Before making it big in Hollywood, some stars were strippers for a weekend, a few months, or several years.
Actors and even musicians sometimes have to go through enormous lengths to make ends meet before they get their big screen break , if that big break happens at all. Check out this list of celebrities that did some booty shaking before making it big.
Blac Chyna
Blac Chyna originally started her entertainment career as a stripper at the King of Diamonds Club in Miami, Florida. Her exotic looks led to modeling gigs. She first gained national notoriety as a stunt double for Nicki Minaj in Kanye West’s Monster video. Since then, her fame has skyrocketed. She has opened beauty salons, among other businesses, and has a monstrous media empire of her own.
Chris Pratt
At age 19, Hollywood’s heavenly hunk, Chris Pratt, was hardly a blip on anyone’s radar. He did stripping at local house parties, bounced over to Hawaii to live out of a van as an island nomad, and eventually happened to serve as a waiter to Rae Dawn Chong who put him in a movie. And now he’s a golden box office cash cow!
Channing Tatum
Not just another pretty face, almost everyone is familiar with Channing Tatum’s start out as a male stripper, mainly because of his semi-autobiographical hit movie Magic Mike. He started out in Tampa and now that he’s a bigtime star, he says it was not all so glamorous. Yeah, sure.
Carmen Electra
Screen star Carmen Electra is fascinating. Many remember when she was Dennis Rodman’s muse. But before that young Carmen lit up the stage as a talented dancer. While the amount of her “exposure” remains debatable, she most notably appeared with the Pussycat Dolls. In 1993 Minneapolis a fortunate encounter with Prince led to him producing her music album and her career launched into hyper drive.
Lady Gaga
Despite coming from a wealthy family and attending a private school, Lady Gaga wanted to pursue her sexuality and bodily confidence. No shrinking violet, she moved out on her own at age 18 and worked as a waitress and a stripper. As confident as ever, Lady Gaga is proud of that developmental stage of her life.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Yep. The Welsh beauty started out clubbing and unabashedly confesses that she used her earnings to get a nose job. Good investment in our estimation! A point of interest. At one time Catherine sued a strip club in our northern neighboring city of Reno for wrongfully using her photo to promote nudity.
Mark Consuelos
Kelly Ripa’s husband started chumming the waters straight out of college in South Florida, well before they ever met. Times were tough and to make ends meet this future soap opera star did what any ripped, good-looking guy might do! Nicknamed “Meaty Mark,” he was a hit with the ladies!
Kendra Wilkinson
Kendra parlayed her assets to the Nth degree! The onetime NFL Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader was dancing, modeling, and featured as a “painted girl.” Painted girls are nude except where clothing, jewelry, and such are literally painted on. Legend has it that Hugh Hefner saw her picture and recruited her to the Playboy Mansion. That led to a TV series and away things went!
Anna Nicole Smith
Anna famously gave a billion-dollar lap dance to her future husband at Gigi’s Cabaret in Houston, Texas. A stunning beauty and flame to many moths seeking to bask in the aura of her fame later on, we fondly recall her true calling and talent.