From actors to singers to athletes, most celebrities lived average lives before hitting it big in Hollywood or the sports world. They worked day jobs, struggled financially, and didn’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel. But even though they have made it big today, celebrities like Leonardo, JK Rowling, and Oprah Winfrey experienced plenty of failures and hardships in their lives before achieving success. This list looks at 12 celebrities who went from rags to riches, proving that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and push hard enough to get what you want out of life.
1) Leonardo Di Caprio
DiCaprio grew up in Hollywood, but he wasn’t a child star or a son of privilege. His father was an underground filmmaker and his mother ran a small art gallery. Although Leo had some acting experience, he didn’t break into Hollywood until his 20s, when he starred in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? His salary for that role? Less than $9000. He worked hard to make it big, though—and now he’s worth more than $200 million. He also owns a Malibu mansion valued at more than $20 million and an island off Belize worth more than $5 million. He has won three Academy Awards (for The Revenant), two Golden Globes (for The Wolf of Wall Street), and one BAFTA Award (for Blood Diamond).
2) Jamie Foxx
After years of working as a professional stand-up comedian, Foxx was finally able to land his first big acting role in 1995’s The Amazing Spider-Man. The role led to other acting opportunities, including roles in Booty Call, Any Given Sunday, and Ali. Foxx won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Ray Charles in 2004’s Ray, and he went on star in many more successful films throughout his career.
3) William Shatner
Born in Montreal, Canada on March 22, 1931, William Shatner grew up in poverty. His parents divorced when he was young and his mother passed away when he was just 12 years old. At 19 years old, Shatner had no formal education or work experience and moved to NYC with only $100 in his pocket. After a series of odd jobs including delivering sandwiches and writing press releases for an airline company, Shatner began working as a radio announcer at $45 a week. Today he is an internationally recognized actor for his role in the Star Trek franchise as Captain T. Kirk.
4) Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow is probably best known for her role as Phoebe on Friends. She got her start in show business by training at The Groundlings, an improv group and school in Los Angeles, California. In 1992, she was cast as Ursula in Mad About You. From there, she went on to star in several hit sitcoms, including Friends, Web Therapy, and The Comeback. Her big-screen debut came with Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997).
5) Sandra Bullock
Bullock grew up in Washington, DC, where she had a miserable childhood. Her father was an alcoholic and drug addict who physically abused her mother. Bullock finally fled home when she was 18 years old—and never looked back. Today, of course, Bullock is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and has been nominated for four Academy Awards for her work in movies like The Blind Side and Gravity.
6) Russell Brand
Before he was a star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek, Russell Brand grew up in a single-parent household on welfare and graduated from high school with just one qualification. With no real direction in life, he developed an addiction problem. After getting arrested for drug possession, Russell turned his life around. He got clean and managed to break into stand-up comedy.
7) Eminem
Eminem (birth name Marshall Bruce Mathers III), is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter, and actor. In addition to his solo career, Eminem is a member of D12 and (with Royce da 5’9) one half of Bad Meets Evil. Eminem’s successful music career has made him one of Forbes magazine’s wealthiest celebrities; he was ranked 81st on its Celebrity 100 list in 2012, with a net worth estimated at $160 million. But growing up he had to face a lot of financial hardships and even got bullied a lot.
8) Oprah Winfrey
Born in rural Mississippi, Winfrey was molested by a cousin and raped at age nine. At 14, she ran away from home; at 15, she became pregnant. “I realized I had made myself vulnerable to people who were willing to take advantage of me. All these things I thought would bring me happiness actually brought me great misery,” said Oprah. After giving birth at 16, she went on welfare and took odd jobs until becoming an anchorwoman for a local TV station in Nashville.
9) Julia Roberts
Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed actresses, Julia Roberts struggled for years as a waitress. She even had a period of homelessness where she lived in her car and was so broke that she had to choose between eating a meal or buying gasoline. Despite these hardships, her persistence and hard work paid off; just two years after earning her first million dollars from The Pelican Brief (1993), Julia made over $20 million for starring in Pretty Woman (1990).
10) Will Smith
During his senior year at a high school in Philadelphia, Smith was on track to graduate with honors—and a 3.5 GPA. His plans for post-secondary education fell through, though, when he didn’t get accepted into either college. Instead of giving up and taking a job at McDonald’s or Burger King like most kids in his situation, Smith decided to take control of his life. He began by enrolling in night classes at a community college while working full-time as an overnight security guard. Eventually, he transferred to New York University (NYU) where he earned his bachelor’s degree from its prestigious Tisch School of Arts. He then went on to earn a master’s degree from Harvard University before making it big in Hollywood.
11) Matt Le Blanc
Most people remember Matt Le Blanc for his role as Joey on Friends, but before he became a household name in TV, he was simply struggling to make ends meet. After dropping out of college and working odd jobs such as bike messenger and carpenter, Le Blanc landed bit parts in Anything to Survive and Vinnie and Bobby. But it wasn’t until he landed his famous role that Le Blanc truly found success.
12) JK Rowling
Rowling’s early life was far from easy. She grew up in a single-parent household and began writing at a young age. Rowling had her first book published in 1997, but she struggled with poverty and homelessness before she could make it big as an author. Today, Rowling is worth $1 billion.
Final Thoughts
Becoming a celebrity overnight is not a reality for most of us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from those who made it big. Whether they were born with natural talent or honed their craft through hard work and determination, you can take inspiration from these 12 celebrities who overcame hardship to find success.
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