10 Hollywood Stars Who Got Their Big Break On Embarrassing TV Shows

5. Ben Affleck - ABC Afterschool Specials

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Some of our younger readers might not realize that when people complain about something sounding like an after school special, they're referring to a program that ABC used to run, rather imaginatively titled "Afterschool Specials". Here they would discuss a myriad of real life issues that kids went through, running the gamut from drug use to bullying to teen pregnancy. They were always made with a budget that I probably could have afforded with my eighth grade allowance, and the writing was subpar, with titles like "Me and My Hormones" and "Tattle: When to Tell on a Friend." Since each episode was standalone, they ranged in quality from surprisingly decent to atrocious. Despite the unavoidable cheese, it did succeed in turning previously contraband topics into things that were OK to talk about. Anyway, it must have been doing something right, as it ran from 1972-1997 and featured a number of rising stars. Including Ben Affleck. He was on the show for one episode in 1986, when he starred in "Wanted: The Perfect Guy". He played a 13-year-old boy who notices that his mom (played by Madeline Kahn) is lonely, and decides to put out a personal ad to get her a date. It's pretty much like Billboard Dad, except probably slightly less irritating.
Contributor
Contributor

Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.