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Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt/Instagram
Long before he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe andJurassic World,Prattwas living in a van in Maui working as a waiter.
02of 12Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger in 1985.Harry Langdon/Getty ImagesBefore he became the star of theTerminatorfranchise, the governor of California and one of the most successful bodybuilders of all time,Schwarzeneggerwas a successful entrepreneur.As the actor details in his autobiography,Total Recall, he and his best friend, the late bodybuilder Franco Columbu, started a construction business together after they moved to Los Angeles. Schwarzenegger also headed a mail-order business out of his apartment, and supplied workout pamphlets to customers looking to build muscle.After saving up money, Schwarzenegger began investing in real estate. Through sound investments, he made his first million not through acting or bodybuilding, but through those investments, he told author Timothy Ferriss inTools of Titans.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1985.Harry Langdon/Getty Images
Before he became the star of theTerminatorfranchise, the governor of California and one of the most successful bodybuilders of all time,Schwarzeneggerwas a successful entrepreneur.
As the actor details in his autobiography,Total Recall, he and his best friend, the late bodybuilder Franco Columbu, started a construction business together after they moved to Los Angeles. Schwarzenegger also headed a mail-order business out of his apartment, and supplied workout pamphlets to customers looking to build muscle.
After saving up money, Schwarzenegger began investing in real estate. Through sound investments, he made his first million not through acting or bodybuilding, but through those investments, he told author Timothy Ferriss inTools of Titans.
03of 12Stephen KingFrancois Mori/APKing— who has written legendary novels such asIt, The ShiningandMisery —worked as an English teacher at Hampden Academy in Maine back in 1971, according to hiswebsite.King kept teaching until two years later when a major sale of his novelCarriewould allow him to quit his job and write full-time.
03of 12
Stephen King
Francois Mori/AP
King— who has written legendary novels such asIt, The ShiningandMisery —worked as an English teacher at Hampden Academy in Maine back in 1971, according to hiswebsite.
King kept teaching until two years later when a major sale of his novelCarriewould allow him to quit his job and write full-time.
04of 12James FrancoJames Franco.Kevin Winter/GettyBefore his big break,Francodropped out of UCLA to go to a small acting school. His parents told him he would have to support himself in his pursuits, and after having difficulty landing a job elsewhere, Franco applied to McDonald’s and was hired the same day.“I was treated fairly well at McDonald’s,” Franco said in an essay in theWashington Post. “If anything, they cut me slack. And, just like their food, the job was more available there than anywhere else. When I was hungry for work, they fed the need.”
04of 12
James Franco
James Franco.Kevin Winter/Getty
Before his big break,Francodropped out of UCLA to go to a small acting school. His parents told him he would have to support himself in his pursuits, and after having difficulty landing a job elsewhere, Franco applied to McDonald’s and was hired the same day.
“I was treated fairly well at McDonald’s,” Franco said in an essay in theWashington Post. “If anything, they cut me slack. And, just like their food, the job was more available there than anywhere else. When I was hungry for work, they fed the need.”
05of 12HalseyHalsey.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagicHalseyanswered some fan questions on Twitter and shared that they had"loads" of “normal” jobsbefore becoming a Grammy-nominated singer — including driver’s license photographer.“Loads lol,” the “Darling” singer responded to a fan asking about their previous jobs. “Nanny, server, busser, hostess, delivery person, Baker, receptionist, I took license photos at the DMV.“A fan then followed up and asked the singer if they’d let folks retake their license photo if they didn’t like it.“Hell yeah I was always the go-to for that,“they wrote back.
05of 12
Halsey
Halsey.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Halseyanswered some fan questions on Twitter and shared that they had"loads” of “normal” jobsbefore becoming a Grammy-nominated singer — including driver’s license photographer.
“Loads lol,” the “Darling” singer responded to a fan asking about their previous jobs. “Nanny, server, busser, hostess, delivery person, Baker, receptionist, I took license photos at the DMV.”
A fan then followed up and asked the singer if they’d let folks retake their license photo if they didn’t like it.
“Hell yeah I was always the go-to for that,“they wrote back.
06of 12
Sylvester Stallone
Stallone then moved to New York and earned $37 a week as a movie house usher while searching for roles in films and plays.
07of 12
Harrison Ford
Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox/REX/Shutterstock.
BeforeFordbecame a household name thanks toStar Wars, he was having a difficult time finding roles in feature films.
To supplement his income as an actor, Ford worked a second job as a carpenter that allowed him to step away from television roles to concentrate on getting parts in movies, which is what he really wanted.
08of 12MadonnaMadonna Louise Ciccone, better known now asMadonna, worked a part-time gig at Dunkin' on West 57th Street in New York in the late ’70s, according to theNew York Times.Before becoming a legendary pop star, she also worked at the Russian Tea Room before she was fired from her job in coat check, the newspaper reported.
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Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone, better known now asMadonna, worked a part-time gig at Dunkin' on West 57th Street in New York in the late ’70s, according to theNew York Times.
Before becoming a legendary pop star, she also worked at the Russian Tea Room before she was fired from her job in coat check, the newspaper reported.
09of 12Taraji P. HensonTaraji P. Henson.Kristina Bumphrey/StarPix/ShutterstockEmpirestarHenson, a graduate of Howard University, worked as a supervisor on a five-star dining cruise before leaving to California to make it as an actress when she was 26.“One day, [my dad] looked at me and said, ‘How do you expect to catch fish on dry land?’ So I moved out here with my son with $700 in our pocket,” Henson toldPEOPLE.
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Taraji P. Henson
Taraji P. Henson.Kristina Bumphrey/StarPix/Shutterstock
EmpirestarHenson, a graduate of Howard University, worked as a supervisor on a five-star dining cruise before leaving to California to make it as an actress when she was 26.
“One day, [my dad] looked at me and said, ‘How do you expect to catch fish on dry land?’ So I moved out here with my son with $700 in our pocket,” Henson toldPEOPLE.
10of 12Hugh JackmanSplash NewsLong beforeJackmanhelped launch theX-Menmovie franchise as the rugged Wolverine, he spent a year as a teaching assistant at the premiere British boarding school, Uppingham School, in 1987."[I was] an 18-year-old Aussie teaching English to a bunch of English kids,” Jackman told theBBC. “I thought, if that was my school fees, I’d be pretty annoyed.”
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Hugh Jackman
Splash News
Long beforeJackmanhelped launch theX-Menmovie franchise as the rugged Wolverine, he spent a year as a teaching assistant at the premiere British boarding school, Uppingham School, in 1987.
“[I was] an 18-year-old Aussie teaching English to a bunch of English kids,” Jackman told theBBC. “I thought, if that was my school fees, I’d be pretty annoyed.”
11of 12Jon HammJemal Countess/GettyMad MenstarHammwaited tables before landing the role of Don Draper on the iconic television show.“I’ve probably been a waiter longer than I’ve really been anything else,” Hamm toldVanity Fairin 2009. “Or I’m probably coming up on even. But barely.”
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Jon Hamm
Jemal Countess/Getty
Mad MenstarHammwaited tables before landing the role of Don Draper on the iconic television show.
“I’ve probably been a waiter longer than I’ve really been anything else,” Hamm toldVanity Fairin 2009. “Or I’m probably coming up on even. But barely.”
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Grace Dove
Phillip Chin/Getty
The actress told PEOPLE that as a teen she worked as journalist for her local paper inPrince George, British Columbia.
She was later offered a full-time job at her local radio station, which she considered taking though ultimately turned down to pursue her dream of acting.
source: people.com
