This adorable man behind Avengers bad boy Loki is so damn polite that he blames his popularity on Loki’s leather outfits. Don’t sell yourself short, Tom! The Thor: The Dark World star deserves all the love of Hiddleston’s Army for being incredibly talented and kind from the start (looks don’t hurt either).
He could pass for a British Justin Timberlake
Thomas William Hiddleston was born in London, England on February 9, 1981. It’s a shame the world wasn’t aware of his acting chops during his time studying drama at Eton College, Cambridge University and London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art – there definitely would’ve been a huge Save The Fro campaign just like we tried (and failed) with JT.
He played rugby
Tom isn’t just a huge rugby fan, he was also a player in his Cambridge days! In an interview with the Society of London Theatre, Tom revealed the exact moment he knew he had to give up sports for acting. “I ran off and played this rugby game and at half time [the captain] came up to me. . .I’d turned up caked in ridiculous student drama make up!”
Whether he’s fighting evil exes as Scott Pilgrim or crushing on his cousin in Arrested Development, Michael Cera never fails at being adorkable. Maybe he’s born with it, maybe it’s—nope, he was definitely born with it. Check out these highlights from his kiddie acting days to see what I mean…
He grew up on Ghostbusters
Michael Austin Cera was born on June 7, 1988, in Brampton, Ontario. He got his first acting lesson at the age of three after falling in love with the classic 80′s comedy Ghostbusters. “I realised that these guys were playing a game and it was a job that you could have.”
He auditioned non-stop
Any other 90′s kids remember that Pillsbury cookie monster commercial? Watch it again, cause Michael Freaking Cera was there all along! Despite the cute ad, Michael had no luck on 200 other commercial auditions. Moving on to comedy roles would change everything. . .
He sassed it up in an Olsen Twins movie
Now that Selena’s achieved mega-babe status, it’s getting harder and harder to remember that she got her start as a Disney kid. The Spring Breakers star got to cross paths with a few TV legends growing up too – take a look!
She was named after a pop star
Selena Maria Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas, on July 22, 1992. Her look-alike mom named her after the ’90s singer Selena (basically the Madonna of Latin music), pretty much setting baby Selena up for her own run at stardom.
Her first TV role was with Barney
As a kid who grew up on Barney & Friends, I am mega jealous that seven-year-old Selena got to be one of Barney the dinosaur’s pals in 1999. While her real TV breakthrough was yet to come, she got to meet her BFF Demi Lovato on set.
First film!
At 11, Selena made her film debut in the opening scene of 2003′s Spy Kids 3D: Game Over with the least original character name ever: “waterpark girl.” At least she did 3D before 3D movies were cool, right? Way to stay ahead of the curve, Selena!
Thank you, Hollywood, for not keeping Robert Downey Jr’s smolder hidden behind a helmet for the entire Iron Man trilogy. That would definitely be a crime worthy of an Avengers-style beatdown. Let’s celebrate the latest chapter in the blockbuster series with some vintage RDJ cuteness.
He was an N.Y.C. baby
Robert John Downey Jr. was born in Manhattan’s trendy Greenwich Village neighbourhood on April 4, 1965. He got his great looks from his showbiz parents, director Robert Downey Sr. (Lion King-ing RDJ above) and singer Elsie Ford.
His film debut is adorable
Daddy Downey gave RDJ his first film role in his 1970 film Pound. Lil Downey has a very, erm, naughty line for a five-year-old! You’ll see what I mean . . .
He helped his director dad
RDJ moved to L.A. with his dad and kept up acting in his dad’s films. Two years after playing this muddy soccer kid in the 1980 comedy Up The Academy, RDJ got his dad’s blessing to try to make it as an actor back in N.Y.C.
He made bullies lovable
At 20, RDJ got his first break in Weird Science, a 1985 nerd power movie about two high schoolers whose experiments somehow turn a doll into the babe of their dreams. RDJ may be the bully of film, but how could you say no to those eyes?
He was on Saturday Night Live?!
If my parents let me, I would’ve put pink highlights in my hair after watching my first P!nk video. At a time when there was Britney Spears and people trying to be Britney Spears, P!nk brought (and still brings) a welcome rock bite to bubblegum pop. The “Just Give Me A Reason” singer always had a wild streak, and we’ve got the old school pics and clips to show it.
She knew she’d be famous
Alecia Beth Moore was born on September 8, 1979 outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to her dad, she loved singing around the house non-stop. He told Biography that when he’d ask her to be quiet, she said “Dad, I’m practicing. I’m gonna be a star some day!”
She was always tough
Don’t let that innocent smile fool you — by the time P!nk was 13 in 1992, she already started sneaking into clubs, had her first tattoo and her signature tongue piercing! Thanks to her military vet dad, she also knew how to break wrists if she had to.
She got her first gig by herself
When P!nk started writing songs at 14, she knew that wowing the crowd had to come next. She boldly made her own spotlight by walking up to the DJ at Philly’s Club Fever and asking him if she could belt between his set breaks. She blew everyone’s minds (duh) and got a regular gig on Friday nights.
She was in an R&B trio
If Britney Spears can survive 2007, Amanda Bynes can survive today. Can we really blame either star for their behavior with all that paparazzi pressure? Let’s step back from the tabloid haters and remember why we fell in love with Miss Bynes to begin with. The girl was born with the gift of comedy, and these vintage pics and videos prove it.
She could always get into character
Amanda Laura Bynes was born on April 3, 1986 in the greater LA area. This demure bride was one of the comedian-to-be’s first characters on Halloween 1995 when she was nine. ”I dressed up as a bride because I loved pretending to be a housewife,” she told People mag.
She wowed LA comedy clubs
Amanda started taking stand up classes at age seven at LA’s famous Comedy Store. At ten years old, she took the Laugh Factory’s 1996 comedy camp by storm with this literally laugh-out-loud routine about candy, school and…nose zits?
She was All That
James Franco is a wizard. No, I’m not talking about Oz - there’s just no way he can be an actor/director/model/producer/writer/teacher/philanthropist without some supernatural help. With all that he does, how does he even sleep? I just had to dig into James’ baby years to find out how the Spring Breakers star got his own break.
He wanted to do everything (surprise, surprise)
James Edward Franco was born on April 19, 1978 in Palo Alto, California. Lil James told his mom he wanted to be a “worker man” and dreamed of being a construction worker…then a football player… then a marine zoologist. Given his ever-expanding resume, I’ve got a feeling he’ll still end up with all those jobs.
He was a troublemaker who turned it around
Growing up, James did way more monkeying around than the toddler in this picture suggests. He led family pranks with his little bros, Tom and Dave, and got in trouble in school for graffiti and shoplifting. Luckily, James got out of it by high school and kept busy by watching plays instead.
He started acting for love
I love Leonardo DiCaprio for the same reason I love ice cream: there’s so many flavours! Whether your favorite’s the cute kid, the teen heartthrob, or the blockbuster star, you’ll love these pics and clips from the long-standing A-lister’s early acting days.
Born and raised in Hollywood
L.A. has been Leo’s home for literally his whole life. Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974 and grew up in the capital city of acting. The origin of his epic name? Apparently his mom was staring at a Leonardo da Vinci painting when she felt his first kick!
He could sell anything
Leo knew acting was his calling by his early teens. In 1988, 14-year-old Leo started starring in commercials for everything from Matchbox racing cars to Apple Jack’s cereal. His hair in this ad for Bubble Yum gum could easily fight Harry Styles’ flow to the death.
First film!
I was seven when I first saw Beyoncé sing and shake on TV. Even though she shared the stage with the three other members of Destiny’s Child back then, it was clear that Bey was the queen. With her doc Life Is But a Dream finally giving us a glimpse into her personal life, let’s check out the R&B diva’s evolution from talent show to Super Bowl show-stopper.
Destiny’s child
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in Houston, Texas on September 4, 1981. Even though we’ve been saying Bey’s fabulous name for years, her family only let us in on its origin at the Life Is But a Dream premiere. Turns out it comes from her mom’s maiden name Beyince. Luckily for us, Beyoncé definitely has way more diva-worthy oomph.
She sang everywhere she could
One school play was all it took for little Bey to fall in love with acting, music and dancing. She became a choir and talent show queen, out-singing older kids and getting standing ovations since she was seven. Check out this clip to see eight-year-old Beyoncé werking a talent show in 1989!
First girl group!
Nine-year-old Beyoncé formed the group Girls Tyme with her cousin and future Destiny’s Child BFF, Kelly Rowland in 1990. The R&B gang included original DC members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson. The girls perfected their dance moves in Beyoncé’s backyard when they weren’t wowing talent show crowds.
She wasn’t afraid to rock the stage Read more…
After watching Justin Timberlake class up the Grammys last night with his suited-up moves and one-listen-will-make-you-pregnant voice, I’d say JT is once again the hottest Justin the world. As we eagerly await his comeback album, let’s have our own 20/20 Experience into his old school days with these vintage pics and clips of lil Justin.
He’s a country kid
Justin Randall Timberlake was born in Memphis, Tennessee on January 31, 1981. His middle name comes from papa Timberlake, a church choir director who got Justin hooked on country tunes growing up. It didn’t take long for Justin to start belting Memphis saloon songs either…
His cute TV debut!
Before “Suit & Tie,” JT was all about cowboy duds and country twang. He made his TV debut at 11 on Star Search - a 90s American Idol for kids — in 1992. Even with a hat that looks like it could swallow him whole, he wowed the crowd with his take on the country tune “Love’s Got A Hold On You.”
He grew up with tons of celebs Read more…
My Hollywood crush on Jennifer Lawrence isn’t your average let’s-ride-horses-into-the-sunset crush. She’s just so down to Earth that I’d love to grab pizza with her as we dish on life and quote Mean Girls. As JLaw continues to sweep awards season, let’s find out how The Hunger Games star went from Southern kid to easy-going it girl.
She was a tomboy
Jennifer Shrader Lawrence was born on August 15, 1990 in Louisville, Kentucky. Don’t let nine-year-old JLaw’s cute fourth grade yearbook shot fool you. She had the nickname “Nitro” for playing so many sports: hockey, softball, horseback riding and even an all-boys basketball team.
She was discovered in NYC
Even as a middle school cheerleader in 2004, 14-year-old Jennifer didn’t think she’d make a living with her talent and good looks until a model scout spotted her on a NYC family vacation. ‘‘He took my mom’s number, and all of a sudden all these agencies are calling,” Jennifer said. “That’s when it all started.”
Her super sweet break on MTV
At the Screen Actors Guild Awards last night, Jennifer said the best day of her life was when MTV offered her the starring role in this promo for My Super Sweet 16 in 2004, the first step towards her Hollywood career. Sweet Jennifer playing a spoiled debutante? Now that’s good acting.
Justin Timberlake’s secret sister? Read more…
By Jill Krajewski
Smooth-talking, sure-footed Usher has been charming us with his upbeat dance tracks since the release of his first album Usher in 1994 all the way to 2012’s Looking 4 Myself. It’s no wonder the Biebs’ mentor also got his start at a young age. We dug up these cute pics and clips of the “Scream” singer to track his transformation into an R&B megastar.
His name sounds like royalty
Usher Raymond IV was born on Oct. 14, 1978 in Dallas, Texas. He was named after his father and kept the tradition going by naming his own son Usher Raymond V. Man, it must be tough to keep track of who’s calling who in their household.
His family believed in him
Usher was just nine when he joined his first singing group in 1987, a local church choir. His grandmother was so amazed by his voice that she convinced the rest of his fam to move to Atlanta, Georgia to help Usher get discovered.
He was in a boy band before 1D
When he was 11, Usher (the cute kid in white) got into an Atlanta boy band called NuBeginnings in 1990. It was a new beginning for Usher too — he made his very first record with the R&B group in 1991.
He killed it on this singing show Read more…
Jill Krajewski
If there’s one thing better than Emma Stone’s down-to-earth personality, it’s her ability to play any part. She’s made us laugh, cry, hang on the edge of our seat, and now, she’ll make you “aww” with these pics and clips of her growing up.
She was born to act
Emma was born Emily Jean Stone on November 6, 1988 in Scottsdale, Arizona. She knew what she wanted to do right from four-years old. Even her trademark voice came early: ” I smoked when I was four,” she joked with NOW Magazine. “No, I screamed myself hoarse every day as an infant. I’ve sounded like this since I was a kid.”
She worked the stage
Emma’s no stranger to the spotlight – she started learning drama in Phoenix, Arizona in 1999 at the Valley Youth Theatre (she took acting classes there with American Idol winner Jordin Sparks!) and got her first role at 11 as the hairy-chested Otter in “The Wind In The Willows.” We love how she’ll do anything for a laugh!
She convinced her family to move to L.A.
When we say Emma’s sights were set on Hollywood after middle school, we mean it. Fourteen-year-old Emma gave a PowerPoint presentation to her family set to Madonna’s song “Hollywood.” to convince them she should move there for acting and it worked!
She survived reality TV Read more…
Josh Hutcherson in the Martian space suit that was probably constructed for Halloween or a bad school play. We’ve all been there right? [Source]
Check out these other celebs, before they were famous:
Kesha
Jennifer Lawrence
Emma Stone
Jay-Z Read more…
Many of us stash away embarrassing photos or home videos from our younger years that we’d rather forget. Think of that tap dance recital when the majority of your moves were enhanced with jazz hands or the middle school play in which you played an inconsequential role, like a stationary shrub.
For today’s generation, those videos are bound to be immortalized on YouTube one way or another. Luckily for the celebrities below, they all had pretty impressive talents that include everything from being a mini pop idol to stuffing and an obscene amount of marshmallows into one mouth.
One Direction’s Liam Payne
Looks like One Direction’s Liam Payne had a steady group of female groupies even before he was in the boy band. Here he is at 15, singing “Lost” at Merry Hill Christmas in 2008. Payne was a music technology student at City of Wolverhampton College and first auditioned for X Factor that same year. Although he made it to the judges’ houses, Simon Cowell didn’t think he was ready for the competition and asked him to come back in two years. Thankfully, he did.
Ed Sheeran
“Hello again, my name is Ed Sheeran and this is How Much Can You Fit in Your Mouth? Today’s episode is Tesco’s Fat Free Marshmallows.” Sheeran chronicled his mediocre foodie adventures on YouTube around age 14 or 15. Other episodes in the series documented how many Maltesers, Jaffa Cakes and Gummy Bears he could fit in his mouth before gagging. Luckily, he had a ‘spotter’ in his aloof assistant Steve. Of course, the singer also used YouTube to promote his fantastic music and his fan base steadily grew until he rocketed to fame with “The A Team” at age 20.
The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes
Here’s an 11-year-old Nathan Sykes giving us a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Notice his cheeky wink at the beginning before turning serious and showing off some impressive snake arms with his backup dancers. His 90s muscle shirt, baggy pants and black sweatband defined my entire generation.
The Wanted’s Jay McGuiness Read more…
