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The road to fame is different for every known celebrity, with some being catapulted to stardom ever since they were born. That, as you might expect, isn’t the norm (unless you’re part of some royal family). People climb the ladder to fame by traversing each step, and as usual, they were nobodies like you or me before taking that first one.
Looking back, it is fascinating to see how long some of these future stars spent waiting for their breakthrough. These are the early career chapters that came before the fame, awards, blockbusters, and iconic performances audiences would eventually associate with their names.
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Marilyn Monroe
Before becoming Marilyn Monroe, Norma Jeane worked at a California munitions factory during World War II. Photographer David Conover discovered her there, leading to modeling work in 1945 before she signed with Twentieth Century-Fox the following year.
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Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi spent four years working as a New York City firefighter while pursuing acting on the side. He joined FDNY Engine 55 in 1981 and left after his breakthrough in the 1986 film Parting Glances.
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Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Gottfried began performing stand-up comedy at just 15, working small New York clubs years before becoming recognizable for his distinctive voice. In 1980, he joined Saturday Night Live, although his single season there was relatively unsuccessful.
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Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford struggled to find substantial acting work after arriving in Hollywood, eventually becoming a professional carpenter to support his family. The work gave him financial independence while he waited for better opportunities, eventually leading to American Graffiti.
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Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton’s professional breakthrough began on Broadway rather than in Hollywood. She joined the original Broadway production of Hair in 1968, initially working in the ensemble and understudying Sheila before taking over the role later that year.
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Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken had already been working professionally for years before Hollywood noticed him. As a child, he appeared on television, eventually landing a regular role on Wonderful John Acton in 1953 and performing extensively in theater.
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Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon’s first major film opportunity came when she auditioned for Joe in 1969. She won the role of Melissa, a troubled teenager, launching a career that soon included television work and increasingly prominent film roles.
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Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow was still a teenager when she landed the role of Allison MacKenzie on Peyton Place in 1964. The ABC series became her first major television success and effectively launched the acting career that eventually brought her international fame.
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John Travolta
Before Saturday Night Fever and Grease made him a superstar, John Travolta was performing onstage. He toured with the musical Grease, appeared on Broadway in Over Here!, and made an early television appearance on Emergency! in 1972.
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Al Pacino
Many years after this mugshot, Al Pacino spent much of the 1960s establishing himself on New York’s theater scene. He made his off-off-Broadway debut in 1963, studied with Lee Strasberg, and eventually earned a Tony Award before becoming a major film star.
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Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro’s early career included small and uncredited appearances before Greetings, Brian De Palma’s 1968 black comedy. Here, we see him before the fame, enjoying the sun with his family as a fairly normal child.
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Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges barely had to wait for his first screen opportunity because he grew up in an acting family. He appeared alongside his father Lloyd on Sea Hunt and other productions before eventually establishing himself independently.
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Sissy Spacek
Sissy Spacek moved to New York at 17 intending to become a singer, even recording a single under the name Rainbo. After music failed to take off, she studied acting and eventually made her film debut in Prime Cut.
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Richard Gere
Richard Gere’s professional acting career began in theater rather than Hollywood. He worked at the Provincetown Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre beginning in 1969, performing demanding repertory productions before moving to New York and eventually Broadway.
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Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman was already in his 30s when he seriously pursued acting. Before that, he served in the Marines, studied journalism and television production, and worked various jobs before enrolling at Pasadena Playhouse alongside Dustin Hoffman.
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Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman spent years struggling to establish himself as an actor, working occasional stage jobs while living in New York with Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall. His major breakthrough finally came when Mike Nichols cast him in The Graduate.
The post 16 Vintage Celebrity Photos Taken from Before Hollywood Knew Their Name appeared first on Den of Geek.
