Celebrities' Different Looks at the Start of Their Hollywood Careers
We all love to watch celebrities grow alongside us on and off the screen. The ability to have the staying power in Hollywood is no easy feat and we love to see it!
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite celebrities from when they were still young and fresh faced in town compared to today, as huge celebrities.
Ariana Grande
Born: June 26th, 1993
Profession: Actress, Singer, Songwriter
Breakout Role: Victorious
Ariana Grande was born in Boca Raton, Florida. She was involved in a Broadway play at 15, which helped land her the Nickelodeon breakout role, Victorious. However, in 2013 she released her first album All Yours and landed the jackpot of fame and fortune.
Priyanka Chopra
Born: July 18th, 1982
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: 2000 Miss World pageant
Before we knew her as a Jonas Brother family member and Hollywood royalty, Priyanka was already Bollywood royalty in India, as well as global royalty, as she won Miss World as well as starred in her first Bollywood film in 2003.Then, in 2015, she played the lead role in US crime drama Quantico and solidified her fame in the United States.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Born: November 11th, 1974
Profession: Actor
Breakout Role: What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Since his breakout role in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape in 1993 (where he earned his first Oscar nomination) he went on to star in a long list of iconic films.However, it was his role in The Titanic that landed him “overnight success” as he put it.
Kim Kardashian
Born: October 21st, 1980
Profession: Reality TV Star, Business Woman
Breakout Role: ...Debatable. Keeping Up With the Kardashians
Though Kim Kardashian grew up amongst the wealthy and elite (did you know she was Paris Hilton’s assistant?) it wasn’t until a leaked sex tape with musician Ray Jay that pivoted her and her family’s life forever.In 2007, her and her family launched Keeping Up With the Kardashian’s and the rest is television history. Today, Kardashian has built an empire around her name.
Bella Hadid
Born: October 9th, 1996
Profession: Model
Breakout Role: Tom Ford Runway, New York City Fashion Week
Like the Kardashians, the Hadid’s also came from an insanely wealthy family prior to becoming uber famous. Bella signed a contract with IMG models in 2014 and her runway debut was for Desigual at NYFW.
Oprah Winfrey
Born: January 29th, 1954
Profession: Talk Show Host
Breakout Role: The Oprah Winfrey Show
Oprah came from very humble beginnings and worked her way through a difficult childhood into one of the richest and most famous people to ever exist. She became the co-anchor of Eyewitness News in Baltimore, Maryland in June 1978.In 1986 she launched The Oprah Winfrey Show and became one of the most successful talk show hosts on television.
Tyra Banks
Profession: Model
Born: December 4th, 1973
Breakout Role: In 1990, Tyra landed a contract with Elite Model Management
Tyra Banks was born in Inglewood, California. She is a former international fashion model and the very first Black woman on the cover of Sports Illustrated, as well as GQ Magazine. She also went on to host the reality TV program, America’s Next Top Model. She began modeling at 17.
Audrey Hepburn
Born: May 4th, 1929
Profession: Actress and Humanitarian
Breakout Role: A Broadway Production of Gigi
Audrey Hepburn was born in Brussels, Belgium. During World War Two she helped the resistance against the Nazis deliver messages. She is more noted for her role in the iconic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Jason Momoa
Born: August 1, 1979
Profession: Actor
Breakout Role: Baywatch Hawaii
Jason Momoa, a Honolulu, Hawaii native, got his start on the shows such as Baywatch Hawaii and Stargate: Atlantis. He is most known for her roles in both the series Game of Thrones as well as his role as the DC Comics superhero movie, Aquaman.
Angelina Jolie
Born: June 4th, 1975
Profession: Actress, Producer, Director
Breakout role: HBO Biopic, Gia
Angelina Jolie is most known for her roles in movies such as Girl, Interrupted, Salt, Maleficent, and Changeling. She descends from actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand and began acting at a young age, studying at Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in her teens.
Britney Spears
Born: December 2nd, 1981
Profession: Pop Star
Breakout Role: The All-New Mickey Mouse Club
Britney Spears is one of the most famous solo acts in popular music. She began her career at aged 11 and went on to release the single Baby One More Time in 1998, which launched her into stardom. She went from child star to pop star sensation.
Christina Aguilera
Born: December 18th, 1980
Profession: Pop Star
Breakout Role: All New Mickey Mouse Club
Christina Aguilera was born in Staten Island, New York. She rose to stardom rapidly after the release of her hit single Genie in a Bottle, which she won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
Cameron Diaz
Born: August 10th, 1972
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: The Mask
Cameron Diaz was born in San Diego, California. She began modeling at the age of 16 and appeared in Calvin Klein. Her first role was in the film The Mask alongside Jim Carrey. She went on to star in an array of Blockbuster hits.
Cara Delevingne
Born: August 12th, 1992
Profession: Model, Actress
Breakout Role: Vogue Italia
Cara Delevingne got her big break in modeling at age 10 and signed with Storm Management in 2009. Her first catwalk appearance was at the February 2011 London Fashion Week, in which she walked for Burberry. She’s ranked one of the most popular international models in the world.
Courtney Cox
Born: June 15th, 1964
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: Bruce Springsteen music video, Dancing in the Dark
Courtney Cox was born in Birmingham Alabama. She dropped out of college studying architecture to pursue modeling in New York City. She is best known for her role as Monica Geller on the hit television series Friends.
Demi Moore
Born: November 11, 1962
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: General Hospital
Demi Moore was born in Roswell, New Mexico. As a teenager she joined the cast of General Hospital. She made her big screen debut on St. Elmo’s Fire, and then hit the acting jackpot with her role in Ghost.
Robert De Niro
Born: August 17th, 1943
Profession: Actor
Breakout Role: Bang in the Drum
Robert De Niro left school at the ripe age of 16 to study acting with Stella Adler. From there he worked with many acclaimed film directors, including Martin Scorsese. In 1974 De Niro won his first Academy Award for his role in the iconic film The Godfather: Part 2.
Emma Stone
Born: November 6th, 1988
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: Superbad
Emily “Emma” Stone was born in Scottsdale, Arizona. She began acting when she was 11 years old and performed in 16 theater productions throughout middle school. She first began appearing in film and TV roles, including Malcolm in the Middle and drive, before making her feature film debut in Superbad.
Fergie
Born: March 27th, 1975
Profession: Pop Star
Breakout Role: Kids Incorporated
Stacy Ann Ferguson was born in Hacienda Heights, California. She began her career appearing in commercial and then joined the Kids Incorporated cast in 1984. She joined the hip-hop rock band the Black-Eyed Peas and their 2003 album, Elephunk. Fergie released two albums as a solo artist.
Gigi Hadid
Born: April 23rd, 1995
Profession: Model
Breakout Role: Baby Guess
Gigi Hadid has been modeling since she was two years old after being discovered by family friend and Guess co-founder Paul Marciano. Gigi’s mother was a model, and her sister, Bella Hadid, is also an incredibly successful model.
Heidi Klum
Born: June 1st, 1973
Profession: Model, TV Personality
Breakout Role: Victoria’s Secret
Heidi Klum is a German-born supermodel who started her modeling career at age 18 after moving to New York. She achieved supermodel status when she appeared on the cover of 1998 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
Helena Bonham Carter
Born: May 26th, 1966
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: A Room with a View
Helena Bonham Carter was born in Golders Green, London, England. She has been in a wide net of successful Blockbusters including Sweeney Todd, Alice and Wonderland, Harry Potter, Fight Club, Charlie, and the Chocolate Factory, along with many others.
Jennifer Aniston
Born: February 11, 1969
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: Friends
Jennifer Aniston was born in Sherman Oaks, California. She is the daughter of soap opera star John Aniston and actress Nancy Dow. She began appearing in stage productions in the late 1980’s. She had a few minor film and television roles, but her breakout and most notable role was as Rachel Green on Friends.
Sandra Bullock
Born: July 26th, 1964
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: Speed
Sandra Bullock was born in Arlington, Virginia, to a German opera singer. She was born to a German opera singer and voice teacher and grew up on the road. Her first acting jobs were in an 0ff-Broadway production of No Time Flat. She was in a series of B-list movies, but the box-office hit, Speed gave her critical acclaim.
Sharon Stone
Born: March 10th, 1958
Profession: Actress, Model
Breakout Role: Total Recall
Sharon Stone was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania. After graduation, she decided to pursue modeling in New York, and successfully landed a contract with Ford Modeling. By the 1970’s she was a highly sought-after model. She played a series of small roles, but her 1990 role in Total Recall landed her on the map of celebrity.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Born: March 25th, 1965
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: Annie, the Broadway Musical
Sarah Jessica Parker was born in Nelsonville, Ohio and grew up in relative poverty. She helped bring paychecks home through early dancing and performing gigs. In 1976, she played in her first Broadway role, The Innocents, but it was the starring role of Annie on Broadway from 1979 to 1980 that gave her the big break into a career of acting.
Charlize Theron
Born: August 7th, 1975
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: Children of the Corn 3
Charlize Theron was born in rural Benoni, South Africa and lived and worked on a working farm. She began modeling as a teenager, but it wasn’t until she moved to Los Angeles, however her accent created a barrier. A desperate Theron was drawing money at a bank and had an argument with the banker, which caught the attention of a talent agent, and the rest is history.
John Travolta
Born: February 18th, 1954
Profession: Actor
Breakout Role: Saturday Night Fever
John Travolta was born in New Jersey and dropped out of high school at 16 to pursue an acting career. His first role was in the TV series Welcome Back Kotter, but it was the highly successful Saturday Night Fever and Grease that put him on the map.
Taylor Swift
Born: December 13th, 1989
Profession: Singer, Songwriter
Breakout Role: 13 Album
Taylor Swift was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. Her grandmother had been a professional opera singer, and Swift quickly followed in her musical footsteps. She was already a known country music singer by the age of 16. She released her first song Tim McGraw in 2006, which became a top hit on the country chart.
Uma Thurman
Born: April 29th, 1970
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: Pulp Fiction
Uma Thurman was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Her first film was a low-budget thriller called Kiss Daddy Goodnight. She was in a series of roles and began making a name for herself as a sexy and marginally successful actress. However, it was her role in Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino’s second film, that won her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award.
Marilyn Monroe
Born: June 1, 1926
Profession: Actress
Breakout Role: Ladies of the Chorus
Marilyn Monroe came from a difficult childhood and became one of the most enduring sex symbols in history. She was born in Los Angeles, California. She starred in roles such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire.
Hailey Bieber
Born: November 22nd, 1996
Profession: Model
Breakout Role: IMG Models Modeling Agency
Hailey Bieber (or Hailey Baldwin as she was known prior, has been around Hollywood since she was born. Her father is Stephen Baldwin, and dher very famous uncle is Alec Baldwin. She is a model and socialite, as well as married to pop star Justin Bieber.
Kanye West
Born: June 8th 1977
Profession: Rapper, Fashion Designer, Producer
Breakout Role: Slow Jamz
Kanye West was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was raised in Chicago and was first known as a producer for the likes of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Today, he is a rapper and fashion designer, and still produces music.
Mariah Carey
Born: March 27th, 1969
Profession: Pop Star
Breakout Role: Mariah Carey Album
Mariah Carey was born in Long Island, New York. Prior to becoming an international sensation, she worked odd jobs such as hat/coat checker, waitress, and the like. However, she said she was fired from all of her jobs due to her attitude.
Katie Holmes
Born: December 18th 1978
Profession: Actress, Producer, Fashion Designer
Breakout Role: Batman Begins
Katie Holmes was born in Toledo, Ohio. She is most well known for her role as Joey Potter in the hit series Dawson's Creek.
Johnny Depp
Born: June 9th, 1963
Profession: Actor, Screenwriter, Director
Breakout Role: A Nightmare on Elm Street
Johnny Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky to an abusive household. He went on to star in a long list of famous films including Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Blow, and many many more.
Kylie Jenner
Born: August 10th, 1997
Profession: Model, TV Personality, Business Woman
Breakout Role: Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Kylie Jenner was born in Calabasas, California, to Olympic gold medalist, Bruce Jenner, and mother Kris Jenner. She shot to fame on the show Keeping Up with the Kardashian that centered on her family's day in the life as the ultra wealthy.
Dolly Parton
Born: January 19th 1946
Profession: Singer, Actress
Breakout Role: Hello I'm Dolly, Album
Dolly Parton grew up poor in Tennessee and worked herself out of poverty. She is one of the most famous country music stars to ever live.
Liam Neeson
Born: June 7th, 1952
Profession: Actor
Breakout Role: Person of Interest
Liam Neeson was born in Ballymena, Ireland and began acting in theater by the time he was 11. As an adult, he was noticed by director John Burman, and everything changed for him.
