In an interview with The Sun, John Cena revealed that he spent a period sleeping in his car when he arrived in Hollywood. He moved to LA from Massachusetts in 1999 seeking fame and fortune, but it didn't come as quickly as he had hoped. His savings didn't last long and even though he found a job at a gym, he couldn't make ends meet and had to sleep in the backseat of his 1991 Lincoln Town Car. His dad had told him he'd be home with his tail between his legs in two weeks, and Cena was determined to prove him wrong. Luckily, his perseverance paid off, and Cena was on the WWE circuit by the early 2000s. He's now one of the biggest action movie stars in the world.

1 / 45 Fotos

Halle Berry - When she was first starting out as an actress, Berry found herself homeless and had to stay in shelters in her very early 20s. She has openly said that she is actually grateful for the experience.

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Halle Berry - Berry told Reader's Digest, “It taught me how to take care of myself and that I could live through any situation, even if it meant going to a shelter for a small stint, or living within my means, which were meager."

3 / 45 Fotos

Jim Carrey - During an interview with 'Inside the Actors Studio,' Carrey opened up about the financial troubles his family had while he was growing up.

4 / 45 Fotos

Jim Carrey - When asked about his childhood, Carrey recalled, "We were living out of a van. I quit school at age 15 to begin working to help support my family as a janitor.”

5 / 45 Fotos

Kelly Clarkson - Before there was 'American Idol,' Kelly Clarkson was just another struggling artist in Los Angeles. When the singer first moved to the city, her apartment burned down.

6 / 45 Fotos

Kelly Clarkson - At the time, the 'Breakaway' singer had no friends or family in the city, so she was forced to live in her car.

7 / 45 Fotos

David Letterman - When the iconic talk show host was first starting out in Los Angeles in 1973, he had to live out of his pickup truck.

8 / 45 Fotos

David Letterman - Letterman was able to pull himself out of financial strain when he began writing jokes for Jimmy Walker, and the rest is history.

9 / 45 Fotos

Natasha Lyonne - Before her big-time acting days, the 'American Pie' star was battling drug addiction and living on the streets.

10 / 45 Fotos

Natasha Lyonne - Lyonne overcame addiction and is now best-known for her role in the Netflix series 'Orange Is the New Black' and her own series 'Russian Doll.'

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Tyler Perry - When the movie mogul started working in Atlanta, he used up all his savings trying to stage his play and soon became homeless, which lasted on and off for about six years. He lived mostly in his car.

12 / 45 Fotos

Tyler Perry - His gamble on himself paid off, and in 1998 his play 'I Know I’ve been Changed' became a hit, setting Perry on the path that led to his prolific works as a writer and entertainer.

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Jewel - When Jewel Kilcher was just 18 years old, she lived in her VW van after she was fired from her job for refusing to have sex with her boss, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

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Jewel - During her year of homelessness, she continued to write songs and perform at local coffee houses, until one day she was scouted while performing. The singer/songwriter has since sold over 30 million albums and been nominated for four Grammy Awards.

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Sylvester Stallone - When he was chasing his dream of becoming a famous actor, Stallone spent three weeks sleeping at a bus station while he was anxiously waiting to find work.

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Sylvester Stallone - In desperation, the 'Rocky' actor responded to an ad to star in an adult film for US$100 a day. After two days of filming, he was able to find a place to stay, and he later went on to achieve great success in Hollywood.

17 / 45 Fotos

Hilary Swank - When Swank and her mother first moved to Los Angeles, they could not afford a place to stay, so they lived out of their car.

18 / 45 Fotos

Hilary Swank - The 'Boys Don't Cry' actress soon came out of this rough period in her life and eventually won two Academy Awards.

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Steve Harvey - After he separated from his first wife, Harvey could only afford to stay in hotels when he was booked for comedy shows. When he wasn't, the now-famous talk show host had to sleep in his car.

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Steve Harvey - He told People, "A week is really the maximum you can do. This was three years! It was rock bottom. But even in my darkest days, I had faith it would turn around."

21 / 45 Fotos

Chris Pratt - After he dropped out of community college, the 'Parks and Recreation' actor fell on hard times and was living out of his van.

22 / 45 Fotos

Chris Pratt - Pratt overcame that challenging time in his past, and has since starred in popular films such as 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' 'Moneyball,' and 'Zero Dark Thirty.'

23 / 45 Fotos

Jennifer Lopez - Before she booked her first major gig, Lopez was sleeping in her dance studio for three months because she had nowhere else to go.

24 / 45 Fotos

Jennifer Lopez - It wasn't until she was cast as a Fly Girl on 'In Living Color' that the singer's career began to take off and she could financially support herself.

25 / 45 Fotos

Dr. Phil - The television host and psychologist had a troubled childhood, living out of a car with his alcoholic father.

26 / 45 Fotos

Dr. Phil - Despite his struggles growing up, McGraw earned his PhD in psychology and eventually got his own daytime talk show after connecting with Oprah Winfrey.

27 / 45 Fotos

Carmen Electra - After she had just finished touring with Prince, Electra's boyfriend at the time stole all of her money. With nowhere to go, the singer was homeless in Los Angeles for a couple years.

28 / 45 Fotos

Carmen Electra -

She recalled sleeping on a park bench armed with a knife, a pager, Versace heels, and pocket change, praying to be anywhere but there. Her prayers were answered when she landed parts on 'Baywatch' and 'Singled Out.'

29 / 45 Fotos

Kelsey Grammer -

Long before 'Frasier' skyrocketed Grammer to fame, he was reportedly sleeping in alleyways and parks while attending university.

Grammer went on to achieve greatness with five Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award to show for it.

30 / 45 Fotos

Shania Twain -

The Canadian singer grew up in poverty and lived for a time with her mother and sister in a homeless shelter in Toronto.

31 / 45 Fotos

Shania Twain - She escaped both an abusive household and poverty, and is now a country music icon.

32 / 45 Fotos

Steve Jobs - The legendary CEO of Apple wasn’t always on the path to success. During his college years, he revealed at his Stanford commencement address, he slept on the floor in his friends’ rooms, returned coke bottles for the five cent deposits in order to buy food, and walked seven miles every Sunday to get a free meal.

33 / 45 Fotos

Steve Jobs - All of that hardship paid off, and Jobs' tech empire made him a billionaire many times over.

34 / 45 Fotos

Lil' Kim -

Lil' Kim lived with her mother in their car when she was just eight years old, after escaping an abusive home. Then, when she was a teen, Lil' Kim’s dad kicked her out again.

35 / 45 Fotos

Lil' Kim - Beyond becoming an iconic rapper, Lil' Kim used her fame for good and started her own foundation called Lil' Kim Cares, working to raise funds and awareness for victims of neglect, violence, and homelessness.

36 / 45 Fotos

Kurt Cobain -

The late Nirvana front man was homeless for a time in Aberdeen, Washington, reportedly living under a bridge and sleeping in hospital waiting rooms.

37 / 45 Fotos

Kurt Cobain - Of course, Cobain’s musical reputation precedes him. Many also believe the lyrics to Nirvana's 'Something in the Way' were written about his homeless period.

38 / 45 Fotos

Daniel Craig - Now best-known as James Bond, there was a time when the actor was James Broke, sleeping on park benches in London as a teenager.

39 / 45 Fotos

Daniel Craig - That was his life as a struggling actor, and now he’s actually turning down roles.

40 / 45 Fotos

Drew Carey - The comedian was homeless as a teen in Las Vegas, reportedly selling plasma for US$40 and living off of boxed macaroni and cheese.

41 / 45 Fotos

Drew Carey - “I wouldn’t have had this success if I didn’t struggle,” he said.

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Eartha Kitt - The late singer and entertainer did not have a steady place to call home as a child, and reportedly grew up being passed from relative to relative until she took to sleeping on rooftops in New York.

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Eartha Kitt -

Along with blossoming into a star, she would later become an advocate, through Unicef, on behalf of homeless children.

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John Cena -

Getty Images

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3 / 45 Fotos

Jim Carrey - During an interview with 'Inside the Actors Studio,' Carrey opened up about the financial troubles his family had while he was growing up.

4 / 45 Fotos

Jim Carrey - When asked about his childhood, Carrey recalled, "We were living out of a van. I quit school at age 15 to begin working to help support my family as a janitor.”

5 / 45 Fotos

Kelly Clarkson - Before there was 'American Idol,' Kelly Clarkson was just another struggling artist in Los Angeles. When the singer first moved to the city, her apartment burned down.

6 / 45 Fotos

Kelly Clarkson - At the time, the 'Breakaway' singer had no friends or family in the city, so she was forced to live in her car.

7 / 45 Fotos

David Letterman - When the iconic talk show host was first starting out in Los Angeles in 1973, he had to live out of his pickup truck.

8 / 45 Fotos

David Letterman - Letterman was able to pull himself out of financial strain when he began writing jokes for Jimmy Walker, and the rest is history.

9 / 45 Fotos

Natasha Lyonne - Before her big-time acting days, the 'American Pie' star was battling drug addiction and living on the streets.

10 / 45 Fotos

Natasha Lyonne - Lyonne overcame addiction and is now best-known for her role in the Netflix series 'Orange Is the New Black' and her own series 'Russian Doll.'

11 / 45 Fotos

12 / 45 Fotos

Tyler Perry - His gamble on himself paid off, and in 1998 his play 'I Know I’ve been Changed' became a hit, setting Perry on the path that led to his prolific works as a writer and entertainer.

13 / 45 Fotos

Jewel - When Jewel Kilcher was just 18 years old, she lived in her VW van after she was fired from her job for refusing to have sex with her boss, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

14 / 45 Fotos

15 / 45 Fotos

Sylvester Stallone - When he was chasing his dream of becoming a famous actor, Stallone spent three weeks sleeping at a bus station while he was anxiously waiting to find work.

16 / 45 Fotos

17 / 45 Fotos

Hilary Swank - When Swank and her mother first moved to Los Angeles, they could not afford a place to stay, so they lived out of their car.

18 / 45 Fotos

Hilary Swank - The 'Boys Don't Cry' actress soon came out of this rough period in her life and eventually won two Academy Awards.

19 / 45 Fotos

20 / 45 Fotos

Steve Harvey - He told People, "A week is really the maximum you can do. This was three years! It was rock bottom. But even in my darkest days, I had faith it would turn around."

21 / 45 Fotos

Chris Pratt - After he dropped out of community college, the 'Parks and Recreation' actor fell on hard times and was living out of his van.

22 / 45 Fotos

Chris Pratt - Pratt overcame that challenging time in his past, and has since starred in popular films such as 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' 'Moneyball,' and 'Zero Dark Thirty.'

23 / 45 Fotos

Jennifer Lopez - Before she booked her first major gig, Lopez was sleeping in her dance studio for three months because she had nowhere else to go.

24 / 45 Fotos

Jennifer Lopez - It wasn't until she was cast as a Fly Girl on 'In Living Color' that the singer's career began to take off and she could financially support herself.

25 / 45 Fotos

Dr. Phil - The television host and psychologist had a troubled childhood, living out of a car with his alcoholic father.

26 / 45 Fotos

Dr. Phil - Despite his struggles growing up, McGraw earned his PhD in psychology and eventually got his own daytime talk show after connecting with Oprah Winfrey.

27 / 45 Fotos

28 / 45 Fotos

Carmen Electra -

Getty Images

29 / 45 Fotos

Kelsey Grammer -

Long before 'Frasier' skyrocketed Grammer to fame, he was reportedly sleeping in alleyways and parks while attending university.

Grammer went on to achieve greatness with five Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award to show for it.

30 / 45 Fotos

Shania Twain -

The Canadian singer grew up in poverty and lived for a time with her mother and sister in a homeless shelter in Toronto.

31 / 45 Fotos

Shania Twain - She escaped both an abusive household and poverty, and is now a country music icon.

32 / 45 Fotos

33 / 45 Fotos

Steve Jobs - All of that hardship paid off, and Jobs' tech empire made him a billionaire many times over.

34 / 45 Fotos

Lil' Kim -

Lil' Kim lived with her mother in their car when she was just eight years old, after escaping an abusive home. Then, when she was a teen, Lil' Kim’s dad kicked her out again.

Getty Images

35 / 45 Fotos

36 / 45 Fotos

Kurt Cobain -

The late Nirvana front man was homeless for a time in Aberdeen, Washington, reportedly living under a bridge and sleeping in hospital waiting rooms.

Getty Images

37 / 45 Fotos

Kurt Cobain - Of course, Cobain’s musical reputation precedes him. Many also believe the lyrics to Nirvana's 'Something in the Way' were written about his homeless period.

38 / 45 Fotos

Daniel Craig - Now best-known as James Bond, there was a time when the actor was James Broke, sleeping on park benches in London as a teenager.

39 / 45 Fotos

Daniel Craig - That was his life as a struggling actor, and now he’s actually turning down roles.

40 / 45 Fotos

Drew Carey - The comedian was homeless as a teen in Las Vegas, reportedly selling plasma for US$40 and living off of boxed macaroni and cheese.

41 / 45 Fotos

Drew Carey - “I wouldn’t have had this success if I didn’t struggle,” he said.

42 / 45 Fotos

43 / 45 Fotos

Eartha Kitt -

Along with blossoming into a star, she would later become an advocate, through Unicef, on behalf of homeless children.

44 / 45 Fotos

Stars who were once homeless

The ultimate underdog tales

09/07/24 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Celebrity facts

Sure, many stars were rich before becoming famous, but there are quite a few who came at fame from a completely different angle, struggling with deep poverty before catching their big break. Now, with huge mansions to their names, it may be difficult for these celebrities to remember the times when they didn't have a roof over their head.

Check out this gallery to see the triumphant stories of stars who went from living on the streets to walking red carpets.