30 Hollywood Celebrity Stories, Before They Were Famous

We only know about celebrities now that they're already famous all over the world. We know them from the characters they play in movies or TV shows, as well as the various interviews they give.

Unless you know them personally or are related to them, celebrities are not as accessible to us regular folks. Despite their distance and seemingly unattainable stature, celebrities are people just like us.

They were once relatively unknown individuals who were just trying to survive the rat race like the rest of us. We don't always learn about the obscure stories of their lives before fame unless they share those themselves.

Well, now we have an opportunity to read such stories, and they are unbelievably interesting. We've all read endless Twitter threads and Reddit forums discussing celebrity interactions, whether good or bad.

This time, we're exploring their lives pre-Hollywood, and these stories will either endear these A-listers to you or make you see them in a very different light. Either way, they are stories worth reading.

A Reddit user asked: "People of Reddit who knew celebrities before they were famous, how different do they act now?" And boy, oh boy, did Reddit users deliver.

Whether you enjoy celebrity culture or not, there's no denying that stories like these are incredibly fascinating. So read on and find out what your favorite Hollywood superstar was like before they were famous.

The question that opened a door to the past:

RogueWolf300

1. Dolly Parton has always been one of the best humans, even before she was famous

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Bonus Dolly story that is very on-brand for her:

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2. Rupert Grint loved acting but didn't care for the endless attention that came with it

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They thought he was moody, but he could just be averse to the fame of being Ron Weasley

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3. Steve Irwin truly loved animals and didn't say 'crikey' as much as we think

Sajiri Sajiri Sajiri

He liked to goof around and apparently enjoyed prop comedy

Sajiri

4. Steve Harvey left the woman who supported him before he was Steve Harvey the moment the spotlight was trained on him

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5. Paul Rudd has stayed the same (physically and as a person. Seriously, what water does he drink?)

toodleoo57, Heisenberg_235

6. Wesley Snipes is a great guy who never forgot those who helped him and treated him like family

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7. Jack Black is a ball of joy and energy

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Plus, this very Jack Black story

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8. Dave Chappelle has always been down to earth

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9. Jack Nicholson was rebellious but competent at math

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10. Tom Cruise used to be an amazing guy before fame got to him

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11. The only difference with Kendrick Lamar is that he has millions of dollars now

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12. Queen Latifah was, and still is, an amazing human being and is undoubtedly a queen

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13. Madonna used to be pretty grounded before literal stadiums of people practically worshipped her

hannahk2345, wbath

14. Matt Smith, a Time Lord, fixed someone's flip-flop at a wedding reception

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Bonus Matt Smith story

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15. Drake became a different person once his music started taking off

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16. Tyler, the Creator has always been himself, and we all love him for it

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17. Will Smith has always seemed like someone who would be great to hang out with, and it is actually true based on this story

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Another Will Smith story:

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18. Megan Fox has always been everyone's crush, but she is timid and kept to herself

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19. Joe Keery is a good guy, and his hair has always been awesome

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20. Seal is a sincere person who made it a point to foster genuine connections with the people he interacted with

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21. Norah Jones did not let all the awards and fame get to her, as she has always been sincere and humble

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22. Tom Hanks sends personal notes with his typewriter

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23. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of Wham! have managed to keep in contact with the people they were friends with prior to their fame

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24. Tom Holland is a funny and friendly guy, much like Spider-Man

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25. Kurt Cobain wrote 'About A Girl' based on this person's family friend

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26. Will Ferrell dated this guy's mom, and he has always been incredibly funny

FloppyFly

27. Emma Chamberlain was a bully in high school

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28. Dacre Montgomery of Stranger Things fame was not a nice guy and was pretty egotistical

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29. Pete Davidson used to play basketball and was not good at it

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30. From a long, long time ago, Daisy Ridley has always wanted to be an actress, and she is lovely as a person

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Celebrities play a ton of characters in films and TV shows, but who they really are behind the camera remains a mystery for those of us who don't know them personally. These stories pre-Hollywood give us a glimpse into their real personalities.

They may be absolutely charming on camera, but it can be a totally different story once the stage lights are off. Of course, take these stories with a grain of salt, but much like their industry, it's showbiz, baby.