celebrities were gearheads before they became famous. Indeed, these celebs weren’t interested in machines and how they work. They were forced to live in their car until they hit the big time because they couldn’t afford rent. Still, nothing could hold our celebs back. They overcame their hardships and turned into big stars who are now millionaires.
For example, Chris Pratt lived in his van in Maui before he got the first role. Still, Jim and his family were all forced to work janitorial jobs while living in a Volkswagen camper. Others were escaping an abusive childhood, such as Lil Kim. Listening to these celeb stories, we all agree they deserve all they have today.
Today, we have compiled a list of 10 celebrities who lived in cars before they made it big in Hollywood.
#1 Drew Carey
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Before Drew Carey hosted The Price is Right and starred in his sitcom, he determined to take his career to the next level. He moved from Cleveland to L.A., where he lived in his car for a year and a half before performing stand-up on The Tonight Show and a post-performance interview with Johnny Carson. And the rest of his story is history.
#2 Chris Pratt
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Before Chris Pratt starred in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World franchises, he already found his success in Parks and Recreation and appeared in multiple Movies. But before that, the Avenger star lived out of his van in Maui until he got his first acting gig, which paid $700. And he now becomes a millionaire.#3 Lizzo
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At age 21, the “Truth Hurts” singer used to live in her car when she tried to break into the music industry. Then, she rose to her stardom. The former president, Barrack Obama, was amazed by her skills, putting Lizzo on his Summer Playlist 2019 and his end-of-year Favorite Music of 2019 list. Needless to say, she has gone through an epic journey.#4 Tyler Perry
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After Tyler Perry invested his entire savings in his autobiographic production, he spent the following years living out of his tiny car because he wasn’t staying in dingy motels. His perseverance paid off when the play eventually became a hit, and the profits from that helped him finance his first movie, Diary of a Mad Black woman.#5 Hilary Swank
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Hilary Swank’s won two Oscars for Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby. But not many people know she grew up in a trailer park after her family broke up. She and her mom moved to Los Angeles so that Swank could pursue an acting career. They lived out of an Oldsmobile so Swankso Swank could audition for her roles. Finally, the actress made it.
#6 Kelly Clarkson
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Before Kelly Clarkson won the first season of American Idol, she was forced to live in her car because her apartment caught fire. After that, she moved back to Texas, where she tried her luck in a reality show. Clarkson now becomes stronger, and she’s got the music and TV career to prove it.#7 Steve Harvey
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The comedian managed to make it big in Hollywood; he lived in his car for 3 years because all the money he earned working gigs around America was sent to his ex-wife for their child support. Now he’s had many TV shows, bumbles as the host of Miss Universe is the best host of Family Feud ever. And he has a net worth of $160 million, which is not too shabby.#8 Sam Worthington
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Sam Worthington had a few gigs, nothing super-substantial. He was unemployed and had sold everything except his car, which he had lived in for a long time. After that, he auditioned for a role in an unnamed movie helmed by an unknown director. That man was James Cameron, who gave Sam a chance, and put him in Avatar, which would become the highest-grossing film of all time (until Avengers: Endgame turned it into second place in 2019).#9 Jewel
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Jewel lived in her car for a year before gigs were offered, like everyone else on the list. In 1993, she worked as a barista in a local coffee shop, and in 1995, she released her debut album, Pieces of You. It became platinum 12 times over. She was meant for music, and music was meant for her.
#10 Lil’ Kim
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Lil'Kim had an unhappy childhood when her parents split up. She and her mother lived out of their car. After that, the rapper moved in with her father, but, sadly, he kicked her out when she was just a teen. She became homeless, sleeping on friends' couches, living on the streets and in cars until she met Christopher Wallace, who decided to take care of her. Now, she has become an icon in the music industry. And in 2019, she was awarded the I Am Hip Hop Award at the BET Hip Hop Awards, which celebrated her music, legacy, and influence.