Everybody dreams of being rich one day and being able to afford everything. However, real life sometimes looks very different. This is what happened to some celebrities who worked their way from the bottom to the top. In the past they had nothing – now they have everything, especially a lot of money! In the following, we will introduce 18 celebrities who were poor before they got famous.
Jim Carrey
In “Bruce Almighty”, we could laugh about him, but he did not feel like laughing in his youth. Living with his parents in a mobile home, he dropped out of school so he could move to Los Angeles. He then got more and more engagements as a comedian and also as an actor. He finally became world-famous through his role in “Ace Ventura” (1992).
Jay-Z
Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, grew up in difficult circumstances. Being born in New York City, he too experienced what it’s like to have no money. However, together with rapper Damon Dash, he later founded his own record company, published his songs there and landed numerous successful hits. Nowadays, he owns a fashion company and is part owner of a champagne brand.
Rose McGowan
The “Charmed” Actress ran away from home when she was 15 years old. So poor was she that she didn’t have her own place to live, so she sometimes lived on the streets. She later had herself declared an adult prematurely, taking on occasional jobs and eventually devoting herself to her acting career.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg grew up in the poor district of Long Beach and initially dealt with drugs. But then, he recorded more and more tapes together with his friend, sending them to record companies and was finally discovered by Dr Dre.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey was born in poor circumstances. At the time of her birth, both her parents were minors, and she was also pregnant at 14, but the baby died only a short time after birth. In the US, Oprah Winfrey is still one of the most famous show hosts ever. Due to her estimated fortune of over 2 billion US dollars, she is said to be the most influential woman in the media world. Only recently, she interviewed with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, which was transmitted all over the world.
Hilary Swank
She even won an Oscar for her role in “Million Dollar Baby”, but Hilary Swank grew up in very poor circumstances as a child. She lived in a trailer park with her mother and then moved to Los Angeles. However, things were also difficult for the family there, since instead of living in an apartment, she lived in a car.
Leighton Meester
Leighton Meester didn’t have it easy either. Their mother smuggled drugs and went to jail for it. It was there that she gave birth to her daughter. Leighton Meester then grew up with her grandmother and later started her career as an actress. She became famous as Blair Waldorf in the series “Gossip Girl”.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson moved to Los Angeles right after graduating high school but had only odd jobs. Fire in her apartment ensured that the singer could only live in her own car. She won the show “American Idol” in 2002 and earned millions with her songs.
Chris Pratt
Thanks to movies like “Marvel’s The Avengers” or “Guardians of The Galaxy”, Chris Pratt became a millionaire many times over. But at one time, the actor was even homeless. At that time, his home was a van and also a tent, with only small jobs helping him to be able to afford food at all.
Jennifer Lopez
This successful singer and actress grew up as a child and teenager in the Bronx, one of the poorest boroughs in New York City. She barely had any money and earned money on the side only through her work as a paralegal and as a dancer once her mother kicked her out the door. She digested these experiences in the song “Jenny From The Block.”
Mariah Carey
Nowadays, she is one of the most famous singers in the world. Still, in her childhood, she experienced in one of the poorest districts on Long Island, which is an island in the state of New York. However, as chance would have it, it was there that she met one of the managers of the Columbia Records label. How her career then developed, we were allowed to witness.
Demi Moore
She’s already an old hand in the business, but she’s worked hard for it over the years. When she was a teenager, living in a trailer with her alcoholic and violent father. At some point, however, she could no longer stand all that, quit school and later went her own way as an actress.
J. K. Rowling
Nowadays, the author is worth more than 800 million euros. Still, before writing her books about the sorcerer’s apprentice Harry Potter, she was living in a relationship with an abusive partner. She has one child with him. After the breakup, this single mother lived on welfare and wrote her books in small cafes.
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg had a difficult youth and dropped out of school at 14. Lack of perspective and frustration made violence and drugs a part of his life. However, after he was imprisoned for attempted murder, he had to change something. His older brother helped him. Because he got him a record contract, nowadays, he is more successful as an actor than as a singer.
Céline Dion
Besides “My Heart Will Go On“, this singer celebrated numerous other world hits and is still considered one of the most successful singers in the world. However, she grew up in very poor circumstances as a child together with her 14 siblings. However, thanks to the help of her family, the French Canadian could record several songs and send them to record companies. With the song “Beauty and The Beast”, the soundtrack to the Disney movie of the same name, she became famous worldwide.
Halle Berry
Early in her life, she decided to move to New York: Halle Berry left everything behind to start her career there. But support, especially from her family, did not come to the actress. She lived in a homeless shelter instead. Nowadays, she is one of the most successful actresses ever. For example, for the film “Monster’s Ball”, she was the first African-American woman to receive the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Justin Bieber
Another one of the most famous teen stars also lived in poverty. Justin Bieber stayed with his mother after his parents divorced, yet money was tight. There was hardly any money for food, and there were even rats. Nowadays, the singer is worth 70 million US dollars, and for mom Pattie, there was later even her own little villa.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio became world-famous for his role in Titanic. However, he was not born with this success. He grew up with his mother and was in poor circumstances after his parents separated. Narcotics and prostitution were part of the environment in the poorer neighborhoods of Los Angeles where he grew up. However, as his film roles grew, he became increasingly famous. Nowadays, he’s even an Oscar winner.
