When we see famous Hollywood actors on screen or read about their luxurious lives, it’s hard not to feel envious. Of course—they drive expensive cars, own luxurious villas, and have many beautiful outfits. Who wouldn’t like that? But it’s not as simple as it seems.

If you learn about the lives celebrities had before they achieved success, you’ll find there’s nothing to envy. Not only did most movie stars gain fame through hard and relentless work, but some even lived through hunger. And they certainly teach us patience, persistence, and the ability to never give up.

Here are ten actors who rose to fame from poverty.

1. Jet Li

Jet Li is a Chinese-Singaporean actor and martial artist. He won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor for his role as a general in the film «The Warlords.» Before achieving such success, however, he went through many hardships. His family faced hard times after his father’s death when Jet was only two years old.

Due to his mother’s overprotectiveness, Li grew up a quiet, introverted child, constantly hearing warnings like, «Don’t eat that! Don’t touch that! You can’t do that!» Due to financial difficulties, Li only went to school when he was 8 years old, after his mother saved enough money for his uniform and books. But teachers loved him immediately for his honesty and diligence.

In the first grade, Li joined a Wushu school. He showed such extraordinary talent in his early lessons that the instructors agreed to train him for free. Young Jet knew this was his calling and future, and he trained rigorously. After several years, he won four gold medals in a row. His fame soon led him to cinema, with his first roles in the «Shaolin Temple» trilogy.

All three films were hugely popular in Hong Kong and China. One of his most memorable roles was in Zhang Yimou’s fantasy drama «Hero,» where he played the nameless assassin. His persistence, hard work, and love for what he did propelled him to stardom.

2. Jackie Chan

The family of famous Hollywood actor Jackie Chan constantly moved in search of a better life. They often went hungry and took any hard jobs they could find. There are even rumors that out of desperation, his parents considered selling newborn Jackie to the midwives. But they kept him. Lacking money, Jackie was sent to the cheapest school available, which was a drama school of the Peking Opera. Surprisingly, he enjoyed learning acting.

Two years later, he started receiving small roles in films. As he grew up, he became interested in kung fu and revealed a true talent for stunts. With his mastery of martial arts, acrobatics, and incredible physicality combined with his acting skills, Jackie Chan soon became a key figure in action films starting in the mid-1970s.

He performed in many films, including complicated stunt scenes. Some of his most notable films are «Stranger in Hong Kong,» «Superman vs. the East,» «The Himalayan,» and «The New Fist of Fury.» Today, Jackie Chan is known not only as a Hollywood actor but also as a film director, stunt coordinator, and action choreographer. He is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, a Knight of the British Empire, and the chief director of the Changchun Film Studio, the oldest film studio in China.

He used the money from that role to buy his beloved pet back for $15,000. Today, Sylvester Stallone is considered one of the most impressive actors in Hollywood history. He continues to star in box office hits.
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3. Jim Carrey

Jim Eugene Carrey is a well-known Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and artist. He is one of the highest-paid comedians in America, a two-time Golden Globe winner, and a nominee for six other such awards, as well as a BAFTA nomination.

He is best known for films like *The Mask*, *Dumb and Dumber*, *The Truman Show*, and *Yes Man*. All of this was achieved through hard work and a dedication to his dreams. From an early age, all the children in his family had to work tirelessly. Jim’s father worked as a security guard at a factory, earning a meager salary. His mother couldn’t work due to health issues. To help make ends meet, the children cleaned the bathrooms at the factory where their father worked, along with doing other tough jobs.

After falling behind on rent, they were evicted from their home and forced to live in an old van. Despite these hardships, 11-year-old Jim tried to break into show business. He sent his comedic sketches to various shows, but due to his small stature, he was not taken seriously.

He attempted to perform his own stand-up routine multiple times. Finally, after many persistent attempts, a well-known comedian invited him to open for him. Life gradually began to improve. After achieving some success, Jim set his sights on Hollywood. His persistence, hard work, and patience soon began to pay off, and he became the person he had always dreamed of being.

4. Sylvester Stallone

Legendary Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone had a very tough childhood. As a young boy, he was short and very shy. Additionally, he had a slight speech impediment. All of this led to mockery from his peers. It was then that Sylvester realized he needed to become stronger than others to achieve something in life. He began to work hard on himself. From the age of twenty, he worked part-time as a salesman and took on any menial job available.

At one point, desperate from poverty, Sylvester sold his beloved dog. However, the release of the 1970s film *Rocky* made Sylvester Stallone not only famous throughout America but also a very wealthy man. The first thing the actor did after receiving his earnings was to buy back his dog for $15,000. Today, Sylvester Stallone is regarded as one of the most impressive actors in the history of Hollywood, and he continues to star in blockbuster films.

Legendary Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone faced many difficulties from a young age. He was short and very shy, and he also had a slight speech defect. All of this led to mockery from his peers. It was then that Sylvester realized he needed to become stronger than others to achieve something in life. He began to work hard on himself. By the age of twenty, he worked as a salesman and took on any grunt work he could find.

5. Tom Cruise

One of the most successful actors in Hollywood, Tom Cruise has been nominated for an Oscar three times. He is also a three-time Golden Globe winner. Tom’s childhood didn’t start out in poverty or hardship, but his family had another problem. Cruise’s father was a true sadist and tyrant who constantly caused chaos and fights in the house.

As a result, Tom’s mother divorced the man, but during the divorce, his father left them penniless, and the family experienced much hardship and poverty. As a teenager, Tom had to work hard to avoid starving. Poverty and constant mockery from classmates didn’t stop him. He persistently and tirelessly sought a way out of poverty, seeing an acting career as his best option.

His first small role came in 1981 in the drama *Endless Love*. He showed himself to be a charming and charismatic actor, and he began receiving more offers for roles. His big breakthrough came with the drama *Born on the Fourth of July*, where Cruise brilliantly portrayed a disabled Vietnam War veteran. The role earned him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win. By age 30, Tom Cruise had achieved the status of Hollywood’s number one star.

For his leading role in *Jerry Maguire* (1996), he received his second Oscar nomination and another Golden Globe award. In 2000, Cruise was nominated for an Oscar for the third time for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s iconic film *Magnolia*. Today, the actor continues to win over audiences worldwide. His net worth is estimated at $380 million. Tom Cruise is one of those people who truly “made himself.”

6. Leonardo DiCaprio

At one point, desperate from poverty, Sylvester sold his beloved dog. However, the release of the 1970s film *Rocky* made Sylvester Stallone not only famous throughout America but also a very wealthy man. The first thing the actor did after receiving his earnings was to buy back his dog, paying $15,000 for it.

Leonardo DiCaprio is an American actor and producer, winner of a Golden Globe and an Oscar, and a six-time nominee for this award. To achieve such success, this actor had to go through a long and difficult path. He spent his childhood in a troubled neighborhood where drug addiction and crime thrived.

It was during this time that he developed a very negative attitude toward drugs. To support and raise her son, his mother worked multiple jobs. By the age of 14, Leonardo firmly decided he wanted to become an actor. He found himself an agent, promising to pay him from his first paycheck. For a while, DiCaprio only appeared in commercials, earning small amounts of money.

Like many other popular actors, he had to gain fame and recognition through television series. One such series was the well-known *Santa Barbara*. The film *This Boy’s Life* opened the door to further success for him, where he starred alongside Robert De Niro.

However, it was the film *Titanic* that brought Leonardo even greater success. Released in 1997, the film was a colossal hit, grossing $1 billion. It was nominated for 14 Oscars, winning 11 of them. Despite his popularity and wealth, Leonardo maintains the habits of an ordinary person. While not stingy, he saves where possible.

7. Harrison Ford

Before reaching great heights (an Oscar nomination, special Golden Globe and César awards), future popular actor and producer Harrison Ford was a simple carpenter. He played minor roles in television shows, but this was not enough to support his family.

One day, while working in the home of the little-known director George Lucas, Ford received an offer to play a small role in the film *American Graffiti*. At that time, he was already 29 years old. Thus began his career in film. A few years later, Harrison became Han Solo in the popular *Star Wars* saga by George Lucas. Among his most notable works are the films *Indiana Jones*, *The Mosquito Coast*, *Working Girl*, and *Patriot Games*.

8. Adriano Celentano

Adriano Celentano, a well-known and beloved Italian actor, filmmaker, and composer, was born into a very poor family. His parents moved to a run-down working-class neighborhood in Milan in search of work. Although Adriano’s childhood was spent in poverty, he grew up to be a lively and cheerful boy. Despite the family’s hardships, music always filled the Celentano home.

Adriano never lost his sense of humor, and his favorite pastime was dressing up and impersonating famous people. Once, a random photographer captured a photo of him while he was impersonating a well-known politician. His sister decided to send the picture to a comedy contest, and young Adriano won 100,000 lira. That was when he realized that the stage was his calling, and he was right.

Celentano is one of the most successful and influential performers in the history of Italian music and cinema. He has appeared in over 40 films and has won two David di Donatello awards for Best Actor for the films *The Bluff* and *The Velvet Hands*. In 2007, he topped the list of «100 Brightest Movie Stars» according to *Time Out* magazine.

9. Keanu Reeves

The life of famous Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves has been quite challenging. From a young age, he experienced loss and disappointment. When he was three years old, his drug-addicted father abandoned the family. His mother was constantly searching for «the right» man. Because of this, the family frequently moved from one city to another, encountering various unpleasant situations, including drug problems and frequent school absences.

When the family finally settled in Toronto, Keanu had little desire to continue his education. It’s hard to say what would have awaited the young man in life if he hadn’t been invited to act in a film by chance. He just needed to stand in front of the camera at an audition. Keanu was so excited afterward that he dropped everything, got into his old car, and drove to Los Angeles. In that huge, noisy city, he faced numerous challenges. Tired and hungry, Keanu knocked on the doors of well-known film companies. Unexpectedly, he recalled that one of his mother’s husbands was a Hollywood producer. He found his former stepfather and begged him to help him land even a tiny role. And so it began!

At first, Keanu was only given small roles, but gradually his talent was recognized by many directors. After the release of one of his most famous films, *The Matrix*, he achieved overwhelming success. During breaks in filming *The Matrix*, Keanu Reeves appeared in *The Gift*, *The Watcher*, and *The Replacements*. Subsequently, the sequels to *The Matrix* were released. And, of course, this ambitious young conqueror of Hollywood did not stop there. Besides acting, Keanu Reeves is also passionate about music. Throughout the 1990s, he played bass guitar in the band *Dogstar*, and later in the band *Becky*.

10. Demi Moore

Not only men have risen from poverty and hardship to become famous stars of Hollywood. As a pleasant bonus to our selection, we will add the charming actress Demi Moore. This determined woman has repeatedly had to start her ascent to the heights of success over and over again—and she has always succeeded. The future Hollywood star had a very difficult childhood. She never knew her biological father, who left the family before she was born. Her mother, Virginia King, remarried but also failed. The new husband abused alcohol and was fond of gambling. Due to enormous debts, the family constantly moved from place to place.

Soon after, her stepfather died, leaving them unable to pay bills or buy food. Demi realized that if she didn’t find a job, things would get very bad. She dropped out of school and decided to try her hand at modeling. A huge role in Moore’s film career was played by her roommate, fellow actress Nastassja Kinski, who advised her to audition for a role. However, there is another version: Demi entered the film industry thanks to her mother, who had connections in television. Demi Moore has been nominated for a Golden Globe several times. She gained the most popularity after starring in films such as *Ghost*, *A Few Good Men*, and *G.I. Jane*.

These are just a few of the well-known Hollywood stars who have traversed a long and difficult path to fame. Share in the comments which famous actors with similar biographies you like!