We have all grown to know and love our favorite celebrities for the people they are presenting themselves to be. But things certainly weren’t that way for most of them. Like any other person out there, they all had to start from somewhere to get to where they’re at today – famous, and with plenty of cash in the bank!

Here are some crazy stories about their backgrounds. Where did they grow up? What were their jobs before they became known and how did they become successful? Their tales range from just being at the right place at the right time, to have put in years of hard work and labor.

Charlize Theron – Discovered While Arguing In A Bank

It’s no secret that Charlize Theron is now one of the most influential people out there. However, things weren’t always looking that way for her. Charlize was reportedly discovered by an agent at the age of 18, while she was arguing with a bank manager for refusing to cash her check.

Her debut in the big screen happened in 1995 with an appearance on Children of Corn III: Urban Harvest. Charlize has since played in critically acclaimed movies like Monster, The Devil’s Advocate, and even Mad Max: Fury. Her most recent project was alongside Seth Rogen in 2019’s movie, Longshot.

Cameron Diaz – Went From Adult Entertainment Videos To Hollywood Movies

To start out a career in Hollywood, one doesn’t just need talent and looks but also has to be extremely lucky. Cameron Diaz, however, managed to have a long career before she retired in 2014. There are many funny stories about actors’ first movies and projects, but Cameron Diaz’s is surprisingly ironic.

In 1992, Cameron appeared in a soft adult entertainment movie called She’s No Angel. Little did the cast know that she would later gain worldwide recognition as an angel, after playing in Charlie’s Angel in 2000. After her retirement, Cameron got married to the Good Charlotte’s lead guitarist Benji Madden in 2015.

Liam Neeson – Got Fired As A Teacher For Punching A Kid

Liam Neeson is, undoubtedly, a man of many talents. After he graduated from high school, he tried working many jobs, including being a teacher. He was working in a school in Newcastle when a kid from his class actually pulled a knife at him! As a result, Liam hit him in self-defense and got fired.

Liam’s career has earned him multiple Academy Award nominations and is mostly characterized by movies like Kinsey, Schindler’s List, and The Grey. His most recent collaboration was with the 2019’s movie Men In Black: International. The film is showing in June.

Arnold Schwarzenegger – Was Mr. Universe Before He Became An Actor

Having gained so much recognition over the years for his physique, it doesn’t come as a surprise knowing that Arnold Schwarzenegger started off his career as a bodybuilder model. After winning the Mr. Europe contest in 1965, he went ahead to place second in 66’s Mr. Universe contest.

During the next years, he managed to move to the U.S. and win the Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia titles. He made his big-screen debut with the movie Happy Anniversary and Goodbye and has become a hit with the Terminator movies. In 2019, he’s expected to return to the cinemas as the Terminator with the movie called Terminator: Dark Fate.

Winona Ryder – Was Being Bullied In High School

Winona Ryder hasn’t gone through life without having her fair share of troubles, but no matter what, she will always be a loveable person. When she was in high school, she has admitted to having been bullied because of her short haircut and being called a witch after playing in Beetlejuice.

However, she has managed to maintain an active acting career despite everything. Her most critically acclaimed movies have been Little Women, Heathers, and Edward Scissorhands. Ever since 2016, Winona has been playing in the series Stranger Things and is also currently filming The Plot Against America.

Brad Pitt – Was A Limousine Driver For Exotic Dancers

Ever since Brad Pitt appeared on Thelma & Louise back in 1991, things have just been going uphill for him. However, it wasn’t always like that! Brad was studying a journalism course when he realized he wanted to become an actor. He moved to LA and started picking up odd jobs. Brad went from a refrigerator delivery man to a limousine driver for exotic dancers.

His acting career’s highlights though include movies like Interview with the Vampire, Fight Club, and World War Z. Only recently, he finished filming for the upcoming Quentin Tarantino movie called Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, which is expected to be a huge blockbuster success.

Audrey Hepburn – Was Raising Money For The Dutch Resistance During WWII

Audrey Hepburn will always be remembered as a fashion and film icon from Hollywood’s Golden Age. She starred in movies like Roman Holiday for which she won practically every award out there, and in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Wait Until Dark. However, having grown up in Europe during WWII meant that she would encounter many tragedies before becoming successful.

Her family moved to the Netherlands thinking it would be safer, not knowing they were trying to avoid the inevitable. Having a background in dancing, Audrey was silently performing and raising money for the resistance. People had also thought that she was a part of it, but there was no evidence to support that claim.

Marilyn Monroe – Got Married At 16

Marilyn Monroe was certainly one of the most iconic women that Hollywood had ever seen. Over five decades have passed since her sudden death in 1962, but she’s to the day considered to be a major pop culture icon. Her movies are being watched until now and her story keeps on getting heard.

Marilyn grew up as an orphan. There are many stories about how she was wronged as a child. She ended up marrying her foster family’s next-door neighbor at the age of 16. It wasn’t until a couple of years later when she would become a model, then become the screen goddess who would grace the big screen and magazines.

Chevy Chase – Almost Became A Rockstar

Anyone who’s watched a movie or a show of Chevy Chase will agree that he’s hilarious.  During his career, he has played in movies like Caddyshack, Fletch, and the TV series, Community. His most recent project has been 2019’s movie, The Last Laugh.

When he was in college though, he had developed an interest in music. He and his friends from high school had formed a band called The Leather Canary, where he was playing drums. When he left the band, his friends Walter and Donald went ahead and created what came to be known as the duo, Steely Dan. Thankfully, things looked good for him as well, becoming an original cast member of Saturday Night Live.

James Stewart – Was Awarded A Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Over his five-decade-long career as an actor, not only did James Stewart manage to win multiple Academy Awards, but he was also awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his service in the military. His portfolio boasted of movies like The Philadelphia Story, Vertigo, as well as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Coming from a long line of military in his family, James had already become successful in acting when he first enlisted in the military in 1941. He served in the United States Army Air Forces and had managed to rise to the rank of Brigadier General. In 1985, he was promoted to Major General and was given the medal.

Chris Pratt – Was Working As An Exotic Dancer

Chris Pratt is now known as Peter Quill from The Guardians of the Galaxy movies, with his latest project being in Avengers: Endgame in 2019. His other projects include the series Parks and Recreation and the movie, Jurassic World. However, before he had even started acting, he had his fair share of adventures.

He admitted back in 2013, in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, that when he was younger, he did more than just a couple of gigs as a special type of dancer for bachelorette parties. As it turned out, he wasn’t entirely comfortable dancing nor was he able to improve his personal finances by doing so.

Woody Harrelson – His Dad Was An Assassin

Back in 1961, Woody Harrelson was born in a city in Texas. His parents were Diane and Charles. Woody grew up without his father who had left them to be with his other family. Years later, to their surprise, they found out that Charles was arrested for the murder of the federal judge John H. Wood Jr., getting two life sentences.

Woody has since grown to be a successful actor, after his first hit playing Woody Boyd on Cheers. He has also acted in movies like The Hunger Games film series, Zombieland, and Natural Born Killers. His current projects have been the series True Detective and Zombieland: Double Tap.

Oprah Winfrey – Had A Hellish Childhood

Oprah Winfrey is one of those people that require no introduction. Even though she has stopped doing her talk show, she’s still active, doing charity, producing, and appearing in projects. Just in 2019, some of her numerous jobs have been with the series When They See Us and Cherish the Day.

Oprah was born in Mississippi in 1954 to a teenage mother. During her teenage years, Oprah was violated and left pregnant. Her son was born prematurely and died at infancy. She worked at a local radio station, while at school. By the age of 19, she was already co-anchoring the local news and slowly became what she is today.

Jack Nicholson – He Thought His Real Mom Was His Sister

Well to be fair, it’s no wonder that one of the best actors in the world has had a childhood like one out of a book or a movie. Even though he hasn’t been in the big screen since 2010, reportedly due to having troubles memorizing, he is still loved for all the movies he has made in his time.

Jack was born in 1937 in New Jersey and was raised by his grandparents. All his life, he was told that his real mother was his sister. His mother was a dancer that had him at age 17 – a teen mom – and he never did find out who his biological father was.

Shania Twain – Was Living In Homeless Shelters

Even though Shania Twain is now a best-selling artist, things weren’t always looking upwards for her. Shania had taken a hiatus from singing after having some struggles with her health but has since made a comeback and most recently taken a turn in acting. In 2019, she stars alongside John Travolta in the movie, Trading Paint.

Shania grew up in a poor and often violent family with her mother and stepfather. She spent some time in homeless shelters and started singing at bars when she was eight years old to help pay the bills. She appeared on TV for the first time when she was 13 and slowly grew to be famous.

Sam Elliott – Served In The National Guard

Sam Elliott was born in Sacramento, California in 1944. After graduating from senior high, he tried several times to study psychology but always ended up dropping out. He had taken some acting gigs but his father was discouraging him from following a career in acting.

After his father died of a heart attack, he decided he would follow a career in acting. He worked in constructions and served in the California Air National Guard while studying acting. Now, after he’s finished the series The Ranch in 2018, he’s voicing the character Trusty in 2019’s Lady and the Tramp.

Demi Moore – Dropped Out Of School At 16

Because Demi Moore’s parents split up before she was even born, she grew up with her mother. Before she turned 14, she and her mother had moved for almost thirty times before they finally settled with her stepfather in Los Angeles. Demi quit school when she was 16 and pursued an acting career.

She quickly managed to become famous by playing in movies like Blame it on Rio and St. Elmo’s Fire in the ’80s. Her first success was with the movie Ghost in 1990. Her career’s most notable movies are Indecent Proposal and A Few Good Men. Demi’s most recent project in 2019 was playing in the movie, Corporate Animals.

Kim Kardashian – Was Paris Hilton’s Best Friend

Nobody understands how the Kardashian family became the phenomenon they are known to be today. Kim first got attention for being Paris Hilton’s friend and stylist. However, it wasn’t until 2007 when an old video of her having intercourse with an old boyfriend was released, when she got all eyes on her.

That same year, she and her family started the Keeping Up with the Kardashians reality show. In 2014, she got married to Kanye West and started raising a family with him. Their fourth child, a son named Psalm, is the youngest of the brood. He was born via surrogate in May 2019.

Kirk Douglas – Worked 40 Jobs Before Becoming An Actor

Kirk Douglas is one of the last remaining actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age. He is now aged 102 years old and his wife Anne Buydens has just turned 100 herself in April 2019! He is best known for movies like the 1960’s Spartacus, 1958’s The Vikings, Lust for Life, and The Final Countdown in 1980.

Before becoming an actor, he had worked selling snacks, delivering newspapers, served in the United States Navy during WWII, and other stints. In total, he had worked about 40 different jobs before landing his first acting gig. He had managed to get a loan to study acting, which he paid back by being a part-time gardener and janitor.

Charles Bronson – Served In The U.S. Air Force

Bronson was born in 1921 and had fourteen siblings. He started working in the mines by the age of ten to help the family. He entered the Air Force where he served as a gunner. In his time, he participated in 25 missions and received a Purple Heart for his injuries.

Charles began acting in the early ’50s, and most of his roles had been those of a gunfighter or a police officer. His most notable movies were the ones he made in the ’60s like Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, and The Great Escape. He died at the age of 81 in 2003 due to pneumonia.

Rihanna – Grew Up Selling Clothes On The Street

Most recently, Rihanna managed to become the world’s richest female musician with having an estimated fortune of $600 million. She has also starred in the 2019’s musical movie called Guava Island. Even since 2005 when she released her first album Music of The Sun, things have been pretty much going uphill for her.

She grew up selling clothes off the street with her father. Her dad’s alcoholism and substance dependence broke their family and she was often witnessing domestic violence towards her mother. Before Rihanna started singing, she was also a cadet for an off-military program with Shontelle as her sergeant.

Kevin Spacey – Had An Abusive Father

Kevin Spacey’ s story is an odd one. According to his brother Randal, they grew up with an extremely racist father that was often indecently abusive. Kevin is currently working closely with his lawyer as he’s facing many violation allegations from past colleagues and has come out as being gay in 2017 after the allegations have started.

Over his career, however, he has managed to win multiple awards – Oscars, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs. His most important movies are American Beauty, Seven, and The Usual Suspects. From 2016 until 2018, he was also starring in the acclaimed TV series, House of Cards.

Liv Tyler – Didn’t Know Who Her Real Father Was

Liv Tyler was born in 1977 by the name Liv Rundgren. Her mother was Bebe Buel who got unexpectedly pregnant after a brief relationship with Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler. Buell had Liv while she was with her boyfriend Todd Rundgren and led her to believe that he was her real biological father. When she was 10, she met Steven and found out eventually that he was her real father all along.

Liv became famous after starring in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Her most recent projects were the TV series Harlots in 2018 and the movie Ad Astra in 2019 alongside Brad Pitt. She keeps a close relationship with both Steven and Todd.

Leighton Meester – Her Parents Were In Prison When She Was Born

When Leighton Meester was born, both her mom and dad were serving time in prison for their involvement in a drug ring. She was being taken care of by her grandparents until they finished their time. Overall, she stated that she had a normal childhood and that her folks had changed.

Leighton is now mostly known for portraying Blair on Gossip Girl between 2007 and 2012. In 2018, she started starring in the series Single Parents. The show has just released its second season in 2019. On top of that, Leighton also made a guest appearance in The Orville series in the same year.

Tobey Maguire – Wanted To Become A Chef

Even though Tobey Maguire became instantly famous when he played in the Spider-Man movies between 2002 and 2007, it looks like he currently prefers producing to acting. His other notable movies include Brothers and Wonder Boys. Just in 2019, he’s been a producer for multiple movies, including Brittany Runs a Marathon, Boyz in the Wood, and The Best of Enemies.

Ironically, growing up, Tobey didn’t even want to become an actor. He dreamed of being a chef. His mother bribed him into becoming an actor when he was a teenager and so he did. He took up drama classes, quit school, and only got a GED in 2000 while pursuing acting.

Christian Bale – Got His First Starring Role At Age 13

By the time Christian Bale was 15 years old, he and his family had moved across over ten cities in Europe. His father was a talent manager and his mother was a circus performer. Christian got his first acting role at the age of thirteen with the 1987’s full movie by Steven Spielberg – Empire of the Sun.

He has managed to become recognized for his method acting and the transformations he goes through for each of his roles. His biggest blockbuster successes are considered to be the Batman movies between 2005 and 2012. Most recently, Christian played in the movie Vice in 2018 and in 2019 in the movie, Ford V Ferrari.

Liev Schreiber – His Mother Made Him Go By Hindu Names

When Liev Schreiber was one year old, his parents moved with him to an unincorporated community in Canada. According to his father, his mother had a bad experience with drugs that changed her, resulting in her being often hospitalized. They started arguing and as a result, his mother ran away with Liev.

He grew up in an apartment in Manhattan with his mother, and they often had no warm water or electricity. His mother made him take up Hindu names and forbade him from watching color movies. Liev studied acting and became a known character actor. He appeared on Salt, Ray Donovan, and 2019’s movie, A Rainy Day in New York.

Mark Wahlberg – Was Addicted To Drugs At Age 13

Even though Mark Wahlberg is well known right now, he had a dark past. Mark was the youngest of nine children and his folks separated when he was eleven. By the age of 13, Mark had dropped out of school and developed a drug addiction. He only received his diploma in 2013.

He started out as a rapper for the Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch band, with which they released the song Good Vibrations. As an actor, he has played in movies like The Fighter, The Departed, and Ted. His upcoming projects include the 2019 movie Wonderland as well as the movie Good Joe Bell in 2020.

Ashley Judd – Tried Modeling In Japan

Ashley Judd’s mother and sister grew to be famous country singers. Meanwhile, Ashley went as far away from them as possible. She had attended over ten different schools before graduating and had even tried to become a model in Japan for a brief period.

Ashley first appeared on TV in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1991 and has since played in movies like Double Jeopardy, Heat, and Frida. Ever since 2017, she has been playing in the series Berlin Station and in 2019, she also appeared in the movie, A Dog’s Way Home.

Nicole Richie – Was Adopted By Lionel Richie At 9 Years Old

Not only did Nicole Richie become famous in 2003 for her and Paris Hilton’s show The Simple Life, but she was always underneath the spotlight ever since she was taken in by Lionel Richie. Her biological mother and father gave her away to Lionel when she was three years old, but the legal adoption only happened when she was nine.

After The Simple Life stopped airing due to a dispute between her and Paris, Nicole has had a career in acting with the TV shows such as Great News, 8 Simple Rules, and Kids in America. She most recently appeared in an episode of Grace and Frankie in 2019.

Joaquin Phoenix – His Parents Were Members Of A Religious Cult

Joaquin Phoenix was born in Puerto Rico, the third of five siblings. Growing up, his parents were a part of the Children of God and were constantly on the move. They eventually left and changed their last names to Phoenix. Joaquin and his siblings were performing on the streets for food and eventually got discovered from a children’s agent.

Joaquin was eight years old when he got his first acting job in the series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in 1982. He has since starred in movies like Gladiator, Walk The Line, Her, and The Master. He’s currently starring in the highly anticipated 2019 movie, Joker.

Kathy Griffin – Her Siblings Have All Passed Away

Kathy Griffin grew up in Chicago with her family. Her brother Gary and her sister Joyce died recently after battling cancer. Her biggest issue growing up was her brother Kenny. She has stated in the past how his substance dependence and intense lifestyle had affected the entire family.

Kathy attended a Roman Catholic elementary school and developed a dislike for such practices. She started acting in musical theater and decided to become an actor. After arguing with her folks, by the age of 19, she managed to join The Groundlings and her career went uphill. Her latest project is 2019’s A President Show Documentary: The Fall of Donald Trump.

MacKenzie Phillips – Developed A Drug Addiction While A Teenager

During her high school years, MacKenzie Phillips had formed a band with three of her classmates. That was when she was spotted by a talent agent that gave her an audition for American Graffiti which she won. She was just twelve years old when she started acting.

MacKenzie’s next big role was with One Day at a Time between 1975 and 1983. During her time there, she got hooked on substances, and after going on and off rehabilitation, she was eventually written off the show. Since 2017, she’s been a cast member of the show’s remake that started airing its third season in February 2019.