The "big break" is a fascinating phenomenon that we'll always be interested in. What steps did such-and-such an actor take to attain this or that role? How was it that someone went from a regular guy to the face we see on TV? It's especially compelling when it's a non-traditional path. Sure, there are countless examples of people making a leap from the stage onto the screen. But what of those more unexpected routes?

A great example is David Naughton, the titular American werewolf in American Werewolf in London. How do you go from being a regular guy to being a regular guy on a screen that turns into a terrifying monster? The answer can be found in a proprietary blend of 23 secret flavors.

According to the Lebanon, Pennsylvania Daily News, Naughton danced around for four years in Dr. Pepper commercials before growing all that nasty hair and eating those British people. Director John Landis saw those Dr. Pepper ads and knew he could make Naughton a nightmare. More importantly, the ads let Landis skip the routine that actors usually go through to secure a part.

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"Instead of meeting after meeting and screen test after screen test, I only had to meet him," said Naughton. "He told me about the script, but wouldn't show it to me. He asked questions like was I claustrophobic because there was going to be some intense make-up. Did I feel physically up to such a strenuous role?

"Based on that interview, I was offered the part, accepted it, and then got the script. After I met the executive producers, John called, saying, 'Well, we wanted you for the part, but you've got too many fingers.'"

Naughton got the role regardless of his digital enumeration.