15 Celebs Expose How They Started Up In Hollywood

Celebrities are always interesting and awe-inspiring, but before they were famous, well, they weren't. Some of the best-known celebs have been on the radar for as long as we can remember, while others are fresh on the scene and hoping to have long-lasting careers. Or at least more than 15 measly minutes of fame.

Many of us "regular" folks might think that our favorite singers, actors, and other famous stars with hopes for fame were always in "the biz" in some capacity or another. But it is not as easy as going on a casting call and, poof… you're an instant star! Lots of celebrities did not make it big in a snap. Overnight successes are few and far between.

These 15 famous ladies and gents had quite a different path on their way to the glitz and glam of Hollywood. From odd jobs to far-fetched aspirations to religious callings, you will be shocked and amazed at what these celebs were doing before we all knew their names, watched their movies, and listened to their music.

It may be hard to imagine these well-known stars being anything but household names, but if luck did not strike and hard work was not put in, someone else's name would be on the billboards and marquees we see on highways and in front of buildings across the world.

Check out these 15 steamy celebs and you will be sure to get a kick out of what helped pave their paths to the fame and fortune they are surrounded in today.

15 Katy Perry - Christian Chorus to Pop Princess

Today we hear pop star Katy Perry belting out tunes that romanticize lust, love, partying, and being wild and free. But there was a time, not long ago, when Perry was strictly prohibited from even giving these racy topics a second thought. She was raised in a highly conservative, religious household and sang only Christian songs. But Perry had different dreams in mind and did not want to be confined to a life that was not her calling. She swiftly headed out of her hometown and with stars in her eyes, she did all she could to make it big in the music biz. After a move to L.A. as a teen and lots of rejection, she was finally signed to the prestigious label, Capitol Records. The rest is history!

14 Patrick Dempsey - Juggling Champ to Ratings Juggernaut

The handsome actor Patrick Dempsey is best known as “McDreamy” from the long-running hit TV show, Grey's Anatomy, but before he was a hospital heartthrob, the dreamy Dempsey did some interesting things to make ends meet and garner attention. He began his career as a juggler and unicyclist, using whatever talent he could muster up to be seen. Luckily, his odd plan worked and he was spotted by a talent scout seeking fresh talent. Ever since then, Dempsey has had many stellar and memorable roles on the small and big screen and his adoring fans love his sweet boyish smile and charisma. It is not clear whether or not the actor still practices his juggling, but you can't have too many balls in the air when you are a busy working actor like Dempsey!

13 Rihanna - Army to Awards Shows

Who would have guessed that Rihanna made her way from Barbados to the U.S. with a pause along the way to be an army cadet in her teen years? And none other than singer Shontelle was her drill sergeant at the time! We are so used to seeing the sensuous Rihanna in her risqué stage performance costumes and form-fitting clothing that it is quite hard to imagine her in uniform of any kind. But just like her climb to the top in Hollywood, Rihanna did her civic duty as an army cadet in her native land of Barbados. She may have followed orders then, but now Rihanna is in charge! Who knows if she had big plans for the future back then, but we're surely glad she shared her talent with the world.

12 Justin Bieber - Living with Rats to Living with Riches

Singer Justin Bieber is one of the most famous and richest celebs of the current day, but it wasn't always like that for “The Biebs.” While he lives a life of luxury now, he grew up in poor conditions where he oftentimes went hungry. Rats were his roommates and money was certainly not growing on any trees in his yard. But Bieber's drive and raw talent gave him the confidence and perseverance to pursue his passion of becoming a singer. Now he is one of the highest-paid celebs and he surely doesn't skimp on the finer things in life. He has been in the doghouse for some of his past behavior as he was growing up in the spotlight, but Bieber is slowly maturing and will hopefully learn from his mistakes and count his blessings.

11 Leighton Meester - From Prison to Prime Time

The beautiful brunette actress, Leighton Meester, is best known for her role on the television show Gossip Girl where she played the role of the ridiculously rich Blair Waldorf. And even in real life, Meester is super-rich and quite successful. But her path toward the lights of Hollywood was not all rainbows and unicorns. Can you believe that Meester was born in prison?! Her criminal mother was doing the time for sneaking illegal drugs into the country and she was pregnant, thus giving birth to her precious baby girl behind steel bars. Thankfully, Meester did not let her past define her future and she went on to pursue her passion for acting. With sheer beauty and talent like hers, Meester is always one to watch. Let's hope her mom turned her life around too.

10 Mark Wahlberg - High School Dropout Turned Hollywood Heavyweight

Actor and former rapper Mark Wahlberg is a true Hollywood success story, but if you look at the not-so-glamorous way he grew up, it is quite a feat that he made it so far in the star-studded celeb world. Wahlberg was a high school dropout, leaving school at the age of 14 and getting into the down and dirty crime scene rather than going to calculus class. He has been arrested and imprisoned, making the idea of one day becoming a Hollywood star seem far-fetched. But Wahlberg changed his ways and reprioritized his life. He is now one of the most popular and beloved Hollywood stars and his talent gets better year after year. Crime doesn't pay but blockbuster films sure do! He may not go by “Marky Mark” anymore, but he's still got that cute charm!

9 Hilary Swank - Living in a Car to Living the Dream

The talented actress Hilary Swank is a stunner on screen and has many impressive roles to be thankful for. Admirers adore seeing her fine work and only wish she'd be in more films. But the Swank of today is a far cry from where she began. As a teen, she and her mom moved to L.A. so Swank could chase her big dreams of becoming a well-known Hollywood actress. They were nearly broke and lived in their car. But then Swank got her big break on the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and has risen to the top from that point on. While those rough times must have been challenging, it seems like they gave Swank even more motivation to make it big. And boy did she do just that!

8 Demi Moore - Trailer Park to Tinseltown

Actress Demi Moore has been wowing audiences for decades thanks to her tremendous talent and radiant beauty. She has starred in numerous hit films and the roles keep pouring in for the mom of three grown daughters. She is living the Hollywood life to the fullest now, but many years ago, things were not nearly as wonderful as they are now for Moore. The actress grew up in a poor home in a trailer park with an allegedly abusive father and a mom who had an alleged alcohol addiction. Moore was a high school dropout at the age of 16 who decided acting was her calling, so she picked up and moved to Hollywood seeking fame and fortune. Looks like she made the right decision because she is now a major star. Dreams do come true.

7 Rebel Wilson - Sickness to Stardom

The hilarious Rebel Wilson seems like she was born to perform, but her path to Hollywood was not expected in the least. There was a time when she wanted to get into politics or go for a career in law. This led her to South Africa where she was serving as a youth ambassador. Sounds nice… until she contracted malaria! The drugs used to cure her made her loopy and she thought she was an Oscar-winning actress for a brief and wacky moment. This made Wilson rethink her future and she decided to become an actress. She made the right call since she is naturally talented and super-funny. Fans can't get enough of her and she keeps getting roles that she's just perfect for. She may have gotten sick, but we'll never be sick of her!

6 Celine Dion - Piano Bar to Superstar

Singer and showstopper Celine Dion is arguably one of the most talented musicians of the modern day. She has a voice that is unbelievable and a stage presence that has her audiences captivated show after show. She lives a grandiose life with a residency in Las Vegas that brings in even more money than she already has. She is a hit-maker with years of experience under her designer belt. But it was not always that way. Before paving her way to Hollywood, Dion was one of 14 kids living in Canada who had a hard time financially. Dion was able to break away and pursue her passions and dreams, starting with small gigs at seedy piano bars, like the one her parents owned, to performing in giant arenas. From Canada to a worldwide sensation, Dion will go down as a legend.

5 Jay Z- A Life of Crime to the Life of Riley

Jay Z lives an extraordinary life as one of the highest-paid rappers on the planet and as the husband of the one and only singer Beyoncé. But life has not always been a pot of gold for the rapper. When he was growing up in Brooklyn's Marcy Housing Projects, Jay Z resorted to a life of crime, selling drugs on the street and even shooting his own brother at the age of 12. Thankfully for Jay Z and those around him he decided to clean up his act and pursue his dreams of becoming a rapper. We are glad he changed his rough ways and went into a musical career that proved to be more lucrative than he could have ever dreamed possible. He may have had a rap sheet, but rapping got him off the streets and out of trouble.

4 Drew Barrymore - Addict to Actress

These days, we all think of actress Drew Barrymore as the fun-loving, hippy-chic, gal's gal who is a staple of “chick flicks” we all love to watch while we munch on candy and popcorn with our BFF. Many of us remember her as a small child, lighting up the big screen in the epic hit, E.T. While she looked like America's Sweetheart on the outside, inside she was a tormented soul, having started drinking booze at the tender age of nine and escalating to hard drugs by the time she was 12. Rehab helped her get control of her life in her early teens and back into the Hollywood scene she went. Today, the blonde and beautiful Barrymore is a doting mom and has a successful career that continues to thrive.

3 Tom Cruise - Path to Priesthood Turned Path to Hollywood

Tom Cruise is one of the biggest A-listers in Hollywood. He has been in many movies that have won acclaim and are watched over and over again by his greatest fans. But stardom didn't come easy for the movie star. He came from poverty and his father was allegedly abusive. Still, Cruise rose above the pits and chaos to make his way to the top. He loved to act, yet he was also interested in becoming a Catholic priest! Guess the priesthood wasn't as exciting as Hollywood. With his million-dollar smile and superb acting chops, the actor is highly sought after and continues to star in blockbusters, even after decades on the scene. While many people don't care for Cruise's personality off-screen, he still does his thing and never waivers. Ladies find him charming and handsome, and guys love his action movies and cool charisma.

2 Jim Carrey - Homeless to Hollywood

Funnyman Jim Carrey has been making audiences from all walks of life laugh heartily for years. But it was not always belly laughs and broad smiles for the seasoned comedian and actor. He grew up in poor conditions where his entire family lived together cramped in a camper. He was homeless for a time and took odd jobs like janitorial and construction work to make ends meet. But performing was in his blood and he made his way from the bottom to the top, eventually auditioning and landing roles in Hollywood. While his heyday has tapered down some, Carrey is still quite popular and is rich as can be. He is unique and inspiring and loves to entertain. He is certainly not homeless anymore… he may have even more than one!

1 JK Rowling - Welfare to Widespread Fame

Billionaire author, JK Rowling has more money in the bank than she could ever spend. But there was a time back in the day when the Harry Potter princess was nearly broke. She was even on welfare for a period of time. Well those days of despair are long gone as Rowling rakes in the big bucks thanks to her vivid imagination and gift for putting pen to paper (or fingers to computer keys). Her many novels are super-successful and fans cannot get enough of her endless creativity. Rowling's talent is undeniable, making her earnings well-deserved. Who would have thought that a single mom on welfare would be one of the best-selling authors of all time? Rowling is surely not complaining! Being paid handsomely for doing something you love is something all celebs must be appreciative of.