25 Celebrity Jobs Before They Were Famous

25 not so glamorous jobs that stars worked before they got their big break.

Published 10 years ago in People & Lifestyle

25 not so glamorous jobs that stars worked before they got their big break.

1
From 1978 to 1979, Jim Carrey was a janitor at a factory. He said, "We were living out of a van. I quit school at age 15 to begin working to help support my family as a janitor. I'd have a baseball bat on my janitor cart because I was so angry I just wanted to beat the heck out of something."

2
Hugh Jackman used to dress up as a clown for birthday parties. It must have been hard making balloon animals with blades coming out of your hands.

5
Madonna was a Dunkin' Donuts clerk before she made a break into the music scene and became the Queen of Pop.
6
Gwen Stefani used to work at Dairy Queen. No Doubt she had her fill of Dilly Bars.
7
Brad Pitt used to dress up as a chicken for El Pollo Loco. See? The chicks have always loved him.

8
Barack Obama uses to be a scooper at Baskin-Robbins.
9
Johnny Depp confessed that he was once a really bad pen salesman.
10
Before being mean on the screen, Rachel McAdams was a friendly cashier at McDonalds for three years. "I was not a great employee I broke the orange juice machine one day," she said.

11
Before Channing Tatum was stripping on screen for a lot of money, he was stripping off-screen for a lot less money.
12
Before sitting in the makeup chair herself, Whoopi Goldberg used to be a makeup artist for dead people. Yes, the comedian was once a mortuary beautician.
13
Jon Hamm once was a set-dresser for pornographic films. Oh, and he also taught high school drama. Hopefully not at the same time.

14
Jay-Z was actually a crack dealer before he became a rap titan.
15
Diddy used to clean bathrooms at a Mexican restaurant before hitting it big with Jr. Mafia.
16
Before he was training with Apollo Creed and Mick, Sylvester Stallone was a lion cage cleaner.

17
Long before he was leading 300, Gerard Butler graduated with a law degree and headed to work at a firm. He was fired shortly thereafter and his dreams of making it to the courtroom fell dead.
18
Angelina Jolie was frustrated by the way in which her grandfathers funeral was conducted. So she decided on a career path as a funeral director. She ordered a certificate, but ended up going with the acting route instead.
19
Jon Stewart started his comedy career with puppets. According to the New York Times, After graduating from the College of William and Mary in 1984 with a degree in psychology, he returned to New Jersey where he worked for the state, performing puppet shows designed to sensitize schoolchildren to the disabled.

20
Harrison Ford was a carpenter before becoming a Hollywood icon. He picked up the craft in Los Angeles in the late 60s and eventually found his way into constructing movie sets.
21
George Clooney tried out with the Cincinnati Reds in 1977, but didn't make the cut.
22
Nicole Kidman was a massage therapist.

23
Rod Stewart worked as a gravedigger before becoming a music icon.
24
Patrick Dempsey used to be a professional juggler. He came second in the International Jugglers Competition and the Junior Division in 1982 and 1983.
25
Queen Latifah used to work at Burger King.