18. Sarah Jessica Parker
A working actor at the time, Sarah Jessica Parker was not yet Carrie Bradshaw, her most famous role on the HBO series, “Sex and the City.” Despite a decent resume, most folks knew her as SanDeE* from “L.A. Story,” the movie starring Steve Martin. Four years after she appeared as herself on “The Larry Sanders Show,” she became Carrie Bradshaw, writer about Manhattan.
17. Judd Apatow
When Judd Apatow met Garry Shandling in 1993, he’d been working as a stand-up comedian in various California clubs and doing some writing on the side. He’d spent two years on “The Ben Stiller Show,” but when Shandling gave Apatow a gig writing, that put him on the map. He directed an episode of the show in 1998, “Putting the ‘Gay’ Back in Litigation.” But, most folks know Apatow for comedies he’s produced; “The 40-Year-old Virgin,” “Knocked Up,” and “This is 40.”