As kids, we all knew what we wanted to be when we grew up. Some couldn’t wait to become scientists or teachers, while others dreamed of pursuing a career in sports, acting, or medicine. Naturally, life takes us down different paths, and while many children grow up to pursue the professions they always dreamed of, others find new passions along the way that lead them in a completely different direction. The same goes for actors.
As industry fans, we’re very used to watching thegreatest actors of our timestar in world-famous movies and TV shows, and some names grow so intimately connected to the entertainment business that it’s hard to believe they ever did anything else. And while that’s the case for some stars, so many othershad completely different careersbefore making it big in film and television, landing jobs as hairdressers, masseurs, carpenters, and even teachers in numerous disciplines. Here are 10 famous actors who used to work as teachers.
10Jesse Williams
After a few years landing minor roles in television and film, actor and filmmakerJesse Williamsrose to fame in 2009 by playing Dr. Jackson Avery on the wildly popular ABC showGrey’s Anatomy, in which he was featured until last year. Before pursuing a career in the industry, Williams had another goal in mind: to become a teacher.
Following in his parents' footsteps, he attended Temple University and spent years teaching African Studies, American Studies, and English in Philadelphia high schools. He also served as kindergarten teacher, a role he found very enjoyable and, according to him, helped him prepare for fatherhood.
9Billy Crystal
Nowadays,Billy Crystalis a worldwide star known for his contributions to comedy and forstarring in moviessuch asWhen Harry Met Sally…andMr. Saturday Night, among the many, many other hits that now comprise his glittering portfolio. But even the biggest stars have to start somewhere, and back in the 1970s, when Crystal was trying to make a name for himself in the industry as part of a comedy trio, he earned his living working as a substitute teacher at Long Beach Junior High School.
Unlike some of the other actors on this list, Crystal didn’t major in any particular discipline, but was available to cover for any teacher who was absent for the day. That led to him heading up classes of all kinds, which he also took advantage of to crack some jokes.
8Mayim Bialik
AlthoughMayim Bialikhas been working as an actress since she was very young, today’s audiences probably know her for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler on the CBS sitcomThe Big Bang Theory, which she joined in 2010. A lesser-known fact about this actress and writer is that she has a lot more in common with her popular character than one might think: like Amy, Bialik also majored in neuroscience, graduating from the University of California in 2007.
Although, by then, Bialik had been involved in various television and film productions for two decades, she decided to branch out and venture into teaching, so she spent some time tutoring students in college. Eventually, she also taught chemistry, biology, and neuroscience to homeschooled children.
Some of the industry’s greatest actors got their start as drama teachers, but only a few of them actually did so at their own school! That’s the case withJon Hamm, who rose to worldwide fame in 2007 by playing Don Draper on AMC’sMad Men. While Hamm became interested in acting at an early age, he didn’t really take it that seriously. In fact, when choosing a field to pursue in college, he leaned toward English.
After graduating in 1993, Hamm got a job teaching drama at John Burroughs High School, his very own high school, and spent a year teaching eighth grade students. Oddly enough, one of his students at the time happened to be Ellie Kemper, perEntertainment Weekly, who not only grew up to become an industry star, but went on to co-star with her former teacher onUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
6Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Mirandais not just an actor: throughout his extensive career, he has won critical and public acclaim for his Broadway musicals and for creating the soundtracks for hugely popular films such asMoanaandEncanto. And, as an actor with such a fondness for theater, it comes as no surprise to learn that this is a passion that has been with him since his youth.
As he attempted to make a name for himself in the industry and started writing his playIn the Heights, Miranda earned a living as an English teacher at Hunter College High School, which he himself attended. His teaching methods were certainly quite appealing: to get students interested in Shakespeare’s plays, he encouraged kids to perform them!
5Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirrenhas been the recipient of many accolades in her career. She is the only actress worldwide to have won the British and American Triple Crown of Acting, and she has gained widespread acclaim for hercountless roles in film, television, and theater. But her journey in the industry may have been slightly different: when it came to choosing a career, she opted for teacher training rather than acting, and enrolled in a London teaching college.
However, she was led down a different path by life and her enormous passion for acting, and a few years later, she landed the role of Cleopatra in the National Youth Theatre’s production ofAntony and Cleopatra, which changed her life forever.
Related:12 Actors Who Became Great Directors
4Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatchis among the most popular actors of his generation. Having starred in productions of all kinds across film, television, and theater, he became widely known in the 2010s for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the TV showSherlock, and years later he made his foray into the superhero world as Dr. Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
But like all the major stars on this list, Cumberbatch also ventured into teaching in his early days. After graduating from Harrow School, the now actor took a gap year to volunteer at an Indian Tibetan monastery to teach English before formally pursuing a career in acting.
3Sylvester Stallone
After struggling for some time to make a name for himself in the industry,Sylvester Stallonerose to worldwide fame in the 1970s starring inRocky, a film alsowritten by Stallone himselfthat spurred the creation of one of cinema’s most popular franchises.
10 years earlier, Stallone dabbled in teaching, although in his case, it was mostly to earn some extra money while studying drama at the American College of Switzerland. According to him, working as a gym teacher at a Swiss boarding school reaffirmed his passion for acting, so he eventually decided to return to the United States to pursue a formal career in the industry.
2Liam Neeson
Liam Neesonfirst rose to prominence in 1993 after starring in Steven Spielberg’sSchindler’s List, and over the years, he has played a number of roles to critical and audience acclaim across all genres. But a while before making a name for himself in the industry, Neeson attempted his hand at teaching, and worked for a few years with teen students.
Just like Stallone, Neeson ultimately decided to pursue a career in acting in the wake of his teaching days, but not for the same reasons: an unfortunate experience that involved punching a teenager who threatened him with a knife prompted him to turn his career around.
Related:12 Actors Who Have Written Books
1Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackmanhas played numerous roles in many productions, although he is best known worldwide as Wolverine in theX-Menfilm series. This Australian actor is among the most famous stars in the industry, and although his interest in acting dates back to a very young age, he worked in several fields before pursuing it.
In 1987, when he was just a youngster, Jackman took a gap year to teach Physical Education and English at a British school. He then enrolled at the University of Technology in Sydney to study Communications, and rekindled his passion for drama in his final year of college, at which point he decided to go into acting full-time.
