When you think of celebrities, what comes to mind? For me, I immediately imagine all the glitz and glamour that comes with the territory of Hollywood’s finest. However, at one point or another, all celebrities were surprisingly just like us. They went to school, hung out with friends at the mall, and worked normal jobs before making a name for themselves in La La Land.
For this post, we wanted to focus on celebrities who worked in or around a call center. Here are 13 celebrities who worked as a call center representative before they were famous.
#1. Angela Kinsley
Before she was Angela Martin on The Office, Angela Kinsey worked as a call center representative for a dental practice. Her years as a call center rep were so memorable, that she even pitched a semi-autobiographical show to TBS called 1-800 which is about her time as a call center rep.
#2. Vin Diesel
When you hear the name Vin Diesel, you probably think of fast cars and action-packed movies. Well, before he was Vin Diesel, he was Mark Sinclair – and Mark Sinclair had to start somewhere. When he couldn’t land an acting job upon arriving in Los Angeles, he became a telemarketer, selling tools over the phone. Word is, he was pretty good at it, too!
#3. Jennifer Aniston
Prior to her iconic role as Rachel Green on Friends, Jennifer Anniston bounced between a lot of different jobs. In one of those jobs she was working as a telemarketer selling time shares in the Poconos. She’s been quoted saying that “I didn’t make one sale. I was terrible at it.” We all find our calling eventually, right?
#4. Johnny Depp
Even though Johnny Depp started his film and television career early in life, he still needed to find regular 9-5 jobs to help pay his bills before becoming a household name. One of these “regular” jobs was as a telemarketer selling ballpoint pens. His role involved offering complimentary grandfather clocks or trips to Tahiti if the customer ordered a shipment of pens. I wonder how many pens someone would need to buy to win a trip to Tahiti?
#5. Ruby Rose
Ruby Rose is an Australian actress, model and DJ, and became well known in the United States for her role in the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black. Before fame, Ruby worked at a call center for an Australian telephone company. She started out as an agent, then got promoted to Team Lead rather quickly, where she used her calm demeanor to help deescalate irate callers.
#6. Leslie Jones
Leslie Jones was an SNL cast member and has starred in hit movies like the remake of Ghostbusters alongside costars Kristen Wig, Melissa McCarthy and Kate McKinnon. In an interview with Ellen, Leslie recalls living in Glendale and needing money for rent. She found an advertisement to be a Scientology telemarketer, and said “it was a very easy interview. I just acted crazy.”
#7. Jerry Seinfeld
Before he created “the show about nothing”, Jerry Seinfeld sold lightbulbs over the phone. Maybe that’s where he got his inspiration for this hilarious joke in an episode titled “The Pitch”
- Jerry: This isn’t a good time.
- Telemarketer: When would be a good time to call back, sir?
- Jerry: I have an idea, why don’t you give me your home number and I’ll call you back later?
- Telemarketer: Umm, we’re not allowed to do that.
- Jerry: Oh, I guess because you don’t want strangers calling you at home.
- Telemarketer: Umm, no.
- Jerry: Well, now you know how I feel.
#8. Gabourey Sidibe
In Hollywood, sex sells, and you can find it everywhere; movies, TV, books, and even Broadway. Before the Precious star hit the limelight, she recalls being 21 and not being able to afford going to school, and was on the job hunt. When her therapist suggested telemarketing, Gabourey says she immediately thought of phone sex operators, (which is a common misconception in the telecommunications world). However, she says that being a phone-sex operator helped prepare her for the emotional toll of being an actor.
#9. Demi Moore
Demi Moore is famous for her roles in hits like Ghost and A Few Good Men, but what you might not know is that she once moonlighted as a debt collector before making it big in Hollywood. I’m sure if debt collecting agencies hired celebrities to make phone calls, a lot more people would pay up!
#10. Nicki Minaj
Before exploding on the rap scene in 2010, Nicki Minaj held a number of different jobs in the service industry while trying to make a name for herself in the music world. Most notably, she worked at several Red Lobster chains (which she was subsequently fire from), as well as a customer service representative for a telephone company.
#11. Dustin Hoffman
Once upon a time, before the Internet became a staple in all of our lives, and before Smart Phones allowed us instant access to information at our fingertips, a thing called The Yellow Pages existed. The Yellow Pages was a comprehensive directory geared towards businesses, and included contact information, listings, and ample space for advertisements. While working towards his acting career, Dustin Hoffman took on some odd jobs to help pay the bills, including typing up the Yellow Pages.
#12. George Clooney
George Clooney may not have worked as a call center rep, but he worked his fair share of jobs before making his big break in Hollywood. One of those jobs was a door to door insurance salesman. Clooney has been quoted saying: “I sold insurance door-to-door, but it didn’t work out well. The first day I sold one (policy) and the guy died.” Yikes!
#13. Vince Vaughn
When Vince Vaughn was 17, he and his friends were recruited one summer to sell tickets to his community’s Lake County Sheriff’s Police Rodeo. Looking back, he’s sure the job was a scam, but in the end he walked away with a check and a great story.