Think you know all the tea about your favorite celebs? Well, think again and forget the glamour for a minute. It’s true that everybody has to start somewhere, and for our biggest stars, that “somewhere” was in a fast food restaurant. Here are 12 Hollywood celebrities who stood behind a greasy counter, flipped burgers, and dealt with late-night cravings—all before they got the fame.
12. Jenna Fischer
Jenna Fischer, or “Pam” from TV series The Office, wasn’t really an office worker during her humble beginnings. In fact, Jenna worked for Long John Silver’s when she was a teenager. She wanted to be a fry cook because it paid better than working the cash register. But after a couple of bad burns, she decided to quit.
11. Gwen Stefani
The Voice host Gwen Stefani blended Blizzards at Dairy Queen! This is the fast food chain where she made her first dollar and she was still in high school when she took the job. She also worked at DQ with her bandmates, Eric Stefani (Gwen’s brother) and John Spence.
10. Eva Longoria
The Desperate Housewife didn’t just spend one summer or a couple of weeks in a fast food chain. From 1991 to 1994, the actress worked at Wendy’s, because she initially wanted to save money for her 15th birthday, but then she stayed on to become a manager at the age of 18.
9. Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt said “man’s gotta eat,” when asked about the time he worked for El Pollo Loco. Yup, the Brad Pitt we all know and love worked for the fast food chain as a mascot in a chicken costume. He wore the yellow chicken suit during the grand opening of an El Pollo Loco store in Los Angeles.
8. Jennifer Hudson
Before stepping into the spotlight of Hollywood, Jennifer Hudson sang to the customers at the drive-thru window of Burger King (while taking their orders, of course!) In an article published by The Guardian, Jennifer even said that she loved all of her jobs, including working for the fast food giant. The singing at the drive-thru also led to her first paycheck as a performer.
7. Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, was once a fry cook at Jack in the Box. He also loved making customers laugh by doing funny voices. One customer called him out and told him to stop acting silly. Back then, Mark knew that he’s funny, claiming that he’ll be a famous movie star someday. And guess what? He made it!
6. Sharon Stone
Known for her breakout role in “Basic Instinct,” actress and now painter Sharon Stone worked at McDonald’s during her teenage years. She talked about this experience in her book, The Beauty of Living Twice, sharing that she worked part-time for the golden arches as a counter girl while waiting for her big break.
5. Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a McDonald’s alumnus, and the man behind the hit Broadway musical Hamilton and the soundtrack of animated films Encanto and Moana. Before winning multiple awards, he worked the cash register and did deliveries for the fast food chain. He also used this experience to write the song “Delivery” for the musical Working (2009 version).
4. Pink
Pink didn’t just work for one fast food chain but three! Before she became famous for her singing voice, she worked the drive-thru window at McDonald’s, since it was important for her family that she make her own money. Pink also worked at Pizza Hut for a year and at Wendy’s (only for an hour and a half). She left Wendy’s when her boss dared to give her the french fry duty.
3. Rachel McAdams
Canadian actress and world-famous “mean girl” Rachel McAdams also had her humble beginnings at McDonald’s. Oddly enough, she didn’t know why the fast food chain kept her. She shared that she wasn’t the best employee and was slow and somewhat a daydreamer, but then she held her job for three years and became a friendly voice that greets the customers.
2. Madonna
Yes, the Queen of Pop also worked for a fast food chain, specifically Dunkin’ Donuts! However, she wasn’t so vogue during that time. Unlike other celebrities on this list who stayed for months or years with their employers, Madonna was fired on her first day after accidentally squirting a jelly on a customer.
1. Barack Obama
In the summer of 1978, Barack Obama’s first-ever job was scooping ice cream at Baskin-Robbins in Honolulu, Hawaii. That’s right, believe it or not, our 44th president scooped up rock-hard ice cream, which he saw as a threat to his basketball career at that time. Nevertheless, he took valuable lessons from the experience: responsibility, hard work, and the importance of balanced life.