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Someone In This Online Group Asked “Which Currently Popular Actor Is Not A Product Of Being Well-Connected And/Or Rich?” And 30 Folks Delivered
There are some professions that seem to be passed down through generations, like being a doctor or a musician. Sometimes it’s a choice that the younger generation makes by themselves and it just is in their blood. But there are cases when they are forced to continue the family tradition.
In cases when children choose or are forced to choose a career path similar to their parents, it can be easier for them to get a better paying job through connections as their parents or grandparents surely have them.
It may seem unfair, but it happens more than you would think. However, others really appreciate and respect when someone comes from a background that didn’t help them pave their own career path. Reddit user PM_me_Thor_nudes was worried that most big actors are a product of nepotism, but actually, other redditors proved them wrong, listing all the actors they know who didn’t have an advantage of knowing someone in the family who was already in the industry.
Do you think that actors who came from nothing deserve more respect than the ones who came from families having a background in the entertainment industry? Also, let us know if you know any more names that you think need to be mentioned in the list!
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Steve Buscemi was a firefighter before making it as an actor, but I think that's common knowledge by now.
The Olsen Twins. They literally supported their families financially by working their entire lives and then people have the audacity to belittle them and act like everything was handed to them on a silver platter. They literally didn’t have a childhood and have always been working. They don’t get the respect they deserve. They’re now still massively successful with their fashion lines and have earned the privacy to stay out of the spotlight.
Their sister on the other hand definitely benefited from the pathway they paved. But I just think about all the child stars who were literally the sole support of their family and they had no control over it. People make jokes about child stars going down bad pathways, but that’s more on the environment and the industry than it is on the kids. Imagine blaming kids for being introduced to things at a young age they shouldn’t have been introduced to. Drew Barrymore’s talks about the things she was exposed to as a kid being part of a family dynasty are so disturbing and the media blames the kids and not the industry that cultivated that environment.
End of rant.
I think people project more anger at their mother onto them. As there have been several interviews roast and even documentaries made that villifies her as a monster onset. That and good old fashion jealousy.
Mila Kunis used to work at the store her mom worked at even while she was staring on that 70s show to not let it go to her head.
Ryan Reynolds had a pretty humble background. I used to rent movies to his brother, back when rental stores were a thing.
Donald Glover. Dad was a postal worker and his mom was a daycare provider. Went on to be an insanely talented musician, producer, actor, etc.
If you still count her, there is Milla Jovovich who was the daughter of a single mother from Ukraine. She's a nice lady who is still very down-to-earth. I've heard many good things about her.
Mark Ruffalo is definitely not from a wealthy or well connected family. His family actually owns a pizza place in Kenosha, WI.
I have a lot of respect for Adam Driver. He was the only main actor on Girls who didn't come from privilege or didn't have a parent who was already in the industry. Not surprisingly, he was the most successful actor after Girls ended.
Elijah woods parents ran a restaurant in Iowa city and weren’t particularly wealthy
Jessica Chastain. Grew up in a low income family and could only make it through Julliard thanks to a scholarship (actually awarded by a foundation led by Robin Williams, if I'm not mistaken).
Channing Tatum. Grew up in Alabama and Mississippi, he basically only got into showbiz by being signed as a dancer, and he was only a Dancer because he used to be a stripper.
Anna Kendrick is one of the prominent ones I can think of. No show biz parents, got her start in theater as a kid.
She was a sidekick in the Twilight movies, which transitioned to a prominent supporting role with George Clooney in Up in the Air, followed by 3 Pitch Perfect, Into the Woods, and numerous leads in rom coms. While the movie plots aren't always the best, she is always a joy to watch.
Brad Pitt. Was working as the El Pollo Loco chicken on the corner of Sunset and La Brea while trying to make it in Hollywood.
Jennifer Lawrence is def one. She's such a good actress and comes from a normal background. Grew up in Kentucky and her parents run a summer camp for kids.
She's just so humble and human at all times. Yes she also enjoys what she made and she has right to do so, but still, when everyone was cra*ping over Kirsten Stewart, Jennifer just came to her and gave her big hug when they met on red carpet, or when she came with perfect reply to question about diet she does when she wants to loose weigh, etc. She's unbelievable, very charming to me with that rough but pure big mouth.
I agree but she has done and admitted to racist and insensitive things
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I am going to get downvoted for this, but I really do not understand the hype around Jennifer Lawrence.
That's ok. I don't get the hype around the Kardashians. But they're all making a crap load more money than me. LOL
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I love when she talks about how her brothers still torment her. They still beat her up and have hidden her Oscar. THAT's love!!
Not only able to hold her own on screen, she's a pretty good singer besides. Lawrence sang a cappella "The Hanging Tree" in The Hunger Games.
I would not say she is such a good actress, but people are drawn to her. She has a charm about her.
She played Katniss Everdeen and Mystique (in the new X-men), right? She's cool :).
Just watch Winters Bone and pretend its biographical. Not that it is. Just try it.
That's the first thing I ever saw her in and was blown away. Then I saw the Hunger Games and other films. She's quite talented.
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Perhaps let's define her by what she's achieved through her hard work, and not by the actions of a predatory man: just a suggestion
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Sandra Oh. Her parents were middle-class South Korean immigrants and she paid out of pocket for her drama education at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal. Her mom was a biochemist and her dad was a businessman.
Wasn't Harrison Ford a carpenter or something first?
Edit: he pretty much was always an actor, but he wasn't satisfied with the roles he was getting early on, so he became a carpenter until he was discovered by George Lucas.
Rachel McAdams
“born on November 17, 1978, in London, Ontario, Canada, to nurse Sandra (née Gale) and truck driver Lance McAdams
selena gomez. she literally came from nothing and worked as a child to support her family.
Awkwafina (daughter of IT worker dad, mother passed away when she was young), Simu Liu (son of engineers).
Matthew Mcconaughey and Forest Whitaker both came from Longview, TX. Both from modest families.
McConaughey did a dramatization of a kids book called Hank the Cowdog. My 3yo absolutely loves it!
First thing that came to mind was Dev Patel. Mother was a caregiver, father was an IT guy.
kelly marie tran (lead voice actor in raya, rose tico in star wars) was a nobody whose parents were vietnam refugees. she did collegehumor videos before rian johnson casted her in star wars. tbh i think most asian-american actors are a good place to look if u wanna search for talent without nepotist connections because most asian immigrants don’t start off in hollywood.
She was so charming in The Last Jedi. She didn’t deserve to be treated the way she was.
Seth Rogen - went to public school, mom is a social worker and dad worked at a non-profit.
Vin Diesel was raised by a single mother and was doing community theater and independent projects which got him discovered for saving private ryan.
Finn Wolfhard: His father was a history researcher his mother was an assistant and designer.
I think in the UK something like 80% of the name brand actors come out of a few of the elite preparatory schools. There are a few standouts like John Boyega.
I guess Simu Liu from Marvel's Shang Chi counts. He was an accountant for a brief amount of time before becoming an actor. I'm sure he didn't get rich being an entry level auditor. Simu attended a private school in Toronto. He probably didn't make Hollywood connections there but being around affluence is an advantage. Edit: I thought it would be an advantage being brought up around affluence and communicating with the other wealthy people around. Apparently I'm wrong.
I haven't seen the Marvel movie he's in, sorry. I have seen him in Kim's Convenience. He's a good actor and handsome young man.
The banger cast of Short Term 12 (2013) were pretty much nobodies.
Brie Larson - parents are chiropractors.
John Gallagher Junior - parents were folk musicians in Delaware.
Kaitlyn Dever - father voices barney. Make that what you will, not sure how much a voice actor can get you connections.
Rami Malik - immigrant parents (insurance worker and accounting) from Egypt.
LaKeith Stanfield - no info on his parents. Grew up in dysfunctional family in the middle of nowhere California.
Stephanie Beatriz - Immigrant from Argentina and grew up in Texas.
The director and writer of Short Term 12, Destin Cretton, was born in Hawaii to a hairdressor and firefighter. He is now the director of Marvel's Shang Chi movies.
I was suppose to be childhood friends with Taylor Lautner. (His dad would ask my mom for us to hang out together as children and play I guess?) He got the gig because his karate teacher just happened to know the yellow power ranger at the time according to my mom. And his dad was a jerk apparently.
This guy ruined his career because he thought he was a bigger actor than he really was. After Twilight he would ask for more money than he's worth when he got offered roles. Eventually they'd find someone else that would take what they're offering. He kept doing that until people forgot about him
I think DiCaprio and Toby Maguire weren't connected. They were best friends growing up though and came up in the business together.
I don't know what to believe here. The movie Molly game it's well known that the AH (player X) is supposedly based on Tobey McGuire. That movie ruined me as a fan for him. I couldn't like him after that.
Note: this post originally had 40 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
They might not have hit the wealth lottery , but a lot of them hit the looks lottery........ a large selection here wouldn't have got their start without being pretty good-looking young adults/kids.
Few of them are strikingly attractive... and some aren't very attractive at all.
Load More Replies... Agreed. I think a far shorter list would be of actors who come from privilege.
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Danny Trejo is my favorite. He was a criminal and started acting in jail. I love his story.
No Billy Bob Thornton stories? Billy Bob moved to LA and had a heck of a rough life. https://www.grunge.com/420853/the-tragic-real-life-story-of-billy-bob-thornton/ Also this too talks about how him and a friend stuggled to survive on just $6 a week. https://www.legends.report/billy-bob-thornton-how-pizza-and-rum-kept-his-dreams-alive/
How could this list omit the legendary DANNY TREJO! He was an actual convict, who looked so menacing that he got picked out to -play- a convict, and now he's MACHETE! Fighting fascists by day, peacefully selling tacos by night. Humble as heck. Love him.
The dude just looks scary! He could be dressed in a tutu holding a basket full of kittens and still be scary!!! (He truly is an amazing guy tho definitely didn't let Hollywood go to his head)
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Tom Hanks's childhood was reported to be a hellish one where his parents kept on remarrying over and over again (to different partners, meaning he ended up with many, many stepparents) and allegedly he had so may stepsiblings that he was referred to as "Number 10". Apparently if you act like a crazed, obsessed fan over him he keeps his distance but if you're decent around him he's a great guy to be around. In fact the only negative I've ever really heard about him was how he and his wife Rita Wilson treated Nia Vardalos over the profits/royalties from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but that was more of a business matter than anything.
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James Gandolfini came from a normal middle class family. We went to school together. he was a really nice guy who stayed in touch with his old friends.
Misha Collins. I know, not even close to a Hollywood A Lister, but he was hopelessly as a child growing up with a single mom and a younger brother. They lived in Tests in the woods or abandoned houses. He's using his insanely devoted fanbase to do good deeds, runs the non-profit "Random Acts" and is a really kind guy.
Demonising people because they're rich... Guess what, sorry to break you bubble, but sometimes it's just PLAIN LUCK and a combination ofntalent. Also 90% of these people were insanely good looking teenagers. Brad Pitt? Tatum? Leo dicaprio? Their looks was their connection.
Tiffany Haddish. I know she just got arrested for DUI but boy did she have a tough upbringing with zero connections. One could make a movie about her life
They might not have hit the wealth lottery , but a lot of them hit the looks lottery........ a large selection here wouldn't have got their start without being pretty good-looking young adults/kids.
Few of them are strikingly attractive... and some aren't very attractive at all.
Load More Replies... Agreed. I think a far shorter list would be of actors who come from privilege.
Load More Replies... Danny Trejo is my favorite. He was a criminal and started acting in jail. I love his story.
No Billy Bob Thornton stories? Billy Bob moved to LA and had a heck of a rough life. https://www.grunge.com/420853/the-tragic-real-life-story-of-billy-bob-thornton/ Also this too talks about how him and a friend stuggled to survive on just $6 a week. https://www.legends.report/billy-bob-thornton-how-pizza-and-rum-kept-his-dreams-alive/
How could this list omit the legendary DANNY TREJO! He was an actual convict, who looked so menacing that he got picked out to -play- a convict, and now he's MACHETE! Fighting fascists by day, peacefully selling tacos by night. Humble as heck. Love him.
The dude just looks scary! He could be dressed in a tutu holding a basket full of kittens and still be scary!!! (He truly is an amazing guy tho definitely didn't let Hollywood go to his head)
Load More Replies... Tom Hanks's childhood was reported to be a hellish one where his parents kept on remarrying over and over again (to different partners, meaning he ended up with many, many stepparents) and allegedly he had so may stepsiblings that he was referred to as "Number 10". Apparently if you act like a crazed, obsessed fan over him he keeps his distance but if you're decent around him he's a great guy to be around. In fact the only negative I've ever really heard about him was how he and his wife Rita Wilson treated Nia Vardalos over the profits/royalties from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but that was more of a business matter than anything.
Load More Replies... James Gandolfini came from a normal middle class family. We went to school together. he was a really nice guy who stayed in touch with his old friends.
Misha Collins. I know, not even close to a Hollywood A Lister, but he was hopelessly as a child growing up with a single mom and a younger brother. They lived in Tests in the woods or abandoned houses. He's using his insanely devoted fanbase to do good deeds, runs the non-profit "Random Acts" and is a really kind guy.
Demonising people because they're rich... Guess what, sorry to break you bubble, but sometimes it's just PLAIN LUCK and a combination ofntalent. Also 90% of these people were insanely good looking teenagers. Brad Pitt? Tatum? Leo dicaprio? Their looks was their connection.
Tiffany Haddish. I know she just got arrested for DUI but boy did she have a tough upbringing with zero connections. One could make a movie about her life
