In 2022, a fan of HBO’s Euphoria unknowingly sparked a collective investigation into celebrity family trees when she tweeted a discovery she had made about Maude Apatow: “Wait I just found out that the actress that plays Lexie is a nepotism baby omg. Her mom is Leslie Mann and her dad is a movie director lol [Judd Apatow],” the Gen-Zer wrote.
Soon after, other netizens began searching to uncover who else on their TVs or social media feeds was a “nepo baby“—the child of a celebrity—reigniting the debate of talent and merit versus VIP industry shortcuts.
Now, it’s time to shine a spotlight on the celebrities who were entirely self-made. The following actors, singers, and hosts have been recognized for their talent and have made millions without a famous surname paving the way.
Read on to discover 25 celebrities who rose to the top despite being born into poverty.
#1
Dolly Parton
The Jolene singer has described her family as being “dirt poor.”
Dolly grew up in a house with no electricity or running water in Pittman Center, Tennessee. Her parents, Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Paterson, had twelve children, and Dolly was the fourth.
Her parents paid the doctor who delivered her with a sack of cornmeal. In 1972, Dolly wrote Dr. Robert F. Thomas, a song dedicated to him and other rural healthcare professionals.
“I’m proud of my hillbilly, white trash background,” Dolly told Southern Living. “To me, that keeps you humble. That keeps you good. And it doesn’t matter how hard you try to outrun it — if that’s who you are, that’s who you are.”
#2
Selena Gomez
Selena’s mother, Mandy, had her at sixteen years old. The Only Murders in the Building star recalls having to search for quarters to pay for gas during her childhood.
“I remember my mom would run out of gas all of the time and we’d sit there and have to go through the car and get quarters and help her get gas,” the 32-year-old told Hollywood Life.
“I remember having a lot of macaroni and cheese but my mom never made it seem like it was a big deal. She was really strong around me.
“Having me at 16 had to have been a big responsibility. My mom gave up everything for me, had three jobs, supported me and sacrificed her life for me.”
#3
Viola Davis
Born in South Carolina to Mae Alice Logan, a maid, and Dan Davis, a horse trainer, Viola is the second youngest of six children.
At nine years old, the actress moved with her family to Central Falls, Rhode Island. “We were on the periphery. And we lived in abject poverty and dysfunction, which is a horrific combination. And feeling like you are the only one being black, being on the periphery, belief system becomes almost imperative,” Viola said of her Catholic upbringing.
“I grew up in apartments that were condemned and rat-infested, and I just always sort of wanted to be somebody,” the Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award winner told Harper’s Bazaar.
#4
Céline Dion
Born into a working-class family in the Canadian province of Quebec, Céline is the youngest of 14 siblings.
Growing up, the superstar shared a bed with three or four of her sisters and wore their hand-me-downs.
As a baby, she slept in a drawer. “My mum was brilliant enough to put a pillow in a drawer for a baby to sleep in. We were safe and warm and taken care of. Three or four of us in the same bed was normal to us. We weren’t poor, but we never had money, ” the Queen of Power Ballads told Vanity Fair.
“We were given love and affection and support. What else did we need?”
#5
Misha Collins
Misha’s family was sometimes homeless and lived off food stamps, he revealed to Forbes when asked about the inspiration behind his non-profit organization Random Acts in 2018.
“I still remember vividly what a profound impact a relatively small act of kindness from a stranger had on our family during those times,” the Supernatural actor said.
“I still relish the meal we bought with a $14 gift certificate to Abdow’s Big Boy that a stranger handed to my mom when our car had broken down, as we were hitchhiking in the winter. That act of generosity has stuck with me for decades, and I feel as if I’m still trying to pay it forward.”
#6
Halle Berry
In 1989, when Halle moved from Ohio to New York to pursue an acting career, she worked as a waitress and bartender. Before that, she briefly lived in a homeless shelter and then a YMCA after running out of money in the Big Apple.
Her financial situation improved later that year when she was cast as Emily Franklin in the ABC sitcom Living Dolls, a spin-off of Who’s the Boss?
#7
Kelly Clarkson
The Texas-born singer’s family lived “prepay check to prepay check,” she told the Dallas Morning News in 2015.
“I always used to hate when people would be like, ‘Money doesn’t buy everything,’ when you are little and poor. Rich people say that. Not poor people. I don’t know one poor person that’s going, ‘Money doesn’t buy happiness.’ It pays you to get out of eviction notices,” said Kelly, who rose to fame after winning the first season of American Idol in 2002.
