Most of us aren't born with a silver spoon in our mouths -- even celebrities.
Just like us, they've had to work their way up the job ladder. Here are a dozen
examples that prove the old adage: It's not where you start, it's where you
finish that counts.
1. Mick Jagger
Before he began strutting his stuff on stage, Sir Michael Phillip "Mick" Jagger,
lead singer of The Rolling Stones, worked as a porter at the Bexley Mental
Hospital while he was a student at the London School of Economics. He earned a
whopping 4 pounds, 10 shillings per week (about $7.80 U.S.). Perhaps Jagger's
gig at the hospital inspired a couple of the Stones' early hits, such as "19th
Nervous Breakdown" and "Mother's Little Helper."
2. Jason Lee
Actor Jason Lee, star of My Name is Earl plays a character who never works, but
in real life Lee once worked at Taco Bell. Then, in the late 1980s and early
1990s, Lee become a competitive skateboarder, performing flips and other daring
maneuvers. After appearing in a promotional skateboarding video shot by Spike
Jonze, Lee began getting movie offers and left his skateboarding career in the
dust.
3. Paula Abdul
During her freshman year at Cal State University, Paula Abdul tried out for the
Los Angeles Lakers cheerleading squad and was selected from more than 700
applicants. Her high-energy, street-funk-inspired dance routines were an instant
hit, and it took her all of three weeks to become head choreographer. In 1984,
when Abdul's routines got the attention of the Jackson family, they immediately
signed her to choreograph their Torture video and her career went into
overdrive. When Abdul embarked on a singing career in the late 1980s, her debut
album, "Forever Your Girl," went platinum and spawned four number one singles,
including "Straight Up" and "Cold Hearted." She has now become popular with a
new audience as a judge on American Idol.
4. David Letterman
After graduating from Indiana's Ball State University in 1969, future late night
talk show host David Letterman landed a job at Indianapolis television station
WLWI (now called WTHR) as a local anchor and weatherman. Letterman was
eventually let go for his unpredictable on-air behavior, which included erasing
state borders from the weather map and predicting hail stones "the size of
canned hams." Those canned hams eventually became popular door prizes on The
Late Show with David Letterman.
5. Dennis Farina
Italian-American actor Dennis Farina often portrays cops, detectives, or
mobsters and is best known for his roles in Law & Order, Crime Story, and Get
Shorty. Some may think he's being typecast, but it's no wonder that Farina is so
comfortable in his roles -- from 1967 to 1985, he actually was a police officer
with the Chicago Police Department. Farina caught the acting bug after working
with director Michael Mann as a police consultant. He started out in community
theater and with bit parts on television before landing a starring role in Crime
Story in 1986.
6. Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood has established himself as a Hollywood icon. From Westerns in the
1960s to no-nonsense, rebel cop Dirty Harry in the 1970s to a focus on directing
since the 1980s, Eastwood has created a body of work that has garnered respect,
box office success, and numerous awards. But before that, Eastwood earned his
daily bread digging swimming pools for the rich and famous of Beverly Hills,
while at night he'd audition for bit parts. He'd already put in hard time
working as a lumberjack, steel mill worker, aircraft factory worker, and gas
station attendant. Now, he's the one lounging around the pool.
7. Whoopi Goldberg
With careers as a stand-up comedian, actor, and TV talk show host, Academy
Award-winner Whoopi Goldberg has firmly established herself as an outspoken,
emancipated, confident star. But Goldberg wasn't always living in the lap of
luxury. Growing up in the tough Chelsea projects in New York City, her first job
was as a bricklayer. When that position fizzled out, she took on the role of a
garbage collector and then a funeral makeup artist -- whatever job she could get
to make ends meet
8. Ozzy Osbourne
Singer Ozzy Osbourne, born John Michael Osbourne, is the lead singer of the
pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, a popular solo artist, and a reality
TV star with his wife Sharon and two children, Kelly and Jack. Growing up in
England, Osbourne was once a laborer in a slaughterhouse. This may have
influenced some of his famous stunts, like biting off the head of a live dove
during a meeting with his newly signed record company and biting the head off a
bat thrown on stage during a concert.
9. Sean Connery
Sean Connery is probably best known for portraying James Bond seven times,
setting the bar very high for those who would follow. He also showed his
versatility with movies such as Highlander and The Untouchables, for which he
won an Oscar. But Connery's first job was as a milkman in his native Scotland.
After a stint in the Royal Navy, he took on numerous jobs in the late 1940s and
early 1950s, including lifeguard, ditch digger, and artist's model. In 1953, he
even competed in the Mr. Universe contest, placing third in the tall man's
division.
10. Marlon Brando
Nearly a decade before he starred as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named
Desire, Marlon Brando worked as a ditch digger after he was expelled from
military school for being "incorrigible." When he grew tired of manual labor,
Brando became an elevator operator in New York City. His last non-acting job
before his break into film was as a night watchman.
11. Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey's rugged good looks have won him many fans and seen him cast
in a long list of romantic comedies and action films. But after graduating high
school in 1988, he spent a year in Australia as an exchange student. During this
time, he made some extra cash by shoveling chicken manure and washing dishes.
Returning to the United States in 1990, McConaughey considered a career in law
but caught the acting bug instead.
12. Madonna
Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone splashed onto the music scene with an attitude
and some catchy pop tunes in the early 1980s. Her "Like a Virgin" album and
subsequent tour took the world by storm, and she's never looked back. But the
early years in New York City were tough for Madonna, and she found herself
working at a number of low-paying jobs, including a stint at a Dunkin' Donuts in
Times Square. But, in true Madonna fashion, she was fired for squirting jelly
filling all over customers!