Did you know Margot Robbie served as a subway waitress before finding success in Hollywood or Matthew McConaughey worked at a golf course before making his mark on the big screen? The humble first jobs of many actors and celebrities are hard to believe, considering the enormous stardom they command today.
They might be acclaimed stars now, but many famous celebrities haven’t always been A-listers. It is no secret that the highly competitive film industry gives out heavy paychecks only after an actor gets a certain amount of recognition or hits it big with a role. Hence, prior to being thrust under the limelight, many of them led a relatively simple life — working to pay bills and rent and trying to support their careers.
Be it for the experience or to earn a few extra bills, your first work experience is an unforgettable memory with lots of life lessons. Some of your favourite stars, too, had their share of not-so-glamorous stints, where they toiled at a young age, before their successful careers.
While many of the biggest celebrities’ first jobs are a mark of their modest beginnings, others reveal they are glad to get their breakout role and move on from washing dishes or serving ice creams.
These are the first jobs of some actors before they found fame on the silver screen
Margot Robbie
Best known for: Barbie (2023), The Suicide Squad (2021), Bombshell (2019), I Tonya (2017), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Hollywood star Margot Robbie has skillfully tackled various challenging characters in her acting career. But there was a time when she was hustling to get orders right at a popular fast-food chain. Before the Academy Award-nominated actress got her big break with The Wolf of Wall Street, she served as a waitress at the sandwich chain Subway, and was “really good at it”.
Speaking on an episode of Hot Ones in 2020, the actor revealed, “I think I was really good at it, because I, you know, would really spread everything out to the edges evenly — the right amount of everything.” She added, “I actually don’t go [to Subway] that often anymore, because I watch them make it badly — and I’m upset.”
Matthew McConaughey
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Best known for: Interstellar (2014), Dallas Buyers Club (2013), The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
Matthew McConaughey’s first job literally got his hands dirty. The American actor worked on the golf course at the Oak Forest Country Club in Texas, cleaning up sand traps. In a 2014 interview, he revealed to GQ that the greenskeeper at the course later appointed him to shoot armadillos, which were eating away all the grass at night. For McConaughey, “That was the most fun part.”
Amitabh Bachchan
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Best known for: Pink (2016), Sholay (1975), Deewar (1975), Abhimaan (1973), Silsila (1981), Agneepath (1990)
The living legend of the Indian film fraternity, Amitabh Bachchan is one of the celebrities, who had a not-so-creative first job. In 2021, he took to Instagram to share some nostalgic images on the occasion of his film Kaala Patthar (1979) turning 42 and recalled his first job working in coal mines near Kolkata.
Captioning the post, he wrote, “42 years of Kaala Patthar .. !!! phew !!! Been a while .. and so many incidents in the film from my personal experiences when I worked in the Coal Dept of my Calcutta Company, my first job before joining the movies .. actually working in the Coal mines in Dhanbad and Asansol …[sic]”
The Big B of Bollywood had once shared in an interview that he took up the job in Kolkata in 1962 before joining the film industry and continued it for seven to eight years.
Rajinikanth
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Best known for: Thalapathi (1991), Mullum Malarum (1978), Baasha (1995), Padaiyappa (1999), Thillu Mullu (1981)
An irreplaceable figure in Indian cinema, superstar Rajinikanth is a revered name in the Tamil film industry as well as all over the country. Born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, to a Marathi family in Bengaluru (erstwhile Bangalore), he had several jobs before foraying into the silver screen. The actor worked as a coolie and carpenter before getting a job with the Bangalore Transport Service (BTS) as a bus conductor.
Additionally, he took part in theatrical productions, debuting with Kannada playwright Topi Muniappa’s mythological plays. His several small acting gigs eventually led him to the big screen.
Channing Tatum
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Best known for: The Lost City (2022), Dog (2022), Magic Mike XXL (2015), 22 Jump Street (2014)
After giving up his college football scholarship, Channing Tatum started performing in an all-male revue in Tampa, Florida as a stripper. Speaking to GQ in 2011, the actor said he considered doing it for some time. He recalled a conversation with a fellow dancer at the Florida gig whom he told, “Okay, we’re going to do this for a little while just to be crazy and insane; then we’re getting out.” The stint continued till 2009 when the person, who hired him as a stripper, sold one of his videos to US Weekly.
Looking back at his time in his first job, Tatum said, “I had wanted to tell people. I’m not ashamed of it. I don’t regret one thing. I’m not a person who hides shit.”
Brad Pitt
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Best known for: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019), 12 Years A Slave (2013), Moneyball (2011), Inglorious Basterds (2009)
In the list of unique first jobs of celebrities, Brad Pitt’s stint as a chicken costume wearer for US-based restaurant chain, El Pollo Loco is one of the most surprising ones. Among the many odd jobs he did, such as being a chauffeur and furniture mover, this one required the actor to wear the bird costume and wave to the Los Angeles public to attract them into the shop.
Parineeti Chopra
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Best known for: Kesari (2019), Meri Pyaari Bindu (2017), Hasee Toh Phasee (2014), Shuddh Desi Romance (2013), Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl (2011),
Another one of India’s most well-known actors, Parineeti Chopra has often spoken about her intellectual prowess. Being a bright student, Chopra aspired to build a career in investment banking and even obtained a triple honours degree in business, finance and economics from Manchester Business School. When she returned to India in 2009, Chopra applied to the accounts department of one of the country’s biggest production houses, Yash Raj Studios. However, she was offered an internship at the PR and marketing vertical instead, where she worked before her debut in 2012.
Amy Poehler
Best known for: Inside Out (2015), They Came Together (2014), Blades Of Glory (2007), Mean Girls (2004)
An actor and excellent television personality, Amy Poehler is also among the celebrities with humble first jobs. Before her career took off, Poehler worked at a local ice cream parlour in Massachusetts called Chadwick’s, which is no longer in service. The Saturday Night Live host started out scooping ice cream at the shop which specialised in “sundaes and giant steak fries”.
In her 2013 article for The New Yorker, Poehler wrote, “Hard and physical, the job consisted of stacking and wiping and scooping and lifting.” She added, “This routine seemed Sisyphean at first, but I soon learned the satisfaction of working at a place that truly closed.”
Kim Tae-ri
Best known for: Revenant (2023), Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022), Mr Sunshine (2018), The Handmaiden (2016)
With an oeuvre of acclaimed titles, Korean actor Kim Tae-ri has shown her versatility through all her characters. However, before making her name on the celluloid, Kim had a number of side gigs. According to All KPop, she worked at fast-food joints and convenience stores. One of her first jobs was that of a soymilk salesperson. She was reportedly hired as the salesperson after her boss saw her work at the supermarket.
Jennifer Aniston
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Best known for: F.R.I.E.N.D.S (1994-2004), He’s Just Not That Into You (2009), We’re The Millers (2013)
Just like her iconic F.R.I.E.N.D.S character Rachel Green, who went from being a barista to working at Ralph Lauren, Jennifer Aniston also had an impressive career trajectory. Before she became one of the most prolific names in Hollywood with a great repertoire of films, Aniston reportedly worked as a bike messenger in New York at 19 and considers it to be one of the toughest jobs she ever had. She had also worked as a telemarketer and a waitress.
Tiffany Haddish
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Best known for: Like A Boss (2020), Night School (2018), Girls Trip (2017)
Actress, comedian and television personality Tiffany Haddish is a crowd puller on-screen, a quality she attributes to her stint as an Alaska Airlines ground staff. In her 2019 appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Haddish talked about her habit of making people smile with her humour and said, “I would like to think of myself as one of the best customer service agents. I worked at the gates and my goal was always to bring happiness and joy to people — still to this day.” However, Haddish revealed that although the passengers liked her, her boss disapproved of it and she was shifted to the baggage section.
Yoon Sang-hyun
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Best known for: 18 Again (2020), Mr and Mrs. Cops (2019), Secret Garden (2010-2011)
According to All KPop before joining the Korean drama industry, the actor owned a Korean fast-food restaurant and had no intentions of joining showbiz. He once revealed that having found an inexpensive storefront, he opened the eatery and earned enough to pay his rent. Soompi reports the actor once said, “I worked part-time at a pub. The pub was so well-known that it attracted many employees of SBS who came to have a drink after work every once in a while. I was approached by many producers and staff with business cards to come and work in the entertainment biz, but I had no interest. My dream back then was to start up a chain of restaurants and become successful.”
Nicole Kidman
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Best known for: The Northman (2022), Boy Erased (2018), Paddington (2014), Moulin Rouge (2001)
Noted Hollywood celebrity Nicole Kidman is an acclaimed name with a wide scope of roles and movies. However, there was a tumultuous period in her life, before she started her acting career when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The Academy Award-winning artist trained as a massage therapist to help soothe her mother when she had muscle seizures.
A 17-year-old Kidman put her skill to further use by giving massages to others as well. Speaking to The Daily Beast in 2012 she said, “I started to go around to people’s houses and do massages — just regular massages. I still love giving people massages.”
Ashton Kutcher
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Best known for: No Strings Attached (2011), The Butterfly Effect (2004), Texas Rangers (2001), That ’70s Show (1996-2006)
Ashton Kutcher had a number of odd jobs before he became a noted celebrity. Prior to his acting career and investing in tech startups, Kutcher would take up roofing, sweeping cereal dust off a factory floor, skinning deer, and donating plasma to make ends meet.
Famous musicians and their first jobs
Beyoncé
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Prior to embarking on her path to glory, Beyoncé was helping her mother, Tina Knowles, at her Houston salon.
Reflecting on those days, the Grammy Award-winning artist told Essence in 2011, “I helped sweep hair off the floor for tips to pay for my season pass to Six Flags. And when I wasn’t cleaning up the salon, I was watching my mother become my greatest role model.” The salon would become her first concert venue where a young Beyoncé would put up shows for customers “who wanted a hot press and curl and some good conversation”.
Harry Styles
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Besides winning over fans with his soulful music and heart-touching lyrics, this One Direction alum is also known for his fashion A-game and splendid acting in movies like My Policeman (2022), and Don’t Worry Darling (2022). Before making his name in the entertainment industry, Harry Styles worked a part-time job at a bakery in England — the W Mandeville Bakery in his hometown Holmes Chapel, Cheshire.
In 2013, the star revisited the bakery during the filming of his band 1D’s documentary, This Is Us. Speaking to Mirror, Styles’ former boss Simon Wakefield said, “He was the most polite member of staff we’ve ever had. Customers really took a shine to him.”
Cardi B
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Among the list of celebrities with unique first jobs also lies Cardi B. Before she reigned over the stage with her indomitable rap, Cardi B was a cashier at Amish Market in Tribeca, New York City with a meagre salary of USD 250/week. However, once, she gave a discount to her coworker, the manager of the store fired her and suggested she should try at the nearby strip club. The youngster had taken up the advice to continue paying her bills while she worked to get her rapping career off the ground.
Ye
Today the world calls him Ye and knows him as the star rapper, but back in the day when he was young and went by Kanye West, the Chicago native worked as a sales associate at GAP. Speaking to Paper in 2015, the “Praise God” hitmaker said, “It’s funny that I worked at the GAP in high school because, in my past 15 years, it seems like that’s the place I stood in my creative path — to be the gap, the bridge.”
In 2021, he teamed up with the clothing retailer to create his Yeezy line of apparel.
(Hero image credit: Bombshell/ Photo by Hilary B Gayle/ IMDb; Brad Pitt/ Instagram; Feature image credit: Kim Tae-ri/ © jeh/ IMDb)
This story first appeared on Prestige Online Malaysia.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: Some of the first jobs of noted celebrities include waiting tables, serving ice cream or helping out at family businesses.
Answer: People who work hard and persevere in any field often become champions of the trade and are considered celebrities. From sports to entertainment, politics, entrepreneurship and even medicine or in a corporate job, there's no fixed mantra to becoming a celebrity.
Answer: Jessica Chastain, Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, Morgan Freeman and Bryan Cranston are some actors who became stars after 30.