20 Celebrity Facts Before They Found Fame & Fortune

Science-fiction author Gene Wolfe worked as an engineer on the design of the machine that makes Pringles chips.

Bob Marley worked on an assembly line at a Chrysler plant in Newark, New Jersey under the alias "Donald Marley."

As a teen, Christopher Walken answered a help wanted ad and worked as a lion tamer.

Chad Stahelski, the director of the John Wick films, had worked as Keanu Reeves’ stunt double for 15 years prior to his directorial debut.

Actor Michael Keaton got his start in show business as a production assistant on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He helped with the puppets and ran the trolley.

Henry Ford worked as chief engineer at Edison Illuminating Company before starting his automobile business.

Steve Carell has worked as a mail carrier in Massachusetts. He quit 7 months later because his boss told him he was not very good at being a mail carrier and needed to be faster. He has also performed with Chicago troupe The Second City where Stephen Colbert was his understudy for a time.

Ina Garten, known for her cooking show Barefoot Contessa, worked in the White House as a nuclear budget analyst.

Tom Morello (the guitar player for Rage Against The Machine) worked as a male stripper with the goal of saving enough money to purchase a hot tub.

Kenneth Koe, the inventor of Zoloft worked his way through college washing dishes at a restaurant which was named Hung Far Low.