Celebrities live as if they are on a higher plane, perhaps not deliberately but we certainly put famous people on pedestals. Most of those people were not born into fame and riches but were either discovered by some quirk of luck or worked hard in their chosen field until their big break. However, some celebrities started their journey into the world of work in some rather unexpected fields…
Rod Stewart
Career now: Ex-lead singer of The Faces and successful solo-artist, he has sold over 200 million albums worldwide and is known for hits such as Maggie May, Handbags and Gladrags and Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?
Career then:
Gravedigger.
Wow. We weren’t expecting that one. The gravel-voiced master of soul and legendary lothario was once privy to the darker side of life as he dug graves at Highgate Cemetery in London. He is quoted as saying that he hoped it would alleviate his rather complex fear of dying.
Dr Seuss
Career now: Dr Seuss was one of the most loved and highly regarded children’s authors in the world, selling millions of books and has ten entries in the list of the biggest-selling children’s books of all time. He is famous for such characters as the Grinch and the Cat in the Hat.
Career then:
Director of war propaganda films.
During World War II, Dr Seuss – otherwise known as Theodor Seuss Geisel – was a passionate anti-war speaker and worked for the American government making thought-provoking and often challenging films for the public to see in the hope to raise awareness of the war effort. He even won an Oscar for his film Design for Death.
Robert Downey Jr.
Career now: Award-winning actor with a sharp wit and energetic acting style, he has become a much-loved staple of the big screen. He is the lead in superhero flick Iron Man but is more critically acclaimed for his roles in independent films such as Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and A Scanner Darkly. He is also a prolific ex-wild child, having being arrested various times in the past for drug offences and disorderly conduct.
Career then: Ballet Dancer
Quite an unexpected jump from tutus and ballet slippers to superhero and gangster films! He moved to England at the age of ten and took classical ballet lessons as part of a wider curriculum however it was a passion he took forward into his teen years at performing arts school. Perhaps with his eccentric style and infamous talent for monologues his talents are best used on screen.
Other Celebs
Other celebrities to have undertaken odd jobs before they burst on to the silver screen include Whoopie Goldberg who worked as a mortuary beautician and phone sex operator, Matthew McConaghy who cleaned chicken coops, and the one and only Brad Pitt…who spent a brief period of his life dressing up as a chicken and handing out flyers for a fast food outlet! I wonder if there are any recruitment agencies that have those resumes on file…
There are many celebrities who did not discover their true talents until a little later in life, and many worked odd and, often, challenging jobs in order to pay the bills until the fame and fortune came their way. Perhaps you are in a nightmare job right now? Check out our jobs page for new and upcoming opportunities. You never know what may be around the corner!
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