Stars Who Used to Be Homeless

When Jim Carrey was growing up, not everything was a joke. In his youth, he and his family lived in a Volkswagen van, which despite how 'Scooby Doo' makes it look, isn't all that glamorous. As he got older, the family moved up slightly, living inside a tent on his sister's lawn. He made ends meet by performing in Canadian comedy clubs before being noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield. It was all uphill from there.

Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry moved to New York City to try and become a fashion model. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out right away, and while she was seeking work she also ended up seeking a place to stay in a homeless shelter. With no financial help from her mother, who wanted to teach her daughter a lesson about supporting herself, Berry worked from the bottom up to turn herself into the star she is today.

After touring with Prince when she was in her 20s, Carmen Electra found herself out of work. Things got worse when her boyfriend at the time ran off with her life-savings: $5,000. She hit her low point on a park bench while counting out the only money she had, some pocket change. Instead of giving up however, she contacted a choreographer who got her in touch with a manager who would drive her to auditions, one of which she landed. It was for the game show 'Singled Out.'

Before Sylvester Stallone hit it big as an action movie star, he used to sleep in New York's Port Authority bus station because he had nowhere else to go and no money to take him there. Instead of giving up, he found an ad in the paper for a softcore porn called 'The Party at Kitty and Studs.' That paid $100 a day. He worked for two days, pocketed his $200 and moved into better digs ... because $200 could get you a place in New York in the 70's.

When she was just 15-years-old, future two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank's mother packed her into their 1988 Oldsmobile Delta and brought her daughter to live out of their car in Los Angeles. Eventually a friend allowed them to move in to her empty home that she was selling, but Swank's mother worked hard for her daughter, booking her work with only the aid of a phone book. Thankfully, she was good at her craft and they soon moved to their own digs.