The first day of New York Fashion Week came to a stylish end at amfAR’s annual gala last night. Fashion heavyweights glammed it up for the AIDS benefit in an array of eye-catching dresses.

Continuing the red carpet’s black and white trend, the star-studded charity event was filled with monochromatic looks. Heidi Klum stood out from the pack of LBDs (long black dresses), doing a double dip in a daring backless black dress with a plunging neckline.

Also taking the plunge, Ashley Greene countered her white Giambattista Valli gown’s sexy key-hole neckline with a long, floor-length hemline, while Karlie Kloss (in Michael Kors) and Katharine McPhee opted to show some leg in short white frocks.

Brightening up the night’s neutrals were bold prints. While Chloe Sevigny and Alexa Chung jazzed up their black and white looks with patterns that popped, red carpet risk-taker, Sarah Jessica Parker dressed up her black-and-white scarf with a magenta strapless Maison Martin Margiela gown.

Check out all the night’s looks and glamorous attendees at the amfAR Gala here.

Who wore favorite look of the night? Tell us below.

The last 24 hours have been jam-packed with celeb activity.

Between partying through all hours of the night and shopping excursions with their little ones, Hollywood hasn’t missed a beat.

Halle Berry spent the day running errands with her daughter on her day off. The 46-year-old went on a grocery store run while Nahla held her mother’s hand throughout to ensure that she got some goodies of her own.

Katharine McPhee was in Manhattan doing press promotions for the second season of her hit NBC show Smash.

The actress stopped by the set of Live with Kelly and Michael and braved the bitter cold in a quilted puffer jacket before stepping inside the studios.

Meanwhile, Chris Brown was enjoying some time off in Los Angeles as he partied the night away at Greystone Manor nightclub on Feb. 3.

The “Don’t Wake Me Up” singer is in hot water after the Los Angeles District Attorney filed a motion claiming that he violated probation stemming from Jan. 27 scuffle with singer Frank Ocean.

District Attorney Jackie Lacey said that Brown also failed to provide “credible, competent or verifiable evidence” that he completed his community service, which was ordered in connection with his part in the brutal assault against Rihanna in 2009.

Brown is due back in court on Wednesday to update a judge on his progress.

Click through the gallery above and tell us what your favorite Celeb Snap is below.

In affairs of the heart, Megan Hilty’s Smash character, Ivy, may be as pure as the L.A. smog. But when she steps in front of the microphone, this songbird’s voice is pure as gold.

Sure, she stole Karen’s (Katharine McPhee) boyfriend on Season 1, but there’s still time for redemption on Season 2.

“Ivy goes through a lot of changes right from the beginning,” Hilty told reporters. “Most of the season, actually, she’s trying to revamp her life, both in her personal and her professional life. So, she will be changing a lot.”

So how does NBC’s Smash top its first season with all its titillating backstage infidelities and romantic reversals?

“I wouldn’t say that it tops last season,” demurred Hilty. “I’d just say it expands from there. There’s at least three musicals happening at the same time, so it covers a wide variety of genres.”

Season 1 introduced us to the cast as they prepped a splashy Broadway musical on the life of Marilyn Monroe, which pitted Hilty’s Ivy and McPhee’s Karen against each other (with a bit of role-thieving by guest star, Uma Thurman, as movie star Rebecca Duvall).

“We did try a lot of things,” said Hilty. “Some of them worked and some of them didn’t.”

Hilty likened the first season to a Broadway tryout wherein all the kinks are worked out of a show in a smaller venue before it reaches the bright lights of the great white way. She should know. She got her start on Broadway, fresh out of college, playing Galinda in the hit musical, Wicked. And she’ll be returning to the New York stage for a date at Carnegie Hall to promote her first solo album,  It Happens All The Time, dropping March 12.

But, don’t worry, Smash fans. It doesn’t mean she’s hankering for a return to Broadway. In fact, she finds stage and TV surprisingly alike but for one distinction.

“The live audience, that’s the major difference,” she revealed. But like Broadway, when it comes time to shoot Smash, it’s too late to make changes.

“It’s such a monster to edit and put together,” she noted. “If people don’t like it, when are we going to change it? It doesn’t matter when we’re airing.”

Smash Season 2 premieres with a two-hour special on Tuesday at 9PM on NBC.

Last season, NBC’s Smash brought you the pleasure of seeing guest star Uma Thurman strut her stuff as Marilyn Monroe. This season features two new guest stars including Broadway icon Liza Minnelli and Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson, who, like series regular, Katharine McPhee, got her start on FOX’s American Idol.

You’d think that when Idol alums like McPhee and Hudson get together the conversation inevitably turns to their TV origins, but not so much.

“It’s not something I go up to her and say, ‘Hey, how was you’re experience on American Idol?” McPhee told reporters. “I’m sure if she was sitting here, we both would say we’re really incredibly grateful for the platform that it gave us but it did what it was supposed to do, which was give us that platform to move onto things that we ultimately really dreamed of doing.”

For Hudson, that dream had to have something to do with winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2007 for Dream Girls. For McPhee, starring on Smash is as good as it gets.

“Last season I was like, ‘I’m on a TV show! This is great!” she confessed. “And that’s what’s been so fantastic, maybe I would have been on the show without Idol, maybe I wouldn’t have. But I know it was an amazing platform.”

Hudson will be appearing on the fourth episode of the new season. And though it was hardly an Idol reunion for the pair, McPhee found it a pleasure just to hear her guest star sing.

“She was incredibly wonderful to have on set and incredibly professional and wonderful to just listen to sing these amazing songs,” the 28-year-old says.

Season 1 focused on a splashy musical chronicling the life of Marilyn Monroe, a role that went to guest star Thurman’s Rebecca Duvall due more to her recognizable name than for her talent in the spotlight. After enduring the heartbreak of losing the role and then losing her boyfriend to Ivy (Megan Hilty), Karen finally gets a shot at the part and nails it.

But, the new season has Smash fans wondering if Karen will ever recover from all the disappointments she endured on Season 1. According to McPhee, she’ll be just fine.

“We start the second season about two weeks after the finale,” she said. “So Karen has just finished taking over the role of Marilyn and she’s obviously had a huge personal blow with Ivy doing what she did. She’s basically just trying to be as professional as she can and move on from the personal disasters in her life and really look forward to what the futures has to hold cause it’s, at the moment, looking really bright for her.”

The Smash two-hour season premiere airs Tuesday at 9PM on NBC.

American Idol fans got a chuckle out of last year’s promos for the first season of NBC’s Smash, which featured the line, “Introducing Katharine McPhee.”

Of course, she wasn’t new to them. McPhee was the runner-up on the fifth season of Idol and went on to make three modestly selling albums. But, a recording career wasn’t really her aim.

“I just kind of wanted to be an actress,” McPhee admitted this week at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif.

“And I thought like, ‘Oh, OK, I need a better agent. So, I’m going to go on American Idol and see if I can get some good exposure,” she continued. “I had no idea I would do as well as I did. But with that came huge record contracts and all that stuff. I didn’t realize that I was going to suddenly have to have an identity as a musician, and I wasn’t ready for that.”

So, what’s McPhee’s advice for new Idol contenders? “You really should know who you are as a musician, because what was sort of a big challenge for me coming off of the show,” she advised.

Singing, of course, is still central to her role on NBC’s musical drama. She plays Karen Cartwright, a small town singer and actress who moves to New York City trying to become a Broadway musical star. So, while McPhee may not have wanted to be a musician, she told reporters that she would never tell an Idol contender not to take the competition seriously. “It’s something that could really change your life,” she said.

“[I’m] grateful that it’s done what it was supposed to do, which was get you that platform and get you to that next thing,” the 28-year-old said. “So, I’m very grateful for it, but it’s not something that I feel like I have a life identity where I wake up every morning and say, ‘I was on ‘American Idol.’”

That doesn’t mean McPhee isn’t keeping up on the show. She is up on the news of the new judges, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban. But, not only does the actress believe she “was a different person” back then, but so was the FOX talent competition.

“For me, it’s such a different show now than when I was on the show,” she said. “I mean, they get so many more things than we ever just in terms of earpieces and things like that, the rehearsal time that they get that we didn’t have when we on the show. It’s just a very different show.”

Smash returns to NBC on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 9PM. And American Idol is back on FOX on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 8PM.

Carrie Underwood is set to play the iconic role of Maria Von Trapp in next year’s live television broadcast of The Sound of Music on NBC.

While this is a major role to play for the star, this won’t be the first time the Grammy winner has put on her acting shoes. The country superstar has previously made a splash on the big and little screens, most recently in the 2011 feature film, Soul Surfer, where she played Sarah Hill, the church leader who helped Bethany Hamilton overcome obstacles after her shark attack.

She made her acting debut a year earlier on a 2010 episode of the CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. On that episode, she played Tiffany, a pharmaceutical rep that dates Ted (Josh Radnor), whose friends try to convince him is stringing him along.

But Underwood is just one of many American Idol alums who have got into the acting game. Many contestants have appeared on shows as themselves, such as Scotty McCreery on The CW’s Hart of Dixie, but there have been quite a group that has gone even further nabbing major roles of their own.

Most notable, of course, is Jennifer Hudson. Though she placed seventh on Season 3 of American Idol, she went on to win an Oscar for her amazing performance as Effie in 2006’s Dreamgirls. She’s also set to star with fellow Idol alum, Katharine McPhee, on Season 2 of NBC’s Smash.

But did you know that original idol Kelly Clarkson has also popped up on a few shows? And the Diana DeGarmo was on CBS’ The Young and The Restless for four months?

Click through our gallery above to see more Idols who turned actors and find out where they’ve appeared on the big and little screens.

Are you excited about Underwood’s new role? Which Idol alum had the best turn at acting? Sound off in the comments below!

There’s a new face hitting the stage of Smash in season 2, and she’s sure to bring even more drama.

Already adding Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson to the series, Entertainment Weekly confirms that up-and-comer Krysta Rodriguez is on board to play Ana, Karen Cartwright’s (Katherine McPhee) “fun and spunky” new roommate who’s “an ensemble member in Broadway shows and trying to make her mark.”

Rodriguez is no stranger to the theater.

In addition to several stage productions, Rodriguez took on the role of Wednesday Addams in the Addams Family musical on Broadway.

Last season Karen lived with her boyfriend, Dev (Raza Jaffrey), but it was reported that he will no longer be a regular on the show. The two broke off their engagement in the Smash‘s season finale when it was revealed Dev had slept with Karen’s frenemy, Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty). It was also reported that the devious assistant Ellis (Jaime Cepero) has been cut from season two as well.

For those who missed season 1, Smash shows the drama behind the scenes of an ambitious Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe.

The singing show returns to TV in 2013, airing on NBC.

What did you think of the first season of Smash? Is this new character a good addition? Play TV critic in the comments.

Smash fans were more than thrilled when they heard the news that NBC had renewed the musical drama series for a second season. Still, even with a new set of episodes, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see the feud end between characters Karen Cartwright and Ivy Lynn.

So says star Katharine McPhee, anyway.

“I think it’s going to be pretty challenging for there to be any possible chance of Ivy and Karen ever being friends,” Katharine, who plays Katharine on the series, told Celebuzz in a recent interview. “There’s still a lack of trust from both characters. It’s just about who’s going to get that part, and they can’t really get past that.”

What was it like working with Uma Thurman? Katharine explains after the jump!

Smash, which chronicles the making of a Broadway musical about legendary actress Marilyn Monroe, has been a rare success story for NBC. In addition to receiving rave reviews, the show has allotted many guest stars along the way.

Among the stars: Oscar-nominated beauty Uma Thurman, who joined the show for a five-episode arc as Rebecca Duvall, a movie star who steps in to save the struggling production.

As McPhee explained, even Uma had her own bout of stage fright.

“She was really open on set about how she was really nervous,” she said. “I think it’s sweet she voiced that, because it allowed people to understand the space she was in. She’s so good at being bad on the show.”

Katharine, 28, got her first taste of fame as a contestant on season 5 of American Idol, in which she placed second. It’s an experience she’s often reminded of while filming Smash, thanks to NBC’s other success story, The Voice, which films on a neighboring stage.

“I keep asking them, ‘Are you excited? Is it fun?’” she said, of the times she’s bumped into Voice contestants. “The same questions that I was probably asked a million times. [Laughs] It’s fun to see them cause I’m a fan.”

Smash — which will return to NBC in 2013, at midseason — airs Monday nights on NBC. For more on Smash, read our exclusive interview with Katharine’s co-star, Megan Hilty!

Katharine McPhee is officially on the Hunger Games bandwagon!

The lovely actress, who currently stars on the hit NBC musical drama Smash, was spotted reading the first book in the series in Central Park on on Wednesday, while hanging out with her dog.

According to her Twitter, Katharine borrowed the book from none other than her Smash co-star, Megan Hilty.

“I am obsessed! Can’t wait to see the movie!” she tweeted.

We can’t, either!

Check out pics of Katharine reading The Hunger Games now!

It’s already March, and that means that TV’s biggest shows are in full swing. This week, Celebuzz has compiled a list of the top cover songs–most of which are featured on some of our favorite shows. A standout performance on American Idol and a great Florence + the Machine cover on Smash hits the top of our list as well as a rendition of Katy Perry‘s breakup song “Part of Me” that is sure to go viral. 

Take a listen to our picks and let us know in the comments which is your fave!

Los Angeles musician Steve Shane is proving that Katy’s song (that is suspected to be about her ex Russell Brand) isn’t just resonating with the females. Check out his take on the track:

In the midst of a controversial week on Idol, Joshua Ledet–resident gospel singer–broke out a church-inspired “When a Man Loves a Woman.” Check it out:

On this week’s drama-packed Smash episode, Katharine McPhee took on Florence + the Machine‘s “Shake it Out” at a bar mitzvah. Take a listen:

Kelly Clarkson‘s Stronger tour is still going, well, strong. This week, she took yet another song request from a fan. Her rendition of Paramore‘s “Only Exception” is a must listen.

On a recent tour stop, Country crooner and former Hootie and the Blowfish singer Darius Rucker covered Prince‘s iconic song “Purple Rain.” Check it out:

On Wednesday (Mar. 14), Lady Antebellum took to the stage in Saskatoon, SK, Canada and took on Aerosmith‘s “Sweet Emotion.” This isn’t the first time the trio has covered this rockin’ track. Check another recent performance of the song:

These ladies change their hair ‘dos so much for this TV show, we’re having a hard time keeping up!

Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty were seen in NYC on the set of the NBC musical drama Smash on Tuesday, and we’re sporting yet another kind of ‘do. The freshman show, set around the production of a Marilyn Monroe based musical, also stars Debra Messing and has boasted guest stars such as Nick Jonas. These two ladies are fighting for the part of Marilyn, and we assume these wigs have something to do with Marilyn when she was still Norma Jeane.

These wigs are definitely a different looks for the raven haired Katharine and the towheaded Megan, but we can’t decided what to call this color!

Would you call this color red? Or brunette? Tell us what you think in the comments!

Some like it hot, indeed!

Katharine McPhee did her best Marilyn Monroe impression on the set of Smash Thursday afternoon in New York.

Though she was dressed in an oversized coat, cameras were still able to catch a glimpse of Katharine’s Marilyn, as the singer-actress donned a blonde wig and blue sequined dress. As if she could look any hotter!

Smash has fluctuated in the ratings since its premiere last month. This week, however, it rose 17 percent with about 8 million viewers tuning in.

Check out Katharine McPhee as Marilyn in our gallery now!

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

Leslie Odom Jr. might not be a household name yet but in a few weeks he’ll be lighting up your radar. Leslie is set to play Ivy Lynn’s (Megan Hilty) best friend Sam Strickland on NBC’s most anticipated show SMASH. The show follows the inner workings of an ambitious Broadway musical that’s based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, and also stars American Idol alum Katherine McPhee. 

In addition to SMASH, he also stars in Red Tails with Cuba Gooding Jr., and is set to guest star on the HBO show House of Lies. With all the projects he’s got going, we had to interview this breakout star.

 How did you get the role on SMASH?

The role on SMASH came to me really as the culmination of almost 15 years in the game. I mean that. I’ve known Bernard Telsey, the casting director for the show, since I was 16 years old when I showed up at an open call for Rent in Philadelphia. He gave me my first professional gig in that show just a few months later. I had been in meetings with Craig and Neil, our executive producers, for the better part of two years by the time SMASH came around. … And Megan Hilty and I were a year apart at university! It was one of those things. I still had to work hard to get the part, don’t get me wrong. It was just nice to know that I had so many people pulling for me.

The show is about what goes into producing a Broadway show which means lots of singing and dancing. Do you have any musical aspirations?

I come from the theater. It’s where I received all of my formal training. I’d love to do more of it. There are some really wonderful opportunities on the horizon. But, yes, there is nothing quite like live theater. It is my favorite of all the disciplines. And I am convinced there is no better life for an actor than to be a working actor in the theater. You get back in direct proportion to what you put in on stage.

American Idol finalist Katharine McPhee stars in SMASH, did you vote for her when she was on the show?

Ha! You know what, I watched. I didn’t vote but I watched. The only AI finalist that ever made me feel like I had to pick up my phone and text or call or whatever was Fantastia. I had never seen anything like that on such a mainstream show. But McPhee’s work on SMASH is astonishing. I think everyone on that set is a little bit in love with her. I think America’s going to fall in love with her … again. She’s really wonderful.

What’s the craziest audition you’ve been on?

Wow! … um … starting out … before you establish yourself there are many many “crazy” ones. People will disrespect you and your work. Sometimes they’re rude. Dismissive. Brutal. Mean. It’s not for the faint of heart. And even “strong” or determined folks get beat down from time to time. Talented people get tired too. You just have to persevere. I am just so grateful that that stage is over. I hope! I hope it’s over. No more crazy auditions.

Since you’ve done a lot of television roles, is there a show that you’d like to guest star on?

I’d love to be on Mad Men. I’d love to work with [Dustin] Hoffman on Luck. Who wouldn’t? What I really hope is that I get to come back on some shows that I’ve already done. The character that I played on Supernatural was a blast! I hope they bring him back, and House of Lies was amazing. They just got renewed for a second season so I hope they bring my character back for the second season. Some really fun stuff with [Don] Cheadle.

You’ve worked with amazing actors like Don Cheadle and Cuba Gooding Jr., what’s the best advice they’ve given you about the business?

Cheadle told me to work on my own stuff. He told me to always have my own projects that I am working on. CGJ was all about having fun. He told me to just keep having fun.

What actor and or director would you like to work with?

Seriously who wouldn’t I like to work with? I’m still so new to the game you know? It’s taken a decade just to be in consideration for some of the things that I’d like to do. Doesn’t mean that I’ll always get the things I’m interested in, it just means now I can probably get an audition for some of those things. I’d love to work with the greats. … Brilliant people make you better. They challenge you in the work. I’ve gotten to experience that in the business already. I’ll take more of that.

We heard you got engaged via Twitter! How did you pop the question and who’s the lucky girl?

Ah. My fiancé’s name is Nicolette Robinson. She’s also an actress. She’s the kindest, gentlest, warmest, most beautiful human being that I’ve ever known. It was very intimate and private. I planned it that way. It’s an amazing time right now to say the least. I’m enjoying every second.

What’s next for you?

Well the last Sunday and Monday in February are the next times you can catch me on your TV. My character on House of Lies is introduced on episode No. 8, and on SMASH, I will be introduced on episode No. 4. I’ll be on every week after that!

Are you watching SMASH? Let us know in the comments below. 

Katharine McPhee‘s glowing star keeps getting brighter. As the March cover girl of SELF, the Smash star and American Idol alum reveals what it feels like to be back in the spotlight. “I get the celebrity game now—you can go from being hot to fighting to be seen,” she confesses.

On the small screen, the “Over It” singer is fighting to win the role of Marilyn Monroe in a new musical destined to hit Broadway. It is filled with plenty of singing and, of course, over-the-top drama.

So, everyone wants to know: is there drama behind the scenes?Don’t get too excited, folks. McPhee dishes that there is little drama with her costars, saying:

“It would be good press if we hated each other, but we don’t. Megan [Hilty] and I joke that we should make a fight up. We’d be on the cover of Us Weekly.”

Kat also discusses her long days (which typically begin at 5 A.M. every morning), her move to New York City last August, and getting lost on the subway in Brooklyn. Check out the slammin’ photo gallery above, and let us know in the comments if you think she’s 2012′s break out star.

Even wonder exactly how the brunette beauty channels Marilyn? Check out her and Megan in the gallery below:

Looks like California girl Katharine McPhee is in a New York State on mind!

The American Idol runner-up turned TV star was seen filming her new show, Smash, in NYC on Thursday and was joined by her co-star Megan Hilty.

Debuting on NBC Monday after the ever-so-popular singing competition The Voice, it did pretty well for itself in the ratings department.

According to ratings reports, the show, about the inner workings of a developing Broadway show about Marilyn Monroe, drew around 11.5 million viewers.

Did you tune in? What did you think?

In the past couple of months, it seems as if everyone and their mother has been dressing up like Marilyn Monroe. Well, now it’s Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty’s turn.

Last night, Katharine and Megan showed off their talents in the premiere of NBC’s hotly anticipated new musical drama Smash, about two rival actresses vying for the role of the blonde bombshell in an upcoming Broadway musical.

They now join a growing list of stars who have portrayed Marilyn in one way or another, including Michelle Williams, who just picked up an Oscar nomination for the film My Week With Marilyn.

Who does Marilyn best? Check out Katharine, Megan, Michelle and more in our Celebs Who Channel Marilyn Monroe gallery now, then sound off in the comments!

Also, check out Celebuzz’s exclusive interview with Katharine McPhee, in which she gives us the full scoop on Smash vs. Glee.

If you’ve paid any attention to TV in the last few months, you’ll know that tonight marks the premiere of NBC’s Smash, a new musical dramedy in which two budding stars compete for the lead role in a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe.

One of those stars just happens to be singer-actress Katharine McPhee, who was kind enough to sit down with Celebuzz to give us the scoop on the highly anticipated musical series.

Of course, comparisons have already been made to another musical series, Glee. But will Smash actually be Glee redux? No way, says McPhee.

“Smash is really different from ‘Glee,” she told us. “We are a drama about the making of a Broadway show and all the kind of things that go into making it.”

“All of our songs are really kind of in context of the show,” she added. “Glee has sometimes like six or seven songs in an episode. We have maybe two or three songs. So, it really is still kind of story-driven and character-driven.”

So what songs will Katharine actually be singing? And what was it like to meet Anjelica Huston and Debra Messing? Check out our exclusive video interview now, then be sure to watch Smash when it premieres tonight at 10PM on NBC.

For more on Katharine McPhee, be sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter!

Katharine McPhee Sings ‘Beautiful’

American Idol season five runner-up Katharine McPhee is about to have a spectacular year. She’s starring in NBC’s highly anticipated show SMASH, which is receiving rave reviews. 

On the show, Katharine plays Karen Cartwright, an aspiring actress who wants the lead role in a Broadway show based off the life of Marilyn Monroe.  

In the March issue of GQ magazine, due out later this month, Katharine dishes on her new role while looking as sexy as ever. She expalins the 3 reasons why guys should watch the muscial drama: 

Also, check out Celebuzz’s exclusive interview with Katharine in video below.

With the notoriety that comes from being on such a highly watched show like American Idol, inevitably comes a image change. In most cases, a drastic change. 

From the season one winner Kelly Clarkson‘s image overhaul, to Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks‘ slim downs, Celebuzz looks back to when we first saw these talented stars hit the stage of American Idol. 

Which Idol alum do you think has had the biggest transformation? 

Now a new crop of singer’s are vying for the coveted title of American Idol on the hit FOX show that returned to TV this past week for its 11th season.  The program’s site boasts that host Ryan Seacrest and returning judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler are back.

Check out the season 11 promo below and let us know if you’re tuning in!

On February 6, Smash will bring you the story of Broadway dreams and all of the hard work, struggles and hurdles that come with making it to the big time. Katharine McPhee will be playing the lead in the NBC show, and she knows a thing or two about auditions — just like most other actors who are now A-listers in the entertainment world.

Want to see some of the most memorable auditions in recent memory? Check out these below!

There may not be an audition more captivating (and viral) than that of Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent. The audition alone made her a worldwide star — something nobody else can really claim.

Speaking of Idol, Kelly Clarkson was the first of them all. And while she’s had hits aplenty since then, check her out during her first audition in front of Simon, Paula and Randy:

Look at the hair on Carrie Underwood! She’s barely recognizable from the country beauty she’s evolved into since winning Idol.

How many girls would have died to be Rachel McAdams in The Notebook? Well, here’s the audition that won her the role.

OK, this one’s out there, but even with his comedic chops, Steve Carrell had to win his way onto the improv-heavy set of Anchorman:

Before Demi Lovato was a teen star, she had to audition just like everyone else. Here’s her Disney casting tape:

Even Scarlett Johansson — yes, the bombshell beauty — worked the audition world during her childhood days. Here she is trying out for the smash hit Jumanji:

Whether you liked the ending of Lost or not, there’s no doubt that Evangeline Lilly was a great casting choice as Kate.