Top 10 Celebrities Who Worked At Fast Food Restaurants
#10: Pink
McDonald's Long before she was “Getting the Party Started” and selling millions of albums worldwide, Pink was just another teenager who needed a part-time job. That need manifested itself in a position at McDonald’s. While the singer may have made a few dollars during her time there, it isn’t exactly something she looks back on fondly, as she has referred to her time as a McDonald’s employee as a nightmare; one that she never wants to revisit. Luckily for her, she didn’t have to spend much time as a burger flipper before making the transition to pop superstar.
#9: Chris Pratt
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Bubba Gump Shrimp Company While many of the celebs on this list achieved fame in spite of their fast food origins, it would appear Chris Pratt owes a debt of gratitude to his. At 19 years of age he was working as a waiter for the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company when Rae Dawn Chong, an actress, discovered him, believing him to be a perfect fit for her upcoming directorial debut. It wasn’t long before Pratt was scoring roles on TV shows such as “Everwood” and “Parks and Recreation”, eventually translating that success into a number of major film roles. Moral of the story: go wait tables at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and you just might be the next Hollywood heartthrob.
#8: James Franco
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McDonald's Of all the celebrities on this list, Franco appears to have enjoyed his time working in the fast food industry the most. He first began working at McDonalds as a way of supporting himself while learning to act – something his parents were seemingly staunchly opposed to. During his time working alongside Ronald McDonald, Franco would try out different accents on the people around him, honing his skills one customer at a time. In 2015 he wrote an editorial for the Washington Post detailing his exploits working the late night drive-thru position; and claims, “…When I needed McDonald’s, McDonald’s was there for me.”
#7: Gwen Stefani
Dairy Queen Many years ago, long before she was topping the charts as the lead singer of the ska punk band No Doubt, going solo or serving as a judge on “The Voice,” Gwen Stefani was a teenager who simply needed a little spending money. To solve this dilemma she got a job serving ice cream at Dairy Queen. In fact, the blonde bombshell has stated that she made her very first dollar working for the fast food chain. Had she only stuck with it she could have perhaps became one of the greatest ice cream servers of all time. But alas, it was not to be.
#6: Rachel McAdams
McDonald’s Long before she was winning hearts in “The Notebook” or outwitting the world’s greatest detective in “Sherlock Holmes,” McAdams was a small town Canadian girl with a dream…a dream to work at McDonald’s that is! Over the course of three different summers, the future actress flipped burgers, swept floors and handed out extra packets of mayo with the best of them. It’s always comforting to know that even the most beautiful and talented people in the world had to start somewhere. For McAdams, that somewhere was underneath the golden arches.
#5: Eva Longoria
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Wendy’s From her time on “The Young and the Restless” to her star-making role on the hit ABC show “Desperate Housewives” and since making her debut back in 2000, actress Eva Longoria has made her mark on television. However, before becoming the household name she is today, she was just a teenage Mexican-American girl with a more immediate ambition - making money to pay for her Quinceañera – a ceremony that celebrates the transition from childhood to adulthood when you turn 15. Longoria’s parents couldn’t afford to pay for it, so she got a job at a local Wendy’s restaurant. Longoria not only managed to pay for her Quinceañera all on her own, but wound up working there for three years!
#4: Eminem
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Gilbert's Lodge After the unsuccessful release of his first album in 1996, Eminem was in need of employment. He found it by working as cook and dishwasher at Gilbert’s Lodge, a family restaurant located in a Detroit suburb. Em’ was no slouch; and reportedly worked 60 hours a week for months after the birth of his daughter Hailie. Unfortunately for the aspiring rapper, he was fired from the restaurant a few days before Christmas. The firing marked a low point in Eminem’s life and he coped by heavily abusing drugs and alcohol. Thankfully for him and fans the world over, he recovered and dropped the groundbreaking “Slim Shady LP” in 1999.
#3: Brad Pitt
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El Pollo Loco Brad Pitt is one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors; an Academy Award-nominated artist with a filmography that’s tough to beat. However, before all the fortune and fame, he was just another out of work actor trying to pay the rent. Perhaps that is why he found himself dressed in a chicken costume and dancing up and down the street trying to entice potential customers to eat at El Pollo Loco in the mid ‘80s. Nowadays you’d be hard pressed to imagine Pitt dressed in anything so unfashionable, but once upon a time, you could reportedly find him flapping his wings and squawking at passing cars in downtown L.A.
#2: Madonna
Dunkin’ Donuts Even pop queens have to start somewhere. For Madonna, that somewhere was working the cash register at Dunkin’ Donuts. However, the soon-to-be sex symbol managed to spray jelly onto an unsuspecting customer. This allegedly prompted her boss to fire her after only one day on the job. No doubt a blessing in disguise, Madonna would soon be pumping out hit songs and touring the world as one of the hottest singers on the planet. We’d like to imagine that years later she went back to her old fast food gig and bought up all the jelly donuts… Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Sharon Stone McDonald’s Queen Latifah Burger King Amy Adams Hooters
#1: Barack Obama
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Baskin Robbins Yup, even the former President of the United States of America got his start in the fast food industry. Baskin Robbins was Obama’s first job, one that he got while living in Honolulu, Hawaii. Last time we checked Hawaii is pretty hot, which means the line at Obama’s ice cream parlor was probably around the block more often than not. Who knows, maybe this past POTUS is the one who handed you that double fudge sundae back in the mid 1970s. The connection with Baskin Robbins and Obama doesn’t stop there; as it was also the place he took the future first lady on their first date. A plaque commemorating the event can be found outside of the Chicago location.
