When you look at the stars on the red carpet, it ‘s hard to think of them as anything but celebrities. The truth is, many of our favorite stars have humble beginnings, sometimes in a poor home or with no shelter! Well, it sure does give the rest of us a lot of hope knowing that there’s a chance to strike lucky, no matter what your life situation at the moment. Read the following select celebrities’ stories about their journey from rags to riches for some much-needed inspiration to keep looking ahead!

Hilary Swank – Million Dollar Baby

She struck lucky when she landed the breakthrough role in Million Dollar Baby, and her performance carried her to a successful acting career. But Hilary Swank wasn’t always a girl with several million in her bank account. In fact, while she is now a two-time Oscar winner, she was once enduring the pains of poverty. Swank’s father abandoned her mother with three children, and Swank’s mother soon lost her job. The family of four actually had to survive in a ca and live off the small pay of odd jobs. Today, she has $40 million to her name.

Sarah Jessica Parker – SATC

A long way before Sarah Jessica Parker stole your heart with her role in SATC, she was surviving off of welfare with her family. Parker makes no secret o her roots in poverty and having to deal with the humiliation of living off of welfare. She describes that at times, she and her family went through the festive season without celebrating Christmas, simply because they could afford to. They often went without celebrating birthdays as well. She remembers bill collectors knocking at the door and their phone lines being cut off. All of this, only to find that in her future she would have a net worth of $90 million! Mind-blowing, to say the least.

Jim Carrey – The Mask

You may think of him as the funniest man on earth, but in reality, Jim Carrey’s story isn’t funny at all. Before finding fame through The Mask, Dumb and Dumber and Cable Guy, Carrey was struggling in a family that had no finances. His father had lost his employment, and Carrey even worked as a janitor and a security guard in efforts to help his family to put food on the table. He knew in his heart that there was something bigger out there for him though, and sure enough, there was. He now has $150 million to his name.

Tom Cruise – Kill Bill

We all know how well any film features the charming and talented Tom Cruise does. Box Office simply swallows up any film with this guy in it, and he has earned an astounding $470 million through his impressive skills on the screen. Did you know that Cruise grew up poor? His parents actually split when he was just eight years old, and his mother had to take u four jobs to pay the bills. It was when Cruise was sixteen and participated in a school musical that he found his career.

Oprah Winfrey – The Oprah Winfrey Show

We bet you know this one already, as Oprah has not been quiet about her upbringing. However, it bears repeating! Oprah is hard work personified. She has always had a positive attitude and done a great deal to get where she is today. Her journey to being a billionaire wasn’t easier, but it was worth it. She was brought up by her grandmother until the age of six, then lived with her mother, on welfare. She suffered abuse and poverty but rose to stardom. She now is worth $2.8 billion.

So the next time you wish you were a celebrity, know that even celebs know what it feels like to be alone, have no money, have no home and struggle for work. They know about all kinds of abuse, neglect and the feeling of need. Of course, some of them had the fortune to be born into rich families and skip all these life lessons, but hey – that’s life. Don’t take no for an answer, and chase after your dreams! Most of all, do what you can with the hand you were dealt!