There’s a famous Hollywood myth about the young wannabe actress, fresh off the bus from some hick town, who, after struggling to get by for a while, is discovered by a movie executive.

She goes on to become famous, and the rest is written in the stars.

Turns out that for a lot of the celebrities who now hold a place amongst some of the most famous names in the world, this story isn’t that far from the truth.

According to Business Insider, despite being some of the most recognisable names in Hollywood and beyond, these millionaires and billionaires weren’t always living the high life.

Here they are – real-life rags to riches stories from celebrities.

Halle Berry slept in a homeless shelter

Years before Halle Berry became the first African American woman to take home a ‘Best Actress’ Oscar, she slept in a homeless shelter.

A struggling actress desperately wanting to make it in Hollywood, the star sought out cheaper housing alternatives. She says, however, that her struggles during her early acting career made her stronger in the end.

Tough times.

Sarah Jessica Parker’s family couldn’t afford electricity or birthday presents

Before Sarah Jessica Parker landed the role of Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City, she was a small-town girl from Nelsonville, Ohio (there’s that hick town I was talking about earlier).

According to an article by Finances Online, SJP went through a point in her life where her family rarely celebrated birthdays, holidays, or other family occasions. One of nine children, Parker remembered times when the family couldn’t afford to pay for electricity or their phone bill.

Sarah Jessica Parker landed her first Broadway role at age 11, and soon after moved to Hollywood in 1981 to appear on the TV show Square Pegs. She now stars in Divorce, with multiple movie titles also under her belt.

She’s now worth a cool $100 million (R1,4 billion).

Ed Sheeran dropped out of school and slept in subway stations

Ed Sheeran might be a big name in music today, but he started out as a struggling artist on London’s music scene.

Sheeran dropped out of school at age 16, when he moved to the metropolitan area to attend music school and play local gigs. The singer would often spend nights sleeping in the London Underground train stations or on top of heating vents outside Buckingham Palace.

Once, while playing a gig at a local homeless shelter, he met a drug-addicted prostitute named Angel. Sheeran was so moved by her story that he dedicated his song “The A Team” to her. This song would become one of Sheeran’s first breakout singles, catapulting him into the spotlight.

He now sells out stadiums.

Leonardo DiCaprio comes from a drug-torn town outside of Los Angeles

Leo started out as a poor kid living on the outskirts of LA.

The actor claims he saw great poverty, drug use, and violence at a young age, which now allows him to portray the darker side of humanity in his films.

Following slight backlash for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street, which critics said glamorized drug use, prostitution, and other “amoral” acts, DiCaprio defended the role by comparing it with his own childhood.

In an interview with The Times, he said, “Who am I to talk about this? It goes back to that neighborhood. It came from the fact that I grew up very poor, and I got to see the other side of the spectrum.”

He’s now worth an estimated $245 million (R3 billion).

Arnold Schwarzenegger experienced hunger riots in post-World War II Austria

Long before he was the Terminator, and then the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger lived without plumbing or a phone.

Growing up in a post-World War II Austrian town, the actor recalls hunger shortages and riots occurring outside his door regularly.

Now one of the richest action movie stars of all time, Schwarzenegger boasts a net worth of $400 million (R5 billion) and a catalog of movies that earned roughly $4.73 billion (R67 billion).

More on what he’s been up to lately here and here.

Celine Dion grew up in a poor family as one of 14 children

Celine Dion grew up in Canada as one of 14 children.

Her family went through hard times trying to support Dion and her siblings. Eventually, Dion realized her musical abilities and began performing at small local events. She went on to climb to the top of the charts with hits like “My Heart Will Go On” and “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now.”

She’s currently valued at a massive $800 million (R11 billion).

J.K. Rowling was a single mom struggling to make ends meet before she wrote Harry Potter

The idea for Harry Potter famously came to J.K. Rowling in a dream.

The writer was a single mother struggling to pay her rent. Rowling battled depression and other obstacles before becoming one of the most successful female writers in recent history, as well as one of the most beloved British authors of all time.

The author’s net worth currently stands at $1 billion (R14 billion), with seven Harry Potter novels and a hugely-successful resulting movie franchise to thank for it.

She just needs to stop tweeting and everything will be fine.

And, finally:

Oprah Winfrey grew up poor and went to university on a scholarship

Oprah Winfrey was born into a poor Mississippi family in 1954.

After a traumatic upbringing in which she was abused and molested by two family members and a family friend, she ran away from home at the age of 13. At 14, she gave birth – the child died shortly after.

Always an intelligent and driven young woman, Winfrey was awarded a scholarship to Tennessee State University. Following an appearance in a local beauty pageant, she went on to become the first African-American TV correspondent in the state at the young age of 19.

She later moved to Chicago where she began work on the now famous Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired for 25 years.

Her net worth is calculated to be about $2,6 billion (R36 billion).

Given how some of the homeless in Cape Town are treated, perhaps this is a timely reminder of how down-on-their-luck people can rally back against the odds.

Think of these stories as the little bit of hope you need to make it through Monday.

[source:businessinsider]