Not every product in Hollywood is a result of nepotism. Many A-listers in showbiz took a start from rock bottom. Take a look at 15 Hollywood actors with humble beginnings:

Elijah Wood

The Lord Of The Rings star didn’t have a strong family background when started off. His parents ran a restaurant in Lowa City and weren’t financially well off.

Daniel Kaluuya

Daniel grew up with his elder sister and mother on a council estate, the British equivalent of a housing project. He was around 9 when he started taking classes in improvisational acting at the Anna Scher Theatre.

Jessica Chastain

Chastain grew up in a low-income family and was the first in her home to actually go to a college, thanks to the Juilliard scholarship that is given by a foundation led by Robin Williams.

Dev Patel

Son of an IT consultant, Dev Patel made his screen debut as ‘Anwar’ in the first two series of the British TV drama Skins. It was his mother who prodded him to audition for this role.

Channing Tatum

It isn’t known to many but Tatum was a stripper before he got into showbiz. He dropped out of college and started framing houses. He was discovered on the street by a model scout who led him to videos and commercials.

Awkwafina

Born to a Chinese American father and a South Korean immigrant mother, Awkwafina worked at a video rental store, an air-conditioning company, and a publishing firm before her song “My Vag” became a viral hit and earned her recognition on YouTube.

Adam Driver

When Adam Driver did his first major role on the TV show Girls, he was the only main actor who didn’t have a parent who was already in the industry.

Simu Liu

Simu Liu was a charted accountant for a brief amount of time before he got into showbiz. He decided to pursue acting and persuaded his parents to follow his dreams.

Richard Madden

The Son of a school teacher and a firefighter, Richard Madden got into acting to get rid of his trait of shyness.

Jonathon Majors

Son of an Air Force officer, Majors grew up on a military base in California. He had a troubled childhood that involved getting arrested for shoplifting, suspension from school, getting kicked out of his own house, and living in a car while working at a restaurant.

Olivia Cooke

Cooke’s father was an ex-policeman and her mum, a sales representative. She got herself engaged in theatre drama at a young age and left to do TV soon after.

Anna Kendrick

Kendrick got her start in theatre when she was just a kid. Her first starring role was in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society at the age of 12.

Jodie Comer

Comer’s dad was a massage therapist at Everton Football Club and her mother worked at a travel agency. Her first paid job was at a BBC Radio 4 drama.

Kelly Marie Tan

Kelly’s parents were refugees who had fled from Vietnam. She used to make College Humor videos before Rian Johnson gave her an opportunity in Star Wars.

Mila Kunis

Mila’s parents emigrated from Ukraine to the US when she was only 7. Even when she was doing That 70s Show, she worked at the store where her mom worked.

 

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