'Star Wars'' Oscar Isaac Played in Ska Bands Before He Was Famous

Oscar Isaac may best be known as Star Wars' Poe Dameron, but before he was a big-name actor, Isaac cut his teeth playing in bands among the South Florida ska scene of the late '90s and early 2000s.

The entertainer's musical history is no secret — a few years ago, Loudwire's partner site ScreenCrush shared footage of Isaac playing with ska act The Worms in 1996. But the skankin' revelation made the rounds again this month after websites such as The A.V. Club propagated the video, and an early band photo including the actor gained traction on Twitter.

See clips of two of Isaac's ska bands down toward the bottom of this post.

In addition to rockin' the bass guitar with The Worms, Isaac also spent time performing with other ska outfits bearing names such as Closet Heterosexuals, Petrified Frogs and The Blinking Underdogs. In the latter group, he took up the frontman role, singing lead vocals and playing guitar.

The Underdogs weren't just playing basement shows, either. According to Radio.com, the band opened gigs for both Green Day and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Isaac referred to those glory days during a TV appearance back when the live footage of The Worms first emerged.

"I was in a few ska bands actually," the actor shared with Jimmy Kimmel. "We played on a stage at a festival about five hours before [The Bosstones], but that was a great thing to have on your resume."

It appears the festival Isaac was referring to is the legendary Warped Tour, further underscoring how entrenched the actor once was in the ska-punk world.

Keen followers of the actor's career are likely familiar with Isaac's musical purview. He played a Bob Dylan-like folk troubadour in the Coen Brothers' 2013 film Inside Llewyn Davis. Further, Isaac relayed his enjoyment of stoner metal veterans Sleep in an interview with the NME in 2017.

The Worms Perform in 1996 (Oscar Isaac on Bass)

The Blinking Underdogs Perform in 2001 (Oscar Isaac on Guitar and Vocals)