What 13 Celebrities Did for a Living Before They Became Famous

Sometimes it seems that celebrities have always been famous. But in reality, they all started their careers like anyone else and had to go to work every day. Some of them had to sell hamburgers or ice cream in fast food restaurants, and others worked as a secretary or even as a porter at a mental hospital.

At Bright Side, we decided to find out what some celebrities did for a living before they became famous.

Kate Winslet — a sales assistant at the grocery store

Before becoming a movie star, Kate Winslet worked at a delicatessen. Once, she was making a turkey sandwich for one of the customers and suddenly got a call where she was informed that she landed a role on Heavenly Creatures. The future Titanic star was so stunned that she immediately left her workplace without finishing the sandwich.

Eva Mendes — selling hot dogs

Long before she had her acting career breakthrough, Eva Mendes worked in the food industry. At first, she worked in a pizzeria, then she sold hot dogs in a shopping mall.

Hugh Jackman — a physical education teacher

Before Hugh Jackman played Wolverine, he worked as a Physical Education teacher at a school in England for a year. Once, he was giving an interview at a red carpet event and spotted one of his students among the reporters. The actor couldn’t miss the opportunity to tease the man. He asked how his physical education was progressing because it was really important for Jackman.

Jennifer Aniston — a telemarketer

Before Jennifer Aniston got her pivotal role on the Friends TV show, she worked different part-time jobs. One of her jobs was a telemarketer. She was selling time-shares (the right to use a property under a time-sharing scheme) in the Poconos. According to Aniston, she was terrible at it and couldn’t make even one sale.

Whoopi Goldberg — a mortuary cosmetologist

Before becoming an actress, Whoopi Goldberg worked a few odd jobs, including a mortuary cosmetologist. She applied for the job because she attended beauty school and is a licensed beautician.

Gwen Stefani — selling ice cream

Long before Gwen Stefani became a popular singer, she was selling ice cream at a fast-food restaurant. She also worked as a makeup artist in a department store.

Lucy Liu — an aerobics instructor

To fulfil her dream of becoming an actress, Lucy Liu worked in different places. She worked as a secretary 5 days a week and as an aerobic instructor and a hostess in a restaurant in Soho in London on weekends. Liu confessed that it was a very tight schedule, but she was motivated by the idea of her future acting career.

Mick Jagger — a porter at a mental hospital

Before Mick Jagger became the frontman of the iconic rock band, The Rolling Stones, he temporarily worked as a porter at Bexley Hospital. This took place back in 1961 when he entered the London School of Economics to study finance and accounting.

Evangeline Lilly — a flight attendant

The star of the Lost TV series worked many odd jobs before becoming famous. But she remembered her job as a flight attendant most. It was so exhausting that she quit after a month.

Stephen King — a gas station attendant

In 1966, the writer whose books are credited with reviving the genre of horror fiction in the late twentieth century entered the University of Maine in the US. To pay for his studies, Stephen King made a living working as a janitor, a gas-station attendant, and an industrial laundry worker.

Miley Cyrus — a cleaner

Before the Disney TV series Hannah Montana made her famous, Miley Cyrus worked as a cleaner for a cleaning company. She joined the company when she was 11. She had to clean houses and even toilets. But it’s worth mentioning that she liked her job very much.

Steve Buscemi — a fireman

Before becoming a popular Hollywood actor, Steve Buscemi worked as a fireman in New York. While already an actor, he took the initiative to return to his job for some time. In 2014, he was even named Honorary Battalion Chief by the New York City Fire Department.

Jennifer Lopez — a secretary

Jennifer Lopez is one of the most popular artists of today. She’s proven to the world that she’s a talented dancer, actress, and singer. But Lopez used to work as a secretary at a law firm. Her responsibilities included filing tax returns for policemen and firefighters. She even became a licensed notary later on.

What jobs did you have at the beginning of your career? Tell us in the comments below.