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As the saying goes, any job where you make money is respectable. The same goes for celebrities. They may be worth millions now (Forbes reports that Taylor Swift earned $825 million during the 2010’s), but they had odd jobs to make ends meet just like anyone else. 

If you’ve ever been curious about what famous people did to make money before they were famous, keep reading. We’ve rounded up some of the biggest names in Hollywood, from Tom Cruise to Kanye West, and found out what they did to make money before everyone knew their names.  

Taylor Swift

Job: Praying Mantis Exterminator

Taylor Swift may be famous for her multi-platinum albums and epic celebrity feuds (hey, Kim K!) , but before she got famous, she worked as a praying mantis exterminator.

The news about her previous job came out in an interview with Esquire, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine needing to remove praying mantis from your property and calling Taylor Swift to do it?

Nicki Minaj

Job: Red Lobster Waitress

Nicki Minaj may be famous for her many albums, sold out tours, and awards, but before she got famous, she worked as a Red Lobster waitress.

The news about her previous job came out in a conversation with GQ magazine, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine going to Red Lobster and having Nicki Minaj tag your order?

Meghan Markle

Job: Calligrapher

Meghan Markle may be famous for starting her career in Suits and becoming a literal Princess when she married Prince Harry, but before she got famous, she worked as a calligrapher.

The news about her previous job came out in a tell-all with People magazine, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine wanting fancy writing for your holiday cards and having Meghan Markle do it?

Beyonce

Job: Salon Floor Sweeper

Beyonce may be famous for her hit singles, movies, fashion lines, and avant garde music, but before she got famous, she worked as a salon floor sweeper.

The news about her previous job came out in a conversation with Essence magazine, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine getting your hair cut and Beyonce standing behind you to sweep away the hair?

Jon Hamm

Job: Porn Set Dresser

Jon Hamm may be famous for his starring role in Mad Men, among his other acting successes, but before he got famous, he worked as a porn set dresser.

The news about his previous job came out in a feature in Vanity Fair, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine Jon Hamm setting up a porn set today?

Amy Poehler

Job: Ice Cream Scooper

Amy Poehler may be famous for her time on Saturday Night Live and her own show Parks and Recreation, but before she got famous, she worked as an ice cream scooper.

The news about her previous job came out in a New Yorker feature article, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine going for some ice cream and having it served by Amy Poehler?

Brad Pitt

Job: Chicken Costume Wearer

Brad Pitt may be famous for his many hit movies such as Fight Club and Ocean’s 8, but before he got famous, he worked as a chicken costume wearer.

The news about his previous job came out in an article by Cosmopolitan magazine, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine driving down the street and seeing Brad Pitt in a chicken costume?

Cardi B

Job: Grocery Store Clerk

Cardi B may be famous for her meteoric rise to fame in the rap world, but before she got famous, she worked as a grocery store clerk.

The news about her previous job came out in a conversation with music publication The Fader, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine having Cardi B bag up your groceries?

Nicole Kidman

Job: Massage Therapist

Nicole Kidman may be famous for her Oscar-winning acting chops, but before she got famous, she worked as a massage therapist.

The news about her previous job came out in an article in the Daily Beast, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine booking a massage and having your massage therapist be Nicole Kidman?

Matthew McConaughey

Job: Armadillo Exterminator

Matthew McConaughey may be famous for always playing the “bro” role then suddenly winning an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club, but before he got famous, he worked as an armadillo exterminator.

The news about his previous job came out in a YouTube video, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine having an armadillo problem and calling Matthew McConaughey?

Kanye West

Job: Gap Sales Associate

Kanye West may be famous for his multi-platinum albums and marriage to Kim Kardashian, but before he got famous, he worked as a Gap sales associate.

The news about his previous job came out in a conversation with Paper magazine, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine walking into Gap and getting fashion advice from Kanye West?

Channing Tatum

Job: Stripper

Channing Tatum may be famous for his dance moves and acting ability, but before he got famous, he worked as a stripper.

The news about his previous job came out in an old YouTube video, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine Channing Tatum stripping for you? If you can’t, just watch Magic Mike.

Cindy Crawford

Job: Corn Shucker

Cindy Crawford may be famous for her work as a supermodel, but before she got famous, she worked as a corn shucker.

The news about her previous job came out in a conversation with Town and Country magazine, a well-known British publication, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine going to a local farmers market and having a supermodel shuck your corn?

Madonna

Job: Dunkin Donuts Employee

Madonna may be famous for her decades of producing number one hit singles (selling out worldwide tours), but before she got famous, she worked as a Dunkin Donuts employee.

The news about her previous job came out in a feature in US Mag, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine getting your morning coffee from Madonna?

Melissa McCarthy

Job: Starbucks Barista

Melissa McCarthy may be famous for her hilarious roles in movies like Bridesmaids, but before she got famous, she worked as a Starbucks barista.

The news about her previous job came out in an article in E-Online, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine getting a latte made by Melissa McCarthy?

Gabourey Sidibe

Job: Phone Sex Operator

Gabourey Sidibe may be famous for skipping school to audition for her Oscar-nominated performance in Precious, but before she got famous, she worked as a phone sex operator.

The news about her previous job came out in a conversation with People magazine, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine what kinds of conversations Gabourey must have had?

Jennifer Aniston

Job: Bike Messenger

Jennifer Aniston may be famous for being Rachel Greene on Friends (and acting in many other movies), but before she got famous, she worked as a bike messenger.

The news about her previous job came out in an article in Movieline, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine needing to send something by messenger and having Jen Aniston pick it up for you?

Julia Roberts

Job: Ice Cream Scooper

Julia Roberts may be famous for being the first woman to break the $20 million pay per movie barrier, but before she got famous, she worked as an ice cream scooper.

The news about her previous job came out in a tweet from Baskin Robbins, her old employer, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine getting a scoop of rocky road from Julia Roberts?

Megan Fox

Job: Banana Costume Wearer

Megan Fox may be famous for her starring roles in the Transformers series, but before she got famous, she worked as a banana costume wearer.

The news about her previous job came out in an article in CNN Money, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine passing by someone wearing a banana costume and realizing it’s Megan Fox?

Chace Crawford

Job: Abercrombie Model

Chace Crawford may be famous for his steamy good looks in Gossip Girl, but before he got famous, he worked as an Abercrombie model.

The news about his previous job came out in an article in Cosmopolitan magazine, leaving a lot of fans unsurprised at what they did before they were famous (he’s basically still a model now).While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, there’s no need to just imagine Chace as a model – you can still find his old pictures from his Abercrombie days.

Jennifer Hudson

Job: Burger King Employee

Jennifer Hudson may be famous for nearly winning American Idol – then going on to win an Oscar for Dreamgirls, but before she got famous, she worked as a Burger King employee.

The news about her previous job came out in a TMZ feature about her getting free burgers for life, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine getting a Whopper from Jennifer Hudson?

Naya Rivera

Job: Hooters Girl

Naya Rivera may be famous for her sass and singing voice on Glee, but before she got famous, she worked as a Hooters girl.

The news about her previous job came out in an article in Cosmopolitan magazine, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine going to hooters and being served by a singing waitress?

Eva Mendes

Job: Hot Dog on a Stick Employee

Eva Mendes may be famous for being in a bunch of movies in the early 2000’s and dating Ryan Gosling, but before she got famous, she worked as a hot dog on a stick employee.

The news about her previous job came out in an article in Cosmopolitan magazine, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine getting a hot dog on a stick from Eva Mendes?

Taraji P. Henson

Job: Tina Turner Cover Singer

Taraji P. Henson may be famous for her hilarious roles in movies such Hidden Figures and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but before she got famous, she worked as a Tina Turner cover singer.

The news about her previous job came out in a Vanity Fair feature article, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine hearing “Simply the best” sung by Taraji P. Henson?

Eva Longoria

Job: Wendy’s Employee

Eva Longoria may be famous for her role in soap operas Young & The Restless and Desperate Housewives, but before she got famous, she worked as a Wendy’s employee.

The news about her previous job came out in a People magazine feature article, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine getting a Bacon Mushroom Melt from Eva Longoria?

Tom Cruise

Job: Bellhop

Tom Cruise may be famous for his roles in Mission Impossible and other A-list Hollywood movies, but before he got famous, he worked as a Bellhop.

The news about his previous job came out in a PressReader article, leaving a lot of fans surprised (or even shocked) at what they did before they were famous. While we doubt you’d see them in their old jobs now, wouldn’t it be funny to imagine having your bags picked up at a hotel by Tom Cruise?