Seven stars who started in shockingly normal professions

Gerard Butler Boss Bottled launch - London
Gerard Butler Boss Bottled launch - London

It's never too late to become a multi-million pound superstar. You may be a primary school teacher or an accountant now, but you never know, your future may lie in Hollywood - or at the top of the charts.

It sounds too good to be true, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility. There are plenty of stars for whom superstardom was their second career choice.

We reveal seven stars who had perfectly sensible professions in mind before fame came calling.

See also: Crazy money offered for Trump lookalike - could you do it?

See also: The shortest job stints in history



Gerard Butler
The hell raising star got a law degree, and even got a position in a Scottish law firm as a trainee. After almost two years in the role, and just a week before qualifying, the firm fired him. He admitted that during his time there he had partied a lot. Three years later get got a small part in Tomorrow Never Dies, and his second choice of career started to look like a better bet.

Hugh Jackman
The Wolverine star started out as a teacher, and came from Sydney to Uppingham School at the age of 18 to spend part of his gap year as a teaching assistant. One retired housemaster recently said he would have made an excellent teacher. However, after going back to Sydney to study at the University of Technology, he changed his mind. He turned down a job in Neighbours and went on to the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts instead.

Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman


Gene Simmons
The terrifying-looking KISS frontman once had his own reality show, turning kids into a band in his own Rock School. It actually marked a return to teaching for the star, who originally went to college to study education. He even spent a few years teaching at a primary school in Spanish Harlem in New York before KISS made it big.

George Clooney
The movie A-lister wanted to be a baseball player when he was at school: he even tried out for the Cincinnati Reds at the age of 16. Apparently despite being an incredible catcher, he wasn't a good enough thrower, so after attending camps in the 1970s, his dreams of baseball stardom ended. He left school at that point, and took a series of casual jobs. A couple of years later he got his first taste of TV as an extra, and the die was cast.

George Clooney
George Clooney


Kenny G
The saxophonist and best-selling musician started out with plans to become an accountant. He qualified at the University of Washington, where he graduated magna cum laude. However, alongside his studies, he also became known for his musical virtuosity, which he calculated would be a more lucrative option.

Brian May
The Queen guitarist formed the band while he was studying Physics and Maths at Imperial College in London, and was actually in the middle of earning a PhD in astrophysics when the band entered the stratosphere. Unlike many other stars, May didn't let his career as a multi-million pound superstar put him off his first passion entirely, and he completed his PhD dissertation in 2007.

Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise



Tom Cruise
The multi-millionaire started out with plans to become an amateur wrestler, but after sustaining a knee injury as a teenager, he changed his mind, and settled on becoming a priest. He even attended a Catholic seminary in Cincinnati. Unfortunately his dream was over by the age of 16, after he was found bringing alcohol into the school, and was asked to leave. Acting was actually his third choice of career.

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