Celebrities are usually the best source of rags-to-riches stories. Whether they are actors, ball players, or singers, we rounded up a list of famous people who started out very poor and have become unimaginably successful.
Movie Stars
Jim Carey spent a big part of his childhood living in a van. He still claims that it was a happy memory for him, since it allowed him to save money and take his family out of a miserable situation, once he started working in a factory. Carey is known for his talent in both comedy and acting, one of his notable works are Dumb & Dumber and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Halle Berry, an Oscar winner, spent a part of her life living in a homeless shelter in the city, as she tried to score roles in acting. She sees this as a positive experience, because she knows she can always survive any obstacle in life.
Athletes
Michael Oher struggled a lot in his youth; he knew a life of living in foster care and homelessness. He would, later on, become a top NFL prospect. The complete turn around of his life is the reason why his story has been adapted into books and a famous Hollywood movie.
Bill Schuffenhauer is an Olympic bobsledder who spent his youth without a home. He jumped between foster homes and had to find food in garbage cans, until his grandmother found him and took him in.
Musicians
Singer and songwriter Jewel spent time trying to avoid rent by living in her car. She was fired because she refused to have sex with her boss. Jewel would then experience success right after signing a deal with Atlantic Records.
Ella Fitzgerald is a legendary singer who was homeless until she made her big debut in 1934, at the Apollo Theater. She would then collect dozens of Grammy Awards and two medals from different presidents.
We know it’s hard to imagine these people ever experiencing anything below the poverty line, but most of them had worse lives than a massive percentage of the world. It’s only a matter of how much focus and determination you are willing to put into making a name and future for yourself.