Tā yǐqián zhǐshì gè wúmíng-xiǎozú, xiànzài yǐjīng shì dà míngxīng le.
He used to be a nobody, but now he's a big star.
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history
卒 originally meant 'foot soldier' - the lowest-ranking soldier in an army. 无名小卒 literally means 'nameless little soldier', someone too unimportant to be remembered.