Celebrities Who Were Terrible Employees Before They Were Famous

While the image we see of most celebrities is that of hard working and focused individuals, there are actually many celebrities who were terrible employees in the real world before they became famous. From making disastrous mistakes to throwing tantrums with customers, it would seem that those who achieve superstardom haven’t always been so good at what they do.

From Dunkin’ Donuts to Queen of Pop

Madonna has a huge fan base and works tirelessly at an age where most women would be winding down and enjoying their retirement. She hasn’t always been so perfect, though. She must have been practicing for her diva days when she was fired from one job at a Dunkin’ Donuts diner for pouring donut jelly over one customer. It may have worked out for this diva, but this stunt is definitely one that we wouldn’t recommend trying yourself.

The Least Creative Turned Cartoon King

Walt Disney is possibly the greatest cartoonist of our time; yet he was once fired from a job as a cartoonist for a local newspaper. The reason why they fired him? Apparently he wasn’t creative enough. Perhaps this allowed the young cartoonist to move on, as later he came up with ‘Steamboat Willie’ and the wheels were in motion for him to create the most successful cartoon franchise known to date.

The Daydreamer Who Became a Household Name

Who would have thought that a writer as hard working and professional as J.K. Rowling, author of the world-renowned Harry Potter books would have ever made a terrible employee? The truth is that Rowling once worked as a secretary, while she was dreaming of becoming a published and famous writer. She would regularly write stories on her work computer when she was supposed to be carrying out the tasks that she was paid to do. Her employers eventually grew tired of her unwillingness to work, and she was eventually fired.

The Emotional Reporter Who Became an Influential Talk Show Host

Before the days of Oprah Winfrey’s global success as a chat show host, she was employed for a short time as an evening news reporter. Winfrey was blasted for being too emotionally involved in her stories and was eventually fired for being an unprofessional journalist. Who would have known that the step down that she took to appear on a humble chat show would have made her the global success she is today?

 

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From Sloppy Employee to First-Rate Actor

In the days before Robert Redford became an actor, he was an employee working for Standard Oil. His skills at work were so atrocious that he was even found sleeping on the job. When his boss found him asleep, rather than being fired, the young Redford was moved to a different department and given another chance. The move was not fruitful as Redford carried on his reign as an awful employee. His final catastrophe came when he smashed a large consignment of glass bottles, and he was finally fired. It’s not all bad news though, because this allowed him to realize that his skills were better suited to acting. After a time at college, he went on to pursue his career in acting and made a name for himself.

These celebrity stories are certainly not an excuse to be a terrible employee-instead, they’re meant to encourage individuals who have found themselves in the wrong profession to find the right one. Anyone can be successful as long as they are matched with the position that is right for their unique talents and skills. If you feel that you’ve found yourself in a position that doesn’t let you be the best possible employee, like the above celebrities did, a staffing service may be able to help match you to the job where you’ll be a superstar.

By Tom Bodeep