Everyone has to start somewhere, and for many of Hollywood’s stars that often means working for other already established celebrities. As it turns out, the entertainment industry is a very small place, and sometimes all it takes is getting in with the right people, even if that meant babysitting their kids or organizing their closets before becoming a full-fledged star themselves. Here are 7 celebrities who took on jobs working for other stars before they were famous:
Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton
It is incredible to think of how quickly things can change when not so long, reality superstar Kim Kardashian West was not only unknown, but was working for celebrities. The mid-2000s were the peak of Paris Hilton’s fame and at the time she hired her best friend, Kim Kardashian, to be her assistant, closet organizer and stylist. Now, Kim Kardashian is one of the wealthiest celebrities on the planet and her entire family has reached an incredible amount of fame, completely eclipsing that of Paris Hilton’s days on The Simple Life.
Kanye West and Jay-Z
Before he was one of the music industry’s biggest powerhouses himself, Kanye West got his start by working for none other than music mogul Jay-Z. West began his career by producing for different artists, but he got his break when he was hired to produce for artists off of Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records including work on Jay-Z’s own album 2001’s “The Blueprint.” Because of his growing reputation as an incredible producer, many were hesitant to sign West as a rapper and after a failed contract with Capitol Records, he was eventually “reluctantly” signed to Roc-A-Fella Records and went on to superstardom as a rapper.
Jenna Dewan Tatum and Justin Timberlake
In 2006, Jenna Dewan, now Jenna Dewan-Tatum, landed her breakout role in Step Up and rose to stardom. Before the role, however, she was a professional dancer who was hired by big name artists as a backup dancer for their concerts and that included Justin Timberlake. Years later and after many rumors, Dewan Tatum admitted the pair had briefly dated during the time she was working as backup dancer for the singer, but it was never anything serious. Now she is a star in her own right and along with husband Channing Tatum is part of one of Hollywood’s most beloved celebrity relationships.
Liza Minelli and Ron Howard
Things certainly came full circle for Liza Minelli and Ron Howard years after their first connection. When she was still a teenager, the legendary performer babysat Ron Howard who would go on to become a famous actor and filmmaker. In 2003, this previous relationship paid off when Howard personally asked Minelli to accept a role on his hit series Arrested Development as Lucille Austero.
Jon Hamm and Ellie Kemper
Back before his Mad Men days and before Kemper starred on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Jon Hamm and Ellie Kemper knew each other away from Hollywood. Although Hamm didn’t directly work for Kemper, his employment ended up benefiting her because he was her high school drama teacher. “I was in ninth grade and he taught me the improv section of my theater class and everyone loved him,” Kemper revealed at a Television Critics Association panel.
Katie Lowes and Connie Britton
Now Katie Lowes is best known for her starring role as Quinn Perkins in Scandal, but before her big role she worked forFriday Night Lights and Nashville actress Connie Britton! After she got the part, Britton revealed that Lowes had been helping out as a part-time babysitter for Britton’s son Eyob, and Britton admitted she and Lowes were talking about hiring her on as her full-time nanny and assistant when Lowes got the news she was cast in Scandal. “I wanted her to be my nanny so badly and my assistant! She’s just such a phenomenal human and I remember having those conversations. She was helping me with my son, who was then just a baby, and then she said, ‘I got cast in this show called Scandal.'”
Jennifer Garner and Stephen Colbert
In the mid-’90s Jennifer Garner was just another young actress looking for her big break and while she was landing small roles on TV series and TV movies like Harvest of Fire, Law & Order and Spin City, she needed other gigs to bring in extra cash. Luckily, Garner met Stephen Colbert during her small role on Spin City and he really took to the actress and was impressed by how “normal” she seemed which made her a good candidate to be his daughter’s babysitter. “He said, ‘You seem normal. Would you babysit for me?’ So my roommate and I babysat for little Madeleine.”
