It’s perhaps the only day in the year when we’re actually psyched to watch commercials instead of fast-forwarding through them. And given the historical significance (and the mega price tags), it’s no wonder: For better or worse, Super Bowl ads make an impact. This year there’s already been a lot of buzz about an ad scheduled to run featuring the return of Ferris Bueller, with Matthew Broderick reprising the role that made him famous 26 years ago. Herewith, some of the stars who appeared in Super Bowl ads before we knew their names…

To celebrate the release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Snakkle would like to take a look back where it all started: Frodo, Samwise, and the rest of the Fellowship left the safety of their Hobbit Shire to travel to the depths of Mordor to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring? The instant classic won four Oscars, made almost $1 billion in worldwide box office, and made the actors geek gods. Snakkle looks at some of the most beloved roles in the film and what the talented cast has been up to since.