Sometimes it seems that celebrities have always been successful, rich, and famous. However, that's not always the case. Many of them started from the very bottom and worked really hard to accomplish their goals. They overcame a lot of things, had a tough upbringing, and didn't even have a decent place to live. Some of them slept on park benches, in their cars, or in trailer parks. They were struggling to make ends meet, pay the bills, and put some food on the table. But, at the same time, all these people knew what they were doing. They had a dream and the determination to realize it. These people went from rags to riches, never gave up, and showed us that everything is possible.

Now let's see the 15 celebrities who used to be homeless, but now own incredible wealth.

15 Eminem: Was Evicted From His Trailer

Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, used to be very poor. He lived with his drug and alcohol addicted mother in a trailer park in Detroit. When the future rapper turned 15, his mother forced him to find a job and help her pay the bills. However, at some point, they were evicted from their trailer. In his interview with Rolling Stone, the rapper recalled about the night when he came home to see a locked door and an eviction notice. "I had to break in," he said. "I didn't have anywhere else to go. There was no heat, no water, no electricity. I slept on the floor."

Despite all these troubles, Eminem had a dream. He started creating his mixtapes in hope to sell them and make some money. Soon he attained his goal and became a world-known rapper with net worth of $190 million. But he still remembers his troubled childhood and tells about it in his songs.

14 Kelly Clarkson: Went On 'American Idol' To Pay Her Bills

In her interview with The Guardian, Kelly Clarkson confessed that she never wanted to be a famous singer. She didn't even think about it. Clarkson only knew that she could sing very well, and she went on to participate in American Idol only because she thought that the show would give her some money for the audition, so she could pay her bills.

Before Kelly became a star, she had a lot of troubles. "My apartment in LA burned down and I had to move home, I had no money and I had to sleep in my car for three days," the singer recalled in an interview. All she wanted was to become a backup singer and get some money, but destiny had something much bigger in store for this talented girl! Now she's a world known singer, who has sold millions of copies of her albums. Her net worth is around $30 million, and, I'm sure, her bills are well-paid!

13 Ryan Gosling: Lived In A Trailer With His Mom

Before Ryan Gosling became a world-known actor, his life wasn't as bright as it is now. He had a troubled childhood. He was bullied at school and didn't have any friends. Ryan's parents divorced and he had to support his mom and help her pay the bills.

When the boy landed a role in Mickey Mouse Club, his troubles didn't end right away, though. His mother and he had to move to Florida, where the shootings took place. "Most of the others went to this apartment complex but it was too expensive for my mother and me," Gosling recalled in an interview. "So we lived in this trailer park." However, Mickey Mouse Club wasn't his big break. He couldn't sing or dance like the other kids, so he wasn't as involved in the show as the others were. But Ryan kept on dreaming and finally he succeeded. Now he doesn't have to live in a trailer park, as his net worth is around $36 million.

12 Debbie Reynolds: Her Husband Wasted Her Money Gambling

Late Debbie Reynolds also experienced a lot of troubles in her life. In one of her interviews, the actress told about the most difficult time she had ever had. And it wasn't the time when her first husband cheated on her with Elizabeth Taylor. It was the time when Reynolds faced bankruptcy, after her second husband wasted all her money on gambling. "Somehow during our marriage which went on 17 years, he lost all of his money gambling and all of my money gambling," she shared. "It just disappeared and it just shattered our lives, Carrie and ours, and that's what destroyed us the most was Harry Karl, it wasn't Elizabeth and Eddie, that was tough enough but then we had Harry Karl to get over because he just took everything."

Before Reynolds could come back to her normal life, she had to live in her car. Luckily, she got over it pretty soon.

11 Jim Carrey: Was Broke And Worked As A Janitor

When Jim Carrey was 12, his father lost his job, and the entire family had to move into a van, as they couldn't pay their bills. When Carrey was 15, he had to quit his schooling and start working as a janitor to help his family with whatever they needed. Needless to say, this time was pretty hard for the future actor. But it was the time when Carrey developed his priceless sense of humor.

Now, Carrey is a world-known actor loved by millions, he recalls this time and says that it was "a traumatic kick in the guts." It motivated him to work hard and succeed to never let his family live like that again. Jim has come a long way from rags to riches, and now he's a wealthy man with the net worth of $160 million and with a desire to go beyond the physical world.

10 Demi Moore: Had A Very Tough Childhood

Demi Moore had a really tough childhood. Her father left the family before she was even born, and Demi lived in a trailer park with her mother and stepfather, who were both alcoholics. Since the family had to move dozens of times, the girl couldn't make any friends either. Demi struggled with her health issues, including crossed eyes and a kidney dysfunction. On top of everything, she also witnessed a lot of violence and abuse at home.

When Demi was 15, she left school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a new modeling career. Eventually she succeeded and became a well-known actress with a net worth of $170 million. However, the pain of the past was so strong that Moore never reconciled with her mother, who died of cancer in 1998.

9 William Shatner: Couldn't Land Another Role After 'Star Trek'

After William Shatner played Captain Kirk in Star Trek and divorced his wife, he lost all of his money and had to live in a pickup truck, because he couldn't find any other roles. "I had three kids and was totally broke," Shatner recalled in an interview. "I managed to find work back East on the straw-hat circuit – summer stock – but couldn’t afford hotels, so I lived out of the back of my truck, under a hard shell." He also shared that his dog would help him a lot and give him perspective on everything, by just sitting on a passenger seat with him. "Otherwise, it would have just been me counting my losses," the actor confessed.

Eventually, Shatner managed to land new roles on TV and restored his wealth. Now his net worth is $120 million.

8 Hilary Swank: Lived In A Car With Her Mom

Before Hilary Swank became a renowned actress and a two-time Oscar winner, she was very poor. She grew up in a trailer park, and while she was looking for her first acting job, she had to live in her car along with her mother. Her financial issues made her appreciate her new life much more. "My background is not something I forget," Swank shared in an interview."It helps me to not take what I have for granted. I really appreciate that I get to travel and see the world, and that I can pay my bills. It’s an incredible feeling to know that I can actually buy that pair of shoes, and I appreciate a sale as much as the next person. I think about how I’m spending my money, and I like to spend on my family."

Being a determined person, Hilary finally landed great roles and proved her talent to the world. Now her net worth is $44 million.

7 Sam Worthington: Remained Homeless For A While

Before Sam Worthington landed a role in James Cameron's Avatar, he struggled a lot. He was unemployed and had no money. Eventually, he decided to sell everything he owned and began living in his car, still looking for acting jobs.

It's interesting that even after Worthington made a lot of money for his role in Avatar, he remained homeless for some time. He even admitted that he liked his nomadic lifestyle. "I'm not very responsible when it comes to mortgage, bills, paperwork..." the actor confessed in an interview with Cosmopolitan. He went on to add, "I’m a gypsy. I go where the work is." But eventually, Worthington made up his mind and bought a house in Hawaii. He could surely afford it with his net worth being $16 million!

6 Shania Twain: Had To Live In A Homeless Shelter

In her memoir From This Moment On, Shania Twain shared stories about her childhood and teenage years. She talked about growing up in an abusive household and how she had to live with her mother and siblings in a homeless shelter. The singer recalled, "Mom got out of the car to use a pay phone while we sat and waited in the car, returning a few minutes later with a piece of paper on which she’d scribbled the address of a homeless shelter. That night, we slept in a crowded, sweltering place on cot-like beds spread out along the walls of a series of spacious, open rooms designed for large groups." During that time, Twain had to help support her family and sang in a bar to make some money.

Regardless of all the troubles, Twain had a goal in mind. She wanted to become a singer, and soon enough she accomplished it, earning a net worth of a staggering $380 million.

5 Chris Pratt: Lived In A Mice-Infested Trailer

The star of Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy used to be homeless, as well. When he was 19, his friend presented him with a one-way ticket to Maui, Hawaii, and the future actor accepted it. When he arrived, he didn't have a place to live in and had no money. Chris lived in a mice-infested van his friend gave him and... actually enjoyed his life! "We just drank and smoked... and worked minimal hours, 15-20 hours per week, just enough to cover gas, food, and fishing supplies," Pratt shared. "You know it was a charming time."

Back then, Pratt worked as a waiter. One day, actress and director Rae Dawn Chong saw him, liked him for his looks, and gave him a role in her comic horror Cursed Part 3. And that's how it all began! Pratt started getting minor parts in movies and TV series until finally landing some major roles and earning a net worth of $50 million.

4 Halle Berry: Was Broke And Homeless

When Halle Berry was 21, she moved away from her toxic parents to New York, with a strong decision to never go back home. Soon enough, the actress found herself broke and homeless. She had to live in a homeless shelter for some time. This experience taught her a lot. "It taught me how to take care of myself and that I could live through any situation, even if it meant going to a shelter for a small stint, or living within my means, which were meager," Berry confessed. "I became a person who knows that I will always make my own way."

Now Berry is far from being a helpless girl with no money in her pocket. She's a well-known actress, who received numerous awards, played a number of great roles, became the highest paid actress in the 2000s, and earned a net worth of around $85 million.

3 James Cameron: Was Homeless But Had A Dream

James Cameron is another world-known celebrity who went from rags to riches. When he was writing the script for Terminator, he could barely make ends meet and lived in his car. However, he wasn't too concerned about this state of affairs. What interested him was writing a good script. Cameron realized that doing it his way, was his one-way ticket to directing movies; the dream of his life.

Eventually, Cameron landed a deal that seemed to be a complete nightmare. He sold the rights for his script for only $1 with a single condition: he was to become the director of this film. But it proved to be a right decision: Terminator turned into a hit, grossed $77 million worldwide, and made Cameron one of the greatest movie directors of all time. At the moment, his net worth is $800 million. The guy knew what he was doing, didn't he?

2 Jennifer Lopez: Used To Sleep In Her Dance Studio

When Jennifer Lopez was a teen, she slept on a sofa in her dance studio for some time, because she didn't want to go back home and see her mother, who didn't support her career choices. "My mom and I butted heads," the singer recalled in an interview. "I didn't want to go to college — I wanted to try dance full-time. So she and I had a break. I started sleeping on the sofa in the dance studio. I was homeless, but I told her, 'This is what I have to do.'" Right after Lopez scored her first gig, her mother saw how great she was, changed her mind, and accepted her daughter's choice.

At the moment, the singer's net worth is around $38 million. However, she claims that she's still the same "Jenny from the block" and recalls her past in the Bronx with deep gratitude. "All the strength that I needed for life, I got from that neighborhood," Lopez says.

1 Sylvester Stallone: Had To Sell His Dog To Survive

The story of Sylvester Stallone is so impressive that anyone who hears it can't be on his team after hearing some of his struggles. In the beginning of his career, he had no place to live and couldn't land any roles. Casting directors would even tell him that he'd never get any part due to the way he looked (part of his face was paralyzed after an accident that happened right after his birth). But Sly was a determined guy and kept on trying. At some point, he was so broke that the only thing he could do was sell the only friend he had: his dog. He sold him for $50.

After Stallone finally managed to sell his script for Rocky, he found the guy who bought his dog, bought him back for $3 000, and even offered this guy a minor role in Rocky. The movie made Sly famous and launched his career. Now his net worth is $450 million.