10 celebrities you’d never have guessed worked in hospitality

Have you ever looked at celebrities walking down the red carpet, politicians delivering a speech or comedians standing centre-stage and wondered what they were doing before they hit the big time? Quite a few famous figures have spoken out about how they started off working in bars, pubs and restaurants and the skills they picked up that have helped them later down the line.

Here are 10 celebrities that you'd never have guessed worked in hospitality.

Barack Obama

The very same man that served as the 44th president of the United States also worked at an ice cream parlour in Hawaii. He often talks about his humble beginnings and even the valuable lessons he learned working in hospitality.

Kate Winslet

It was during a shift at a sandwich delicatessen in Reading that Kate got a phone call to tell her she'd got her first big acting gig. Her role in Heavenly Creatures was just the beginning of her long and successful career.

Sandra Bullock

Before making it big in Hollywood, Sandra Bullock could be found picking up shifts as a hostess, waitress and bartender to help her pay the bills while she tried to land a good role. She has spoken openly about meeting lots of interesting people - which is just one of the reasons to love working in hospitality. These encounters even helped her pick up many interesting accents which she used later in her career.

Bruce Willis

You might know him for the hard-edged characters he plays, but back in the days when he went by the name Bruno, the now-famous Bruce Willis was a bartender at many of New York's hotspots.

Lady Gaga

She might have her own Italian restaurant now, but there was a time when Gaga worked as a waitress. Though she knew she was made for stardom, young Lady Gaga had to find a way to pay to fund herself through her studies.

Jeff Bezos

At one point, he held the title of the richest man in the world - not a shabby one to have. It might surprise you then to hear that Jeff's career started at the world's most famous fast-food restaurant chain in the world (we think you can guess the one we mean), where he was flipping burgers and serving up milkshakes.

Natalie Dormer

Any Game of Thrones fans out there? You might already know that before her days as Margaery Tyrell, Natalie had a waiting staff job. Before she made her big break, she often found herself without work, and it was her hospitality jobs that helped support her while she pursued her passion.

Kelis

In an interview, Kelis revealed that her passion for food was bubbling up well before she discovered her musical talents. While she might not have worked in hospitality in the same way as the other famous figures on this list, this professionally trained chef has ambitious plans to open her own farm-to-table restaurant. She even went as far as naming one of her albums 'Food'. Now if that doesn't scream passion for the culinary arts, we don't know what does.

Madonna

You might not believe your eyes if you saw the Queen of Pop putting in a shift at a restaurant now. When she first arrived in the Big Apple, Madonna was set on becoming a famous dancer and got a job at an iconic Manhattan restaurant to keep her going. Rumour has it that our Madge only lasted a few months before they decided that her look was too much of an eyebrow-raiser.

Chelsea Handler

She's made a name for herself as a comedian, actress, writer, television host, and producer. That's a lot of talent found in just one person, but did you know Chelsea used to be a waitress? Though she admits she didn't quite have what it takes to be a waitress, her strong work ethic meant that people knew they could rely on her to put the effort in, and this is a trait she's made sure to hold on to throughout her entertainment career.

Explore our hospitality jobs

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Browse our kitchen jobs, bar and waiting roles or management positions and submit an application to learn more about #LifeAtM&B.