25 Celebs Whose First Job Was Worse Than Yours
Humble Beginnings
It wasn't always champagne and caviar for the celebs we see traveling to Cannes by private jet. While it's impossible to say all celebrities are just like the rest of us (we're looking at you, Gwyneth Paltrow), at least some have paid their dues (if not their taxes) — with quite a few of them holding down extremely ordinary jobs before hitting the big time.
Sean Connery
Before becoming James Bond on the silver screen, Connery worked as a milkman, bricklayer, lifeguard, and coffin polisher.
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Jennifer Garner
Long before her breakout role on the television show "Alias," Garner had a string of ordinary jobs to pay the bills. Some of her lesser-known gigs included working as a babysitter and a hostess at a New York restaurant.
Tom Cruise
There are few celebrities on the planet as recognizable as Cruise, who starred in "Risky Business" and "Top Gun" and continues to thrill audiences in "Mission: Impossible" films. But before he was a star, Cruise was a hotel bellhop.
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Whoopi Goldberg
Before becoming famous in film, stand-up, and most recently as a co-host on "The View," Goldberg was employed in a number of unglamorous jobs. Her pre-showbiz employment included working as a morgue beautician and bricklayer.
Johnny Depp
Depp made millions as Capt. Jack Sparrow in "The Pirates of the Caribbean" films, but he was not so great at telemarketing. Depp sold pens over the telephone, but has said he particularly disliked having to call strangers to convince them to buy something.
Amy Adams
Though she's now an Oscar winner, Adams once worked as a hostess and server at the food chain Hooters, calling it just a way to earn money for college.
Jerry Seinfeld
Early in his comedy career, in between stand-up appearances, the future star of "Seinfeld" sold light bulbs over the phone and peddled knockoff jewelry on the streets of New York City. These days, thanks to his later successes, he has one of the most enviable celebrity car collections.
Jennifer Hudson
Oscar-winner Hudson, who famously appeared on "American Idol" before skyrocketing to fame, began her career in a fast-food restaurant. At 16 she worked at a Burger King on East 87th and State Street in Chicago. According to TMZ, Burger King offered her a gold card for a lifetime supply of free food.
Jim Carrey
When it comes to humble beginnings, it doesn't get more blue collar than working in a factory cleaning floors. That's how Carrey earned cash before starring in such blockbusters as "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "Dumb and Dumber."
Helen Mirren
The regal Mirren is famous for movies such as "Elizabeth I" and "The Queen," but she hasn't always lived like royalty. One of her first roles was serving as a promoter for an amusement park in Southend on Sea in the United Kingdom.
Hugh Jackman
Long before becoming famous as Wolverine in the "X-Men" franchise, Jackman worked as a physical education teacher at Uppingham School in England.
Jennifer Aniston
While we all know Aniston as the waitress-turned-fashion executive Rachel Green on the sitcom "Friends," the star also had a rocky start. Before her career took off, she worked in telemarketing. (And here we thought she was a server at Chotchkie's.)
Kanye West
While it's hard to imagine West serving others humbly at any point, he was a sales assistant at The Gap before becoming a musician, designer, and (now ex-) husband to Kim Kardashian.
Ellen Degeneres
Degeneres didn't always have her own cushy talk show gig. She went through a range of jobs early in life, including stints at JCPenney and TGI Fridays.
Tina Fey
Fey is famous for creating the TV show "30 Rock" and appearing on "Saturday Night Live," But before fame and fortune, she worked at a YMCA in Chicago.
Ashton Kutcher
Before following in Charlie Sheen's footsteps in "Two and a Half Men," Kutcher helped his dad with construction projects, worked at a grocery store, and swept floors at a PepsiCo/Quaker Oats factory.
Demi Moore
Before Demi was part of the Brat Pack in movies such as "St. Elmo's Fire," she worked as a debt collector.
Christopher Walken
Given his reputation for playing quirky characters, Walken's early work as a lion tamer at a circus seems fitting. Luckily, he gave up that gig and went on to star in films such as "Wedding Crashers" and "The Deer Hunter."
Rachel McAdams
Before her role in "Mean Girls" catapulted her to fame, this daughter of a nurse and a truck driver spent three years selling burgers at McDonald's.
Jon Bon Jovi
Before Bon Jovi was rich and famous as a rock star, he worked as a Christmas decoration maker. He later went on to work as a janitor.
Matt LeBlanc
Though his "Friends" character wasn't someone to be trusted with tools, LeBlanc was thankfully far removed from Joey. Before he was raking in millions per episode on the long-running sitcom, he worked as a carpenter.
Gwen Stefani
Pop star Gwen Stefani started her working life at a Dairy Queen in Orange County. She worked at the ice cream and food shop during her senior year in high school before agreeing to sing in a band her brother had formed called ... you guessed it: No Doubt.
Vince Vaughn
Long before breaking out in "Swingers," Vaughn worked as a lifeguard at a YMCA. Apparently saving lives wasn't his true calling — he was fired from the job.
Matthew Morrison
Morrison knew he wanted to be an entertainer from a young age. But before making his way to the cast of several high-profile Broadway shows and "Glee," he too sold clothes at The Gap.
Nicki Minaj
Long before she became a hip-hop diva, Minaj worked at Red Lobster. She was fired from the job for chasing down customers who stole her pen.
This article was originally published on Cheapism
