9 Celebrity Rags-to-Riches Stories That Awaken Confidence in All of Us

It is undoubted that plenty of people around the world live in extreme poverty and most of them may see their lives wither away in such a state of nothingness. For some, poverty is just a challenge of life and it can’t stop them to try their best to make their dreams come true and turn goals into facts. And celebrities are no exception.
It is true that the future is in your hand. Almost famous people started out as an ordinary person with nice dreams and some of them even started from rock bottom. Before fame, they had to begin working jobs as a waiter or a shop assistant to make a living. Even when they approached Hollywood, they forcibly endure years and years of hardship before becoming the world’s sweethearts. Their stories prove that dreams can indeed come true with perseverance and hard work.
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#1 Chris Pratt: $21 million

Celebrity Rags-to-Riches Source: © Broadimage/EAST NEWS, © AFP/EAST NEWS

Before becoming a bonafide A-list star, Chris Pratt was homeless. He dropped out of college and moved to Hawaii where he lived in a van. Fortunately, actor-director, Rae Dawn Chong offered him to play a waiter in a movie and he started to get attention. And today, he is a famous actor with a net worth of $21 million.

#2 Hilary Swank: $40 million

Celebrity Rags-to-Riches Source: © EAST NEWS, © Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Fotolink

Before becoming a star, Hilary Swank had a tough life because her father left her mom early with three kids. After her mom got laid off, they moved to California, hoping to change their lives. They first lived in a car and worked many odd jobs. After starring in “Million Dollar Baby, the 2-time Oscar-winning actress becomes famous. Now, Hilary Swank has a net worth of $40 million.

#3 Sarah Jessica Parker: $90 million

Celebrity Rags-to-Riches Source: © ASSOCIATED PRESS/FOTOLINK, © Depositphotos

Sarah Jessica Parker and her family used to live on welfare. In an interview with The Times, she shared, “I remember being poor. There was no great way to hide it. We didn’t have electricity sometimes. We didn’t have Christmases sometimes, or we didn’t have birthdays sometimes, or the bill collectors came or the phone company would call and say, ’We’re shutting your phones off”.
Thanks to the popular TV series “Sex and the City”, Sarah Jessica Parker is having wealthy life.

#4 Demi Moore: $150 million

Celebrity Rags-to-Riches Source: © PHOTOG/IPOL/GLOBE PHOTOS, INC./EAST NEWS, © Depositphotos

It’s hard to imagine that Demi Moore, one of Hollywood’s most loved hotties, had a miserable childhood. She had to endure living with an alcoholic mother and stepfather. Rise above all the negativity, she decided to pursue a modeling career. Later, she took drama classes and the rest is history. Moore’s hard work paid off and now she owns about $150 million.

#5 Jim Carrey: $150 million

Source: © EAST NEWS, © Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Fotolink

The images of Jim Carrey are associated with bright smiles but we can’t see them in the past. He had a tough time when his dad lost his job and home that were forced to live in a van. The actor even worked as a security guard and janitor to make ends meet. Everything changed when Carrey landed major comedy hits such as The Mask, Cable Guy, and Dumb and Dumber. His net worth is an estimated $150 million.

#6 Leonardo DiCaprio: $245 million

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Leonardo DiCaprio has stolen millions of hearts and becomes “The king of the world”. But many might not know that before getting famous, he used to live in poverty. He lived in a seedy LA neighborhood where drugs, prostitution and violence are popular. He told The Times, “It goes back to that neighborhood. It came from the fact that I grew up very poor, and I got to see the other side of the spectrum.” Now DiCaprio’s net worth is estimated at $245 million.

#7 Tom Cruise: $470 million

Tom Cruise has a successful career, starring in box-office movies and having a $470 million net worth. Despite his success at an early age, the actor grew up poor. At the age of 11, his parent got divorced and his mother had to work multiple jobs to pay the bills. Luck came to him when he joined the school’s production of the musical Guys and Dolls. At that time, his unbelievable career was born.

#8 J.K. Rowling: $1 billion

J.K. Rowling’s life changed overnight thanks to the popular novel Harry Potter. Before her success as a writer, she had to endure poverty, being a single mom and living on welfare. She used to write the manuscript of Harry Potter with her kid by her side in different cafes.
Despite being told that she would not be able to make any money with children’s books, eventually, “Harry Potter” book series earned her the title of World’s Highest Paid Author and was the third highest-paid celebrity across all categories in the entire world. Now, she owns approximately $1 billion.

#9 Oprah Winfrey: $2.8 billion

Oprah Winfrey’s life is considered as an open book. She was born in poor family and lived with her grandmother until she was six years old before living with her mom. As an adult, she became an unwed teenage mom. Not only did Oprah endure living on welfare, she even suffered from physical and sexual abuse. She overcame obstacles and began working at a local radio station after high school. And now, she possesses NOW, a media empire and has a net worth is $2.8 billion.