Everybody has had them, and they're not always the most enticing. We often prepare coffee for our bosses, copy documents, or perform data entry to get a promotion. However, how often have you been required to pass out flyers while dressed as a chicken to advertise a Mexican restaurant? Working as an exotic dancer could be a way to pay the bills. Even though they're famous now, your favorite celebrities didn't always have things so well.

Fifty renowned performers have their initial occupations listed by Stacker. It's hard to imagine a more diverse and representative group of American actors, singers, and musicians. A strong work ethic and an unquenchable drive for achievement can often be traced back to modest origins, even when fame and wealth seemed out of reach.

Beyonce Worked in Her Mother's Salon

Beyonce went to her mother's hair shop in Houston, Texas, to begin her reign as queen. Beyonce told Essence magazine in 2011 that Tina taught her the value of hard work and what it means to be a "strong woman." Tina also let Beyonce use her salon as a stage for her initial performances and a source of weekend income. From six to nine, I would put on small shows for the women who wanted a hot press and curl and some excellent chat," the Grammy winner explained to People. "For tips toward the cost of my Six Flags season pass, I helped wash the floor. (I'm still a sucker for a good thrill ride.) When I wasn't cleaning the salon, I watched my mother become my greatest role model."

Tiffany Haddish Was an Airline Employee

Even though Tiffany Haddish became an international star after her role in Girls Trip, it turns out that her initial work as a member of Alaska Airlines ground personnel helped her develop the ability to put others at ease. In an interview with Stephen Colbert, she stated that one of her goals as a flight attendant was to make even the most unpleasant customers smile. "Tiffany stated she hoped to be one of the greatest customer service representatives. It was always my desire "to make people happy and joyful, even today," he said. However, she admitted that her employers didn't always agree with her approach, and she was finally transferred to the luggage department because of it.

James Corden Worked as a Waiter

James Corden's "Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts" section on his late-night TV program is known for making celebrities eat salmon milkshakes. Still, the presenter began his career in the restaurant sector. In an interview with GQ, he said that he worked at Bella Pasta, an Italian restaurant, and admitted to stealing wine from there to be invited to home parties with his buddies when they were still young. Because his manager wanted him to work the next day, he avoided being fired for attempting to walk out of one shift with 50 bottles of alcohol.

Amy Poehler Worked at an Ice Cream Parlour

Comedian's girl For the New Yorker, Amy Poehler wrote about her summer job at Chadwick's, a neighborhood ice cream shop where she learned to make sundaes and order steak fries. In addition to stacking, cleaning, scooping, and lifting, the task entailed a lot of physical labor, she claimed. "However, I quickly discovered the joy of working for a company that had actually shut down. My favorite part of working at a late-night sundae shop was watching folks walk in and believe they could get a treat. The dimmed lights and piled-high seats would serve as visual cues to the fact that we had closed. In a way, everything was satisfyingly apparent and conclusive."

America Ferrera Cared For a Pig

America Ferrera's first job sucks, and she's not exaggerating. According to the magazine, the star of Superstore revealed to People magazine that she was hired to clean up after her neighbor's pet pig when she was a teen. You'd be mistaken if you thought this was some Babe-type scenario. She described the pig as "not the cutest or nicest pig" since it was large and had wiry hair. Even though it wasn't the most acceptable job in America, she was willing to do everything to avoid begging her brother for $2 to buy her an ice cream. "I'll go down on my knees and scrub your pig's excrement," she offered. In the end, "I wasn't afraid to make a buck."

Matthew McConaughey Worked at a Country Club

This is the most Matthew McConaughey-best first job imaginable. The actor was in charge of cleaning the sand traps at the Oak Forest Country Club in Texas before becoming famous for his southern drawl and catchphrase. Later, he said GQ and the greenskeeper informed him that the club had a problem with armadillos eating the greens at night. He would give the Academy Award winner a rifle and let him shoot any animals he spotted on the course.

Melissa McCarthy was a Starbucks Barista

Starstruck celebs aren't the only ones. Before becoming famous themselves, at least On Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Melissa McCarthy confessed that her first job was as a Starbucks barista in Santa Monica, according to E!. The day Chris Farley walked in was one of her most memorable experiences. In an attempt to not scare him, she just stared at him. "You could just tell he didn't want everyone to make a fuss," she added. "At one point, I was so overcome by the presence of him that I burst into tears."

Cindy Crawford Shucked Corn.

Although Cindy Crawford has been one of the world's most famous supermodels for decades, nothing better demonstrates this than one of her earliest assignments. The 17-year-old Illinois native revealed to Town and Country that she worked summers shucking corn for $4/hour before breaking into the modeling industry. As a mother, she noted, "My kids are incredibly fortunate since money is not a driving element in their life at this moment." 'It was for me at the beginning of my career.' I thought it was my duty to work nonstop.

Barack Obama Scooped Ice Cream at Baskin-Robbins.

Scooping ice cream may be more associated with Barack Obama's vice president (and now president-elect), Joe Biden. According to The Dallas Morning News, Barack Obama worked at a Baskin-Robbins in Honolulu as a kid, where he said he was more concerned about how scooping ice cream affected his jump shoot than what it meant for his career.

Barack noted in a LinkedIn article that the work "wasn't exactly glamorous, but it taught me some essential skills." Because of this, the President wrote that his taste for ice cream had deteriorated after receiving too many complimentary scoops.

Bill Hader Worked at a Movie Theatre

Bill Hader's advice will help you create an excellent first impression at your first job. At Scottsdale Community College, the actor worked at a movie theatre. When Michael Bay was anxious about Armageddon, he reportedly sold him a box of Raisinets. He was later fired for ruining the conclusion of Titanic for several clients. "My hair and beard were both quite long at the time. "I had to wear a cummerbund and a bow tie and stand there accepting tickets because I looked like Charles Manson," he stated. "One night, a gaggle of sorority sisters arrived and blocked the doors. Moving them is what I requested. My experience with them was horrible. 'By the way, the boat sinks in the end, and Leo dies...' I remarked as I cut the tickets. He appears to be asleep, which is nice, but he's frozen! Of course, she throws her jewels into the waves as well. Take in the show.' Was it the end of Titanic that you just told them?' was the question that my boss had to ask? "I have no choice except to sack you."

Harry Styles Worked at a Bakery

One Direction's Harry Styles joined the group when he was 16 years old and auditioned for the X-Factor. Cheshire's Holmes Chapel is where the vocalist was employed as a baker at the recording. Later, Harry returned to the bakery to film This Is Us with One Direction, and he also had time to photograph fans. When Harry worked here, "the shop suddenly experienced a flood of ladies," his prior supervisor told Capital FM. "At times, as many as 12 of them would arrive simultaneously. Even now, a group of 20 young women may occasionally go inside the shop and begin snapping shots."

Rachel McAdams worked at McDonald's.

Fast food is where Rachel McAdams got her start as a celebrity. For three years, the Notebook star worked at McDonald's alongside her siblings while simultaneously directing children's theatre. It was a lovely place to work, but I had an OCD issue with hand washing and didn't have time," she said in an interview with Glamour. "A backup is occurring at the drive-through.' 'Quit handwashing!' I was a lousy employee, causing the orange juice machine to malfunction once."

Hillary Clinton: Sliming Salmon

Some of the misogynistic thinking behind the 2016 sexist reaction against Hillary Clinton was that leading the country is too complex a job for a woman. However, few people (male or female) have the experience that the previous secretary of state had in difficult positions. According to an article she wrote on Glassdoor, she helped her father operate a drapery-printing company during her first job. In Valdez, Alaska, she found work at a cannery, sliming fish. According to Clinton's account, she was handed a spoon to clean the fish's insides when she arrived on her first day of work. "The managers would shout at me if I didn't slime quickly enough. It was not a glamorous job in the least!"

Johnny Depp: Pen Salesman

According to Depp, his work as a telemarketer selling pens helped him improve his acting abilities. You had to contact these strangers and ask them how they were doing. That was the best part of the job." The name you came up with was Edward Quartermaine, a Californian from the state of California. "You're eligible for this grandfather clock or a trip to Tahiti," he said in Interview Magazine. "If they buy a bulk of pens, you guarantee them all of these benefits. It wasn't enjoyable. However, I believe it was my first foray into acting.

Nicole Kidman: Massage Therapist

Your masseuse may become Nicole Kidman. This is something the actress told The Daily Beast that she used to do to help support her family financially. As a result of the awful muscular spasms she had while undergoing radiation treatment for her mother's breast cancer, she enrolled in a massage school. She enjoyed it so much that she began visiting people's homes to do massages.

Kanye West: Gap Salesperson

In high school, Kanye West worked part-time at the Gap, where he learned the ins and outs of fashion. While working at the Gap at 15, "I don't believe I had any ambition to manufacture clothing," he told Paper magazine, "but I always felt like that's what I wanted to be around. Fabrics, colors, and proportions all drew me in. The New York Times stated that in June 2020, West inked a 10-year agreement for a "Yeezy Gap" clothing line, showing that he hasn't forgotten his beginnings with the company.

Jennifer Aniston as a Telemarketer

Aniston used to work as a telemarketer before she became one of the biggest TV stars in the world owing to the hit show Friends. Maybe that's how she polished her acting skills and became so convincing—or maybe not. For selling timeshares in the Pocono Mountains and causing people to be outraged, "I was terrible," she claimed. "I just apologized excessively and hung up the phone," she added. "I was terrible." That's not all, either. "I made my allowance as a youngster scrubbing toilets," Aniston told Parade magazine. "I'm really good at it," I admit.