10 Celebs Who Grew Up In Poverty And Boldly Rise Above It

Even if we often think we know everything there is to know about our favorite superstars, they always surprise us with new stories and confessions. Although they don't lose sleep now because of money worries, not all of them remember a carefree and happy childhood.

We never expected that some of the richest celebrities would have to work hard to make ends meet. We bring you 10 stories of celebrities who went from rags to riches.

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1. Sarah Jessica Parker grew up in Ohio with seven siblings. Since they were all brought up on the same income, the family often could not afford to pay for their basic needs. The actress who breathed life into Bradshaw recalls standing in line for a free lunch during the school holidays. And since they didn't always have electricity, Christmas and birthdays were something of a luxury for them.

2. The Great Gatsby and Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio lived both of these roles in real life. The area where he lived was not entirely safe for children. DiCaprio regularly saw crime and fights, which led him to need to see "the other side of the spectrum" through his roles. However, he successfully established himself as an actor, and thus the boy, whose parents could hardly feed him, is now one of the highest-paid Hollywood actors.

3. Selena Gomez, music and movie star, spoke about the difficulties she and her mother went through in the past. Selena's mom gave birth to her when she was only 16 years old. Raising a child at such an early age was really difficult, and sometimes Selena's mom had to work 3 jobs just to feed herself.

4. Black Swan star Mila Kunis recalls that her family was very poor as a child. Toys were a luxury she couldn't afford, and sometimes ketchup soup was the only food available. However, Mila discovered her acting talent herself and entered a theater school. With her first role in That '70s Show, she broke out of poverty.

5. Dolly Parton was one of 12 siblings who lived in rural East Tennessee. They grew up in a house with no running water, no gas, and no electricity. One of the most famous country singers lived a real country life - the beds on which she and her brothers and sisters slept were made of straw.

6. Tom Cruise's family has been struggling with poverty since he was a child, but financial problems were not the only problem for the young Cruise. A smart and capable boy, he noticed he couldn't keep up with his peers at school and was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 7. However, Tom didn't let his disability stop him from achieving his dream. After his mother was injured at work, he took on the lead role in the house. Tom worked several jobs, regularly appearing in drama classes and school plays.

7. Celine Dion grew up the youngest of 14 children in a poor Quebec family. She discovered her musical talent at an early age and started singing at her parents' bar. Celine recalls living in a crowded house and having to share a bed with three or four siblings.

8. Sylvester Stallone's parents did not live in an atmosphere of love, and this affected him and his younger brother. Since the family in which he lived was dysfunctional, he had to spend his first few years in the waiting room. Stallone dreamed of an acting career since childhood. While he was penniless and waiting for a role, he worked a variety of jobs, from cleaning lion cages to being a movie theater escort.

9. Around the time Kelly Clarkson auditioned for American Idol, she was homeless for a while. She reportedly lost her apartment in a fire and had to sleep in her car for 3 days. Kelly admitted that she did not perceive participation in American Idol as a path to a successful career. The only thing she had in mind at that moment was the need to pay the bills.

10. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Austria, where he spent his childhood. At that time, his family did not have much money, and Schwarzenegger remembers that his mother had to extract oil, sugar, and grain. There was no running water or telephone in the house they lived in, and one of the highlights of that period was the appearance of a refrigerator in the family.