From Ham Glazer to Armadillo Hunter: The Shocking Pre-Fame Jobs of Hollywood's Sexiest Men

The Unlikely Beginnings of Hollywood's Hottest Stars

Before they graced the covers of magazines and lit up the silver screen, PEOPLE's Sexiest Men Alive had to start somewhere—and that somewhere was often far from glamorous. These talented actors, musicians, and athletes, with their Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, Tonys, and championships, once held down some of the most surprising and unusual jobs imaginable.

Jonathan Bailey Stirred Lemon Curd Before Dawn

PEOPLE's 2025 winner, Jonathan Bailey, was already acting on London's West End at age 7, but it was a job in a honey factory that solidified his desire to act. "Working at the lemon curd line at the local honey factory... really spurs you on and makes you think about, perhaps, what you'd like to do," he told Harper's Bazaar U.K. "It made me realize I don’t ever want to see or have lemon curd ever again but also perhaps, even though acting is kind of unstable, you don’t get lemon curd facials that early in the morning."

Patrick Dempsey Juggled and Rode Unicycles

In Maine's Sun Journal newspaper, those who knew Patrick Dempsey as a kid remembered him as a class clown with early circus skills. Mentored by local performer Randy Judkins, Dempsey took second place in the juniors' competition at the 34th International Juggler’s Convention. He soon turned his talent into a moneymaking endeavor, printing business cards that read, “Pat Dempsey JUGGLER,” along with ventriloquist, puppets, unicycling, and clown.

Chris Evans Was a Board Game Model

It's no wonder he became an Avenger—he got his start in Spandex! Chris Evans' face appeared on the box of the board game Mystery Date. Under the name "Tyler," Evans was one of the game's three mystery men; his dating profile included a photo of him in a wetsuit carrying a surfboard, and his "ideal date" was hanging out "by the bonfire with other friends."

John Krasinski Worked in Real Estate ... Kinda

While answering questions for Wired, John Krasinski revealed that he was "fired from nine different jobs while pursuing acting," including as a waiter, at a yoga studio, and "as an illegal real estate agent. Still getting followed by lawyers about that one."

Paul Rudd Was a Ham Glazer

Long before mesmerizing us with his dazzling green eyes, the Ant-Man actor carried a lot of odd jobs. His stint as a ham glazer at The Holiday Ham Company in Kansas City amused fans when he revealed it on Live! with Kelly and Michael. "I glazed hams for about six months," he told IMDb. "It was a weird job and I appreciated how strange it was — and the fact that I smelled like ham, all the time... I can still glaze with the best of them."

Chris Hemsworth Cleaned Breast Pumps

Chris Hemsworth's bout as a breast pump cleaner might be up there for the oddest job held by an Avenger. As a 14-year-old, the Thor actor had to clean and repair breast pumps at a pharmacy. "I literally worked for a pharmacy that would rent them out," he told Jimmy Fallon. "The machines would come back and I would have a toothbrush, little spray and wipe."

Matthew McConaughey Hunted Armadillos

Before his breakout role in Dazed and Confused, Matthew McConaughey roughed it as a sand raker at Oak Forest Country Club in Longview, Texas. The job came with an unexpected caveat: hunting armadillos that were wreaking havoc on the greens. "[He said] 'As well as raking the tracks, I'd like to hire you for the next two weeks to come out from 10 p.m. to 3:30 a.m … I'm gonna give you a .22 and you just spotlight them on the green and pick them off.'" For a young McConaughey, that was "the most fun part."

Idris Elba Sold Marijuana

Breaking into the entertainment industry can be an uphill battle, and Idris Elba did what he had to do. Along with being a nightclub bouncer, tire fitter, and DJ, he also sold marijuana. "I did a lot of things … some things I'm not proud of," he admitted on Sirius XM. "I used to sell weed…I did that for a little bit just to help pay the way." Elba's repertoire featured some A-list clientele, including Dave Chappelle.

John Legend Was a Management Consultant

John Legend isn't just a genius on the keys; he skipped two grades, entered the University of Pennsylvania at 16, and graduated magna cum laude at 20. Post-grad, he took a job at the prestigious Boston Consulting Group while pursuing music on the side. "I learned a lot. I met a lot of great people... I think it just ups your level of expectation for the kind of business you want to work with," he told CNBC.

Hugh Jackman Was Known as Coco the Clown

Prior to becoming Wolverine, Hugh Jackman took jobs as Coco the Clown, specializing in children's parties. His act didn't always go well; at an 8-year-old's birthday party, the birthday boy declared, "Mom, this clown is crap!" Jackman ended his clown career by letting the kids pelt him with eggs. "It was my very last time as a clown. I never did it again."

Denzel Washington Was a Garbage Man

Denzel Washington is renowned for his humility, remembering his humble beginnings. "When I was 20, I worked for the sanitation department and I was a garbage man. I worked the back of the truck, 22 blocks — that's hard. There is nothing that we do in movies that's hard," he stated.

Channing Tatum Was a Stripper

Channing Tatum is grateful that his stripping career led to Magic Mike, but he has no desire to revisit it. "I don't miss anything about stripping," he told PEOPLE. "I stripped in Tampa for like 25 girls, at best. It wasn't glamorous whatsoever, so there's nothing that I miss about stripping."

Brad Pitt Drove Limos for Strippers

While Channing Tatum was stripping, Brad Pitt was chauffeuring them. "My job was to drive them to bachelor parties and things like that," he said during Newsweek's 2007 Oscar's Roundtable. "I'd pick them up and sometimes they'd be crawling out the back window because their boyfriends didn't know they were doing this." Pitt quit after two months, but the job led him to an acting class that set his career in motion.

Blake Shelton Was a Roofer

Blake Shelton had a summer job that was literally hot: he was a roofer in Ada, Oklahoma. "I did it for two summers," Shelton told PEOPLE, joking, "It made me want to be a country singer."

Dwayne Johnson Washed Dishes

Before his WWE fame, The Rock started building those biceps in the back of a kitchen. "My legit first job: I was 13 years old and I worked in a pizza shop and I washed dishes," he revealed on WIRED. "I [still] don't use a dishwasher," he told Emily Blunt. "I hand wash everything."

Adam Levine Worked at Johnny Rockets

After his band was dropped from Reprise Records, Adam Levine took a job at Johnny Rockets. "Technically my first job was a musician because I got signed to a record label at a young age, so I did get paid for that," he told PEOPLE. "But then I got a job at Johnny Rockets when that record deal didn't work out."

George Clooney Sold Women's Shoes

George Clooney's time as a women's shoe salesman was anything but a dream. "It's a terrible job!" he told Newsweek's 2012 Oscar Roundtable. "First of all women lie about the size of their feet, which I did not understand." He sold shoes designed for people with foot issues, some self-inflicted by cutting off toes to fit into tight pumps.

Ryan Reynolds Drove a Forklift

Ryan Reynolds took on a string of varying odd jobs before becoming Deadpool. "Before I was in show business I drove a forklift, I worked in restaurants, I was a busboy, I was a waiter and I was a cashier," he told Yahoo! Entertainment. Those experiences gave him "a pretty close-up experience of what it feels like to sometimes feel a little invisible in your job."

Michael B. Jordan Helped Out with Catering

As a child actor, Michael B. Jordan didn't have much free time, but when he wasn't on set, he worked for his parents' home catering business. "As soon as I was old enough to see over the counter, they had me working just prepping and helping and stuff like that," he said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Future girlfriends can thank his parents for that training, as he is now quite the chef.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Did Construction

These childhood BFFs are bonded by more than Good Will Hunting—they've been in the trenches together. Ben Affleck revealed that he and Matt Damon worked construction during high school summers and after. "Matt and I worked at this construction site and we did demo and we were kind of the low men on the totem pole," he said on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Pierce Brosnan Was a Fire Eater on the Street

Before 007 and Mamma Mia!, Pierce Brosnan took his act to the streets as a fire-eater. He learned the trick in a workshop and performed it with his theater troupe in public. Old footage exists of Brosnan in action, proving his early showmanship.

Harrison Ford Was a Carpenter

Early in his career, Harrison Ford stepped back from unfulfilling roles and started working with his hands. "Carpentry gave me an opportunity to pick and choose from what few roles were being offered to me at that time — and I just held out for five to six years," he said in a 1988 interview. He learned on the job, building a $100,000 recording studio for Sérgio Mendes.

Tom Cruise Had a Paper Route

Tom Cruise had a need for speed at a young age, fulfilling it with his first job. "When I was 13, I had a paper route and paid $50 for my first go-kart, $75 for my first motorcycle," he told Sports Illustrated. Growing up underprivileged, he also cut grass and took odd jobs to support his family and save for movies, which he called his "film school."

Sean Connery Polished Coffins

Born to a cleaning woman and factory worker, Sean Connery's upbringing was marred with financial hardships. To make ends meet, he worked as a coffin polisher, milkman, and lifeguard before bodybuilding launched his acting career.

Mark Harmon Sold Sneakers

Like Clooney, Mark Harmon made a pit stop in the shoe department, working for Adidas for about eight months. He also tried carpentry but couldn't get hired. "For me it was about materials and doing right. If you did it right, [the project] outlasted you," he told Men's Journal.

Johnny Depp Was a Telemarketer

When Johnny Depp moved to L.A. in 1983 to be a rock star, his band worked at a telemarketing place selling ink pens and offering trips to Greece. "I did make one sale … We're making the deal and I finally said, 'Sir, don't buy these pens. You're not going to Greece, I can guarantee you that…'" he told Jimmy Kimmel.