Even the Hollywood elite once had to fight it out for their breakout roles - and now those audition tapes have been brought together in one stunning video compilation.

Watch unpolished - and occasionally poor - performances from movie greats as they try out for the parts that put them on the road to success.

The likes of Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Natalie Portman and Rachel McAdams are among the now-famous stars whose audition tapes made the cut.

Put together by Prank Media, the auditions show 40 famous faces trying for their big breaks without the help of fancy studio sets, lighting and sound systems, as they deliver their lines in dingy-looking rooms.

Sherlock duo Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman were filmed auditioning for the hit show as they sat in front of a messy desk, as people on laptops sit nonchalantly in the background, while Emma Stone speaks directly into the camera as she sits on a bed to apply for the lead in Easy A.

An 11-year-old Scarlett Johansson gives an adorable performance as she tries for the role of Judy Shepherd in Jumanji that ultimately went to Kirsten Dunst, while a teenage Leonardo DiCaprio is seen reading his lines from a paper for a role in TV show Outsiders.

Watch the 40 stars pit their acting skills here:

Before they were famous: Watch A-listers audition for their breakout roles