Before They Were Famous – The Oscars

No one is born famous. It takes time to become a recognizable face and a household name. Most of the celebrities that you see in the movies and on television had many other jobs before they were famous.

Even though big time movie stars are successful now, most come from similar backgrounds as you. They work humbling jobs until they get their big break.

A cool post on The Work Buzz. explores what this year’s Oscar nominees did before they were stars. The answers might surprise you:

• Barkhad Abdi – Nominated for his supporting role in “Captain Phillips,” Abdi used to earn his living as a limo driver.
• Amy Adams – Nominated as a leading actress in “American Hustle,” Adams trained for years and worked as a ballerina in theaters in Colorado and Minnesota.
• Bradley Cooper – Nominated for his supporting role in “American Hustle,” Cooper spent his pre-fame years as a doorman at Morgans Hotel in New York.
• Jennifer Lawrence – Nominated for her supporting role in “American Hustle,” Lawrence used to earn a paycheck as an Abercrombie & Fitch model.
• Matthew McConaughey – Nominated for lead actor in “Dallas Buyers Club,”, McConaughey had ambitions of becoming a lawyer. It is also known that he found a job shoveling chicken manure in Australia for a bit too!
• Brad Pitt – Nominated for Best Picture Producer for “12 Years A Slave,” Pitt originally dropped out of University of Missouri and earned money as a dancing chicken mascot for the restaurant El Pollo Loco.
• Julia Roberts – Nominated for her supporting role in “August: Osage County,” Roberts used to spend her days scooping ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

It’s fun to picture these famous celebs before they were famous. As you can see, everyone starts somewhere. Never give up on your dreams and maybe you’ll be one of the people that we feature in our next Before They Were Famous post.

In the meantime, apply for your next cool job on JobMonkey’s Job Board.