5 Celebrity Rags To Riches Success Stories You Should Know

Fancy restaurants, exotic vacations and a lot of glitz and glamour is what most people usually associate celebrities with. However, to get to the level that they can afford these things, some of the celebrities have had to undergo a lot of poverty and suffering. Here is a glimpse at 5 Hollywood inspiring rags to riches success stories that you need to know.

# 1 The Sylvester Stallone Success Story

He was homeless. At some point, a Port Authority bus station was all he could afford as a home. He had to also sell some of his wife’s jewelry along the way as he chased his dream of being an actor. There is also the story of selling his dog for fifty bucks at a liquor store.

It was not just poverty that Sylvester Stallone had to deal with. There were also the rejections. More often than not, he got rejected for roles he auditioned for because “he spoke and looked funny.” The studio that bought Rocky didn't even want him playing the role in the first place! The only thing that made them relent was that he refused to sell the script to them unless he played the lead role. But that was way before he played Rocky and the other action films that brought him international stardom and recognition.

#2 The Hilary Swank Celebrity Success Story

She is the girl who lived in a trailer park. Hilary Swank’s dream to become an actor led she and her mother to move to Hollywood with only $75 to their name. That money wasn't enough for them to rent a house and for a while, they had to live in their car. Bookings and auditions were made through pay phones. But all that was before she strolled her way into two Oscars and a lot of money.

#3 The Carmen Electra Success Story

After her 1991 tour, Carmen Electra spent several years without a home in Hollywood while waiting for her “next break”. Things however nearly fell apart when her former boyfriend ran away with all the money she had at the time. As she admits, this made her to almost give up on the chances of her dreams coming true. But she didn’t. And now, she is not only celebrity, but a rich celebrity with all the glitz and the glamour that comes with it.

#4 The Djimon Hounsou Story

Before he became a famous fashion model and before he played a part in both Blood Diamonds and Gladiator, Djimon Hounsou lived in the streets. While he had hoped for a better life by his moving from Africa at the age of 13, he ended up in the streets.

As he says: “I lived on the streets for some time — fighting for survival, searching out nothing more than my daily necessities for a meager existence.”

But that was before he was discovered by a fashion designer on the streets. He got a break in modeling and as they say, the rest is history. He never looked back.

#5 The Susan Boyle Success Story

Everyone remembers he audition, especially the skepticism that was in the theatre when she walked onto the stage. She had never been married and at the time, she was unemployed. She had also never had much of her schooling and the pursuit of her dream had seen her sing in churches, local bars and singing competitions.

But that was before the Britain Got Talent audition. The audition video alone went viral and thus making her an instant international celebrity. She later went on to produce various number one albums that have earned her an excess of £22 million in personal fortune. She is now a celebrity with a lot of money. She is far away from being “Simple Susie”.