Stars Who Struggled Before Making It Big

George Clooney

Heartthrob actor George Clooney couldn’t always get by on his good looks. After leaving college, he sold women’s shoes, was a door-to-door insurance salesman, worked construction, cut tobacco, and even tried out for the Cincinnati Reds. He eventually came to Los Angeles to become an actor.

He rode to auditions on a bicycle and was living in a friend’s closet for a year. At some point he was so broke that he couldn’t go out with friends for a hamburger. After several small roles on different shows, Clooney eventually made a breakthrough in the early ’90s as Dr. Doug Ross on ER.