appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Ellen Coughlan

Not every celebrity was born into the spotlight – in fact, many of them began life as regular people with distinctly average jobs before working their way up to become the icons they are today. Here, we take a look at nine famous faces and the jobs they did before they made it big.
Hugh Jackman was a PE teacher

Why Anna Shay is the real star of Netflix’s Bling Empire
Hugh Jackman is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars thanks to his years playing Wolverine in the X-Men film franchise and starring in big-budget productions like The Greatest Showman. However, his life was not always so star-studded and glamorous. The Logan actor spent a gap year working at Uppingham School in England as a PE teacher. During an interview on the red carpet, Jackman bumped into one of his former pupils, Rollo Ross, who was working as a reporter. The actor joked: “Rollo, I’m sorry man, we go way back. I used to teach you at high school in PE and I want to know how your physical education is progressing. It’s very important to me.”
Kanye West worked as a sales assistant at Gap

Before breaking into the industry as a successful rapper, Kanye West worked as a sales assistant at Gap. In lyrics from his debut album, “The College Dropout”, he even proclaims that he used to steal from the store. However, the retailer is now teaming up with the Gold Digger hitmaker and Yeezy, his fashion company, for a new clothing line called Yeezy Gap. The collaboration will be introduced in the first half of 2021. Kanye told The Cut magazine: “I’d like to be the Steve Jobs of the Gap.”
Before Olivia: 5 times Harry Styles made our jaws drop
Johnny Depp sold ballpoint pens over the phone

Recent scandals may have considerably dimmed Johnny Depp’s lustre, but until recently he was one of the best-paid stars in Hollywood. Before making it big in the movie business, Depp made a meagre living selling pens. Recalling his first experience in the working world to Hello magazine, he admitted to spending all day “calling people who don’t want you to call them”, adding: “You put on your best fake voice and try and sell them a gross or two of ballpoint pens with their name printed on them.”
10 celebrities who were homeless before they made it big
Channing Tatum worked as a stripper

Channing Tatum may have played a stripper in Magic Mike, but some don’t realise that he actually was one back when he was 19. In 2010, he told an Australian newspaper that he wanted to make a movie about his experiences as a stripper. That idea led to the movie Magic Mike. The Step Up actor joked he was seriously underpaid when asked by the movie’s producer Reid Carolin how much he made back then, quipping: “Sadly, not enough. Like, for what I was doing for the dollar, not enough of the dollars.”
How Tiger Woods’ ex Rachel Uchitel ‘turned down’ Donald Trump
US President Barack Obama scooped ice cream

The former US President worked as an ice-cream scooper at Baskin-Robbins in Hawaii when he was in senior school. Obama wrote about his experience on LinkedIn: “Scooping ice cream is tougher than it looks. Rows and rows of rock-hard ice cream can be brutal on the wrists.” However, this experience taught him life lessons he still uses today. He continued: “My first summer job wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it taught me some valuable lessons. Responsibility, hard work. Balancing a job with friends, family and school.”
Why are Michelle Obama and George W. Bush such good friends?
Rachel McAdams worked at McDonalds for three years

The Notebook star had a job with the fast-food restaurant when she was 16, telling Glamour she had “[worked at McDonald’s] for a good three years.” Later, the actress admitted to the Huffington Post that she wasn’t exactly the best employee: “I’m not sure why they kept me: I am something of a daydreamer and a dawdler, so they would only let me be the friendly voice that greeted you when you entered the restaurant.”
Jeff Bezos, the McDonald’s fry cook? 6 self-made billionaires’ former jobs
Matt LeBlanc was a carpenter

Before Matt LeBlanc became a global star for his role in Friends, he wanted to be a carpenter. LeBlanc told the UK’s Daily Telegraph: “I wanted to be a carpenter. Everyone did carpentry, plumbing, roofing in my family. The mentality was, if it was broke, you fixed it.” But after a while, LeBlanc realised it wasn’t the job for him – mainly because he didn’t enjoy working outdoors. The Joey star explained: “I realised that I didn’t want to be pounding nails in the snow in New England all my life. I wanted an inside job, where you got to work in the warm. That was the ambition.”
Jim Carrey was a cleaner in a factory

Before becoming one of the most successful comedic actors in Hollywood, the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective star spent time cleaning an Ontario warehouse along with his family after his father lost his accounting job. The Carrey clan found themselves homeless and, in return for accommodation, had to work at the factory. The Mask actor used to scrub washrooms during an eight-hour evening shift after school, leading to a decline in his grades and eventually his dropping out of school at 16. However, it all worked out well in the end, because Carrey is now among the world’s richest comedians.
20 rags to riches stories from the world’s top earners
George Clooney was a door-to-door insurance salesman

Before George Clooney arrived in Hollywood, he had a string of low-paying jobs. He previously told David Letterman: “I had a lot of rotten jobs. I sold insurance door-to-door, but it didn’t work out well. The first day I sold one [policy] and the guy died.” The film star also sold shoes and stocked shelves before hitting the big time. In an interview with London’s Evening Standard, the actor said doing difficult jobs gave him a sense of humility. Since becoming a global star, Clooney has turned his attention towards various human rights and humanitarian causes.
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on  Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter .﻿


Meet Woody Harrelson’s wife, Laura Louie, who joined him at the Brothers premiere

Meet Tucker Wetmore, ‘Choosin’ Texas’ singer Ella Langley’s rumoured boyfriend

Thailand’s Nene Royal wins America’s Got Talent, pocketing US$1 million

Style Edit: De Beers Group CEO Al Cook on natural diamonds, Desert hues and traceable luxury

Fame and celebrity

From Barack Obama scooping (not so) soft serve at Baskin-Robbins, to Johnny Depp cold calling strangers: 9 ordinary jobs stars had before they were famous

George Clooney, Hugh Jackman and Kanye West had surprisingly jobs before they were famous. Photos: AFP/EPA/Splashnews

Actor Johnny Depp arrives for the world premiere of Disney movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" in Shanghai on May 11, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Johannes EISELE

Actress Rachel McAdams poses with the award she received for Best Kiss with Ryan Gosling in "The Notebook" at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles June 4, 2005. REUTERS/Jim Ruymen

Matt LeBlanc introduces the section on shows that said goodbye during the 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

This handout image shows Channing Tatum in the movie Magic Mike XXL. 24OCT14 [23JULY2015 LEAD FEATURE 1 48HRS]

(FILES) In this file photo taken on September 5, 2017 actor Jim Carrey attends the photocall of the movie "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - The Story Of Jim Carey & Andy Kaufman With A Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention Of Tony Clifton" presented out of competition at the 74th Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido. Veteran comic actor Jim Carrey has been spared the prospect of civil trial over the suicide of his girlfriend Cathriona White, his representative said on February 1, 2018, after the case was dismissed. White's estranged husband Mark Burton and mother Brigid Sweetman had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the star following her overdose in September 2015, accusing him of procuring drugs under a bogus name for her.They also alleged that the 56-year-old actor -- known for a string of hit comedy movies including "The Mask," "Liar Liar" and "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" -- had given White three sexually-transmitted diseases. / AFP PHOTO / Filippo MONTEFORTE

epa07078973 (FILE) - Australian actor Hugh Jackman poses during the photocall of the premiere for the film 'The Greatest Showman' in Paris, France, 17 January 2018 (reissued 08 October 2018). Hugh Jackman turns 50 on 12 October 2018. EPA-EFE/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON

(FILES) In this file photo taken on May 13, 2019 US actor and film director George Clooney poses during a photocall of the Catch-22 TV show in Rome. - Hollywood star and activist George Clooney on June 11, 2019 urged the international community to go after illicit money from Sudan, voicing hope that financial pressure would change the calculus for generals who violently put down pro-democracy protests.Clooney -- a longtime campaigner for human rights in Sudan's western region of Darfur -- noted that the notorious Janjaweed militias were involved both in abuses in Darfur and in putting down demonstrations last week. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

Celebrities attend the Louis Vuitton fashion show during Paris Fashion Week Menswear Autumn/Winter 2009 in Paris, France.  Pictured: Kanye West  Ref: SPL75344 230109  Picture by: KCSPresse/ Splash News  Splash News and Pictures Los Angeles: 310-821-2666 New York: 212-619-2666 London: 870-934-2666 photodesk@splashnews.com

Former President Barack Obama speaks during a drive-in rally near Florida International University in Miami, Florida on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS)

Where was Barron Trump? Donald’s youngest was a no-show at his dad’s big speech, but it’s not the first time his family and followers have protected the teen from public scrutiny

Barron, son of US President Donald Trump, has attracted criticism but has had his defenders too, not least his mum, first lady Melania Trump. Photo: Reuters

FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump waves as he walks with first lady Melania Trump and their son Barron during the inauguration parade on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. Think it's tough to be a kid? Try being a "first kid" - the child of an American president. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

U.S. President Donald Trump, center, waves while walking with First Lady Melania Trump, right, and son Barron Trump on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Nav. 26, 2019. The House impeachment inquiry shifts into a new phase next week with a public hearing in the Judiciary Committee where Trump will be invited to present his defense, according to Chairman Jerrold Nadler. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Without his protective glasses on, U.S. President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse while viewing with his wife Melania and son Barron at the White House in Washington, U.S., August 21, 2017. Kevin Lamarque: "On a day when everyone, and I mean everyone, was told not to look at the eclipse without protective glasses, Trump, President of the United States, couldn't help himself." REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo SEARCH "POY TRUMP" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "REUTERS POY" FOR ALL BEST OF 2017 PACKAGES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

U.S. President Donald Trump stands with his son Barron Trump in the presidential review stand outside the White House during the 58th presidential inauguration parade in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Trump became the 45th president of the United States today, in a celebration of American unity for a country that is anything but unified. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Barron Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the White House in April 2017. Photo: Agence France-Presse

SCMP

Where are Michael Jackson’s family members now? The ‘King of Pop’ originally sang with The Jackson 5 while his sisters Janet and Rebbie went solo – but what about his children?

Where are all the Jackson family members now? From left: Michael’s children Bigi and Paris, and his sister Janet. Photos: Bang Showbiz

Bang showbiz. FOR STYLE USE ONLY

Bang Showbiz. FOR STYLE USE ONLY

Bigi, Paris and Janet and the rest of the Jackson family, where are they now? Photos: Bang Showbiz

Inside Bling Empire stars Kelly Mi Li and Andrew Gray’s ‘toxic’ relationship: Are they back together? Was the Netflix reality show’s drama even real?

Bling Empire’s first series showed Kelly Mi Li and Andrew Gray’s tempestuous relationship, but the celebrity couple say things have improved since. Photo: IG@andrewgray

2018 holiday. Photo: IG @andrewgray

2015 - first IG pic. Photo: IG @andrewgray

Drama on the show. Photo: Netflix

IG @andrewgray

Photo: Netflix

What gifts did Melania Trump get from Xi Jinping and Brigitte Macron? 5 special presents from world leaders – think Ferragamo and Givenchy handbags, and bespoke tableware

Former US first lady Melania Trump with China’s first lady Peng Liyuan, during a visit to a school in Beijing, China in November 2017 – making and receiving such visits is part of the job for a first lady and is usually accompanied by the giving of gifts. Photo: EPA-EFE

U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, from right, U.S. President Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, France's president, and Brigitte Macron, France's first lady, stand for a photograph on the North Portico ahead of a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. Macron arrived in Washington on Monday for a three-day visit heavy on symbolism and substance as Donald Trump hosts the first official state visit of his presidency. Photographer: Alex Edelman/Pool via Bloomberg

Shosha Kamal Design House's Scarab chair made out of brass, entirely handmade. Photo: @shoshakamaldesignhouse/Instagram

An example. Givenchy's Nano Antigona Bag in Metalized Leather. Photo: Givenchy

An example of Suzani. Shakhrisabz Suzani, 2.28m x 1.60m, circa 1820. @aaronnejadgallery/Instagram

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with their wives, first lady Melania Trump and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan are seated during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Thursday, April 6, 2017, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Ferragamo bag. Photo: Forzieri/Salvatore Ferragamo

US First Lady Melania Trump and visits Bak Middle School for the Art in West Palm Beach, Florida on April 7. 201717. / AFP PHOTO / Michele Eve Sandberg

epa05991469 US First Lady Melania Trump (L) steps out of a car as she arrives at Chierici Palace, part of a visit of the G7 first ladies in Catania, Italy, 26 May 2017. Heads of States and of Governments of the G7, the group of most industrialized economies, plus the European Union, meet in Taormina, Italy, from 26 to 27 May 2017 for a summit titled 'Building the Foundations of Renewed Trust' which is aimed at discussing 'citizen safety, economic, environmental and social sustainability and the reduction of inequalities' as well as 'innovation, skills and labor in the age of the Next Production Revolution', the Italian G7 Presidency said in a media release. EPA/ORIETTA SCARDINO

A cabinet in the White House China Room. Photo: White House Historical Association

Who is China’s vape and e-cigarette billionaire Kate Wang? The Relx Technology CEO is richer than JD.com’s Richard Liu and Baidu’s Robin Li – and might even challenge Yang Huiyan for the ‘richest woman in China’ title

Wang Ying. Photo: qq.com

Relx CEO Wang Ying. Photo: Sohu

Wang Ying giving a speech. Photo: qq.com

Wang Ying making an assured media appearance. Photo: Sohu

Magazines

Style

Celebrities

McDonald’s likely wasn’t sorry to see Rachel McAdams go, Friends’ Matt LeBlanc hated working outdoors as a carpenter, and Kanye West went from being a Gap employee to doing Yeezy collaborations with the brand


McDonald’s likely wasn’t sorry to see Rachel McAdams go, while Friends’ Matt LeBlanc gave up the family carpentry career because he hated working in the snow – the jobs we’re pleased these stars gave up


American cinema

Fashion

Barack Obama

Millionaires, billionaires and trillionaires