14 Celebrities Who Were Employed By Other Stars Before They Were Famous

Celebrities have to come from somewhere. It might seem like they pop up out of nowhere, and then you suddenly see them on red carpets, but some of them have actually been in the spotlight for quite some time. 

While some celebrities rise to fame by starting at the bottom, others do so through specific connections. It’s all about who knows whom and who has done their background work for the big shots. 

There are names today that you see everywhere, but they’ve actually been in an employer-employee relationship with celebrities like themselves. You’ve got Kim Kardashian, Ashley Olsen, and John Legend.

They’ve all worked with people who were trying to make a name for themselves just as they were when they were starting out. Whether they intended to be famous or not, it’s one of the best ways to learn the ropes in the industry.

The way they came to work for these stars might have been a stroke of luck, hard work, connections, or all of the above, but for sure, they already had the star quality to make it big. There are more celebrities that you might not know had been one of your favorites’ right hands; check out this list for more. 

1. There’s more than one Kardashian who worked with a reality star.

Khloe Kardashian went to school with Nicole Richie, and when she was starting her show, Simple Life, Khloe was there to lend a helping hand. 

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2. Allison Williams had a handful of experiences in the industry, and fortunately, they were all pleasant.

A memorable one was when she worked as Tina Fey’s second assistant while the 30 Rock creator was shooting two shows. 

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for National Board of Review

3. Katie Lowes was so competent that actress Connie Britton wanted her to stay in her life as a nanny and an assistant.

Lowes helped Connie when her son was just a baby, and she couldn’t forget how great Lowes’ personality was. 

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4. In some of Kanye’s songs, he referenced Jay-Z helping him out.

That’s because when Jay-Z was working on producing tracks, he hired Kanye to create some for his label, Roc-A-Fella.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Roc Nation

5. When Kanye was on the right track to great success, he decided to take someone under his wing too, since it worked out for him.

He chose none other than John Legend, whom he found through his cousin. He believed in Legend so much that he introduced him to more than just being good at producing. 

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6. There are a number of celebrities who were once babysitters for the kids of other celebrities.

One of them was Jennifer Garner, whom Stephen Colbert hired after they met during what seemed to be a career end for both. But then things turned around, and when Jennifer was off to chase her dreams, Stephen and his wife were nervous for her but supportive.

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images

7. Although it was a while before D’Arcy Carden got her break, she was a nanny to the daughters of Bill Hader.

She was constantly with them and developed a close relationship while working.

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for InStyle

8. Meghan Markle was a calligraphy pro, and besides her classes, she was praised by Paula Patton when she was hired to create the invites for her wedding to Robin Thicke.

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9. A string of connections.

You might already know Bethenny Frankel’s story from the Housewives, but if you’re not familiar with it, she used to take care of Nicky and Paris Hilton when they were kids after Kathy Hilton hired her, thanks to Kyle Richards.

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10. Jenna Dewan is known for her amazing dance abilities.

Before her solo activities, she used to dance backup for Justin Timberlake. She also admitted in one of her interviews that she had a short dating stint with him, but they remained good friends afterward.

Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect

11. Ashley Olsen might have her own star-studded connections, but she still went and knocked on Zac Posen’s door for an internship.

He talked about how he saw her drive and knew that she had something special from then on.

Gregory Pace/FilmMagic

12. Speaking of internships, Mindy Kaling was an intern on The Late Night With Conan O’Brien, and she recalled only good things.

She also disclosed that although she didn’t do what she was supposed to do, like small tasks, she wanted to follow Conan to see how he did his job. 

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13. Who knew Modern Family star Eric Stonestreet could not only make you laugh but also keep you safe?

Before he went on to win the awards that he has, the actor became security for Garth Brooks for one night during a 1995 concert on campus. 

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14. Kim Kardashian had a bit of an unconventional way of being Paris’ ‘assistant.’

Rather than fetching things and keeping tasks in order, she sorted through designer wares.

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Sometimes the right connections can get you places. Other times, those connections are just passing relationships, and you’ll actually achieve your dream through sheer talent and hard work.

These celebrities’ short stints of working for other celebrities not only gave them insight into how the industry really works but also helped them find lifetime friends. Who was the most surprising to see on this list?