Successful people have one thing in common. Other people see them in the present and assume that they have always been like that. Money seems to be falling from the sky over the rich and famous, and they look like they have been influential, powerful and famous all their lives. Their current status is the reason we are inspired, even jealous sometimes, but we always look to them, whether it is for inspiration or just for admiration.
You will likely be very surprised to find out that a lot of today’s celebrities have been through a lot of ups and downs and went through tough times. After all, they are human just like everyone else and have the same feelings and problems.
As it turns out, becoming world famous for your talent and skills does not come easy, and sometimes the obstacles life puts in the way seem just too big. Those people did not give up on their desire – quite the opposite, actually. They were determined to make their dreams come true, to become someone notable and to leave a mark in this world.
We all have choices we have to make given the circumstances, but we must not settle for what we are or where we are at the moment. The hard times cannot break strong, willing and focused people. The difficulties inspire them to walk faster and faster towards their goals, and the following list of ten such people will probably inspire you, as well.
Reading these amazing, but very true stories might change your life or at least your perception of the current situation you find yourself in.
1. Hilary Swank
The talented Hilary Swank was born in Nebraska and is among the most respected modern actresses in Hollywood. She holds two Oscars for leading female role. Currently she resides in her luxurious and expensive Hollywood home worth about $40 million dollars.
More than twenty years ago, however, in the beginning of the 90’s, Hilary and her mother moved to LA and struggled for a while, and before she became an actress, both of them had to sleep in a car.
2. Halle Berry
She is known for being the first Oscar winner for Best female leading performance who is African-American. She is widely recognized as an exceptional talent with a lot of sex appeal, and she is definitely a wealthy and influential person. As you might have guessed, her story was not like that years before the money and the fame came along.
Shockingly, Halle Berry has a lot of toxic relationships behind her, and two of them ended up as failed marriages. Add a suicide attempt, and you can imagine how life treated the beautiful actress for a while. That, apparently, was not enough, as she was reportedly homeless for a while in the dawn of her career.
Instead of giving up, however, she confessed that it actually turned her into a stronger person and provided her with the skill set to live through every situation life threw at her. Even if that meant sleeping in a public shelter for a couple of nights. She has come a long way since then and her life has changed completely in many aspects.
3. Charlie Chaplin
Indisputably one of the most widely recognized actors in the world and certainly one of the most famous from the first half of the 20th century, Charlie Chaplin dominated the silent movie era. He had to endure a very rough childhood, first. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which he got from his mother who had the same condition. Around the same time, his father passed away early, leaving the young Charlie with no choice but to start working before the fragile age of 10. He used to sleep on the cold London streets much too often, which was probably a scary thing for a young kid. Those days left their mark on Chaplin, but still he managed to preserve both his brilliant mind and soul.
Sir Charles Chaplin, which is his full name, will remain in history as one of the most important figures in the development of the move business. Ironically, considering his fate as a child, the most memorable role he had was The Tramp. Sir Chaplin enjoyed a 75-year career.
4. Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick, more commonly known as Carmen Electra, has always been a bit of a controversial person. when it comes to fame as She is known more for her way of life, style, and strange relationships, than for her success as an actress. Her most famous role was as Lani McKenzie in Baywatch. Some people predicted her to be the new Pamela Anderson, but she never really reached that ultimate sex symbol status. That probably decided her professional path.
The lavish lifestyle of Carmen Electra, however, was not a given circumstance throughout her whole life. Due to the fact that one of her early boyfriends was a thief, she reportedly spent about two years homeless and sleeping around LA shelters before she got the chance to become the new star of Baywatch.
5. Daniel Craig
One of the most adored actors to play the role of James Bond earned more than $20 million for the Skyfall movie alone. That is more than enough to provide for him and his family throughout their lives. It must be a relief to know that you have all your expenses covered and you would not have to worry about surviving. In Daniel Craig’s case, things were a matter of survival at one point of his life. He admitted that he has done some really terrible things while struggling to push through and he even slept on a bench in the park while he was trying desperately to become a professional actor. His talent was evident and helped him find success before too long. He had been acting his entire life, with his first stage performance being the fragile age of six.
Craig has portrayed the Bond character since the 2006 movie, Casino Royale, and was the first actor to play the role of Agent 007 that was born after the series was created and after the author Ian Fleming passed away. Casino Royale was also the most profitable Bond movie until Skyfall surpassed that record.
6. Sylvester Stallone
Imagine how much money Sylvester Stallone made only from his Rocky and Rambo movie sequels! For the majority of people, that would be enough for a few lifespans without working or any other kind of activity. But for Stallone it was never for the money alone, he is in the movie business for more than just the cash. At one point in his life, he spent close to a month sleeping at a bus station, completely broke. One day he noticed an ad hiring actors to play in an adult film. The salary was a hundred dollars daily, so he decided to give it a go, and from that moment on his career began to rise. Once, in a moment of desperation he even had to sell his dog for a few dollars. He admitted that proved to be the lowest point of his entire life. When his big breakthrough finally happened. Sly was able to buy his dog back, and paid a few thousand dollars. Against the odds he managed to become one of the legendary action heroes of modern movie history and also a huge pop icon of a whole era.
A very inspiring story is the one about writing the whole script for the first Rocky movie in under 24 hours, and that was the movie that determined his career.
7. Steve Jobs
Most of you would directly link Steve Jobs to large amounts of money and massive success. It would be quite a surprise if we told you that the co-founder and former CEO of Apple Inc. had been completely broke and homeless at one point of his life.
In the creator of the IPhone’s own words, throughout college he did not have a dorm room at his disposal and was forced to occupy the floors of his friends’ rooms. He even found himself returning empty bottles of Coca-Cola to be able to buy food. Occasionally, Jobs had to walk for seven miles through town to the Hare Krishna temple on Sundays to get at least one good meal for the week. It all sounds pretty harsh, but it is likely that these times helped shape his character and made him even more willing to succeed.
Steve Jobs was a pioneer and an influencer in a scale that few can replicate. His vision and determination were likely formed during the periods when he had nothing else but himself, his thoughts, and dreams. Later, he proved to the world that it does not matter where you start.
8. Jennifer Lopez
J Lo is definitely one of the biggest sex symbols in show business. The Latin diva now has a net worth of over a quarter of a billion dollars and is happy to have millions of admirers and fans across the globe. But before fame and fortune, she struggled hard.
Before reaching her icon status, and becoming a source of inspiration for many girls, Lopez had to sleep on a sofa in the dance studio she ran. She and her mother, Guadalupe Rodriguez, had different opinions about how her career should develop and the arguments that escalated were the reason J Lo had to occupy the place she worked in. The reason for those arguments was simple – her mom insisted that Jennifer should go to college, but the Latina was determined to follow her passion and become a famous dancer. As we consider her amazing success, it seems that mom is not always right.
9. Jim Carrey
One of the most successful and well-known comedy actors of our time is Jim Carrey. His talent is out of this world. He is one of the richest people in show business with an estimated net worth of close to $150 million. His early years, however, were a whole different story, because things were rough for him.
Jim Carrey was the youngest in the family. One day, when he was fifteen, his father lost the job he had, and his family’s life went completely downhill after that. They even lost the apartment they were living in. The family had no other choice than to live in their van for a while. Eventually, they were able to rent a home, and Jim had to drop out of school in order to work and help with the bills. His first job was a janitor.
10. Harry Houdini
Everyone knows who Harry Houdini is and what he is capable of, but only a few know his life story.
Being the youngest in a family with seven children, Harry ran away at a very early age and decided to leave by freight train. He reportedly found himself in Missouri, which was a long way from home. He left with the single intent of becoming a magician, because even then he knew that he wanted nothing else.
Several years later, Harry and his father went to live in New York City, but they were very poor, which forced he young wannabe magician to beg on the city streets. Not long after that, at the age of seventeen, Houdini achieved his dream and started his career as a professional magician.
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