'Suicide Squad': Before They Were Stars

See the baddies before they joined the squad.
By Madeline Boardman
Updated July 14, 2016 at 12:47 PM EDT

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Will Smith

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Once known as the Fresh Prince, Will Smith suits up for Suicide Squad as Deadshot. Before playing the assassin, Smith spent decades as a recording artist, releasing both solo projects and collaborations with DJ Jazzy Jeff. He then rose to fame as an actor in the early '90s, starring in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and filling his résumé with movies like Where the Day Takes You, Made in America, Six Degrees of Separation, and Bad Boys.

 

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Jared Leto

Barry King/WireImage

Jared Leto brings The Joker back to the big screen in Suicide Squad, a role he's taking on more than 20 years into his acting career. The 30 Seconds to Mars singer got an early start on television, joining Camp Wilder and Almost Home before he starred as Jordan Catalano in My So-Called Life in the '90s. He hit the big screen soon after in How to Make an American Quilt, The Last of the High Kings, and Prefontaine.

 

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Margot Robbie

FremantleMedia; Clay Enos

Margot Robbie joins Suicide Squad as Harley Quinn. The Australia-born star made her on-screen debut in 2008, starring as Donna Freedman in the Aussie TV show Neighbours. She spent three years on the series, also making cameo appearances on other programs during that time, and went on to appear in Pan Am in 2011 and hit the big screen in About Time and The Wolf of Wall Street.

 

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Joel Kinnaman

Starring in Suicide Squad as Rick Flag, Joel Kinnaman first made his acting debut more than 25 years ago. The star had an early start as a child actor, appearing in the TV series Storstad in his native Sweden in 1990, and going on to fill his early 20s with Swedish movies.

 

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Viola Davis

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How to Get Away With Murder star Viola Davis appears in Suicide Squad as Amanda Waller. The Emmy winner earned her first acting credits in the '90s, popping up in Out of Sight, as well as episodes of NYPD Blue and New York Undercover.

 

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Jai Courtney

Kirsty Griffin/Starz/Courtesy Everett Collection; Clay Enos

Jai Courtney appears as Boomerang in Suicide Squad. He joins the gang about a decade into his career, which first started in the 2000s. Courtney earned early credits for All Saints, Packed to the Rafters, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and Jack Reacher.

 

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Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

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Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje plays Killer Croc in Suicide Squad, signing on for the role after two decades in the industry. He got his start on the small screen, earning '90s credits for Red Shoe Diaries, New York Undercover, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Pensacola: Wings of Gold.

 

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Cara Delevingne

Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Cara Delevingne, who plays Enchantress in Suicide Squad, first made a name for herself as a model, even posing for editorial photos at the age of 10. She walked runways across the globe in her teens and 20s before picking up her first acting gig in 2012 as Princess Sorokina in Anna Karenina.

 

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Jay Hernandez

NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection

Playing Diablo in Suicide Squad, Jay Hernandez nabbed his first credited on-screen role in 1998, appearing as Antonio Lopez in Hang Time. He continued the gig for two years, also popping up in USA High, Undressed, and Crazy/Beautiful.

 

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Adam Beach

Rick Eglinton/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Adam Beach plays Slipknot in Suicide Squad, joining his fellow baddies. The actor started earning on-screen credits in the '90s, appearing in Walker, Texas Ranger, Touched by an Angel, and Smoke Signals.

 

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Karen Fukuhara

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Karen Fukuhara makes her on-screen debut in Suicide Squad. The California-born actress plays Katana, taking on her first film role. Fukuhara teased her involvement in the project at Comic-Con in 2015.

 

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By Madeline Boardman