Sometimes we forget that celebrities are in fact humans, just like us. For the most part, they went through the same hardships trying to make it big as many of us do in our daily hustles. From working as waiters and waitresses to taking phone calls at a desk, even the richest celebrities once lived through not-so-glamorous conditions.
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Here are 15 celebrities who had surprising first jobs before they were famous:
Brad Pitt
Before venturing into acting, Brad Pitt studied journalism at the University of Missouri where he was only two credits shy of graduating. After dropping out, he took up different part-time jobs, including delivering refrigerators, driving a limo for exotic dancers and dressing up in a chicken suit for el Pollo Loco.
Angelina Jolie
After her grandfather died, Angelina Jolie took up mortuary science because she was so displeased with how his funeral was conducted. However, she didn't pursue that goal for very long and started on a career in show business instead, being featured in music videos and films when she was just 16.
Kim Kardashian
Fashion has always been an interest of Kim Kardashian; even when she was a teenager. Back then, she spent four years working in a local clothing store and also made money selling her own possessions on eBay. She eventually became a closet organizer for big name celebrities, including Cindy Crawford, Serena Williams and Paris Hilton.
Kanye West
Yeezy was far from being a God before he was a rapper. In high school, he actually worked at the GAP and folded clothes as a part-time job. He actually mentions this in one of his songs in The College Dropout album.
Ashton Kutcher
To pursue an early modelling career, Ashton Kutcher dropped out of the biomedical engineering program at the University of Iowa. For additional income, he worked at a General Mills factory sweeping cereal dust throughout the premises.
Jennifer Aniston
Our favourite "Friend" held a few part-time jobs before entering show business. Upon moving to LA, she worked as a telemarketer, waitress and bike messenger to make ends meet. She was also a spokesmodel for The Howard Stern Show once.
Ryan Gosling
Ever since he was little, Ryan Gosling had always shown interest in acting. In fact, his first job ever was as a cast member on the kids variety show The Mickey Mouse Club, where he showed off his singing, dancing and acting talents alongside Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. When the show was cancelled after two years, he took on another role as a heartthrob on the Canadian teen series Breaker High.
Rachel McAdams
Before she became a Mean Girl, Rachel McAdams actually once worked at McDonald's. She recalls that she wasn't the best employee, having broken the orange juice machine once. She worked there part-time to make extra money, since her other stint directing kids' theatre "didn't totally pay the bills."
Emma Stone
This year's Oscar-winning lead actress came from humble beginnings. In a 73-question interview with Vogue, she mentioned that one of her first jobs was working at a dog bakery, which specialized in fresh-baked goods and treats for canines.
Chris Pratt
If there's a good rags to riches story, it's Chris Pratt's. After dropping out of community college, he worked as a discount ticket salesman and daytime stripper, only to end up homeless in Hawaii within a few years. He was eventually discovered by actress and director Rae Dawn Chong while he was waiting tables at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company restaurant in Maui.
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Jennifer Lawrence
Aside from various modelling gigs here and there, Jennifer Lawrence took up a small role as a furry mascot on the television series "Monk". In several interviews, Lawrence notes that she was embarrassed by the role; though, at least it wasn't all for nothing because six years later she'd end up winning an Oscar.
Beyonce
Queen B wasn't always queen - when she was growing up, she used to work at her mom's hair salon, sweeping up hair to pick up extra cash. Such was a side gig that she took up while she was working on music with her childhood girl band.
Drake
Before become a rap superstar, Drake actually pursued a career in acting. He first developed an affinity for acting in high school, at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute in Toronto. In the early 2000s, he caught the attention of an acting agent who helped him land his breakout role on the Canadian teen series Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Mariah Carey
Columbia Records offered a recording contract to Mariah Carey when she was just 18 years old, but before that, she was in cosmetology school studying to be a make-up artist. Throughout her teens, she worked at several salons, waitressed and was a coat check clerk at a club.
Rihanna
Although her life of normalcy was short-lived, Rihanna still experienced a good share of it. Back in her home country of Barbados, Rihanna was actually an army cadet in a sub-military training program. Fellow singer-songwriter Shontelle was also coincidentally her drill sergeant!
