15 Celebs Who Were Basically Dirt Poor Before Getting Their Big Break

It's difficult not to be envious of the glamorous lives that celebrities lead. They have fame, looks, and money. They never have to be concerned about unpaid rent or bills. Instead, they fly in private jets to exotic locations to relax on their yachts.
However, despite their current wealth, many of the richest celebrities came from humble beginnings. Before they became well known, these 15 celebrities were essentially penniless. Some of them lived in shelters or in cars because they were homeless or had literally nothing in their bank accounts.
Their rags-to-riches stories demonstrate that with hard work, perseverance, ability, and a lot of luck, you can finish up in a better situation than you started.
Check out these 15 stories about finding success from your favorite celebrities.

#1 Kat Graham

Source: Splash News

When she landed her part in the spooky series, Vampire Diaries actor Kat Graham had just 86 cents. Yet, it wasn't enough to make her feel secure. She thought she was going to get killed off, so she wanted to save my money. She told the Huffington Post that she stayed in a $500/month rental.

#2 Sarah Jessica Parker

Source: Splash News

It's difficult to imagine the Sex and the City actress being penniless, but when she was young, her family went through a lot of suffering. She admitted to the New York Times that they were on welfare. Sometimes there was no electricity, sometimes they didn't celebrate Christmas or birthdays, or the bill collectors would show up, or the phone company would turn off their phones.
Sarah Jessica is now estimated to be worth $150 million.

#3 Annie Murphy

Source: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters/Corbis

Annie Murphy's career has reached new heights thanks to Schitt's Creek, something she may not have even dreamed of when she booked the show with barely $3 in her pocket. Before that pivotal phone call, she was on the verge of giving up acting altogether. Imagine if Annie's iconic performance of "A Little Bit Alexis" didn't exist. It would truly be tragic.

#4 Hilary Swank

Source: Splash News

After her parents separated, Hilary Swank came to Los Angeles with her mother to pursue her acting career. But she had to spend some time living in her car before she got her big break. She shared that she went a long time without having health insurance, even after appearing in Boys Don't Cry.

#5 Sylvester Stallone

Source: Instagram

Sylvester Stallone published a throwback image of himself earlier this year, when things were harder. This is exactly what a 22-year-old actor/writer living in a $71/month apartment looks like. If you want to get out, there is always a way. If you really want to go up, there is always a way up, he shared in the caption of the photo.

#6 Halle Berry

Source: Splash News

Halle is currently an Academy Award-winning actor and has an estimated net worth of $90 million. But at age 21, she was residing at a shelter for the homeless.
Halle remembered contacting her mum and asking her to send her some money and she said no. She had to figure it out. And for a while, figuring things out included living in a shelter.

#7 Daniel Craig

Source: Kerstin Joensson/AP/Corbis

James Bond's reputed net worth now is $160 million, though it didn't begin that way. The Independent said that early in his career as an aspiring theater performer, Daniel had to occasionally sleep on park benches. He simply had nowhere else to go at that moment. He has undoubtedly gone a long way since then.

#8 Mila Kunis

Source: Splash News

According to Today, Mila Kunis, who was born in Ukraine, moved to the United States as a young child. She has said that growing up meant eating "ketchup soup" and that she never had it easy.
Things began to improve for her at the age of 14, when she was cast in That '70s Show. She has subsequently clarified that she wants to teach her children to appreciate the kind of privilege she did not experience growing up.

#9 Steve Harvey

Source: Splash News

When his job as a stand-up comedian didn't provide housing, Steve Harvey frequently had to live out of his car. He had to wait three years to find a reliable place to live.
After reaching this "rock bottom," as he has described it, he turned to his faith for strength, and he has made it significantly. He is now the host of almost everything.

#10 Jennifer Lopez

Source: Splash News

J.Lo experienced homelessness early in her career after deciding against attending college. She wanted to try dance full-time.
She had to spend the night on a couch at her dance studio in order to achieve that, but her perseverance paid off, and in 1991, she scored her breakthrough role on In Living Color.

#11 Richard Madden

Source: Splash News

Richard Madden became famous because of Game of Thrones, but he nearly failed as an actor. He recalled on Jimmy Fallon the moment just before HBO cast him, he was on his final month's rent. He requested an advance from his agent, which enabled him to scrape by for a short while.

#12 Chrissy Metz

Source: SAF/Splash

Chrissy had only 81 cents in her bank account before being cast on the popular television series This Is Us. She now said that she is fortunate to be doing well financially and pursuing her desired job.
She told CNBC that she doesn't have to lie that she can't go to dinner because she's not feeling well anymore now that she can pay for dinner and take her friends out, and that's really important to her.

#13 Matt LeBlanc

Source: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters/Corbis

Matt LeBlanc had a breakthrough moment with Friends. He had just $11 in his bank account when he was chosen for the role on the popular show. He had to forgo going to the dentist to have a tooth filed down because it would have cost $80. Instead, he said that he used emery boards from a local drugstore to manually file it down. Honestly, that's a very Joey thing to do.

#14 Kelly Clarkson

Source: Splash News

Before she became famous on American Idol, the singer barely had any money, and when her apartment burned down, she was forced to temporarily live in her car. She hasn't let her fame affect her ability to work hard, something she once needed to survive.
Regarding her early career, she did anything that paid. Even now, when someone says they can't find a job, she would say they're not really looking, because if you're hungry enough and need electricity, you would work anywhere.

#15 The Rock

Source: Splash News

Dwayne Johnson's life wasn't always action movies and big cash, as his new show Young Rock investigates. In fact, after being cut from the Canadian Football League, he had only $7. In order to remind himself of how far he has gone since then, he later gave his production company the name Seven Bucks Productions.