It’s not just movies and TV shows where ‘rags to riches’ happen. Some of the world’s most successful A-listers didn’t start off well. They spent nights sleeping on park benches, in their cars, or on their friends’ couches. Take a look at 10 celebrities who were homeless before they got their big break and made it big.
1. Jim Carrey
He dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to help provide for his family by working as a janitor. He resided in a VW van with his parents which they would park in different places throughout Canada. He then lived in a tent on his sister’s front lawn.
2. Halle Berry
The Academy Award winner resided in a homeless shelter during her 20s along with her mother in Chicago. “It taught me how to take care of myself and that I could live through any situation, even if it meant going to a shelter for a small stint, or living within my means, which were meager. I became a person who knows that I will always make my own way,” she said.
3. Dr. Phil
America’s most famous psychologist was once a homeless 12-year-old who lived in a car in Kansas City with his dad. He later did a bachelor’s, master’s, and a Ph.D. in Psychology and joined his father’s practice in Texas.
4. Daniel Craig
With an estimated net worth of $160 Million now, the James Bond actor slept on park benches for a season back in London before becoming an established actor of Hollywood.
5. Charlie Chaplin
Considered to be one of the greatest actors of all time, Charlie Chaplin earned his living as a child by working in circuses on the streets of London. He soon managed to enter showbiz by joining the Fred Karno pantomime troupe and established himself as an actor.
6. Carmen Electra
Back in her 20s Carmen’s then-boyfriend stole all of her savings and left her with nothing. As a result, she was homeless and lived on the streets of California for a few years.
7. Kelly Clarkson
She was one of the many struggling artists in LA before American Idol happened for her. When she moved into an apartment in LA, her house was caught in an accidental fire. She had no family or knowns in town and was forced to live in her car.
8. Sylvester Stallone
Back in the 1970s, Stallone couldn’t pay his apartment rent in New York timely so he was forcefully evicted. As a result, he slept for about three weeks straight at a bus stop.
9. Steve Harvey
During his initial days, Harvel lived in a 1976 Ford tempo as he couldn’t earn enough from all the odd jobs that he worked on. He used hotel restaurants and gas stations to take showers and did this for three whole years.
10. Jennifer Lopez
JLo’s mother wasn’t very supportive of her daughter’s dream of becoming a dancer or working in Hollywood. As a result, she parted ways and moved out of her family home. She lived on a sofa at a dance studio and ate a slice of pizza every day to fill her stomach.
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