Celebrities always seem like people who are “not human.” They’re up so high on a pedestal in society, we sometimes think of them as God-like. But, at the end of the day, celebrities are really just average people with too much money. Recently, Reddit asked users who knew celebrities pre-fame what they are truly like when they were younger.
1. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Saw them mostly at Thanksgivings with both of our families or occasionally met up with them and their family if we visited LA. They’re really good girls that dealt with a lot of shit for trying to grow up and live a normal life while also being well recognized and chased around everywhere they went.
And by extension, I also know their sister Lizzie, who is getting close to the same attention as the twins got, but is able to handle it better since she’s obviously an adult now and can process things better than if she were much younger.
2. Chris Evans
Chris Evans went to school in Sudbury, which is a couple towns over. I worked with his sister and didn’t know she was his sister, and one day she wouldn’t shut up about his “porn stache” and I just turned to her and went “dude why do you care so much about Chris Evans mustache” and she then told me she was his sister. Then showed me a video of him that Scarlett Johansson had just texted to her. That was a weird day.
3. Jennifer Lopez
My mother went to elementary school with Jennifer Lopez and said that both her and her mother were complete snobs. Apparently Jennifer would call my ,dark Dominican, mother a “roach” and “shit.” Not fucking cool.
4. Shaquille O’Neal
Not me, but my dad used to be friends and play basketball with Shaquille O’Neal when they were around 13. They lived a couple houses away from each other at one point. My dad always resorted to clinging to his leg to keep him from scoring. He was a tank compared to my dad even back then.
5. Eminem
I lived in the same neighborhood as Eminem growing up. He was a few years older than me but since we both kinda stand out we ended up hanging out with the same people a few times before he got famous famous, though he was already locally well known. We weren’t friends though. He was pretty serious and kinda seemed like a recluse but definitely not afraid to speak hismind if he felt it necessary. Never exchanged more than “sup” though.
6. Pink
I went to high school with Pink. I was kind of shy but a lot of my friends were better friends with her. She was alright. I remember her singing to herself a lot.
7. Snoop Dogg
Not me, but my aunt. She knew Snoop during highschool, and at the time everyone there were getting into colors. She decided to join in, tied a bandana to her arm. Later in the day he took it from her, without a word. Turns out that people wearing her color were being hunted down. Overall, pretty cool dude. I hear he hasn’t changed much.
8. Taylor Lautner
Taylor Lautner would get mad when people called him Sharkboy in high school.
Can’t say I blame him
9. Neil Patrick Harris
Went to high school with Neil Patrick Harris. He wasn’t a bad dude, but wasn’t humble in the least. He was still working on Doogie Howser. When he was at school, he wasn’t allowed to be himself, surrounded by fans and others. He had the nickname of Drama Dork by some of the other cliques. He hasn’t gone to one of the reunions.
10. John Cena
My uncle went to college with John Cena. He said he would walk down the dorm halls naked.
11. Elvis
My Great Grandma (still alive) lived close to Elvis’ home, they talked like 3 times, she literally thought he was the most annoying little shit.
12. Tom Hanks
My dad interned with Tom Hanks when he first started out at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. Hewas always very kind and charismatic with everyone, and just a constant ball of energy. When his son Colin was born, he proudly showed him off to everybody. he was probably just days old.
About 3 years ago, there was a reunion of all the Great Lakes interns. My dad went, not knowing if he was going to show up and if he did, if he’d remember him. But not only did he show up, he approached my dad and remembered him by his full name. He is honestly just a really great man.
13. Justin Bieber
Went to elementary school with Justin Bieber. He was a total bully and a giant asshat but for some reason he took a liking to me and invited me to all his birthdays. A funny memory I have is of him making fun of some kid on the stairwell and then tripping and falling down thestairs and then crying all the way to the Principals Office. He has always been a total douche.
14. Frank Sinatra
My grandmother was Frank Sinatras high school sweetheart. He asked her to marry him and she told him that he had no future and to get a job. He left town and became Frank Sinatra. We have all their letters.
15. Sophie Turner
I went to school with Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark). She was a couple of years below me, but I was in a few plays with her. She was just an average girl tbh, in every way. Really normal, didn’t really stand out, but wasn’t quiet or shy either. She never got the big parts in plays and wasn’t even considered to be one of the ‘good’ actors at our school, was always just a part of the chorus. Was quite surprised to hear she got a major part in a TV drama, seemed to come out of nowhere.
16. Emma Stone
She was very bright, intelligent, and naturally charismatic. She often got the lead in all of the school plays. I remember one year, in our 3rd grade play, the main role was something she really wanted, and I ended up getting it! Even though she was disappointed, she still told me Congratulations and that she thought I would do a good job. We used to play gymnastics at her house all the time and pretend we were Kerri Strug, her parents got us both USA leotards! She was a sweet girl, we kind of split up later in elementary school and don’t talkanymore but she was a great friend! Also wanted to add that I called her by her real name, Emily, haha
17. 6ix9ine
One of my cousins went to school with 6ix9ine. They weren’t friends, I asked him what it was like. He told me that 6ix9ine was just the same dumbass that he is today and I’m not really surprised.
18. Post Malone
I was best friends with Post Malone in high school, and he’s pretty much the same person he was then in high schoolthat he is now, just some more wild adventures, but his personality has been that same, and it’s nice to see, with the fame and money he stayed who he is. Fun fact; he use to be an indie music guy in high school, wore Hawaiian V necks, high water tight black jeans, and toms. Coolest, chilliest, and funniest dude you could of hung out with.
19. Emily Ratajkowski
Emily Ratajkowski went to my high school. She was a couple years younger but we were in a writing class together. She’s always been confident, sure of herself. I never knew anyone to dislike her, but with the age gap, we were in different circles so I didn’t spend a lot of time with her. Her dad was the painting teacher. She was always skinny, artsy, wore interesting clothes, hung out with the thespian folks. She’s the only daughter of older parents who are very freeform.
20. John Legend
I went to high school with John Legend. He was a child prodigy. He graduated 2 years early and was class president. I just remember him being immensely gifted and mature. In the morning, he would walk around with a mug of coffee and talk to the teachers. If he wasn’t so young, you would’ve assumed he was a teacher or administrator. Nice guy though.
21. Matthew Perry
Obligatory not me but… knew a guy that went to high school with Matthew Perry (from Friends). Says he was a loudmouth dick and no one in school liked him.
22. Amy Poehler
Probably late but my dad went to high school with Amy Poehler (she actually dated one of his close friends). He says she was always nice and she actually once forged a note in my grandfather’s handwriting so my dad could cut class
23. Tupac
Studied performing arts in Baltimore and shared a stage several times with Tupac.
he was kind, sweet, and brilliant. His public persona was just his brand. The rest of us knew then he was going to do something great. Other people would do 2 or 3 person workshops on stage and the rest of the group would study lines or workshop on the floor in the corner, but when he was up, everyone would watch. His only dream was to be kind, and his drive to success was for no other reason than to be able to be kind to as many people as he could.
24. Paris Hilton
I went to school with Paris Hilton. She gave a bunch of dudes blow jobs but not me.
25. Danielle Fishel
My sister-in-law grew up next door to Danielle Fishel (Topanga from Boy Meets World). She says she was nice and they got along but Danielle wore a two-piece bathing suit to my SIL’s 14th birthday pool party after they both agreed to wear one-piece suits and she was mad about that.
26. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
My mom used the go to the same gym as Dwayne Johnson(she had just started going again at this point and she hadn’t been to a gym in 10+ years due to an incident where someone had a heart attack in her spin class). This was before he was famous and everything she just saw he knew what he was doing. She walked up to him and said “I’m sorry if I’m bothering you I just don’t really know where to start with all this.”
He immediately stopped in the middle of his workout and helped design an entire workout plan for her including showing her what machines/how to use them. Over the next several months every time he was there and he saw my mom he would ask her how her workout was going. Just genuinely a nice guy. Sadly she moved and couldn’t go back to the same gym but she has kept using the workout he designed for her and she kept a six pack well into her 50’s. I know it’s not really being childhood friends with them but it was still when he was super young and he had a profound impact on my moms life so I thought I would share.
27. Michael Cera
Micheal Cera wasn’t popular in highschool and got punched during a school brawl a few years before arrested development.
h/t: Reddit