leader that he should expect similar treatment, as the mirror accompanying his new position has a peculiar ability to expose those who will become his adversaries.

Between 1957 and 1961, Falk maintained a steady career on television. Interestingly, he had also appeared in films, with two of them – “Murder, Inc.” and “Pocketful of Miracles” – earning him Academy Award nominations. However, it would be challenging to label any role other than his portrayal as the title character in “Columbo” as his most recognized one. This iconic role spanned over 30 years, but during the airing of this episode, he was yet to make his debut as the shrewd investigator, which was still seven years away.

2025-04-14 03:11