25 People Reveal What Famous Celebs Were Like Before They Made It Big

Before most celebrities became rich and famous, they were just normal people living their lives.  Hanging out with friends, doing small odd jobs to make money, working on getting an education and managing familial expectations may sound too normal for A-listers. Still, before their big break, even the biggest superstars lived through inane life moments that have become routine for the rest of us. 

#1

Image source: GuruLand, Clean Bandit

Demi Lovato. She was a b***h to everybody and everybody hated her. She actually was the bully. Then she started with Disney and she couldn’t take the criticism he world gave her. I guess that’s why people are bullies, right? They’re insecure. I think she’s nice now though, I dont judge people by how they were when they were young.

EDIT for sources:

I thought this was widely known already? Many redditors have also posted about it. There’s even an article of a girl I knew she bullied:

> I’ll see a magazine article, a commercial, a youtube video, a tweet, a post, a picture. And it just infuriates me. My eyebrows furrow and my muscles tense up and I get this awful feeling in my stomach. Hatred. Shame. Jealousy. The injustice of it all just wells up inside of me and there’s just no way to release it. I don’t know why this has been the one thing I have never been able to let go. I don’t hold grudges. But this is just too much. It affected me too much. It changed my life. It ruined my childhood. She destroyed me. I never understood why she just flat out hated me. I was different, yeah, but what did I do to deserve what she did to me? What she said to me? How she acted towards me? So I was a tomboy. How was that her business? So I wasn’t the daughter of a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. Who cares? So I wasn’t on Barney and BFFs with Selena Gomez. I didn’t want any of that. So I wasn’t beautiful and popular. Why did she have to rub it in my face?

#2

Image source: Cynical_tamarin, Lorde

I’m from Auckland, NZ, where Lorde grew up.

She used to not be able to afford pies.

Now she can afford pies. Other than that, so far she seems cool.

#3

Image source: icopyandpasteoldans, Architectural Digest

I went to high school with Seth Rogen. He was a very funny guy, and couldn’t really keep quiet in class because he was always thinking up funny s**t.
Our math teacher came up with a solution to this: Seth would have the floor to himself for five minutes every Monday. In exchange, he’d keep quiet the rest of the week.
It was great. Seth would do a hilarious monologue every week, telling outrageous stories about what he’d been up to over the weekend, often integrating the teacher and members of the class in the story.

#4

Image source: tupcake, Resurrection Fest

Dad is good friends with all the guys from slipknot, they’re still really nice, cool guys. Infact one of them even introduced my mom to my dad, still married.

#5

Image source: anon, Miley Cyrus

This will get buried, but I went to elementary and middle school with Miley Cyrus. We were sort of friends, mostly talked on AIM and stuff. She was super normal and I still believe she is and is just trying to f**k with everyone.

Edit: To be more specific, I knew her from when we were like six until she moved away when we were maybe twelve. She went by Destiny back then and everyone knew who her dad was. We talked off and on and mostly just had mutual friends, so it wasn’t like we were super close, but I remember being bummed out when she moved because we were just starting to be friends. Haven’t talked to her since, don’t expect to.

#6

Image source: kaliboi408, JD Wavvvves

Kendrick Lamar grew up in my neigborhood in west compton. He still brings all his day-1 friends to his shows and supports the up and coming local artist. He also comes through the hood with no security often giving out shoes and what-not to the kids. Real humble guy.

#7

Image source: NopeNotAnthony, EminemMusic

My Mom knew Eminem before he was famous. She has this story where he accidentally set her curtains on fire.

Edit: I will get the whole story tomorrow.

Edit 2: The full story: She said her and her friend where in a room of a house my mom was baby sitting in, when he came in the window and was being annoying and at some point the idea came up to play with a lighter and a can of aqua-net and *her and her friend* set fire to the curtains while he leaped out the window.

#8

Image source: SodomySeymour, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Chris Evans (Captain America in the Avengers movies and the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four movies from about 10 years ago) lived down the street from me and was my babysitter. His mom directs the plays at my town’s high school. I haven’t seen him since I was little, but when he was in high school he was just a normal dude. Nothing about him screamed “I’m gonna be famous one day.” It was just sorta, “I’m good at this acting thing and it just so happens that people who are good at acting get famous.” Also, my mom used to be a casting director for Tim Burton and lived next door to George Clooney back in like 1989. We went back to her old house when we were visiting LA and saw him with his entourage. My mom said that the only difference is the people who hang around him, and that other than the fact that he has an entourage now he’s exactly the same.

#9

Image source: martbock, National Geographic

Pope Francis (a.k.a Jorge Bergoglio) was my neighbour. As an atheist with a not at all good opinion on the catholic church, I always wished to see him on a limo or covered in gold, just to ctiticise. But I must say that even during the months before his election, the guy took the subway along with me, wore the same old shoes and just looked pretty humble.

#10

Image source: divedeep112, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Went to middle and high school with Natalie Portman. Nothing changed. If you didn’t know she was famous, you wouldn’t know it from how she acted. She kept the same friends, the same boyfriend, stayed the same tiny, reserved smart girl (or so it seemed). She was just in class less.

#11

Image source: professorlowcash, Graham Bensinger

I grew up with Ryan Dunn, and considered him a brother and was even his room mate for a spell. He would spend holidays with my family. We were friends since we were 14 and continued to stay friends until his death. He was always the best dude, and fame just made him closer with his real friends. There was never a time in his life either before or after his fame that he wasnt the nicest guy in the world.

#12

Image source: WPBDoc, Graham Bensinger

Danny Whitney — aka “Larry the Cable Guy” graduated from our small Christian school. I always thought he was a goofball who wasn’t that funny. I’m kind of the “serious type” and he was NEVER serious. It got old fast with me. I tried to avoid him.

He made a couple of cable specials and I still didn’t think he was funny, but he was getting funny. They he invented “Larry the Cable Guy” and the rest is history. Since then, we’ve crossed paths occasionally and he’s very centered and a really nice person. He has a child with issues and that has made him compassionate.

Just for the record — the “country thing” his just his schtick. He grew up in South Florida and was not country at all. He’s still a bit crude for my tastes, but I feel a lot better about him now. He’s one of those who doesn’t seem to have become a worse person the more fame he has acquired. I’m happy for his success.

#13

Image source: Mexagon, Laurent Touil-Tartour

My dad went to high school with George Lucas. According to him, Lucas was a quiet guy and was always writing or drawing in a notebook he carried around. He doesn’t blame the fact that Lucas doesn’t really like Modesto. It’s an awful place.

My sister was in high school musicals with Jeremy Renner. She never thought he’d be as famous as he is now, but she said he was one of the hardest working individuals she’d ever seen. Once again, this was in Modesto, and she doesn’t blame Jeremy for hating our horrible city.

Unfortunately, the only marginally famous person I went to high school with was the lead singer of Deafheaven, George Clarke. You may know them from the album Sunbather, and the incredibly polarizing view they have among metal fans. I think George would not like my saying this, but he was heavily involved in musical theater at the time. It’s strange hearing his screaming vocals and reminiscing about the fact that he was the lead role in *Bye Bye Birdie*. To his credit though, he played the most amazing villain in *Arsenic and Old Lace*. And, of course, he also hates Modesto.

We all do.

#14

Image source: rawrshelby, Ariana Grande

Okay this is going to disappear into oblivion and no one will ever see it. Ariana Grande, this girl went to high school and middle school with me. She is was and will forever be a fake as f**k b***h. All my friends know to turn the radio off when her songs come on. I will be the first to admit she has an amazing voice but d**n girl learn to be humble! But hey its hard to be humble when you’re the queen of the jungle! I’m not even sure she knows what a real conversation sounds like. Everything she ever did and ever will to is to get attention. Of course by the time freshman year rolled around she was hardly ever at school because she was acting full time in New York. Fun fact her parents payed off our school to basically give her a diploma. She was also told she could not attend our high school graduation after she tried to bring like 50 people from her entourage and cancel the live streaming of the even due to security risks. We went to international high school many of our classmates parents wouldn’t see their child graduate without the live streaming. I have a million stories about her and I LOVE sharing them. But to sum up this rant, when I read she hoped all her fans would die… I wasn’t even a little surprised. She would absolutely say something like that, and mean every word.

#15

Image source: anon, Justin Bieber

I live in Stratford, Ontario, home of the Biebs. I didn’t know him personally, but knew his friends. From what I can hear, he was an a****t before and after fame. He was suspended for pouring coffee on a teacher and then flipping her off. Recently, he was kicked out of the local theater for punching an old lady who reported him to the ushers for smoking pot in the theater.

So really nothing changed…

#16

Image source: hmistry, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

I’m close friends with Jemaine Clement (Grammy award Winner, MIB III, Flight of the Conchords etc etc…) and close to his brother Te Maia also. Jemaine has remained a pretty solid normal person, I still talk to him on FB (Cause he’s always out of town…) and the celebrity hasn’t got to his head one bit… We still talk about our kids and talk s**t..

#17

Image source: anon, Engadget

Dated the (now former) COO of Mozilla in grade 8.

Honestly, in hindsight, he was the only kid in our group of friends that was a truly outstanding human being. Even at age 13 he was insightful and bright. Kind and unique.

I’m not sure if that’s the type of famous you’re looking for, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up on the same ‘tech celeb’ list as Jobs, Gates, etc.

edit to add: Seriously, grade 8. When I say dated, I mean grade 8 circa 1992 dating. Seven-ish weeks, lots of awkward hand holding and hugging, I think we kissed once? I remember standing a lot of teen angst staring. He wrote me a beautiful song for my birthday and gave me roses. I was smitten but still very 13, as was he. I feel like this is a Pepperage Farm meme. Remember when 13 year olds didn’t give bj’s and STDs? Heatherpi remembers!

#18

Image source: OmNomNomKim, Weird History Food

My dad was pretty good friends with Ben & Jerry (the icecream guys) in college, he even roomed with Jerry… As far as I know, they were hippies then and they’re hippies now.

#19

Image source: BornScreaming, FOX8 WGHP

I went to school with Carl Edwards. Super nice, intelligent, funny guy. Bumped into him a couple of times in college and he seemed a touch vain and aloof. Then he became a extremely successful NASCAR driver, and any time I run into him, he’s back to being the jovial, genial dude I always knew. He maintains his hometown roots, and does what he can to help friends finance business ventures and artistic endeavors.

#20

Image source: mcgeem5, Jimmy Kimmel Live

I went to middle and high school with Chris Pratt. Basically, he was the same kind of character he plays on Parks and Recreation. He was popular, but always nice to everyone, even the non- popular kids, and he was really funny too. I haven’t seen him in years, but I assume he’s still pretty cool. All in all, fame couldn’t have happened to a cooler person.

#21

Image source: Thefoad, Jimmy Kimmel Live

My aunt went to high school with Robert Downey Jr and said he was an a*****e in class to everyone especially the teacher because he knew he would become something whether he finished school or not because his family was wealthy and his dad had actor hookups.

#22

Image source: anon, Warner Music Japan

I’m friends with Kiriko Takemura AKA Kyaru Pamyu Pamyu

She hasn’t changed much. She’s happier because she gets to make a living doing what she likes, but show biz in Japan is different from what I hear. Her music videos (and music) are weird as f**k and really fun to watch.

EDIT: Some people seem curious. I studied abroad in Japan in high school and met her then. We kept in touch through mail over the years and i have family in Japan so I visited often. I don’t see her that much but we still talk from time to time and I try to visit her when I get the time.

#23

Image source: anon, WWE

I went to middle school with Ronda Rousey (Female UFC Undefeated Bantamwieght Champion), she was pretty quiet in school, super introverted. I have not seen her in over ten years, but it’s amazing to see her now, she’s a total outspoken bad**s who scares the s**t out of me.

#24

Image source: stylinghead, Access Hollywood

Whoopi Goldberg smoked me and a friend out in Berkley in the early eighties for his birthday. She was smart nice and hilarious. I think she has just gotten smarter nicer and funnier and maybe a little grayer.

#25

Image source: anon, TheEllenShow

I didn’t know him really and he was already famous when this happened.

I’m from Shawnee, Oklahoma and my great aunt is good friends with Brad Pitt’s grandma. We stop by her house for some reason, I can’t remember what for but when we got there I really really had to p**s. So, when we get there I immediately go straight for the bathroom to my surprise I walk in on Brad Pitt dropping a deuce. I was mortified, mostly because I was only 9 and secondly I had no f*****g idea **Brad Pitt** was there. Like, I knew he was her grandson but I spent a lot of time there, saw all the pictures of him she had on her walls.

I was so embarrsed, I just walked to my ain’t and was like “Brad Pitt is here…” and she looks at me confused and goes “I told you William came to visit”. Yeah, I didn’t know that was his real name.