By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-25 14:17:00 | Updated at 2024-11-25 16:55:06
2 hours ago
They might be rich, famous and some of the biggest names in Hollywood, but celebrities were also once just high school students with a dream to conquer the entertainment world.
Nowadays they sport megawatt smiles, polished hair and designer clothing, but back when they were teenagers, some of the world's most famous stars owned dodgy haircuts, cheesy grins and a questionable fashion sense - and there's photos to prove it.
Forty five years ago, a slew of actors, musicians and comedians posed for their 1979 yearbook photos - and fans would be forgiven for not recognizing them in the black-and-white throwback snaps.
These well-known faces, which include a huge TV star and an award-winning country singer, would be enjoying their 45th high school reunions this year.
However, it's not known if they'll be heading back to their hometowns to mingle with their former peers.
While one of these former students has an estimated net worth of about $500 million, sadly one of them is no longer with us after passing away at the age of 51 in 2013.
Others have won Oscars, survived cancer, and become embroiled in very public feuds whilst riding the highs and lows of fame.
Here, FEMAIL looks back at the illustrious careers, personal lives and - in some cases - bitter tragedies and scandals of these eight celebrities, but can you guess who they are?
An Academy Award winner who landed his big break in the early 90s on a medical television drama
This Academy Award winner attended Augusta High School in Kentucky and is pictured here in 1979
This 63-year-old Hollywood megastar has not only starred in some of the industry's biggest blockbusters, but he also writes, directs and produces them.
Born on May 6, 1961 in Kentucky, this actor attended Augusta High School and has previously stated that he earned As and a B. He also played baseball and basketball.
He went on to attend Northern Kentucky University from 1979 to 1981, majoring in broadcast journalism, and very briefly attended the University of Cincinnati, but did not graduate from either.
As an actor, he rose to fame starring in the NBC medical drama ER from 1994 to 1999 and for his work on the series, he earned various award nominations including two Primetime Emmy nods.
This handsome star has dated a slew of beauties - including Kelly Preston, Cameron Diaz and Elisabetta Canalis - and has been married to a British-Lebanese human rights lawyer since September 2014 with whom he shares seven-year-old twins.
In terms of movies, he's racked up plenty of credits in films such as From Dusk Till Dawn, The Perfect Storm, Ocean's Eleven, and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 2005 thriller Syriana.
It's none other than George Clooney, who was recently criticized for demanding that U.S. President Joe Biden quit ahead of Donald Trump's election victory.
The O Brother, Where Art Thou? actor has an estimated net worth of about $500 million and often spends time at his Lake Como home with his wife, Amal Clooney, and their two children, Ella and Alexander.
George Clooney is one of Hollywood's most famous actors and also writes, directs and produces
George and his wife Amal, pictured here in September, have been married since 2014
A Golden Globe winner who has starred in various comedy movies including the American Pie franchise
The blond actress celebrated her 63rd birthday in August and was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world last year
The blond actress celebrated her 63rd birthday in August and was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world last year.
She was born in Boston in 1961, and raised in Norwell, Massachusetts, where she attended both Norwell High School and Cambridge School of Weston, before heading to Emerson College and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.
During college, this star aspired to be a dramatic actress similar to Meryl Streep, but instead pursued comedic character acting and made her first television appearance in the November 1993 Seinfeld episode, The Masseuse.
In 1999, this glamorous lady got her big break starring in American Pie. The film was a box-office hit and grossed $235 million worldwide, and in 2001, she reprised her role in American Pie 2.
She also landed parts in Legally Blonde and it's sequel, as well as Zoolander, Click and Promising Young Woman.
It's none other than Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus actress who has also enjoyed roles in popular television shows such as Friends, Frasier, and Sex And The City.
The stunning star is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Coolidge is believed to be single and has an estimated net worth of $6 million.
Jennifer Coolidge, pictured here in September, is a 63-year-old actress from Boston
Most recently, the blonde icon starred in two seasons of the popular television series The White Lotus
A legendary TV star who was named the 'Class Flirt' in his senior yearbook and sadly passed away in 2013
This legendary TV actor grew up in New Jersey and attended Park Ridge High School
This memorable star may have died at the age of 51 while in Italy, but his legacy lives on through one of the best television shows of all time.
This actor was born in Westwood, New Jersey on September 18, 1961, and attended Park Ridge High School, graduating in 1979.
Whilst a student there, he played basketball, acted in school plays, and was even named the 'Class Flirt' in his senior yearbook.
In 1983, he earned a BA in Communications from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, where he worked as a bouncer at an on-campus pub. He also worked as a bartender and club manager in Manhattan prior to his acting career.
In the 90s, he enjoyed roles in many films including True Romance, A Stranger Among Us, and Get Shorty, but in 1999 he landed the main part in a HBO television series, which ran for six seasons.
It's the one and only James Gandolfini, who is best known for his portrayal of Tony Soprano, the Italian-American mafia crime boss in HBO's television series The Sopranos.
The father-of-two died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 51 while on holiday in Rome in June 2013 with his son, Michael, who has gone on to become an actor.
Among the tributes at the time, New Jersey Governor Christie praised Gandolfini as 'a fine actor, a Rutgers alum and a true Jersey guy. I was a huge fan of his and the character he played so authentically.'
'I have gotten to know Jimmy and many of the other actors in The Sopranos cast and I can say that each of them are an individual New Jersey treasure,' he said.
James Gandolfini is best known for playing mafia boss Tony Soprano in the hit HBO series The Sopranos
The actor sadly died of a heart attack at the age of 51 while on holiday in Rome in June 2013
An Academy Award winner who has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world
This redhead student, pictured here in 1979, went on to become a very successful and influential Hollywood actress
This redhead actress is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Emmy Awards.
Born on December 3, 1960, at the Fort Bragg army installation in North Carolina, this superstar moved around a lot as a child due to her father being in the U.S. Army.
When she was 16, her family moved from Falls Church, Virginia, where she was attending J.E.B. Stuart High School, to Frankfurt, West Germany, where she attended Frankfurt American High School.
As a student, this actress was clever and studious, a self-proclaimed 'good girl,' and she planned to become a doctor.
She had never considered performing, or even attended the theater, but she was an avid reader and it was this hobby that led her to begin acting at school.
This Hollywood star began her career in 1985 with Off-Broadway theatre, and has gone on to star in successful films including The Big Lebowski, Hannibal, and Crazy, Stupid, Love.
It's none other than Julianne Moore, a mother-of-two who has an estimated net worth of $55 million and resides in Greenwich Village, New York City, with her husband, Bart Freundlich.
Speaking about her school days during an interview with People back in 2021, Moore said: 'I moved around a lot and I remember that feeling of walking into the cafeteria and not knowing where to go. It's something that has stayed with me.
'I was always so happy to find a friend or a group of people or a place to go. That's the part of high school that's so terrifying, I think for all of us, the social part.'
Julianne Moore, pictured here on November 19, is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award
A country music star with a very famous popstar daughter and an estimated net worth of $20 million
This handsome young man went on to be a hugely successful country singer, songwriter and actor
This hugely successful country singer, songwriter and actor has released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992.
Born on August 25, 1961, in Flatwoods, Kentucky, he started singing at the age of four, but attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship before changing to music.
He dropped out of Georgetown during his junior year after realizing that he wanted to become a musician when attending a Neil Diamond concert, and set a 10-month goal to start a career.
In the 1980s, he played in a band called Sly Dog, before signing a record contract with Mercury Nashville Records. Sly Dog was named after a one-eyed dog that this musician owned.
A multi-platinum selling artist, this singer has scored a total of eight top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
It is none other than Achy Breaky Heart hitmaker Billy Ray Cyrus, the father-of-six who is dad to Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus.
He's been married a total of three times, with his most recent union to Australian singer Firerose lasting less than a year, with their divorce having been finalized in August of this year.
Billy Ray Cyrus, pictured here in March 2020, has an estimated net worth of $20 million
Billy Ray and his famous daughter, Miley, starred in the hit Disney TV series Hannah Montana together
A comedian who is one of the most award-winning actresses in American television history
This comedy TV star is one of the most award-winning actresses in American television history
This TV and comedy star will celebrate her 64th birthday in January, and she certainly has a lot to be proud of when it comes to her career.
Born in New York City on January 13, 1961, this brunette has a list of accolades that makes her one of the most award-winning actresses in American television history.
She graduated from the all-girls Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland in 1979 and later said of the school: 'There were things I did in school that, had there been boys in the classroom, I would have been less motivated to do. For instance, I was president of the honor society.'
This particular comedy star attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority.
She studied theatre and performed in the Mee-Ow Show, a student-run improv and sketch comedy revue, before dropping out during her junior year to take a job at Saturday Night Live.
It is none other than Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played the role of Elaine Benes from 1990 until 1998.
Louis-Dreyfus, who has two children, has also starred in television shows Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development and Veep.
She has received more Primetime Emmy Awards and more Screen Actors Guild Awards than any other performer and has an estimated net worth of $250 million.
Louis-Dreyfus, who has two children, has also starred in television shows Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development and Veep
A successful country singer who sadly died earlier this year and had an estimated net worth of $400 million
This student at Moore High School in Oklahoma went on to have a very successful music career as a country singer
This country music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman first found fame in the early 90s.
Born on July 8, 1961, in Oklahoma, he attended Highland West Junior High and Moore High School, where he played defensive end on the football team.
Before hitting the big time, he graduated from Moore High School and became a derrickhand in the oil fields, where he worked his way up to become a supervisor.
When he was 20, he and his friends formed the Easy Money Band, which played at local bars and roadhouses as he continued to work in the oil industry - and at times, he would have to leave in the middle of a concert if he was paged to work in the oil field.
This soon-to-be singer ended up going to Nashville, Tennessee, where he busked along Music Row to no avail, until producer Harold Shedd signed him with Mercury Records after receiving a copy of his demo tape from a flight attendant who was a fan.
It's Should've Been a Cowboy hitmaker Toby Keith, who sadly passed away in his sleep in February of this year at the age of 62.
The father-of-three, who had an estimated net worth of $400 million at the time of his death, was diagnosed with stomach cancer at the end of 2021, and underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
In a December 2022 press release, Keith said that his battle with cancer had been 'pretty debilitating.'
Country singer Toby Keith, pictured here in September 2023, sadly passed away at the age of 62 in February of this year
This former host of The View has also worked as a lawyer, journalist and fashion designer
This Notre Dame High School went on to have an illustrious career, which saw her serve as a cohost on The View
She'll celebrate her 63rd birthday in March next year, and this TV star has certainly had an illustrious career.
Born in Badin, North Carolina in 1962, she grew up in Trenton, New Jersey, with her mother and stepfather and graduated from Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
She earned a B.A. degree in Administration of Justice at American University, where she was initiated into the Lambda Zeta chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
She went on to earn a J.D. degree from the University of Houston Law Center in 1986, and was admitted to the New York state bar in 1987.
It's none other than Divorce Court host Star Jones, who has also enjoyed a stint on The Celebrity Apprentice and also cohosted popular daytime show The View for nine seasons starting in 1997.
When she married investment banker Al Reynolds in 2004, Jones talked about her wedding plans on The View for months beforehand, including 'plugs' for her suppliers, such as the wedding invitations, clothing, and airlines.
It was later revealed that Jones had pushed product-placement in exchange for receiving those products and services for free.
ABC claimed that her excessive self-promotion alienated viewers and on April 21, 2006, ABC told Jones that it would not renew her contract for the following season.
It's none other than Divorce Court host Star Jones, who has also enjoyed a stint on The Celebrity Apprentice and also cohosted popular daytime show The View for nine seasons
Star Jones pictured with her co-hosts on The View Barbara Walters, Meredith Vieira and Joy Behar in 2003
From September 2004 to September 2005, Jones was a red-carpet host for the E! television network, conducting interviews at awards shows. E! declined to renew her contract after one year.
She has also served as a legal analyst for The Insider and Dr. Phil, and appeared on The Wendy Williams Show.
Jones underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2003 and lost 160 pounds as a result of the procedure.
Health wise, she also underwent cardiac surgery related to a surgery she had three decades earlier for a thoracic tumor in March 2010.
In October 2017, Jones went public with her engagement to Ricardo Lugo, who recently worked in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The pair married on a cruise ship in the Bahamas on Sunday, March 25, 2018.
