Best Actress winner Olivia Colman recalled her days as a cleaner while picking up her Oscar for her polished performance in The Favourite:

“I worked as a cleaning lady after dropping out of teacher training college and struggling to find acting work. I actually really loved my cleaning jobs. I loved the job satisfaction. I’d really go to town. I’d wipe skirting boards, the top of lights but I never looked in drawers!”

This was a job per se but the actress was on a different career trajectory altogether before she found fame on the tube. She was once a gifted figure skater in elementary school, but quit in eighth grade to focus on other ventures, like modelling.

When she was 14, Hye Kyo won the SunKyung Smart Model Contest, which led to talent scouts finding her and before you knew it she was cast for a small role in her acting debut for drama First Love.

Now onto her husband, the other Song. Before Song Joong Ki became one of the biggest names in K-dramas, or before he was part of the Running Man cast, he aspired to become a speed skater.

Joong Ki took up the sport for 10 years. He even became a representative for his home city of Daejeon. But he had to leave the sport due to an injury in his first year of high school (which could be regarded as a blessing in disguise!).

The actress worked odd jobs and tried out telemarketing and was once a bike messenger.

Before killing it as Cookie Lyon on the hit TV show Empire, Taraji worked several jobs.

The Howard University graduate was once a secretary at The Pentagon, a singing-dancing waitress and was a part-time hairstylist that charged US$20 for a hair cut.

Before earning the title as Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor, George was a broadcast journalism student who tried working as a shoe salesman and even tried out for the Cincinnati Red baseball team.

Nicole was a massage therapist back in her hometown in Australia before becoming an award-winning actress.

Before the whole Amber Heard drama happened, Johnny was a ballpoint pen salesman.

Before becoming the mega celeb she is now, Kim was a close friend of socialite Paris Hilton and also served as a personal assistant.

Kim was also a capable businesswoman that made extra money selling designer apparels and bags on the side via eBay.

She’s one of George Clooney’s BFFs and the fact that they both came from humble beginnings could be the reason why.

Julia scooped ice cream at Baskin Robbins before shooting to fame.

He’s one of the world’s most famous rappers but before he started busting out hit after hit, Kanye worked at GAP.

Before Brangelina happened, Brad worked as a limousine driver, delivery man and was once a mascot for a fast food restaurant.

Madonna was a Dunkin’ Donuts girl at New York’s Times Square.

The pop star had this to say of her days before becoming a Grammy-winning artist: “My first job was sweeping hair off the floor at my mother’s hair salon. I swept, sang for the customers sometimes and hoped for tips.”

The Thor star is bracing himself for more blockbuster glory in the new Avengers: Endgame movie but he’s not ashamed to recall the days when he used to go to work armed with a breast pump!

“I cleaned breast pumps for a living. I worked for Fisher and Parker, which is a home-ware company in Australia. I had to clean, assemble and repair breast pumps that were rented to pharmacies. They would come in covered in dried milk, and I’d be there with a toothbrush, scrubbing them up and cleaning,” he says.