12 Actors You Didn't Know Were on 'The West Wing'

The West Wing recently became available through Netflix streaming for the first time ever, which allowed me to fill in a major gap in my pop culture knowledge with an exhausting, exhilarating and long-overdue watching.

The show, which launched in 1999, went on to become one of the most popular and critically acclaimed of all-time, which explains why so many famous actors have a West Wing entry in their resume.

But unlike Mary-Louise Parker, Laura Dern, Christian Slater, Kristin Chenoweth and countless other notable names who appeared on Aaron Sorkin's show well into their fame, these 11 actors guest starred on The West Wing before they were famous.

The Oscar nominee guest-starred in a 2002 episode, titled 20 Hours in America. 

Before his Emmy-winning turn on Modern Family, Burrell played Tom Starks in the 2001 episode, The Women of Qumar.

The Emmy winning Glee star played an unnamed White House reporter in two episodes during the first season, beginning with 2000's In The Shadow of Two Gunmen.

Pre-Parks and Recreation, Offerman played Jerry, an animal activist petitioning C.J. for more funding in the 1999 episode, The Crackpots and These Women.

In Black Vera Wang (aired 2002), the True Blood alum played C.J.'s niece, Hogan Cregg. 

As Connie Tate, the Friday Night Lights star helped get Bartlet re-elected over four episodes, starting with Manchester: Part 1, which originally aired in 2001.

Before uniting The Avengers, Gregg guest starred as an F.B.I. Agent in 8 episodes of the White House drama, beginning with 2001's Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail.

After starring on Aaron Sorkin's equally-amazing but short-lived Sports Night, Huffman enraged Bartlet's staff as Ann Stark in a 2001 episode, titled The Leadership Breakfast. 

Before he starred on Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom, the Tony-winner gave stranded staffers Toby, Josh and Donna a tour of middle America in the 2002 episode, titled 20 Hours in America. 

The Deadwood star played Russian negotiator Nikolai Ivanovich in a 2002 episode titled Enemies Foreign and Domestic.

The Parenthood star played a reporter who accidentally got a major scoop from C.J. in a 2000 episode titled In This White House.

Before he met partner Neil Patrick Harris, Burtka played a fresh-faced intern who sold moose meat on eBay in a 2002 episode titled The Black Vera Wang.