When you see a celebrity on TV, walking down the red carpet and waving to an army of cheering fans, it’s hard to picture what it took for them to get there. Further, it’s hard to picture yourself ever getting to the same position.
That’s because you don’t hear much about the trials and hardships some celebrities had to go through to attain their stardom. Not all famous stars were coddled and formally educated; not all stars got their big break because of nepotism or familial connections.
Case in point: these three fantastic celebrities, each of whom went from rags to riches, turning a less-than-stellar childhood into a successful and lucrative entertainment career. If you want to know how to get started in the entertainment business regardless of where you come from, then take stock of these three celebs.
Oprah Winfrey
After suffering years of abuse at home, Oprah ran away at the age of 13, but continued to go to high school. Despite immense poverty and unbelievable odds, Oprah excelled at school, and even landed a couple media jobs – first in local radio, then in television stations in Nashville and Baltimore.
Through bald determination, and aided by raw talent and charisma, Oprah was able to leverage those small initial positions into her famous television show. Now she has a net worth of over two and a half billion dollars.
Hilary Swank
Things were going relatively okay for a young Hilary Swank, until, at the age of 15, she was caught in the middle of her parent’s messy divorce. She moved with her mother to Los Angeles (her mother wanted to support her acting dreams) and the two lived out of a car, unable to afford rent on a home. Things changed, however, when Swank picked up her first major role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then 90210.
Swank would go on to win two Oscars for her amazing acting, and earn millions for her roles. She now credits her mother for her career in acting.
Jim Carrey
The now household name of over-the-top comedy opened up to the Actor’s Studio’s James Lipton about his poverty growing up, talking about their time living in a van, as well as the 8-hour factory shifts he had to do to support his family. But financial troubles didn’t hold the zany Carrey from striking off on his own, touring nightclubs with his wild impressions.
Although they were first met with mostly confused looks, before long Carrey caught the eye of Rodney Dangerfield, who championed the young comic. Before long, he would go on to make a string of hit movies and propel himself into superstardom.
These three stories, while extraordinary, are not particularly unusual. It just goes to show you that, no matter where you’re from or what kind of money your family has, it is possible to make it in Hollywood. With some hard work, curiosity, perseverance and mentorship, anyone can be a star.
