17 Stars Who Were Broke When They Got Their Big Breaks

01of 17Kat GrahamStefania D’Alessandro/GettyBefore hitting it big inThe Vampire Diaries,“I was sleeping on my mom’s floor and I had 86 cents to my name,“Graham told PEOPLE recently. Even after landing her role on the show, she says, “I was on an inflatable mattress for the first six months of filming because I just didn’t trust [it would last].”

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Kat Graham

Stefania D’Alessandro/Getty

Before hitting it big inThe Vampire Diaries,“I was sleeping on my mom’s floor and I had 86 cents to my name,“Graham told PEOPLE recently. Even after landing her role on the show, she says, “I was on an inflatable mattress for the first six months of filming because I just didn’t trust [it would last].”

02of 17Annie MurphyTheSchitt’s Creekstar told Kelly Clarkson she had just $3 in her bank accountbefore landing her breakout role as Alexis Rose on the comedy (which just aired its season finale Tuesday).“Just beforeSchitt’s Creek, things were quite bleak,” she said. “My house had just burnt down, I had like, $3 in my bank account, I hadn’t worked in close to two years …I found myself crying in the Pacific Ocean, a very snotty cry, and the universe was like, ‘Don’t do this anymore. This is not for you!’ But then, two days later, I got the audition forSchitt’s Creek.”

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Annie Murphy

TheSchitt’s Creekstar told Kelly Clarkson she had just $3 in her bank accountbefore landing her breakout role as Alexis Rose on the comedy (which just aired its season finale Tuesday).

“Just beforeSchitt’s Creek, things were quite bleak,” she said. “My house had just burnt down, I had like, $3 in my bank account, I hadn’t worked in close to two years …

I found myself crying in the Pacific Ocean, a very snotty cry, and the universe was like, ‘Don’t do this anymore. This is not for you!’ But then, two days later, I got the audition forSchitt’s Creek.”

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Chris Hemsworth

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Hemsworth is more than a superhero - he’s a super son, too. TheThoractor revealed toVarietythat after dropping out of high school, he wasnearly brokeand turned to acting in order to help provide for his family.

TheMen in Black: Internationalactor admitted that he “put too much pressure” on himself, which caused him to miss out on some major roles - but the timing ultimately worked out for the best, as it meant he was free to take on what would become the most lucrative role of his career.

“At the time I was upset. I was running out of money. But if I played [those other] characters, I wouldn’t have been able to play Thor.”

04of 17Richard MaddenDimitrios Kambouris/GettyLanding the role of Robb Stark onGame of Throneswas truly a life-changing experience for the Scottish actor, who revealed to host Jimmy Fallon thathe was living off of about $5 a daybefore he was cast on the HBO show on an episode ofThe Tonight Show.“I had two options: I could either buy one meal, or a newspaper and a pint,” he recalled. “It went the other way usually.““Then I got that phone call [aboutThrones] and I was on my last month’s rent,” he continued. “I asked my agent for an advance and that helped me get through the next little bit.“If his big break hadn’t come through, theRocketmanstar admitted he would have “moved back to my parents' house.” He added, “I was at that stage. So, very lucky.”

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Richard Madden

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Landing the role of Robb Stark onGame of Throneswas truly a life-changing experience for the Scottish actor, who revealed to host Jimmy Fallon thathe was living off of about $5 a daybefore he was cast on the HBO show on an episode ofThe Tonight Show.

“I had two options: I could either buy one meal, or a newspaper and a pint,” he recalled. “It went the other way usually.”

“Then I got that phone call [aboutThrones] and I was on my last month’s rent,” he continued. “I asked my agent for an advance and that helped me get through the next little bit.”

If his big break hadn’t come through, theRocketmanstar admitted he would have “moved back to my parents' house.” He added, “I was at that stage. So, very lucky.”

05of 17Amara La NegraNicholas Hunt/GettyThe Dominican-American singer and reality star seems to be just like the title of her new EP,Unstoppable. But while the striking 28-year-old is now a children’s book author, the star of BET’s movieFall Girlsand a blossoming entrepreneur, her early years of fame were spent living out of her car as she overcame a toxic relationship.La Negra revealed to People CHICA that only four years ago, she would sleep in fast food and pharmacy parking lots and use their restrooms at night to bathe herself with wipes.“People didn’t know because they would always see me looking pretty, well-dressed, and they always saw me as [the star] Amara La Negra,” she recalled. “They didn’t know that outside of that [famous facade], I was going through really difficult times.“While her star was on the rise, her boyfriend at the time handled her money. “If I needed anything, he would be the one to buy it - food, clothes - but he never paid me,” she shared. “Love blinded me.“When her ex kicked her mother out of the home the three shared, La Negra left with her, and after months of living in her car, eventually moved in with the family who had taken in her mother.A colleague eventually offered her a job as cohost on a new television show,El Palenque de Enrique Santos, and that gave her the push to get back on her feet.The difficult time helped La Negra evolve into the star she is today. “I’m more independent, I like to manage my own money, have my own house, my own car,” she reflected. “It was a mistake to depend on a man. I learned about my finances … I did learn a lot and grew a lot as a woman.”

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Amara La Negra

Nicholas Hunt/Getty

The Dominican-American singer and reality star seems to be just like the title of her new EP,Unstoppable. But while the striking 28-year-old is now a children’s book author, the star of BET’s movieFall Girlsand a blossoming entrepreneur, her early years of fame were spent living out of her car as she overcame a toxic relationship.

La Negra revealed to People CHICA that only four years ago, she would sleep in fast food and pharmacy parking lots and use their restrooms at night to bathe herself with wipes.

“People didn’t know because they would always see me looking pretty, well-dressed, and they always saw me as [the star] Amara La Negra,” she recalled. “They didn’t know that outside of that [famous facade], I was going through really difficult times.”

While her star was on the rise, her boyfriend at the time handled her money. “If I needed anything, he would be the one to buy it - food, clothes - but he never paid me,” she shared. “Love blinded me.”

When her ex kicked her mother out of the home the three shared, La Negra left with her, and after months of living in her car, eventually moved in with the family who had taken in her mother.

A colleague eventually offered her a job as cohost on a new television show,El Palenque de Enrique Santos, and that gave her the push to get back on her feet.

The difficult time helped La Negra evolve into the star she is today. “I’m more independent, I like to manage my own money, have my own house, my own car,” she reflected. “It was a mistake to depend on a man. I learned about my finances … I did learn a lot and grew a lot as a woman.”

06of 17Matt LeBlancLive with Kelly and RyanLeBlanc has at least one thing in common with his iconicFriendscharacter Joey Tribbiani -he was also a struggling actor. Before landing the role on the hit seriesin 1994, LeBlanc was running dangerously low on funds.In 2019, the actor opened up to host Conan O’Brien onConanabout the incredible timing of his lucky break. ““You know when you think, ‘Alright, I got a little money in the bank. I can hold out until the next gig,’ " LeBlanc shared. “I think I was down to $11 … now, that’s holding out too long.“If he hadn’t landed the role, the actor admitted, “I would have starved.”

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Matt LeBlanc

Live with Kelly and Ryan

LeBlanc has at least one thing in common with his iconicFriendscharacter Joey Tribbiani -he was also a struggling actor. Before landing the role on the hit seriesin 1994, LeBlanc was running dangerously low on funds.

In 2019, the actor opened up to host Conan O’Brien onConanabout the incredible timing of his lucky break. "

“You know when you think, ‘Alright, I got a little money in the bank. I can hold out until the next gig,’ " LeBlanc shared. “I think I was down to $11 … now, that’s holding out too long.”

If he hadn’t landed the role, the actor admitted, “I would have starved.”

07of 17Tiffany HaddishLester Cohen/Getty Images for InStyleTheGirls Tripactress revealed toVanity Fairin January 2018 that herNight Schoolcostar Kevin Hartwas her “comedy guardian angel"when she was a struggling stand-up comic.At the time, Haddish was living out of her car while performing with Hart in a sketch comedy show calledComedy Playground. When Hart noticed, he confronted her about her living situation and encouraged her to write out and pursue her goals. He lent her $300 to get a motel room, where she wrote out her list. “I wrote: Get myself an apartment. Do these things, all these people I wanna work with, everything,” she recalled to the outlet.The next day, she was offered an apartment. “I go look at it, and it’s like the most raggediest apartment you could ever imagine, it was just nasty and disgusting, roaches everywhere, cigarette stains in the carpet … It was all bad. The guy was like, ‘It’s $550 a month,’ and I was like, ‘It’s perfect! I’ll take it!’ “Of ultimately costarring with Hart in a film, Haddish mused, “I’m just like, ‘Wow. Full circle.’ "

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Tiffany Haddish

Lester Cohen/Getty Images for InStyle

TheGirls Tripactress revealed toVanity Fairin January 2018 that herNight Schoolcostar Kevin Hartwas her “comedy guardian angel"when she was a struggling stand-up comic.

At the time, Haddish was living out of her car while performing with Hart in a sketch comedy show calledComedy Playground. When Hart noticed, he confronted her about her living situation and encouraged her to write out and pursue her goals. He lent her $300 to get a motel room, where she wrote out her list. “I wrote: Get myself an apartment. Do these things, all these people I wanna work with, everything,” she recalled to the outlet.

The next day, she was offered an apartment. “I go look at it, and it’s like the most raggediest apartment you could ever imagine, it was just nasty and disgusting, roaches everywhere, cigarette stains in the carpet … It was all bad. The guy was like, ‘It’s $550 a month,’ and I was like, ‘It’s perfect! I’ll take it!’ "

Of ultimately costarring with Hart in a film, Haddish mused, “I’m just like, ‘Wow. Full circle.’ "

08of 17Jennifer LopezBroadimage/REX/ShutterstocBefore she was a global superstar, Lopez was just a dancer doing whatever she could to pursue her dream. “My mom and I butted heads. I didn’t want to go to college - I wanted to try dance full-time,” theSecond Actstar toldW Magazinein 2013. “So she and I had a break. I started sleeping on the sofa in the dance studio. I was homeless, but I told her, ‘This is what I have to do.’ A few months later, I landed a job dancing in Europe. When I got back, I bookedIn Living Color. I became a Fly Girl and moved to L.A. It all happened in a year.”

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Jennifer Lopez

Broadimage/REX/Shutterstoc

Before she was a global superstar, Lopez was just a dancer doing whatever she could to pursue her dream. “My mom and I butted heads. I didn’t want to go to college - I wanted to try dance full-time,” theSecond Actstar toldW Magazinein 2013. “So she and I had a break. I started sleeping on the sofa in the dance studio. I was homeless, but I told her, ‘This is what I have to do.’ A few months later, I landed a job dancing in Europe. When I got back, I bookedIn Living Color. I became a Fly Girl and moved to L.A. It all happened in a year.”

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Chrissy Metz

Rob Latour/REX/Shutterstock

But after the season ended, opportunities dried up: “I kept auditioning, with no savings and no money, credit card debt gaining interest. I went on unemployment. I bought ramen noodles at dollar stores. I never had to - God forbid - live on the streets; I moved in with a roommate who told me, ‘Stay with me until you can afford rent. Don’t give up.’ "

She continued: “People who supported me were like, ‘If you don’t have money for food, I’ll cook you dinner. You don’t have money for acting class? Let’s get together and read lines.’ I am so grateful that I had such an amazing support system, but when I bookedThis Is Us, I had 81 cents in my bank account. I could cry right now just thinking about it.”

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Chris Pratt

Christopher Polk/Getty

Pratthas often spoken about being broke, but he looks back on his days living in a van in Hawaii with some fondness. “It’s a pretty awesome place to be homeless,” he toldThe Independentin 2014. “It would be different if I lived on the streets of Chicago and ate garbage from a dumpster. We just drank and smoked weed and worked minimal hours, 15 to 20 hours per week, just enough to cover gas, food and fishing supplies. You know, it was charming time.”

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Ed Sheeran

Dominique Charriau/WireImage

AfterSheeranleft school to pursue music, the “Shape of You” singer often found himself reliant on the kindness of friends and strangers in order to have someplace to sleep for the night.

When he didn’t have a place to say - which, he says, was very rarely - “I slept on the Central Line and outside Buckingham Palace. That’s just what I did,” he told Capital FM.

12of 17Halle BerrySteve Granitz/WireImageBefore Berry was an Academy Award-winning actress, she spent a periodliving in a homeless shelter in New York City. TheMonster’s Ballactress credits that time as influential to shaping her into the woman she is today, she told PEOPLE duringThe Jess Cagle Interviewin August 2017.When she first moved to N.Y.C., Berry explained that she had some money from a modeling gig, but it only lasted her three months. “I called my mother and asked her to send me some money, and she said no, and that subsequently led to a year of not speaking to her because I was so upset that she wouldn’t help me,” she shared.Looking back, she’s grateful for her mom’s tough love. “That’s probably one of the best things she did for me … She said, ‘If you want to be there, then you work it out.’ And I had to work it out … Giving up was never an option.” After living in the shelter, she worked various jobs in the service industry until her big break in Spike Lee’s 1991Jungle Fever.

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Halle Berry

Steve Granitz/WireImage

Before Berry was an Academy Award-winning actress, she spent a periodliving in a homeless shelter in New York City. TheMonster’s Ballactress credits that time as influential to shaping her into the woman she is today, she told PEOPLE duringThe Jess Cagle Interviewin August 2017.

When she first moved to N.Y.C., Berry explained that she had some money from a modeling gig, but it only lasted her three months. “I called my mother and asked her to send me some money, and she said no, and that subsequently led to a year of not speaking to her because I was so upset that she wouldn’t help me,” she shared.

Looking back, she’s grateful for her mom’s tough love. “That’s probably one of the best things she did for me … She said, ‘If you want to be there, then you work it out.’ And I had to work it out … Giving up was never an option.” After living in the shelter, she worked various jobs in the service industry until her big break in Spike Lee’s 1991Jungle Fever.

13of 17Steve HarveyMonica Schipper/GettyBack in the 1980s, Harveywas homeless for three yearswhile he tried to break through on the comedy circuit. After quitting his job in hopes of pursuing his dream, theFamily Feudhost found himself separated from his wife, on his own and living on as little as $50 a week. “I had nowhere to go,” Harvey told PEOPLE in May 2016, so he began living in his 1976 Ford Tempo, using an Igloo cooler as a refrigerator.“It was rock bottom,” he recalled. “But even in my darkest days, I had faith it would turn around.” Things did, indeed, turn around when Harvey got the chance to perform onShowtimeat the Apolloin 1993.Even now, with an empire estimated to be worth $100 million, Harvey admitted that he won’t be slowing down anytime soon. “I’m running from homelessness,” he explained. “I can’t ever be in that position again. If my show gets canceled, I’ve got three more. I don’t have any free time, but I have 12 jobs.”

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Steve Harvey

Monica Schipper/Getty

Back in the 1980s, Harveywas homeless for three yearswhile he tried to break through on the comedy circuit. After quitting his job in hopes of pursuing his dream, theFamily Feudhost found himself separated from his wife, on his own and living on as little as $50 a week. “I had nowhere to go,” Harvey told PEOPLE in May 2016, so he began living in his 1976 Ford Tempo, using an Igloo cooler as a refrigerator.

“It was rock bottom,” he recalled. “But even in my darkest days, I had faith it would turn around.” Things did, indeed, turn around when Harvey got the chance to perform onShowtimeat the Apolloin 1993.

Even now, with an empire estimated to be worth $100 million, Harvey admitted that he won’t be slowing down anytime soon. “I’m running from homelessness,” he explained. “I can’t ever be in that position again. If my show gets canceled, I’ve got three more. I don’t have any free time, but I have 12 jobs.”

14of 17Kelly ClarksonChris Tuite/imageSPACE /MediaPunchBefore she auditioned for season 1 ofAmerican Idol,Clarksonhad made an attempt at a singing career and moved out to L.A. after high school to shop around her demo. However, after her apartment building burned down, the “Since U Been Gone” singer lived in her car briefly before deciding to move back to Texas … where she heard about an audition for a singing competition in 2002. The rest is history.

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Kelly Clarkson

Chris Tuite/imageSPACE /MediaPunch

Before she auditioned for season 1 ofAmerican Idol,Clarksonhad made an attempt at a singing career and moved out to L.A. after high school to shop around her demo. However, after her apartment building burned down, the “Since U Been Gone” singer lived in her car briefly before deciding to move back to Texas … where she heard about an audition for a singing competition in 2002. The rest is history.

15of 17Dwayne “The Rock” JohnsonJason Merritt/Radarpics/REX/ShutterstockTheFast & Furiousstar named his production company Seven Bucks Productions for the moment of realization he had after his professional football career didn’t work out, and he “looked in my pocket, and I had seven bucks. Wow.Seven bucks to my name,” he toldThe Hollywood Reporter. After that, he decided to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, and started as a WWE wrestler named “The Rock” in 1996.These days, he has enough money - and enough gratitude - to do things likebuy his mother a house.

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Jason Merritt/Radarpics/REX/Shutterstock

TheFast & Furiousstar named his production company Seven Bucks Productions for the moment of realization he had after his professional football career didn’t work out, and he “looked in my pocket, and I had seven bucks. Wow.Seven bucks to my name,” he toldThe Hollywood Reporter. After that, he decided to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, and started as a WWE wrestler named “The Rock” in 1996.

These days, he has enough money - and enough gratitude - to do things likebuy his mother a house.

16of 17Charlize TheronPhillip Faraone/GettyTheTullyactress wasfamously discovered after getting into an argument with a bank tellerwhen she was 18, having just moved to Hollywood with nothing but a suitcase.“I’m like, ‘It’s survival, people,’ " she told Oprah in 2005. “If I didn’t cash that check, I wouldn’t have had a place to sleep that night. I said to the teller, ‘You don’t understand - please!’ I was begging and pleading, and a gentleman came over and tried to help. I had to fill out a ton of paperwork and open an account, and I cashed the check.” That gentleman turned out to be a talent agent, who helped her take acting classes and land her first role a few months later.

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Charlize Theron

Phillip Faraone/Getty

TheTullyactress wasfamously discovered after getting into an argument with a bank tellerwhen she was 18, having just moved to Hollywood with nothing but a suitcase.

“I’m like, ‘It’s survival, people,’ " she told Oprah in 2005. “If I didn’t cash that check, I wouldn’t have had a place to sleep that night. I said to the teller, ‘You don’t understand - please!’ I was begging and pleading, and a gentleman came over and tried to help. I had to fill out a ton of paperwork and open an account, and I cashed the check.” That gentleman turned out to be a talent agent, who helped her take acting classes and land her first role a few months later.

17of 17Sam WorthingtonLeonard Adam/Getty ImagesBefore landing his breakout role inAvatar, the Aussie actor was living in his car: “[I] sold everything I owned and was just living in the car basically, not doing much,” he said about his time before landing his big audition.

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Sam Worthington

Leonard Adam/Getty Images

Before landing his breakout role inAvatar, the Aussie actor was living in his car: “[I] sold everything I owned and was just living in the car basically, not doing much,” he said about his time before landing his big audition.

source: people.com