15 Celebs Who Were Cheerleaders In Their Younger Days
Sometimes, it can be tough to remember that most celebrities had regular childhoods and upbringings before they got into the entertainment industry and became household names. Sure, some got their start at a younger age, and some were child stars - but even then, the majority had at least a somewhat normal school experience growing up. And, for people who would eventually go on to perform on stage and in front of the camera, to strut their stuff on the red carpet in front of a line of fans and media, it may come as no surprise that many celebrities were cheerleaders back in the day.
After all, as far as extracurricular activities go, cheerleading touches on a lot of the skills that celebrities have to cultivate. They perform in front of large crowds of people, they know how to paste on a smile and act, they work together with the rest of their group but also need to shine individually, they sing and dance - the list goes on and on.
It can be tough to imagine some of these ladies shaking pom poms in front of their peers, but it happened - here are 15 gorgeous celebrities who were cheerleaders way back in the day.
15 Kelly Ripa, who was a perky cheerleader before she was a perky morning show host
Kelly Ripa's first taste of fame came when she snagged a role on soap operas, and she was pursuing her dream of becoming an actress. She's taken on a few acting roles here and there since then, but when she became a morning show host, that's when everything kind of seemed to click. Sure, Ripa is a great actress - but she's a phenomenal voice in the morning. Her natural personality is just so cheerful and sunny that fans of her show absolutely love tuning in for that dose of positivity in the morning - and that's exactly what it takes to succeed! So, it likely comes as no surprise that the petite, cheery morning show host was a petite, cheery cheerleader back in her high school years - in fact, we bet she'd still be able to fit into that uniform!
14 Jessica Simpson, who practiced for her pop career by being a cheerleader
Jessica Simpson made her mark on the pop world when she was still just a teenager, but that doesn't mean she missed out on the entire high school experience. As you can tell by the picture on the right, she managed to snag a spot on her school's cheerleading roster, and you can tell by her mega-watt grin and power pose that she was clearly meant to be in the spotlight. She's known a bit for her 'dumb blonde' persona, and she's tried her hand at acting once or twice, so who knows - perhaps one day she'll return to her cheerleading roots and star in a movie as a former cheerleader who puts back on the uniform. She's the master of transformation - if she could sculpt her physique to fit into those daisy dukes, she can definitely squeeze into a cheer uniform.
13 Alicia Silverstone, who was basically Cher in real life high school
Okay, we know that Alicia Silverstone and her character in Clueless, Cher Horowitz, are two different people - but we can't help but wonder if Silverstone's high school experience was anything like Cher's. I mean, we get that the movie is fictional, but we kind of dream about Silverstone sorting through her computer wardrobe to find the perfect outfit, and then swapping it out for her cheer uniform for the big game after school. In the picture of her during her younger years, Silverstone doesn't look like a super glam actress in the making - she just looks like another teenager, with minimal make-up and natural-looking hair. And, we have to hand it to her school - those cheerleading uniforms are a lot more conservative than the ones we often spot today.
12 Cameron Diaz, who we can't believe used to have wild curly hair!
Sometimes, celebrities surprise you. I mean sure, Cameron Diaz is a blonde California girl - that practically screams 'I used to be a cheerleader.' However, she also has a more natural vibe, a laid-back style, that seems at odds with an identity as a former cheerleader. The pictures don't lie, though - Diaz used to be a legit cheerleader, complete with orange and white pom poms and a crazy, oh so '80s curly hairstyle. Her face, however, is absolutely stunning - and we can totally see how she ended up getting into modeling not long after this, and using that as a way to transition herself from the life of an average teenager to the life of a Hollywood starlet. Everyone has to get their start somewhere. We wonder if she ever busts out the old uniform, just for fun.
11 Jennifer Lawrence, who was a dorky tween cheerleader before she was a sultry starlet
Sometimes, it can be easy to forget Jennifer Lawrence's age - though she's still only 27, she's been in the industry for over a decade, as she got her start when she was still just a teenager. Her popularity continues to increase year after year, as she tackles more and more interesting roles, but before she was a teenager trying to make it in Hollywood, she was just your typical southern student who snagged a spot on the cheer team. Back in those days, she wasn't rocking a glamorous look and aspiring to be a superstar - she was just another active student participating on the cheer team and rocking the oh so '00s hairstyle of an updo with a few strands near the front. Who would have thought that girl would end up becoming a huge star?
10 Kirsten Dunst, who was a child star and cheerleader
Kirsten Dunst has had an incredible career - she got her start alongside legends like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise when she was just a child, snagged a few roles throughout her childhood years, transitioned seamlessly into teen flicks, and then went on to become an actress with many credits to her name. However, her early taste of stardom doesn't mean she missed out on all the experiences of being a regular teen - in fact, she was on her school's cheer team, as the uniform proves. Now, the question is, did she regale her teammates with stories of life on set with heartthrob Brad Pitt, or was she too busy trying to fit in and not spill all the details of her exciting Hollywood experiences? Who's to know - but one thing is for sure, she looks super adorable in her cheer uniform.
9 Reese Witherspoon, who was a cheerleader back when she was just a kid - talk about Southern cheer!
Reese Witherspoon is another one of those actresses who seems like she's been in the industry forever, and that's because she has. She got her start when she was just a tween, went on to become one of the queens of rom coms, and has now settled in a comfortable place where she takes on some light, fluffy roles and some more serious, gritty projects that show off her acting chops. However, before she was showing up to set and walking the red carpet and living her best Hollywood life, Reese was just another southern tween hollering up a storm on her school's cheer team. I mean, from the stance to the mega grin to the cute little bow in her hair, there's nothing about this shot that we don't love.
8 Meryl Streep, who looks insanely glamorous as a cheerleader - no awkward phase for her!
I mean, Meryl Streep is a Hollywood icon, and she carries herself with a certain elegance and grace now, but can we talk about how she was a regulation hottie back in her high school days? I mean, check out that shot - she looks so gorgeous! That's right, Streep herself, who has tackled some immensely challenging roles over the years, was a cheerleader back in high school. The picture here shows her laughing as she totes a pylon to somewhere else on the field, and honestly, she looks like she stepped straight out of a high fashion spread. I mean, that bone structure! We wonder if any of her old teammates ever think back to the girl they cheered alongside, and if they knew she'd end up being a star, or if she was just regular old Meryl.
7 Sandra Bullock, who was her high school's sweetheart before she was America's sweetheart
Chances are, when you think of cheerleaders nowadays, you think of the kind often spotted in films and on television - impossibly glam students with perfect hair and make-up who look like Hollywood starlets in the making. However, that wasn't always the case. Back when she was a young cheerleader, Sandra Bullock didn't have flawless make-up and perfectly curled hair - she tossed her brunette locks in two braids and slipped on her adorable cheer uniform that consisted of some kind of sweater and skirt combo. Given that Bullock is often known as America's sweetheart, we're not too surprised that she used to be a cheerleader - I mean, it totally fits with her persona. She didn't really tackle any roles in teen flicks, as she reached superstardom at a bit of a later age, so we never got to see her in a cheer uniform on screen.
6 Diane Sawyer, who was a sassy cheerleader before she was a serious newscaster
Can we take a moment to talk about how adorable vintage cheerleading uniforms were? The modern day versions often involve some kind of crop top or tight bodice, but we kind of dig the older style of a skirt and cozy-looking sweater. We're used to seeing journalist Diane Sawyer in her professional attire, from blazers to button-down shirts, but back when she was just a teenager, she rocked this adorable cheerleading uniform and flashed her megawatt grin on the sidelines at big games. Hey, we can only imagine that performing in front of so many people made it seem way easier when it was time to read the news in front of a crew - sometimes you just don't know what affect those early experiences will have on your life! In this case, we imagine her experiences were really helpful.
5 Snooki, who was the petite flyer before she was the petite party queen
Cheerleading teams need members of all shapes and sizes - sometimes you need taller women who are able to pull off certain moves, and other times, you need petite individuals who can be thrown in the air for other stunts. Before she was fist pumping on the Jersey shore as a reality television personality, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi was a member of her high school's cheer team. We can see how she'd be a major asset - she's very petite, which means she'd be an easy pick to toss through the air for high flying stunts, as you can see here. Plus, she has a larger than life personality, which definitely helps when you're trying to capture a crowd's attention from the sidelines. We wonder if she ever busted out any of her old cheer moves at the club during her party girl days.
4 Jayma Mays, who must have had serious nostalgia when seeing the cheer costumes on Glee
When Jayma Mays snagged one of the roles on the teen show Glee, she was already a bit older - so rather than being one of the students on the show, she played one of the teachers. However, we imagine seeing Quinn and Santana and Brittany in their cheer uniforms on set inspired a bit of nostalgia, because it turns out Mays was a cheerleader back in her own high school days! Thanks to her super curly locks, it seems like an entirely different person, but if you peer close enough at her face you can tell that it's definitely Jayma. We wonder if she ever learned some of the choreography alongside her younger co-stars - I mean, why not have fun with it? We wonder how many other actresses have secret cheerleading pasts.
3 Fergie, who was a cheerleader before she was a famous musician
From being the frontwoman of the Black Eyed Peas to being a solo act, Fergie has certainly made her mark on the entertainment industry. However, before she ever became known as Fergie, she was just another Wildcats cheerleader by the name of Stacy. To be honest, she looks like an entirely different person - and not in a bad way! While modern day Fergie is always super glam and sultry, with a smoky eye and perfectly done hair, teenage Stacy just looks like a regular teenager with a bit of a red lip and hair likely tousled from performing the routine alongside her fellow cheerleaders. This is an absolutely adorable glimpse into her past - who ever would have guessed she was such a veteran performer? She was rocking it from the sidelines before she even stepped foot on a stage.
2 Halle Berry, who was absolutely cute as a button when she was a cheerleader
Sometimes, it can seem like Halle Berry just descended in Hollywood, fully glamorous and ready for her close-up. However, like almost every other starlet, she didn't grow up in a show biz family - she was just a regular kid who aspired to be a star someday. It seems she got her first taste of performing when she managed to snag a spot on the cheer squad - and based on this photo that shows her doing the splits with a huge grin on her face, she wasn't messing around. If she was going to be a cheerleader, she was going to be a cheerleader who knew how to do all the stunts and how to impress the crowds. Nowadays, she often tackles meatier roles as a veteran actress, but back in the day, she was just another cheerleader.
1 Megan Fox, who wasn't quite the kind of cheerleader we imagined - braids instead of wild bedroom hair?!
Before she was a mom, Megan Fox was a brunette bombshell known for her sultry roles in films. And before then, she was a rising starlet playing the mean girl in teen flicks. And before that, it seems, she was a cheerleader. While we can totally envision Fox as the super glam mean girl cheerleader, the shot of her with her big grin and braids seems a whole lot more wholesome than the type of cheerleader we would have envisioned her as. The actress seems to have taken a bit of a break from Hollywood to focus on raising her children, but who knows - perhaps she'll have a role someday that requires her to wriggle into a cheer uniform or draw upon those pom pom skills she learned back in the day.