BEING rich and famous means never having to get your hands dirty – but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to put the graft in to make some money on your way to the top.
Here are some of the most bizarre jobs celebs have had before hitting the big time – including one celeb who was a dancing chicken…
Megan Fox – Smoothie Shop Banana
It may not sound very a-peeling but screen beauty Megan has a fruity past as a novelty banana.
She told Ellen DeGeneres she worked in the a smoothie shop in Florida when she was a teenager.
She said: “Once a week, usually on Fridays, someone had to dress up as a piece of fruit and go and stand out by the highway.
“I was a banana, a giant banana.”
Brad Pitt – Giant Chicken
The World War Z star worked for a restaurant called El Pollo Loco (Crazy Chicken) while trying to make it in Hollywood.
His job was to dress up as a chicken and hand out flyers to attract customers.
Glad his cluck changed.
Rod Stewart – Graveyard Shift
As a teenager, the British rocker worked in Highgate Cemetery in London, but, contrary to popular belief he didn’t actually dig the graves.
Instead he measured them out and marked them with string.
He later joked: “You learn a lot about yourself, doing physical work. And what I learned about myself was that I didn’t like doing physical work.”
Victoria Beckham – Skating Sperm
Before joining the most successful girl band in UK history, Victoria Spiced up a BBC sex education programme called Body Matters.
She was required to dress up as a sperm and wear rollerskates to earn her cash.
Luckily, the former Spice Girl turned designer has a much posher wardrobe now.
Calvin Harris – Fish Gutter
The Scottish DJ didn’t always live life in the fast lane.
He grew up in the Scottish town of Dumfries, where he used to work in a fish factory gutting salmon.
But at least it was posh salmon – it ended up on the table at the royal household.
Taylor Swift – Pest Exterminator
The Blank Space star grew up a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania and as a little girl she had a very special job.
She had to destroy the praying mantis pods hidden in the branches.
At least she could just Shake It Off.
Meghan Markle – Wedding Scribe
Prince Harry’s girlfriend once made a living out of having beautiful handwriting.
The Suits actress used her calligraphy skills to write invitations for weddings and events.
She was later ‘discovered’ at a house party and the rest, as they say, is history.
At least now we know if she marries her Prince, guests can expect some pretty special invites.
Ozzy Osbourne – Animal Slayer
The bat-biting Black Sabbath star is not known for his love of animals so a first job in an abattoir may not be a great surprise.
He once worked as a labourer in a Birmingham-based slaughterhouse, reportedly killing cows.
Sylvester Stallone – Lion Pooper Scooper
While trying to flog his Rocky script, Sly did many a job – even starring in a porno movie for £175.
But he also worked at Central Park Zoo in New York, and was paid under £1 an hour for scooping lion poop out of the cages.
But that’s when his career really was in the toilet.
Whoopi Goldberg – Phone Sex Operator / Brick Layer / Morgue beautician
You can say what you want about Whoopi – but that woman is not afraid of getting her hands dirty or handling something grizzly if her work requires it.
Before making it as the mega star icon she is today, the star started working as a brick layer before taking on the unenviable job of being a beautician at the morgue.
Following that she worked as a phone sex operator, something that apparently helped her “hone her craft”.
She joked with Good Morning America: “The money was great!”
Johnny Depp – Pen Salesman
The Pirates Of The Caribbean star started his career with less swash-buckling and more cold-calling as he sold ballpoint pens by the gross to strangers with the promise of a possible prize of a clock or a trip to Tahiti.
He said: ”I sold one thing, one gross of pens to one guy. And then he was asking me about the trip to Tahiti and I was riddled with guilt, so I told him, ‘Hey, man, you don’t want these (expletive) pens. This is a scam.
“The grandfather clock is made of pressboard. You’re not going to Tahiti. I’m sorry.’ So I talked him out of it.”
Channing Tatum – Stripper
Most know this one by now that Channing Tatum write and directed the much-loved film Magic Mike.
The actual film itself was inspired by his real life experiences as a stripper, which he is proud to talk about as part of his past.
He later gave up the profession once he made it in Hollywood, and it definitely explains where he got those dance moves from…
Hugh Jackman – a PE teacher
After moving to the UK, Hugh Jackman worked as a PE teacher at Uppingham School in London.
Years later, Hugh ran into one of the kids that he taught during his time as a teacher at Zurich Film Festival in 2013- with the person in question now working as a journalist covering the red carpet.
Recognising him instantly, the journo was left blushing as Hugh grilled him and said: “Rollo…I’m sorry mate we go way back and I want to know how your physical education is progressing! You’ve gone a nice shade of red there!”