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40 Celebrities Who Used To Work At McDonald's

One famous singer was fired three separate times!

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ICYMI, not all celebrities started out as the super-famous stars that they are today. In fact, some of them even began their careers by, yep, working at McDonald's. We're talking entrepreneurs, musicians, politicians, actors, and the like spent hours at the fast-food franchise when they needed the extra cash. And I mean, can you blame them? Working at Mickey D's is a way to make the money you need and eat all the free food you want at the same time. (Like, who can complain about having access to McMuffins 24/7?)

That said, each of these stars had different opinions of their time taking orders, flipping burgers, and scooping fries. While celebs like Rachel McAdams and Pharrell said they weren't all that great at the job (Pharrell said he was better at eating the food than serving it, lol), others like Jay Leno, Jeff Bezos, and P!nk have all mentioned that working at McDonald's played a big role in who they are today. Whether it taught them how to operate in teams, work toward their dreams, or inspired them creatively, there is something to be said for each of these stars' experiences at the company.

Read on to find out which celebrity credits McDonald's for their "first big break," and which one says it was the "worst job." And to be honest, they may even inspire you to keep up your hustle no matter what. You never know where life can take you!

1

Rachel McAdams

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Yep, that's right—before The Notebook, Rachel McAdams worked at McDonald's for three years. "I'm not sure why they kept me," she told The New York Times. "I am something of a daydreamer and a dawdler, so they would only let me be the 'friendly voice' that greeted you when you entered the restaurant."

2

P!nk

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P!nk has always been an independent, powerful woman—even when she was in high school, working at McDonald's. "It was important to my family that I make my own money. I was a drive-through girl at McDonald's," she told Food & Wine. "I had a Janet Jackson microphone—I had power."

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3

James Franco

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The actor loved his time working at McDonald's so much, he wrote about it in the Washington Post. After moving to LA, James took a job at McDonald's to support himself while trying to become an actor. "All I know is that when I needed McDonald's, McDonald's was there for me. When no one else was," he told the newspaper.

4

Lin Manuel-Miranda

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The playwright and actor shared on Twitter, "My first job was working the cash register and deliveries for McDonald's." He shared a song inspired by his time working there, and even got some praise from the McDonald's Twitter account.

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5

Jeff Bezos

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Before he was one of the world's richest men, Bezos worked at McDonald's. In an interview with Teets for Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers That Began at McDonald's, he said that the Saturday morning shift was his favorite: "I would get a big bowl and crack 300 eggs in it," he recalled.

6

Shania Twain

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By night, she was a singer, but by day she was an employee of McDonald's (and a high school student). "I worked at McDonald's for several years as a teenager after school while singing in bars at night," Shania told Us Weekly.

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7

Pharrell Williams

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The "Happy" singer actually worked at—and got fired from—McDonald's three separate times. "At a certain point they just realized that I was no help," he admitted on Late Night with Seth Meyers. "I was only good at eating the chicken nuggets." Ironically, he later went on to write the jingle for (you guessed it) McDonald's.

8

Andie MacDowell

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Actress Andie MacDowell worked for the fast-food chain, and she brought her signature sunny personality to work every day. Speaking to Cody Teets, author of Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers That Began at McDonald's, she referred to McDonald's as being "a great environment to work in, with lots of camaraderie and teamwork."

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9

Mark Hamill

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Who would've guessed that Luke Skywalker used to work at McDonald's? He shared on Twitter that it was his first job (kind of). "If you don't count paperboy, the time I was hired to play Santa's helper in a department store or the countless backyard puppet/magic/ventriloquist shows I did... My 1st real job WAS at McDonald's in Annandale Virginia when I was 16," he wrote.

10

Seal

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The "Kiss From a Rose" singer worked for the fast-food chain, but not for very long. "The worst job I ever had was in McDonald's in Kentish Town," he told The Guardian. "I stayed two weeks, until I got my first paycheck, then I was outta there."

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11

Jay Leno

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The late-night host started his career with a job at a McDonald's in Massachusetts. He told Cody Teets, author of Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers That Began at McDonald's, that working at the restaurant taught him important life lessons about hard work and having high standards.

12

Sharon Stone

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Before she landed her first modeling gig or her big break in Total Recall, Sharon Stone worked part-time as a counter girl at McDonald's.

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13

James D'Arcy

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You've probably seen him in Dunkirk or Homeland, but long before he was a successful actor, James D'Arcy worked at McDonald's. His experience was actually pretty scary. Someone pulled a gun on him while he was working the register one night, he told Metro. He stopped working there shortly afterwards.

14

Star Jones

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The former co-host of The View once worked at McDonald's when she was a teenager. "Being a fry girl for McDonald's started me on my professional path! It taught me responsibility," she shared on Twitter.

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15

Judge Greg Mathis

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Before he was an attorney and star of Judge Mathis, Greg Mathis worked at a McDonald's in Michigan. According to his website, he was leading voter registration campaigns on his college campus by day, and working as a swing manager at the restaurant by night.

16

Andy Grammer

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Like many other entertainers, this country singer's first job was at McDonald's. He wasn't a huge fan of the experience, though: "My first job was McDonald’s—terrible!" he said to Us Weekly.

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17

Keenan Ivory Wayans

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The actor, writer, and reality star was the manager of a McDonald's when he was still in high school, according to New York Magazine. He began working there to help support his family, which includes him, his parents, and nine (yes, nine) siblings.

18

Paul Ryan

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The former speaker of the house landed a job as a fry cook at McDonald's when he was 16 years old. But he was sure that bigger things were ahead, according to a speech he gave at a campaign rally. "When I was flipping burgers at McDonald's, I never thought of myself as stuck in some station in life. I thought to myself, I'm the American dream on a path and journey so that I can find happiness however I can find it myself."

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19

Carl Lewis

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Olympic runner Carl Lewis got his first job at McDonald's, where he learned the importance of working fast. He also went on to star in an advertisement for the company, where he said that working at McDonald's was his "first race against the clock."

20

Macy Gray

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In an interview with The Beijinger, the soulful singer said that she started working at McDonald's when she was just 14 years old. Several years later, she went on to star in a commercial for the restaurant, where she said that working at McDonald's was her "first big break.”

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Jamie Ballard
Contributing Writer

Jamie Ballard (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor who covers news, lifestyle, and entertainment topics, including sex and relationships, TV, movies, books, health, pets, food and drinks, pop culture, shopping, and personal finance. She regularly contributes to Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, and YouGov, among other publications. When she’s not working, you can find her running, traveling, or scrolling TikTok. Follow her on Twitter.

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Madeline Howard
Freelance Writer
Madeline Howard is a writer, editor, and creative based in Brooklyn. Her work has been published in Esquire, Nylon, Cosmopolitan, and other publications. Amongst other things, she was formerly an editor at Women's Health. Subscribe to her newsletter 'hey howie' at madelinehoward.substack.com.
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