16 Celebrities Who Worked "Normal" Jobs While Being Famous

Plenty of celebrities diversify their income sources with ventures like skincare lines and alcohol brands, but some balance their entertainment careers with surprisingly "normal" jobs.

Here are 16 celebs who worked "normal" jobs while being famous:

1.Steve Buscemi worked as a firefighter in Manhattan in the '80s. In the aftermath of 9/11, he returned to the FDNY and worked multiple 12-hour shifts to help locate survivors.

Steve in a striped shirt, wearing a cap with "ENGINE 55 NY LITTLE ITALY" text, stands in focus while another man in sunglasses is blurred in the background

2.Former Van Halen singer David Lee Roth is "a state-licensed EMT [emergency medical technician] in New York."

David on the red carpet wearing a checked vest, leather pants, and holding sunglasses, with tattoos visible on their arms

3.Angelina Pivarnick from Jersey Shore was also an EMT. From 2016-2018, she worked with the FDNY in Staten Island.

Angelina wearing a glamorous sleeveless gown with a thigh-high slot on the red carpet, also holding a large clutch and wearing jewelry

In 2019, she made a guest appearance on the dating show Double Shot at Love to help "save" her former costars DJ Pauly D and Vinny Guadagnino from heartache.

Angleina in paramedic outfit smiling with hands raised in front of an ambulance

4.Wizards of Waverly Place actor and podcaster Jennifer Stone is also an ER nurse. She decided to pursue nursing after her Type 1 diabetes diagnosis in 2013.

Jennifer wearing a patterned, V-neck dress with long, puffy sleeves on the red carpet

5.When Terry Crews was in the NFL, he supplemented his income by painting portraits of his teammates. Each piece of artwork cost about $5,000.

Terry flexing his arms and wearing a turtleneck at a Clippers event backdrop

6.In 2009, Tony Danza spent a year teaching sophomore English at a Philadelphia high school. His time as an educator was partially chronicled on the reality show Teach: Tony Danza.

Tony in a formal shirt and tie is speaking in front of a classroom. Behind him is a blackboard with notes and a poster with rules

7.While Dylan Sprouse was a student at New York University, he worked as a restaurant host.

Dylan in a suit stands on a red carpet event for Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2024, with a pastel background and logo behind him

8.At one point after the end of That's So Raven, Anneliese Van Der Pol "worked in New York in several restaurants."

Anneliese in a denim dress at a "Come From Away" promotional event

9.Actor and podcaster Devon Werkheiser tried to find his next "big thing" after Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, but he ended up "living pretty modestly on" his savings until they ran out when he was 25. So, he "got a 9-to-5 for the first time in [his] life."

Devon in a leather jacket over a t-shirt stands in front of a neon-lit backdrop

10.After emancipating herself from her mother at age 14, Drew Barrymore "needed a job," so she got hired at the Living Room, a coffeehouse near where she lived.

Drew in a suit and oversized and tie posing on the red carpet

11.While Danielle Fishel was a student at California State University, Fullerton, she worked as a gift wrapper at Bloomingdale's.

Danielle on a red carpet wearing a patterned knit dress

12.In 1997, MC Hammer was ordained as a pastor in the Church of God in Christ. Two years later, he began leading a hip-hop gospel prayer service called "Hammertime" at a large church in Northern California.

MC Hammer in a shiny jacket and bandana sings into a microphone on stage

13.In 2022, while Pamela Anderson was temporarily living in NYC for her run in Chicago, she reportedly had an unpaid gig as a dog walker because she missed her dogs. Her only client was an Irish setter named Dash.

Pamela on red carpet in elegant evening dress

14.In 2015, Matthew McConaughey returned to his alma mater, UT Austin, as the Minister of Culture. Four years later, he took up the mantle of professor of practice at the Moody College of Communication.

Matthew in a brightly colored suit speaking into a mic and standing at a podium at a UT Austin event

15.Jeremy Renner moonlights as a real estate developer who flips multi-million dollar houses.

Jeremy wearing a dark, monochrome outfit and jacket on the red carpet

16.And finally, before the Jonas Brothers reunited as a band in 2019, Kevin Jonas started JonasWerner, a real estate development company that specialized in building custom mansions.

Kevin plays guitar on stage during a live concert
Francesco Prandoni / Getty Images

He appeared as a contractor on The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 6.

Inside an unfinished house, Rosie asks, "Don't you sing or something?' and Kevin replies, "That was my day job. Now I'm doing this"

Have you ever interacted with a performer you recognized while they were working a non-entertainment job? Share your experiences in the comments!