Days Of Our Lives 50th Anniversary - Which Minor Actors Made It Big?

American soap opera 'Days Of Our Lives' mark their 50th anniversary this year, with the show having aired on NBC (and SOAPnet before then) with a massive 12,708 episodes as of October 30th 2015. It's subsequently one of the longest running series in television history, with the first episode having aired on November 8th 1965.

Thus, people have been coming and going from the show for a long time, and if you look back through the soap's history, you'll find a few famous names that you would never have heard of during the 'Days of Our Lives' period of their careers. Either this was the show that kickstarted their careers, or it was an addition to their ever-expanding acting resume.

Vivica A. Fox to star in 'Independence Day: Resurgence'

1. Vivica A. Fox - Fox's first ever television stint was on an episode of the Primetime Emmy nominated show. She played Carmen Silva in 1988, and has since gone on to star in a number of TV shows and movies, namely 1996's 'Independence Day' and Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill' films. This year saw her in an episode of 'Empire', and she's been reprising her 'Independence Day' role for 2016's 'Independence Day: Resurgence'. 

More: Details on 'Independence Day 2' released earlier this year

Jensen Ackles now stars in 'Supernatural'

2. Jensen Ackles - Best known as one of the main characters in 'Supernatural', ghost hunter Dean Winchester, Ackles first recurring TV role was as Eric Brody in 17 episodes of 'Days of Our Lives' back in 1999. Since then, he's appeared in 'Dark Angel', 'Dawson's Creek' and 'Smallville' - not to mention 2009 horror 'My Bloody Valentine'.

Ashley Bensen was in 'Days Of Our Lives' in 2004

3. Ashley Benson - 'Pretty Little Liars' star Ashley Benson had quite an extensive 'DOOL' role between 2004 and 2007, after having only minor television and film parts before then. This year has seen her in gaming comedy 'Pixels' alongside Adam Sandler and Kevin James, and she's also been filming the historic comedy 'Elvis & Nixon' opposite Kevin Spacey and Michael Shannon.

Tyler Blackburn plays Caleb in 'Pretty Little Liars'

4. Tyler Blackburn - Benson wasn't the only 'Pretty Little Liars' star to start out on 'Days Of Our Lives'; her onscreen lover Tyler Blackburn played a character called Ian in 2010, and he also had a part in 'PLL' spin-off 'Ravenswood' in 2013. His next role is Kim Rocco Shields' drama 'Love Is All You Need?'.

Jamie Chung's latest role was in 'Once Upon A Time'

5. Jamie Chung - Chung has had quite the film career since appearing as Cordy Han in 'DOOL' in 2007. Two years later she was in the horror movie 'Sorority Row', and her other credits have included the comedy 'Grown Ups', 'Sucker Punch', 'The Hangover Part II' and 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'. She also voiced Go Go in 'Big Hero 6' and recently appeared as Mulan in fairytale series 'Once Upon a Time'.

Jason Brooks left 'Day Of Our Lives' in 1996

6. Jason Brooks - While Brooks hasn't been quite as prolific since his departure from 'Days Of Our Lives' in 1996, he carried on in 'Baywatch' for another five years and even landed the role of Romulan Helmsman in JJ Abrams' 2009 movie 'Star Trek'. His next films are action sci-fi 'Intrepid' and showbiz drama 'Limelight'.

'Days Of Our Lives' was a mid-career venture for Jessica Tuck

7. Jessica Tuck - Having already had an extensive resume before starring in 'Days of Our Lives', it's not surprising that Tuck continued this success after her brief 2010 stint in the show. She played Mrs. Kaznyk in 2011's 'Super 8', and had a three-episode venture in 'Grimm' in 2012. To younger fans, she is most recognisable for her part as Nan Flanagan in 'True Blood'. 

Tammy Townsend stars opposite Zendaya in 'K.C. Undercover'

8. Tammy Townsend - 'Days of Our Lives' was Townsend's first major TV show, but one of the things in which she's probably most recognisable now is 2013's 'The Client List' starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. On the other hand, earlier this year she picked up the part of Kira Cooper in Zendaya's new spy comedy series 'K.C. Undercover'.

Melinda Clarke's first acting role was in 'Days Of Our Lives'

9. Melinda Clarke - Where to start with Clarke? Since her first acting role in 'DOOL' in 1989, this actress doesn't seem to have stopped for a minute. In 1997, she appeared in the movie 'Spawn', and after that she seems to have had a habit of sticking with a lot of the TV series she's found herself in. She had a long-standing role as Julie Cooper in 'The O.C.' in the 2000s, and from there has gone on to do 'The Vampire Diaries', 'Entourage' and 'Nikita'.