Many celebrities have a carefully curated image that they’ve been cultivating long before they had their name in lights. However, this doesn’t mean they’re immune to awkward old photos that they might want to keep hidden from the public eye. In this collection of rare celebrity snapshots, we’ll be able to see the degree of change they went through.
Did your favorite actor or actress already look every bit a celebrity even back then or did they have an ugly duckling phase, too? Join us for a quick trip down memory lane and guess who among our list really made it big.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Dwayne has gone through a number of transformations throughout his time in the spotlight. He started out as a professional wrestler, earning many fans in the process with credit to both his prowess and showmanship. Even now that he’s a full-time actor, his moniker ‘The Rock’ is still deeply associated with his persona.
Few people know that before he was a wrestler, Dwayne was a well-known college football player for the University of Miami. Their team won the national championship back in 1991. The actor dreamt of a professional football career and even entered the 1995 NFL draft, but ended up undrafted.
Kurt Cobain
The vocalist and lead of the legendary band Nirvana Kurt Cobain has been featured on Twitter, but this time, it’s a photo of him as a toddler. Cobain sports a blonde bowl cut, a purple striped vest on top of a black turtleneck, and topped with a mischievous smile. The young Kurt Cobain was too innocent back then to understand the kind of influence he’ll have in music when he grew up. How he would eventually take credit for being the “voice of a generation”. We can’t deny that he’s always radiated such positive and warm energy—even as a child!
Stephen Colbert
This handsome young gent is none other than The Late Show host, Stephen Colbert. Whilst most audiences know him as the suit-wearing comedy genius, back when he was much younger, Stephen looked more like a rockstar than a budding TV host. We have to say, the long hair and scruff isn’t a bad look on him!
During his early years, while studying for his drama degree at the Northwestern University, Stephen developed a keen interest in improvisational theatre. He even did professional work as an understudy for Steve Carell. These days, they’re industry colleagues and have achieved similar levels of success.
Billy Joel
This dapper young man is none other than Billy Joel, one of the most influential and best-selling artists of all time. He might be trying to appear tough in this photo, but we know him best as a charming crooner. The Long Island native dropped out of high school early on in order to pursue his dreams. To his credit, it certainly paid off.
Aside from music, did you know that the beloved Piano Man also took up boxing? He even fought in the amateur Golden Gloves circuit, winning a total of 22 bouts before throwing in the towel after getting his nose broken.
Chris Evans
Before he became part of the Avengers, Chris Evans portrayed bit roles in a number of different productions. Such is the case with 2001’s Not Another Teen Movie, where he played the stereotypical high school jock. This photo proves that even back then he’s got that All-American good looks, which likely factored into him landing the eponymous Captain America Role.
Aside from Cap, however, Chris has also played another Marvel Superhero. Does anyone remember The Fantastic Four films? In these movies, he portrayed Johnny Storm aka the Human Torch. Now that Cap’s retired, which new superhero will this talented actor gain credit for?
Bruce Springsteen
Whenever we think of Bruce Springsteen, the image that comes to mind is that of the confident rockstar who can easily take control of the stage. Of course, that degree of expertise only comes with years of experience! While this photo was taken long before his Glory Days, his gentlemanly charm is already unmistakable.
The Jersey Shore native is one of the country’s most successful artists. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and has countless chart-toppers to his name. Needless to say, his shy demeanor in this photo was a Brilliant Disguise for the fiery rocker he’s hiding inside.
Tom Brady
It’s always fun looking back at younger photos of our favorite athletes and Tom Brady is no exception. Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. was born in San Mateo California to Galynn Patricia and Thomas Brady Sr. He is the youngest of four kids and has three older sisters.
Before getting into the NFL, Tom had a reputation for being an excellent baseball player during his high school days. He was even drafted during the 1995 MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos. To Tom’s credit, he may have ended up playing for a different sport but he still managed to excel at it.
Taylor Swift
The multi-talented singer and songwriter practically grew up in front of our eyes. From the sweet southern belle who serenaded us with her catchy country songs, Taylor’s music has matured just as she has. So throwback photos such as this one are always a lovely reminder of how she used to be—without all the glitz and the glam, just confidently strumming her guitar.
Taylor has weathered a lot of controversy since she debuted and to her credit, she’s still standing tall to this day. Not just as a Fearless musician, but also as an inspiration to many young women all over the world.
Brad Pitt
Nineties Brad Pitt made many a young girl’s heart swoon and he hasn’t stopped eliciting the same reaction to this day. Of course, it’s only normal to assume that even a guy like him would have gone through an awkward phase. However, this yearbook photo is proof of the contrary—Brad has always been quite the looker.
That isn’t his only admirable quality, though. Aside from being a talented actor and director, he is a generous philanthropist and advocates for many global causes. Given the degree of influence he has in the entertainment industry, we can’t think of a more worthwhile use of his platform.
Kim Kardashian
Love her or hate her, the infamous Kim Kardashian has certainly come a long way from being Paris Hilton’s personal assistant. For that, we give her much credit. Sure, the manner in which she gained public recognition was unorthodox, but we cannot deny her business savvy and the success she has built upon that reputation. Something that wouldn’t have been easy to achieve, given how the public tends to vilify her for even the smallest of things.
These days, Kim K. is busy running her empire. From fashion, cosmetics, and even mobile games! Keeping up with the Kardashians will certainly be quite the feat.