13 Celebrities You Never Knew Worked as a Call Center Representative

Do you have an image of celebrities being pampered and catered to all day? Well, that might be the case for some stars. But there are many famous people who worked as a call center representative for another company before they became famous. 

These celebrities have risen above the status of being just another cog in the machine by using their job as a launchpad to something bigger. Their experiences working as a call center rep have served them well. 

It’s easy to think that celebrities get handed everything because of who they are, but almost all of them have had normal jobs before they hit it big. Even if you don’t expect them to, these 13 celebrities worked as a call center rep first. From Angela Kinsley working in a dental call center to Jerry Seinfeld telemarketing here are the 13 celebrities you never knew worked as call center representatives.

Vin Diesel worked as a telemarketer before becoming famous. In fact, he has said that he worked in many different industries before becoming famous, including working as a bouncer and a call center representative. Diesel is mostly known for his film work, including the Fast & Furious franchise and the Riddick series. He has also done voice work for films like the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Diesel was certainly saving the right career for last when he became a call center rep since he’s now a household name.

Angela Kinsley is an American news anchor and journalist. Prior to her television career, Kinsley worked for a dental practice as a call center representative, where she used her communications skills to assist others. Working in call center sales was a pivotal experience for Kinsley, who credits the job with giving her the confidence and skills she needed to pursue her career in journalism.

Vince Vaughn has been a mainstay in Hollywood since the late ’90s, and he’s starred in blockbuster films like Swingers and Psycho . Vaughn started his career as a call center representative when he was just 17. His job involved selling tickets for the local police rodeo. In hindsight, Vaughn isn’t too sure the job was legit. But it helped him flex his communication ability, which assuredly played a part in his movie career later in life.

Johnny Depp has been in the public eye as of late, though probably not in the way he had hoped. Be that as it may, the actor is a legend in Hollywood and will undoubtedly go down as one of the all-time greats. Depp’s career has been full of twists and turns, but he’s always been one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. 

Depp has played iconic roles in films like Edward Scissorhands , the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and Alice in Wonderland . He’s also starred in films like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape . Depp has said that he worked as a call center rep in order to pay bills while he was trying to break into the film business. 

He worked as a salesperson for a company that made ballpoint pens. But selling pens wasn’t his primary role. Rather, he would call and offer a choice of awards to clients who ordered shipments of the company’s pens.

Leslie Jones is a comedian and actress best known for her roles in the rebooted Ghostbusters film and Saturday Night Live . Jones has spoken publicly about her time as a call center rep, most notably in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres. Jones has said that she took a job working for a Scientology telemarketing firm. This stint allowed her to pay her rent until she could pursue her real passion: acting.

Jennifer Aniston has been one of the most famous and successful actresses in Hollywood for decades. She’s starred in hit comedies like The Break-Up and Horrible Bosses . Aniston first gained fame as Rachel Greene on the hit sitcom Friends , and she co-owns a production company. Before she became a household name, Aniston worked as a telemarketer, where her job was to sell timeshares. However, according to Aniston, she never made a single sale.

Ruby Rose is an Australian model and actress who’s best known for briefly starring in Batwoman and the hit series Orange Is the New Black . Rose has said that she spent time working as a call center representative for a phone company in Australia. Interestingly, Rose quickly rose up the ranks, where she helped improve customer service.

Gabourey Sidibe is an actress who’s best known as Claireece “Precious” Jones. She was in the starring role Precious , which helped launch her career. Sidibe had a hard time getting the money she needed for school. So when she turned 21, she took a job as a “call representative” for an adult entertainment chat line. She credits the stint for giving her the strength needed in Hollywood.

Jerry Seinfeld is a comedian, actor, and producer who’s best known for his eponymous sitcom. On the show Seinfeld , there are a few times that Jerry claims he’s “never had a real job.” While the legendary TV series was supposed to be about the life of a comedian and where they get their jokes, not everything is wholly accurate. 

The truth is that Jerry did have a real job as—get this—a lightbulb salesman. Today, Seinfeld has a net worth of nearly $1 billion . It’s safe to say that he wasn’t meant to stay in the lightbulb industry forever.

Nicki Minaj is a rapper, singer, and songwriter who’s been in the industry since the mid-2000s. She’s collaborated with other singers, like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift. Minaj has said that she worked as a call center rep while she was trying to break into the music business. This was before she got her break as an artist, so it likely played a role in helping her reach her dreams.

You certainly wouldn’t think it while looking over Moore’s illustrious career in Hollywood, but she actually used to be a debt collector! It’s an interesting role, and it takes thick skin to call people trying to collect payments. So it’s safe to say that Moore’s stint as a debt collector helped her when she finally made it as an actress.

Dustin Hoffman is another legend in the film industry. His career will undoubtedly be talked about for years to come. But before making his way onto the silver screen, Hoffman once worked for the Yellow Pages. For those who are too young to remember, the Yellow Pages was/is a telephone directory that categorically lists businesses in phone books.

Hoffman’s job was typing up these business names—a job that likely took a lot of patience. And if there’s one thing an actor needs in their repertoire, it’s patience.

George Clooney barely makes our list of celebrities who worked as call center reps because he didn’t technically work as one. He did, however, sell insurance door-to-door. That’s close enough to make the cut, as it closely mirrors the daily life of a call center representative. The biggest difference, of course, is that Clooney had to assist his clients face-to-face!

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