Earth Girls Are Easy: The Launchpad for So Many Big Careers

If you've ever watched director Julian Temple's cult comedy Earth Girls Are Easy, likely two things stay top of mind. One: Julie Brown's Valley skewering, ear worm of a song, "'Cause I'm a Blonde." And two: the crazy talented cast roster full of actors who would go on to become the crème de la crème of Hollywood.

Celebrating 35 years since it was released in theaters, Earth Girls Are Easy (now streaming on Peacock) is a low-fi, sci-fi, comedy musical about three horny, hairy aliens who land on Earth and get made over by manicurist Valerie Gail (Geena Davis) and Candy Pink (Brown), the owner of the salon, Curl Up & Dye. Who portrayed the trio of invaders? None other than Jeff Goldblum as Mac, Jim Carrey as Wiploc, and Damon Wayans as Zeebo. 

RELATED: Jeff Goldblum is in Wes Anderson's Asteroid City? Who Does He Play?

While the quirky comedy wasn't a box office hit, Earth Girls Are Easy has lived on in infamy as the last under the radar project for this handful of actors who would go on to become major players in Hollywood right after its release. 

The Who's Who of Earth Girls Are Easy

Geena Davis as Valerie

When Earth Girls Are Easy was released in theaters in May of 1989 — after debuting at the Toronto Film Festival the previous fall — Davis was finally breaking out into mainstream awareness as an up-and-coming actor. Earth Girls came directly on the heels off the huge success of her co-starring in The Fly (1986) with Goldblum, and in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice (1988), as well as some well-received establishing roles in Tootsie and Fletch. Earth Girls was a reunion for Davis and Goldblum, who first worked together in Transylvania 6-5000 (1985), and then again in The Fly. The power couple were dating by this production. 

By the fall of 1988, Davis appeared in The Accidental Tourist for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. And just two years later, she would co-star in Ridley Scott's classic, Thelma and Louise. 

Jeff Goldblum as Mac

An established character actor known for taking odd roles, Goldblum's casting in Earth Girls Are Easy wasn't exactly surprising. He was known for appearing in cult films like The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) and Silverado (1985). The Fly was Goldblum's transition into leading man status. But he still actively sought odd films to showcase his unique acting style, like 1989's The Tall Man and Earth Girls. It wasn't until 1993's Jurassic Park that Goldblum became a familiar face in tentpole summer blockbusters like the dino franchise and 1996's Independence Day. 

RELATED: Why Jurassic Park Might Be the Most Rewatchable Movie Ever

Jim Carrey as Wiploc

Carrey was still a stand-up comedian just dipping his toes into acting projects when he was cast in Earth Girls Are Easy. Already a gifted physical comedian, the role of Wiploc allowed him to workshop his rubbery facial reactions and tackle the hilarity of an alien trying to understand the English language. There are hallmarks of what he did with this performance in what would come soon after with his sketch work on the series In Living Color and in the Ace Ventura franchise. 

Damon Wayans as Zeebo

Around the time Wayans was cast in Earth Girls, he was best known for a short stint on Saturday Night Live, before he got fired. Another comedian known on the stand-up circuit, he would also go on to be a cast member on his brother Keenan's sketch show, In Living Color, along with Carrey. The platform pointed Wayans back to film, where he had big hits with Mo' Money (1992) and Blankman (1994). 

Earth Girls Are Easy is now streaming on Peacock!