Rock Lobster
Chris Rock can look back and joke about his job at Red Lobster in New York now, but we're guessing it was tough to settle for bussing tables when being a comedian was his goal. "The thing about Red Lobster is that if you work there, you can't afford to eat there. You're making minimum wage. A shrimp costs minimum wage," he said on the Tonight Show in the past.
Donut Days
Madonna has been an international superstar for decades now, and it all started with her working at Dunkin' Donuts as a teen. Then she danced and modeled for a bit before singing her way to the top.
Circus Circus
At 15, Christopher Walken was trying his hand at lion taming in the circus. That gig only lasted for a bit, then he seemingly decided college and acting were better, safer routes.
Clean Sweep
Mariah Carey did a series of odd jobs while trying to launch her music career. She swept up hair at a salon, was a waitress, and even got fired from working as a coat/hat checker! Apparently she had too much attitude and was too distracted by her music to do a good job.
Chicken Out
These days, if Brad Pitt has to wear a chicken costume, he'll be getting paid millions for it. But, things weren't always that way. He dressed up for a gig working at a Mexican restaurant, and also had jobs like moving refrigerators and driving limos while he was a struggling actor.
Mop Man
Funnyman Jim Carrey had a bunch of odd jobs when he was growing up. He worked as a janitor at a tire factory at 15, and was also a security guard. He used to visit comedy clubs to relax.
Ushered In
Quentin Tarantino looks fondly upon his start in the movie biz, but his job as an usher at an adult movie theater was probably much less glamorous than his post as big-time movie director now. "To me, the greatest job a person could ever have was being an usher at a movie theater, you know. You get to go to a movie theater all day long, and then you get to see all the movies for free," he said a while back.
Fly Away
Lost star Evangeline Lilly put in her time as a flight attendant before she got famous. She also served as a foreign missionary in the Philippines and lived in a grass hut!
Basketball Babe
Way before her singing career and American Idol, Paula Abdul could be seen on the sidelines of Lakers games in the '80s -- as a cheerleader! She also launched her own workout video before her songs got played on the radio.
Rat Race
Warren Beatty has been in showbiz since the early '60s, after his stint as a rat catcher in a Virginia movie theater. Ick!
