5 Hollywood Stars Who Started Life Waiting Tables

Conan o’ Brien once said in an interview, “Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.” That statement couldn’t be truer for these Hollywood celebrities who once worked tirelessly as waiters or waitresses to make ends meet.

If you need a little bit of inspiration to work harder and look towards the ‘bigger picture’ here are some of the most revered Hollywood celebrities that started their professional lives waiting tables.

Chris Rock

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Chris Rock is one of the most successful comedians in America. After working as a standup comedian in small bars, he became a regular on Saturday Night live in the early 90s. After that, he landed big movie roles in Down to Earth, Head of the State, and Grown Ups. Today, he ranks as the 5th Greatest Standup Comedian in a poll conducted by Comedy Central. He was also voted 9th in Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007, and again 8th in the 2010 list of the Greatest Standup Comic Ever.

Before he became successful, Rock was a server at the Red Lobster — an American restaurant chain headquartered in Orlando, Florida. There isn’t much information about Rock’s life as a server but one thing’s for sure: his hard work was a stepping stone to where he is right now.

Chris Pratt

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To film and comic book fans, he is Star-Lord of the massively successful Marvel movie franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy. He also played Owen in Jurassic Park’s sequel, Jurassic World.

Pratt is one of the highest-paid Hollywood celebrities today. According to Forbes, Pratt now earns $13 million annually. His charisma has been well received by the superhero community, earning him the nickname “MonkeyBoy”. Pratt’s popularity has reached new heights due to his role in the franchise and his face is even see on the relatively new Jurassic World slot game on Slingo along with the faces of his fellow cast members. Pratt helped Jurassic World earn a massive $1.672 billion from movie sales according to Box Office Mojo.

Before Pratt became an international success, he lived out of a van while serving food at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. — a restaurant that was born out of the success of the iconic movie Forrest Gump. He was so poor at one point that he used to eat the restaurant’s leftovers. But if anything, this only helped him on his way to achieving greatness. Check out his interview below about his life as a server.

Russell Crowe

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Russell Crowe made his mark on the big screen when he played General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 film Gladiator. He won an Academy Awards for Best Actor, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor, an Empire Award for Best Actor, and a London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his role in the film.

As if those achievements weren’t enough to set him up for life, he also starred in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Les Misérables, Man of Steel, and Noah. His works have earned him several tributes, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Before he reached notoriety as an actor, he used to work as a server at a diner in Sydney, Australia. However, due to his quick temper, the Australian actor has spoken at length about how he often got into arguments while waiting tables.

Jon Hamm

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Hamm made his movie debut in the space adventure movie Space Cowboys. He then furthered his career by playing a minor role in Kissing Jessica Stein, and finally got his break in the TV series Mad Men. His performance in the hit TV sitcom earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series in 2008, and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2016.

Like the aforementioned actors in this list before him, Hamm lived with five other young actors and worked as a waiter to make ends meet. In an interview with People.com, he opened up about his life as a waiter and attributes this part of his life for making him the man he is today.

“Working in a restaurant is a good life lesson for anybody,” Hamm said. “My friend used to say no one should be able to work in Hollywood if they haven’t worked in a restaurant… you quickly learn what a difference a little bit of kindness and common courtesy can make for people.”

Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga is one of the most influential performers around with a net worth of $275 million. She is associated with some of the most prestigious labels including Def Jam, KonLive, and Interscope. Her second full-length album titled Born This Way topped the charts in over 20 countries, selling over 1 million copies in its first week. Gaga also won a Golden Globe Awards in 2016 for her acting in the television series American Horror Story: Hotel.

Before Gaga enjoyed her Hollywood life, she was a waitress at a diner in Manhattan. With the money that she got from waiting tables, she used it for recording.

If you have a dream, don’t give up on it! These celebrities certainly didn’t, and look at where they are right now. Work hard, be kind, and amazing things may just happen to you soon.