13 Celebrities Who Went Through Hardship Before Fame

Achieving success is no easy task, and fate often holds very difficult trials for some people. Anyone’s path to success is unique and individual, but in general, it usually carries a common aspect: a lot of determination to overcome obstacles and see a dream become reality.

We put together some real stories of stars who went through many difficulties. Some had nowhere to sleep or food, but they overcame all obstacles and became rich and famous. Some of the stories are so moving that they seem unlikely, but they show that in life anything is possible.

When Jim Carrey was at school, his family had financial problems. When their father was fired, he and his sisters had to work cleaning toilets at school. For a long period of time the family had to live in a van. The actor’s mother, Kathleen, was a hypochondriac and came to be called crazy. After finishing school, Jim worked at the Dofasco steel mill in Canada. In 2007, in an interview, he highlighted that he was very lucky in the artistic world, but he went through a lot of difficulty.

The actress posted this photo on her Instagram profile in 2017 and wrote, “If I could give this young woman one piece of advice, I would tell her to do the same. You will not regret”.

Halle Berry was named after a supermarket. This happened when Halle’s Department Store made a local attraction in Cleveland, USA. The beginning of the actress’ career was quite difficult. She remembers that her father beat her mother, and when she was just 4 years old, he abandoned the family. Halle was very persistent and ambitious and at a young age she started winning beauty contests, until she decided to move to New York. She even ran out of money and had to sleep in a homeless shelter. The actress worked as a waitress and received many ‘no’s in movie auditions, until she passed the audition for the Living Dolls series, which propelled her to fame.

Oprah Winfrey had a difficult childhood and is now one of the most famous and richest women in the world.

The celebrity’s father wanted to name Orpah, in honor of a biblical character, but, due to a confusion with the documents and the difficulty in the pronunciation, Orpah became Oprah. She is the first multi-millionaire black woman in history. She suffered domestic violence as a child and when she was 14 years old she was beaten a lot by her grandmother with a bat.

The talent of the future television presenter appeared very early. According to family members’ comments, Oprah interviewed dolls made from corn on the cob. As a teenager, she started studying hard and working as a reporter for local newspapers. She quickly created The Oprah Winfrey Show, which took her to the world of stars.

In 1977, the movie Rocky, written by the actor himself, won 3 Oscars.

Stallone was very unlucky when he was born. During childbirth, doctors damaged her facial nerve, which caused some problems with her speech. At school, his classmates made fun of him a lot. As a young man, Stallone worked as a reporter, cage cleaner at a zoo, and agreed to make a pornographic film for $200. For not paying the rent, he was evicted and had to sleep on the street for 3 weeks.

It was with Rocky’s script, about a self-written boxer’s story, that fame and money came.

Madonna concert in 1985.

Madonna, the queen of pop, has always been rebellious, but she faced many difficulties early in her career. As a young girl, she always dreamed of being a famous ballerina, and she went to New York with just $35 in her pocket. To pay the rent, Madonna worked at Burger King and Dunkin’ Donuts, but that didn’t last long. Soon, she went to work as a costume assistant and model. Lack of money forced her to rent a room in a very dangerous neighborhood, where she was beaten and raped (she claimed this at an award show). When she started singing, she was always experimenting with different styles. Everybody’s success launched her into the world of stardom and since then the diva has reinvented herself like no other artist.

Shy young Ella Fitzgerald in 1940 and 6 years later.

When Ella was 14, her mother died. The teenager started working as a security guard at a brothel, but social services placed her in an orphanage. She ran away and was without a home for a while. One day, she decided to participate in a singing contest. She had never been on stage before, but she immediately captivated the judges and audience. A jazz orchestra director was delighted and it quickly began to be very successful.

Little Charles in the role of messenger in Sherlock Holmes, and then in 1921.

The great comedian’s most famous role was the Tramp, born out of Chaplin’s own experience, who grew up in absolute poverty. The loss of his father at a very early age and his mother’s illness forced the actor to accept any kind of work at a very young age. He delivered newspapers and was a doctor’s assistant before the age of 14, when he was given his first theater role: messenger in the play Sherlock Holmes. As he was illiterate, he was helped by his brother. Chaplin didn’t study, but he won for the impressive talent that made him one of the greatest comedians in history.

Michael Oher in real life (left) and actor Quinton Aaron as Michael in The Blind Side (2009).

Michael Oher is a famous American football player. His story became a book that served as the basis for the film The Blind Side, with Sandra Bullock. Michael was the twelfth child of a drug and alcohol addicted couple who had a lot of trouble with the law. They didn’t pay attention to their son, who had to change schools 11 times in just 9 years. Michael lived in many families and even lived on the street, until Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy adopted him. They helped Michael improve his academic performance and he grew into a very successful football player.

Christopher Gardner and Will Smith, who played him.

The impactful success story of this millionaire served as the inspiration for the film The Pursuit of Happyness, with Will Smith.

The turning point in Chris Gardner’s life was the moment he was jailed for 10 days for not paying for parking. Upon returning to his home, his wife had run away with their son. She had taken everything, including clothes and shoes. But Chris had something no one could steal: his dreams. He got a job at a company, but the money wasn’t enough. After some time, his wife returned the child and for a year he and the little one had to sleep in parks, shelters, in the office and or even in public restrooms. Chris had to queue to get food. During this period he tried to save money to rent a house and give his son a future. Sometime later, he grew up on the job and is now the director of a large financial company.

Eminem’s childhood home (the image was placed on one of his records) and one of his mansions.

Eminem didn’t live on the street, but his childhood and youth weren’t easy. Abandoned by his father as soon as he was born, he wandered through many cities with his mother, an 18-year-old teenager. They ended up in the suburbs of Detroit, where he suffered a lot of prejudice from blacks, who were in the majority. Eminem’s real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III. At first, his rap was not taken seriously, but he continued to participate in rap battles and little by little he gained recognition from the public and other rappers. Today, he is one of the best-selling artists in the world.

Chris Pratt lived in a van. Today, he can afford to buy retro-style cars.

The handsome and famous Chris Pratt worked as a stripper and even slept in tents and in a van before being recognized.

Two-time Best Actress Oscar winner Hilary Swank lived until she was 15 with her mother in a trailer. In order for her to fulfill her dream of being an actress, the two moved to Los Angeles, where they continued to live in a car. Until success came.

Jennifer Lopez left home at the age of 18, as her parents did not support her desire to make a career in cinema. Very fighter, she slept on sofas and never abandoned her dream of being famous.

We found some pictures of people who live on the street who look a lot like famous actors when they’re young. In the images, we see actors Robert De Niro and Jeff Bridges. These comparisons are often successful on the Internet, but they are only the result of photo shoots.