15 Celebrities Who Used To Work In Fast Food

It's not uncommon to have your first job in the restaurant industry, fast food included. Though fast food prices are rising, these establishments are still reliable places to earn your first buck. According to OysterLink, 85% of fast food workers are under 30. What's more, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics found that there were over 3.6 million fast food and counter workers as of 2023. That's masses of young people kickstarting their work-life flipping burgers, proverbially speaking.

When you're dealing with such large numbers, it's natural that politicians, singers, actors, and CEOs will also fall into that category. Some (or, dare we say, many) of your favorite famous figures began their rags-to-riches stories working in fast food. This list includes some celebs whose glamorous careers launched in the kitchens of America's fast food joints.

Chappell Roan is a six-time nominated Grammy pop artist who made her dreams come true in 2024 bringing drag-queen style to the world stage. She may be living the fabulous life now, but Chappell once was a local barista at Scooter's Coffee.

Scooter's Coffee is a regional fast food chain originating in Bellevue, Nebraska that gradually branched out across the Midwest. Now, the java chain features over 300 locations in five different states. Chappell, hailing from Willard, Missouri, served coffees at Scooter's throughout the Covid era. In true pop diva fashion, she states that wearing the headphone, "was awesome."

What was less awesome, however, is why she started working there in the first place. During her Grammy acceptance speech for "Best New Artist," Roan called out record labels, asking them to provide livable wages and healthcare for rising artists. In the Grammy limelight, she shared her story of being dropped by a label during the pandemic and having to search for work elsewhere (cue Scooter's). While the singer is not above an honest fast food job, she generously donated $25,000 to support new artists trying to make it big in the cutthroat industry.

Brad Pitt's first acting gig was, for lack of better words, out of the box. While trying to make a name for himself as a struggling actor, the 90's heartthrob hid his attractive face behind El Pollo Loco's chicken costume. The fast food chain translates to "the crazy bird" which the "Ocean's 11" star dressed up as and originated in Mexico before making its way to Texas and the Western U.S. When a new location opened on Sunset and La Brea in Los Angeles, Brad was there, feathers and all.

Pitt values his roadside mascot gig (nearly) as much as his roles in movie classics like "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." During an interview on the Ellen DeGeneres show Pitt claimed he was not ashamed of his former job. In his words, "Man's gotta eat." The work itself was unforgiving, though, and Pitt claims hoards of passersby flipped him off, prompting DeGeneres to reply, "So the bird got the bird?"

Dunkin' is mostly an East Coast thing, so it makes sense that the 1980s then-rising star Madonna once worked there. While trying to make a name for herself in New York, the celeb took on various jobs to make ends meet, including at the well-known coffee chain. However, she was born to be a material girl, which is likely the reason the singer couldn't hold her job selling donuts.

According to Madonna, she lasted about a week at the coffee and pastry locale, not taking her work seriously the whole time. She claims she played around with the jelly machine and even squirted some onto an undeserving customer before realizing being a barista wasn't in the cards for her. Since her stint at the fast food joint, Dunkin' continues to come out with new seasonal menus including for spring 2025, but don't expect to be served by the Queen of Pop!

Tyler, the Creator is known for his successful rap beats and iconic streetwear. Most people don't associate him with Starbucks, but that's exactly where his story began. Before becoming a millionaire singer and songwriter, Tyler brewed lattes and blonde roasts as a barista. It might seem insignificant now, but according to his 2021 tweet, the job was the most important part of his career. At least, getting fired from it was.

Aside from stealing danishes daily, or maybe because of it, Tyler enjoyed his two-and-a-half years at Starbucks. It all ended when he clashed with a new manager named Cindy who fired him shortly after her arrival. Going out with a bang, he ate three cheese danishes in front of Cindy before walking out of the java joint forever. On your next visit to the coffee chain consider ordering a cheese danish in Tyler's honor (just make sure you pay for it). In the meantime, you should steer clear of these menu items.

Before making her break on the big screen, Eva Mendes earned her paychecks working in fast food. Specifically, handing out samples to hungry shoppers at Ciao and juggling cooking and register duty at Hot Dog on a Stick. Eva's Glendale Galleria gigs were worth the hustle, as she went from working with cheesy food to scoring cheesy acting stints before ultimately landing a role in "Training Day" alongside Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.

Mendes was eager to get a job as soon as she turned 15, which in California is the earliest legal age to do so. She was much less excited about actually doing the dirty work, though. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, she admits she bribed her way out of cooking pizzas at Ciao by paying her coworker. If Ciao was a cakewalk, Hot Dog on a Stick was anything but. Managers made sure she handmashed the lemonade, rotated the dogs, and ran the cash register to perfection. She ended up getting fired not for fumbling a hot dog but rather for gifting an NSFW present at the company's Secret Santa.

Pink is on McDonald's star-studded roster of ex-employees. It was her family that pushed her to get a job and make her own money while she was young. But in Pink's eyes, earning a buck while taking McFlurry orders wasn't too shabby.

It might be because the three-time Grammy winner felt powerful donning her "Janet Jackson microphone" at the drive-thru. Or that she played by her own rules, smoking cigarettes out the window, sneaking free fries to her friends, and dropping acid while on the clock. Once a rebel, always a rebel, as they say.

Pink also had gigs at Pizza Hut and Wendy's, but the latter lasted mere hours as she refused to be on fry duty. Through the lows and literal highs, she wouldn't trade her stardom to return to the kitchen. In an interview, the singer claimed she has nightmares about being back where she started since she worked hard for her current success. We'll raise a glass to that.

It's hard to believe a stately figure like Barack Obama once worked at a fast food establishment, but maybe that's exactly what makes him a great leader. Long before becoming the 44th U.S. President, Obama learned how to work for the people by scooping their ice cream cones. And despite being "hard on the wrists," Barack is still grateful for the opportunity to this day.

In the hot Honolulu summer of 1978, before his senior year of high school, Obama accepted his first-ever job at Baskin-Robbins. The former president says it taught him how to be responsible and work hard, as well as balance studying, family time, and social life, somehow making it all work while also excelling in basketball. Though he's long since moved on from the ice cream shop, it remains close to his heart and inspired his administration's "Summer Opportunity Project" which helps teach high schoolers hard work while steering them away from trouble during summer break.

Actress Megan Fox gained A-list status thanks to her roles in blockbuster hits like "Jennifer's Body" and "Transformers". Fox remained in the public eye since the aughts not only for her award-winning work but for her celebrity notoriety, particularly relating to her last relationship with rapper Machine Gun Kelly.

Before being an attractive celebrity and making headlines, Megan Fox was a banana. Yes, you read that right. When she was still in high school struggling to kickstart her acting career, Megan made money working at her local St. Petersberg, Florida Tropical Smoothie Café. She confessed to Bang Media that her manager would make her dress as the yellow fruit and dance in front of the store to lure in crowds. Since her face was cut out of the costume, there was no anonymity for the then-high schooler. Fox admits her friends laughed at her, but with world fame and handfuls of awards, it's safe to bet she's getting the last laugh now.

Eva Longoria worked harder and smarter all for the sake of her quinceanera. The A-list celeb was once a broke high school student but she didn't let that stop her from attaining the coming-of-age birthday party of her dreams. She admits she illegally faked her paperwork when she was 15 to get the job.

The "Desperate Housewives" star prepared and served the best and worst Wendy's burgers, and she has some thoughts. In an interview with Rachel Ray, Longoria shared her secret tips for achieving the tastiest cheeseburger. It includes spreading mayo directly on the bun to seal it, adding ketchup, putting mustard directly onto the meat, and topping it off with jalapenos.

Eva's burger-flipping era taught her hard work. She's cemented her name in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but she still advocates for the fast food workers of the world. At the 2012 National Democratic Convention, she stated, "The Eva Longoria who worked at Wendy's flipping burgers — she needed a tax break. But the Eva Longoria who works on movie sets does not."

Work the fry machine at McDonald's? Mean Girls' Regina George would never. The actress who played her, Rachel McAdams, did, however. She didn't hate it either, but her boss had problems with Rachel, likely because the future star of "The Notebook" took it less than seriously.

At 16, McAdams was already pursuing her acting dreams by directing a children's theater. That didn't financially support her lifestyle, so she signed up to work the fryer with the rest of her siblings. However handling greasy food didn't mesh well with her OCD, and she was caught washing her hands more than helping the customers on various occasions. In an interview with The New York Times, McAdams admitted to daydreaming more than doing her job, so management would place in the front her greeting customers. They should have kept her there, too, because she admitted to Glamour that she broke the orange juice machine once. Regardless of her mishaps, Rachel lasted a full three years at the gig.

You can thank Dairy Queen for icy sweet treats, juicy burgers, and the popular 90s band No Doubt. It all started when Gwen Stefani, the face of the group, made friends on the job as she served frozen desserts and fried food at the Orange, California location. The team had magnetic energy and musical talent, so they formed together and called themselves Apple Core before switching to No Doubt, the name they've been known by since 1996, when the ska-pop band made it big with their hit single, "Just a Girl."

It took some odd years and many more Oreo blizzards before the band reached success. In the meantime, Gwen admitted she no longer fit in her uniform by the time she left the job for a department store makeup artist position (which explains her iconic looks). Working around those tasty temptations all day, who can blame her?

Even the best cooks aren't above the fast food industry. Bobby Flay paved the path for celebrity chef stardom, being the first of his kind to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and boasting an impressive list of restaurants and TV shows that date back to the early 90s. But as a teenager, when no one knew his name, Flay got his foot in the culinary door at Baskin-Robbins, as many other celebrities have.

Flay looks back fondly at his ice cream scooping days, where he used sundae toppings as a creative outlet. The Food Network star also made tons of banana splits, including a caloric spin-off called the Matterhorn, which he shared in a detailed Facebook post. Ironically, Bobby claims the highlight of his professional career was a cookout with Obama, who is also a Baskin-Robbins alum. In an interview, Flay stated, "He made me feel like he and I had known each other for a long time." Maybe it's because they shared some sundae secrets.

Jennifer Hudson has flaunted her natural-born talent her whole life. The Oscar and Grammy winner sang at her local Chicago church choir when she was seven and performed in musicals, talent shows, and weddings through her teenage years. She also accepted a fast food position as a teen to make a few extra bucks, but that didn't stop her from singing while on the clock, either.

Jennifer's first and only "real" job was at Burger King, and the celeb isn't shy about admitting she belted out tunes more often than not, considering the drive-thru her stage and the hungry patrons her audience. Customers of the East 87th and State St. BK didn't know at the time that they were getting a Hollywood-worthy performance from one of America's next biggest stars, but they may have had some thoughts.

Pharrell Williams excels in creating catchy tunes. His music has won him 38 awards and 129 nominations throughout his career, and the talented rapper and singer won Billboard's coveted title of "Producer of the Decade" in 2010. Despite his success, which spread into the fashion world and earned him the position of Louis Vuitton's men's Creative Director, Pharrell failed at one thing– making McDonald's orders.

The A-lister isn't shy to admit he got sacked for eating McNuggets on the job. Maybe it was his work ethic or his love for nuggets, but he got hired and subsequently fired at two other locations for the same reason. Like all good stories, Pharrell's ends on a happy note when he came full circle, co-creating the chain's famous jingle, "I'm lovin' it" along with Justin Timberlake. And considering his work record, you can be sure he sang that from the heart (or the stomach).

America is home to various self-made millionaires, including the creator of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. According to the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List, Bezos is the third richest man in the world with a net worth of nearly $250 million, followed only by Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. While you might know that Bezos started what's now an e-commerce empire, Amazon, out of his garage in 1994, you'll be surprised to hear that the billionaire's first job was flipping burgers at McDonald's.

Bezos opened up about his teenage past to Cody Teets, the author of "Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers That Began at McDonald's." In the interview, he admitted, "My first week on the job, a five-gallon, wall-mounted ketchup dispenser got stuck open in the kitchen and dumped a prodigious quantity of ketchup into every hard-to-reach kitchen crevice. Since I was the new guy, they handed me the cleaning solution and said, 'Get going!'" Needless to say, Bezos' work ethic shone through from the very start.

Working at Mickey D's was somewhat of a family legacy, as Jeff's father also had a stint at the fast food chain back in his day. Bezos might be a true testament to the American dream, though, because he transformed that legacy drastically in his lifetime to something far more lucrative but maybe a little less tasty.