Before they were famous, they were already successful. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most notable celebrities who initially achieved success in careers outside what they are known for today.
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00:00Ken is not only an actor, he's not only a comedian, he's a doctor.
00:04Welcome to Nizmojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most notable celebrities
00:10who initially achieved success in careers outside what they are known for today.
00:15Were they excited that you went into acting as a profession?
00:24Number 10, Cameron Diaz
00:26At just 21, Cameron Diaz made her big screen debut opposite Jim Carrey in The Mask,
00:31but she was no stranger to the spotlight. Before dazzling audiences with her acting chops,
00:36Diaz had already carved out a successful modeling career. She began modeling in high school,
00:41after signing a contract with the prestigious Elite Model Management.
00:45I wasn't like an editorial model. I was like making a
00:48really decent living for a young girl who never saw money in her life, you know what I mean?
00:53This led to her appearing in high-profile campaigns for brands like Calvin Klein and Levi's.
00:58She was also featured on the cover of Seventeen magazine's July 1990 issue,
01:02and landed a spot in a Coca-Cola commercial the following year.
01:06I see you got my message.
01:12I see I'm not the only one.
01:13It was this modeling success that eventually paved the way for her to audition for The Mask,
01:18which launched her acting career.
01:20What kind of account do you have in mind?
01:22I'm not sure exactly. You see, I'm just terrible with things like that.
01:39You might recognise Ben Stein as the droning economics teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off,
01:44or as the deadpan host of Win Ben Stein's Money on Comedy Central.
01:48Speaking of throwing money, today I'm putting $5,000 of my money on the line,
01:53and I am giving these three totally strange strangers a chance to win it all away from me.
01:58But years before he graced our screens, Stein was making waves behind the scenes,
02:03working as a speechwriter and lawyer for the US presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
02:08Thanks so much for joining us. Let's travel back in time.
02:11Let's travel back in time. This is you in 1969. Let's show a picture of that.
02:15There you are. Very cool. Very radical.
02:18Stein was so deeply embedded in the Nixon administration that speculation
02:22even arose that he was Deep Throat, the secret informant who provided key details
02:27that helped in the reporting of the Watergate scandal. He continued to appear in movies and
02:31TV shows throughout the 90s and 2000s, but has largely retreated from the spotlight in recent
02:37years. This is an interesting piece, Mr. Ipkiss. Looks like 4th or 5th century Scandinavian,
02:43possibly a representation of one of the Norse night gods, maybe Loki.
02:48Number 8. Rosie Perez.
02:50Rosie Perez's life has been anything but predictable. The New Yorican actress first
02:55broke into show business at 19, after being discovered at a nightclub by a talent scout.
03:01With zero professional experience, Perez landed a gig on Soul Train as a dancer.
03:14Before long, she was choreographing not just for the show,
03:19but also for music videos of stars like Janet Jackson, Diana Ross, and Al Cool J.
03:24She also handled choreography for the in-house dance troupe Fly Girls
03:28on the sketch comedy show In Living Color.
03:30They were just awesome girls. They taught me a lot about dance and choreography.
03:37I never admitted that to them ever, but they did.
03:42It was her dancing skills that caught the eye of filmmaker Spike Lee,
03:46who decided to cast Perez in his film Do The Right Thing, which became her acting debut.
03:52Now, come on, move it. Ow! Hold up. Wait a minute. First of all, it is too hot,
03:57alright? And if you think I'm gonna let you get some, put your clothes on and leave here.
04:02Number 7. Halle Berry.
04:03Halle Berry, Cleveland, Ohio.
04:06In 2002, Halle Berry broke barriers as the first African-American woman to win the Academy Award
04:12for Best Actress. But back in the 1980s, Berry was making history in an entirely different career,
04:18beauty pageants. That decade saw her snag titles like Miss Teen All-American,
04:23Miss Ohio USA, and she even finished as the first runner-up in Miss USA 1986.
04:29I would like to symbolize a very positive role model, not only for women,
04:33but for all the people of the United States. And through me, I hope that they could learn
04:37that no matter what race, color, religion, or sex you are, you can be whatever it is you want to
04:41become. That same year, she became the first African-American to compete in the Miss World
04:46pageant, where she placed 6th. Despite her pageant success, Berry actually faced a rocky
04:52transition to acting in the late 80s. Why would anyone want to be a boring old model
04:57when they could be in the exciting, glamorous world of liver transplants?
05:02Exactly.
05:03She once revealed that she was penniless and initially lived in a homeless shelter
05:07and a YMCA before finally hitting it big in Hollywood.
05:11Number 6. Michelle Wolfe
05:13If you've ever thought Michelle Wolfe was an unusual comedian, it's probably because her path
05:18to comedy was anything but conventional. You'd have to pay extra for insurance if you get a
05:23regular period. Wolfe studied kinesiology in college and right after graduating landed a
05:29job managing accounts and mutual funds at Bear Stearns. This happened just as the 2008 financial
05:35crisis hit, which led to the collapse of the company. She then moved to JPMorgan Chase in
05:41the same capacity. During this period, Wolfe began taking improv classes, which ignited her
05:46passion for comedy. She first performed stand-up on Late Night with Seth Meyers, where she later
06:01worked as a contributor and writer. This was followed by a stint on The Daily Show
06:06before she landed her own Netflix series, The Break with Michelle Wolfe.
06:23Number 5. Gemma Chan
06:25Earning a law degree from the University of Oxford is no small accomplishment. Landing a
06:38job at one of the most prestigious law firms in the world right out of school is even more
06:44impressive. British actress Gemma Chan pulled off both feats, setting herself up for a successful
06:49legal career. However, Chan turned down this mouth-watering opportunity to join a drama school
06:55in London. It was a huge gamble, but one that ultimately paid off. The actress has since
07:10dazzled in blockbusters like Crazy Rich Asians and Captain Marvel. Though she's left the legal
07:15field behind, she still benefits from her law school training, admitting it helps her memorise
07:21lines and review her own work contracts with ease. Number 4. Jason Statham
07:34Jason Statham has made a name for himself as the quintessential action hero. Often playing gritty,
07:40tough guys with a vast array of skills. But before diving into acting, Statham was actually
07:54diving for a living, as a member of the British National Swimming Squad for over a decade.
07:59Although he never made it to the Olympics, Statham represented England at the Commonwealth Games in
08:041990, competing in the 10-metre, 3-metre, and 1-metre events. His athletic skills didn't go
08:20unnoticed. They caught the eye of modelling scouts who soon came knocking and helped sign him to
08:25contracts with brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Levi's. It didn't take long before Statham began
08:41appearing in music videos and, ultimately, in blockbuster films. Number 3. Ken Jeong
08:47While many doctors unwind after work by hitting the golf course, running marathons,
08:52volunteering with charity groups, Dr. Ken Jeong had a different stress reliever. Comedy. That's
08:58right, the Hangover actor actually went to medical school and practiced as a doctor for several
09:04years. After saving lives by day, he would do stand-up and improv by night. That was how he
09:17grabbed the attention of Judd Apatow, who cast him in his major film debut 2007's Knocked Up.
09:36This exposure was just what Jeong needed to leave his medical career behind
09:40and transition to acting full-time. Nevertheless, he is still licensed to practice in California
09:46and often lends a hand during on-set medical emergencies.
10:02Number 2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
10:04Arnold Schwarzenegger became a household name largely due to his iconic role in The Terminator.
10:11But he was already a millionaire long before that, and it wasn't from his acting or bodybuilding.
10:18When he moved to the U.S. in 1968, Schwarzenegger was determined to become a successful businessman.
10:24He started by establishing a construction company, then reinvested his profits into
10:29a mail-order venture that sold bodybuilding and fitness equipment.
10:41Ultimately, Schwarzenegger expanded his empire with real estate investments,
10:48raking in millions before he even made his Hollywood breakthrough with 1982's Conan the
10:53Barbarian. Even as his fame grew as an actor and politician, Schwarzenegger kept his business
10:59ventures rolling, and by 2024, his savvy investments had made him a billionaire.
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11:32Number 1. John Legend
11:34Today, he's a musical sensation with millions of records sold and an ego to his name,
11:41but things could have played out very differently for John Legend.
11:45After earning a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999,
11:50he kicked off his career as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group.
11:55I started applying to some of those firms. I got interviews with McKinsey and BCG,
11:59and I got an offer from BCG and I took it, and I worked there for three years.
12:03There, Legend worked on company mergers as well as consulting with pharmaceutical companies.
12:08Despite his success in the corporate world, his passion for music never waned.
12:12I started playing gigs in New York at night, on weekends,
12:16even while I was still working at BCG. It really started to come together once I was in New York.
12:20He kept writing and producing his own songs until they caught the ear of industry insiders
12:25who connected him with the likes of Kanye West. The rest, as they say,
12:30is multiple award-winning history.
12:36Did we miss any other celebrities who were successful pre-fame? Let us know in the comments
12:41below. And within a year and a half of that, I started to get a lot of interest and got signed.
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