Famous people have some unique qualities that make them seem very different from us mere mortals. But a walk down memory lane uncovers some incredible photos that prove that once upon a time, even the hottest celebrities looked just like regular humans, with bad hair, braces and all. Check out these pictures of your favorite celebs before they were famous, and see how many of them you can actually recognize.
1. Nicole Kidman
Kidman always knew she wanted to be an actress, and started taking dance and drama lessons at a very young age. In 1983, 16-year-old Kidman made her film debut in an Australian adventure kids show, BMX Bandits.
This is around when this picture of a smiley, curly Kidman was taken.
2. Johnny Depp
Depp’s first film role was in the classis horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and this pictrue was taken around that time.
Seen in the picture is Depp’s first tattoo, which he got when he was 17: a ‘Cherokee Tribe’ tattoo he got to honor his Native American heritage, as his great-grandmother was a Cherokee
3. Hayden Panettiere
Panettiere was a child actress and first appeared in a commercial at the age of 11 months. When she was just 10 she was nominated for the first time for the Young Artist Award, which she later won twice.
This picture shows a 13-year-old Panettiere, already a seasoned actress.
4. Leonardo DiCaprio
DiCaprio is another actor who started his career as a young kid performing on TV.
In the picture, a young DiCaprio visits his Russian grandmother, Yelena Smirnova. The actor’s mother is of Russian descent, and he’s previously stated that he see himself as “half-Russian” as two of his late grandparents were Russian.
5. Ellen DeGeneres
This is a head shot of the comedian from the the start of her career. DeGeneres started performing stand-up comedy in her early 20s at small clubsin her native Louisiana, and in the early 1980s she began to tour nationally.
Today DeGeneres is one of the most successful comedians in the US, and is heading The Ellen DeGeneres Show since 2003.