Top 10 Celebs Who Found Fame in the Oddest Ways
You'll never believe how these Hollywood stars broke into the industry! From Jason Statham, to Natalie Portman, to Mila Kunis, these celebrity origin stories are pretty unexpected! MsMojo counts down ten celebs who found fame in the oddest ways.
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Top 10 Celebs Who Found Fame in the Oddest Ways
Top 10 Celebs Who Left Fame Behind
You’ll never believe how these Hollywood stars broke into the industry! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Celebs Who Found Fame in the Oddest Ways. For this list, we will not be including reality TV personalities or people who became “internet famous”, like Danielle Bregoli, better known as the “cash me outside” girl.
#10: Pamela Anderson
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For most people, attending a football game is never going to lead to a decades long career in the entertainment business. Of course, most people aren’t Pamela Anderson. In 1989 the future “Baywatch” star attended a BC Lions game in Vancouver where she caught the eye of one of the camera operators and he wasted no time putting her up on the Jumbotron. Her good lucks coupled with the fact that she was wearing a Labatt’s Beer T-Shirt led to a brief gig as a spokesmodel for the company. And just a few months later she was on the cover of Playboy magazine. Talk about a quick rise to the top!
#9: Jason Statham
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Long before he was one of the hottest action stars on the planet, Jason Statham was just another young, ridiculously good looking street merchant. It was the early 90’s and although he had landed a gig modeling for French Connection it wasn’t enough to pay the bills. He turned to selling “fake perfume and jewelry on the street corners.” Oddly enough, it was his penchant for selling counterfeit goods that landed him a role in Guy Ritchie’s crime comedy “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”. His past came in handy for the film’s opening scene, which featured him using his quick wit to sell jewelry to passersby.
#8: Natalie Portman
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Of all the places for future Academy Award winner and Harvard graduate Natalie Portman to be discovered, a Long Island restaurant had to have been one of the most unlikely. Portman and her mom were enjoying a slice of pizza when a modeling scout approached them. Flattered as she was, the future A-lister didn’t want to be a model and asked if she could be put in contact with an acting agent. The move paid off and just a few years later she found herself starring opposite Jean Reno in the action thrill “Léon: The Professional”. And the rest as they say is history.
#7: Mel Gibson
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Mel Gibson went from being one of Hollywood’s hottest actor/directors to one of its most infamous. And while his image has slowly begun to repair itself, he’ll always be considered one of the industry’s most controversial figures. That being said, Gibson’s career as we know it almost never happened. It was only after giving his friend Steve Bisley a lift to the auditions for 1979’s “Mad Max” that Gibson’s acting career truly took off. Director George Miller saw Gibson’s face, bruised from a bar brawl the night before, and felt he was perfect for the lead role. Sometimes, it pays to get beaten up.
#6: Marilyn Monroe
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The preeminent sex symbol of the 20th century and beyond, it’s impossible to think of Hollywood’s golden age without picturing Marilyn Monroe. And yet in 1944 she was just another young woman helping with the war effort by working in a munitions factory. At this point in time she was a brunette by the name of Norma Jeane Mortenson. It was only after photographer David Conover was sent to the factory to capture moral boosting pictures that Norma Jeane was discovered. A stunning beauty, the photographer convinced her to quit her job to become a full time model. Were it not for Conover’s intervention, Norma Jeane Mortenson may have never become the one, the only, Marilyn Monroe.
#5: Mila Kunis
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Born in the Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union, Mila Kunis’ chances of becoming a Hollywood actress improved dramatically when her family moved to Los Angeles in 1991. However, it was hardly as easy as it sounds. In order to immigrate to the United States Kunis’ family had to win the lottery so to speak. You see the United States only gives out 50,000 immigrant visas per year…that may seem like a large number until you realize there are millions of applicants. Somehow Kunis’ family won, but their journey wasn’t over. It only meant they could apply for a second lottery…which, incredibly, they also won! Now that’s luck!
#4: Mandy Moore
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We’ll be honest, Mandy Moore’s origin story sounds made up; but we assure you it’s 100% true! At the tender age of 13 Moore was recording in an Orlando music studio when a FedEx deliveryman overheard her singing. Apparently, this was no ordinary delivery guy. In fact, he’d be the one to change Moore’s life forever. You see this FedEx employ had a friend who worked as an A&R at Epic Records. So when he recognized how talented Moore was he knew exactly who to call. He sent his friend Moore’s demo and a short while late she signed with Epic Records! Incredible!
#3: Harrison Ford
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Harrison Ford has had a strange career trajectory. He had a number of minor film and TV roles throughout the late 60’s and early 70’s but ultimately grew tired of nickel and diming it through Hollywood. To pay the bills and support his family he became a carpenter…and that’s when everything changed. After a few years building decks, he was introduced to a Hollywood agent by one of his carpentry clients. From there he met George Lucas, who just so happened to be casting for his upcoming film “American Graffiti”. The role revitalized Ford’s career and he was soon headlining some of cinema’s most successful franchises!
#2: Charlize Theron
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Born in South Africa, Charlize Theron left at the age of 16 to pursue a career in modeling. She’d later move to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming an actor. Unfortunately, things weren’t going the way she hoped and on one fateful day her frustration boiled over during a trip to the bank. Theron was attempting to cash a check that her mother had sent but the teller refused to accept it. Theron exploded in anger, screaming at the teller with the passion of a future A-list actor. Incredibly, the man in line behind her was a talent agent and he gave her his card. One Academy Award later and it’s clear he made the right choice. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Matt Dillon Discovered While Skipping Class in High School Haley Joel Osment Discovered While Shopping at IKEA with his Mother
#1: Norman Reedus
If only becoming a Hollywood star could be this easy for all of us! Back in the 90’s Norman Reedus, best known for his roles in “The Boondock Saints” and “The Walking Dead” had just gotten fired from his job at a motorcycle shop. Later that night a friend took him out to a party where he, how can we put this delicately, got ridiculously drunk. Oddly enough, it was at the height of his wastedness that someone approached him and asked if he’d like to be in a play! And that’s how his career in Hollywood began! Talk about a crazy start to an awesome career.
