The surprising careers celebrities ALMOST had

2023-02-11

Celebrities’ ‘sliding doors’ moments: How Coldplay’s Chris Martin could be a £40K-a-year museum curator or Natalie Portman a psychologist on £70K… what would stars being doing now if they’d missed their big break?

Celebrities could have very different careers; from being a doctor to a lawyer

One second can change your life. Something seemingly as small as just missing your train could put your life on an entirely different course.

Much like the film Sliding Doors, in which Gwyneth Paltrow is shown in two separate realities based on whether or not she gets on the train, have you ever wondered what your favourite celebrity would be doing if they hadn’t landed their big break?

Paltrow’s ex-husband, lead singer of Coldplay Chris Martin, may have pursued a career in museum curation if he hadn’t connected with his bandmates.

Actress Natalie Portman may be earning £70,000 as a psychologist.

From medicine to law and higher education, these are the backup careers of some of Hollywood’s leading stars.

The research, conducted by Reboot Online, reveals the celebrities which could have led very different lives.

Chris Martin – the museum curator

Lead singer of Coldplay Chris Martin earned a degree in ancient world studies from the University College London – which is where he met his future bandmates.

Now, he has an estimated net worth of £132 million.

Most graduates with his degree go on to work in the field of museum curation, where an average salary in 2023 is about £40,559 ($48,593 USD).

Lead singer of Coldplay Chris Martin earned a degree in ancient world studies from the University College London – which is where he met his future bandmates

Prince William – the architectural technologist

Prince William may have been born with his future career laid out for him as the heir to the British throne – but he also earned a geography degree from the University of St Andrews in his youth.

The future monarch could have become an architectural technologist with his degree, pocketing an average salary of about £33,000 per year.

In his role as the Prince of Wales, William is now responsible for the purse strings of the Duchy of Cornwall.

Prince William may have been born with his future career laid out for him as the heir to the British throne – but he also earned a geography degree from the University of St Andrews in his youth

Emma Watson – the writer

Emma Watson was already a household name by the time she went to school to earn her degree.

She attended Brown University in the United States, earning an English literature degree from the prestigious college.

If she weren’t already an established actress and champion for women’s rights, she would likely have become a writer on the back of her degree, for an average take-home pay of £31,000 (USD $37,660).

She’s worth an estimated £70million (USD $85million).

She attended Brown University in the United States, earning an English literature degree from the prestigious college

Bradley Cooper – the editorial assistant

Before Bradley Cooper got his big break in roles like The Hangover and He’s Just Not That Into You, he was an English major at Georgetown University.

He graduated with honours in 1997, and during the course of his degree became fluent in French. He went on to have a brief appearance alongside Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City and the rest is history.

However, if he hadn’t become a global superstar, he could have put his degree to use by becoming an editorial assistant, which would have earned him about £50,000 per year.

Now, he’s worth an estimated £84 million.

Before Bradley Cooper got his big break in roles like The Hangover and He’s Just Not That Into You, he was an English major at Georgetown University

John Legend – the writer

Before John Legend launched his musical career, he was offered admission to Harvard University and Georgetown, but ultimately decided to pursue English, with an emphasis on African-American literature, at the University of Pennsylvania.

While studying, he was busy making a name for himself and was hired to play piano on a song for Lauryn Hill.

He graduated with honours in 1999 and, with his role, could have become a specialist writer with an annual salary of about £57,000 – a far cry from his estimated £84 million net worth amassed from his work as a singer, songwriter, producer, actor and philanthropist.

Tom Hiddleston – the archivist

Tom Hiddleston became a household name in 2011 after he was cast in the Marvel cinematic universe as Thor’s brother, Loki.

He’s Eton educated and went on to study classics at the University of Cambridge before landing his big break.

If he weren’t a successful actor with an estimated net worth of about £20 million, he could be working as an archivist for about £30,000 per year.

Tom Hiddleston is Eton educated and went on to study classics at the University of Cambridge before landing his big break

Kourtney Kardashian – working in theatre

Before building the mega Kardashian empire that it’s known as today, Kourtney Kardashian earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts and Spanish from the University of Arizona.

Her classmates included Nicole Richie and Luke Walton.

While Kourtney has never embarked on a career relating to her degree, she could have worked in theatre, earning an estimated £50,000 annually. Instead, she’s worth an estimated £54 million.

While Kourtney has never embarked on a career relating to her degree, she could have worked in theatre, earning an estimated £50,000 annually. Instead, she’s worth an estimated £54 million

Gerard Butler – the lawyer

Before finding fame, Gerard Butler earned a law degree at the University of Glasgow.

He landed a job as a trainee lawyer in an Edinburgh law firm, but was later fired from the role.

At 25, he moved to London and began acting, working his way up to becoming a Hollywood leading man.

He’s now worth an estimated £66 million. If things had been different, he might’ve still been in Edinburgh working as a lawyer, earning around £65,000 per year.

Before finding fame, Gerard Butler earned a law degree at the University of Glasgow

Natalie Portman – the clinical psychologist

Natalie Portman became an actress when she was 12 years old in 1994. She took a slight step back and reduced the roles she was accepting between 1999 and 2003 to attend Harvard University.

There, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology while also filming the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

She’s had a long and busy career in the entertainment industry in the decades since, and is worth an estimated £75 million.

But if she’d decided to follow a career path based on her field of study, Portman could be earning an estimated £70,000 as a clinical psychologist.

Natalie Portman became an actress when she was 12 years old in 1994. She took a slight step back and reduced the roles she was accepting between 1999 and 2003 to attend Harvard University

Eva Longoria – the higher education lecturer

Eva Longoria is perhaps best known for her role as Gabrielle Solis on long-running hit show Desperate Housewives.

What is less well known is her pursuit of higher education. The 47-year-old has a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, which is the study of human body movement, and a masters degree in Chicano studies from California State University.

She’s worth an estimated £67 million, but could always take up a role as a higher education lecturer in her fields of study, which would net about £75,000 each year.

The 47-year-old has a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, which is the study of human body movement, and a masters degree in Chicano studies from California State University

2 Chainz – the clinical psychologist

Rapper 2 Chainz reportedly has a degree in psychology, meaning he could have become a clinical psychologist if he’d chosen not to pursue his music.

He’s thought to be worth about £10 million, while the average clinical psychologist in the UK earns about £55,000.

Rapper 2 Chainz reportedly has a degree in psychology, meaning he could have become a clinical psychologist if he’d chosen not to pursue his music

Mayim Bialik – the neuroscientist

Just like her character from the Big Bang Theory, Mayim Bialik is ultra smart.

The actress, 47, has a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA and dedicates her time to inspiring young women to engage in STEM industries.

While she could be making great money in the medical field, it is dwarfed by the salary she earned on the hit show – where she was taking home about $450,000 per episode, earning a total net worth of approximately £20 million.

The actress, 47, has a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA and dedicates her time to inspiring young women to engage in STEM industries

Ken Jeong – the doctor or general practitioner

Ken Jeong became an overnight sensation when he played Leslie Chow in The Hangover film franchise.

His witty one-liners were a standout from the movies and he’s gone on to appear in Crazy Rich Asians, Role Models and The Duff, earning a cool £11 million along the way.

Jeong earned a medical degree from Duke University and worked as a physician while plying his trade as a stand up comedian.

After his big break, he gave up his work in the medical field in favour of acting. But if he’d stayed on as a practitioner, he’d still be earning upwards of £150,000 per year.

Jeong earned a medical degree from Duke University and worked as a physician while plying his trade as a stand up comedian

Christy Turlington – the healthcare consultant

She was one of the most iconic models of the 90s, featuring in campaigns for Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Prada and Valentino to name a few.

But Christy Turlington proved early on she was more than a pretty face, with a passion for humanitarian work and her determination to get a degree.

She attended New York University and Columbia University, earning an Arts degree before going on to earn a Masters in Public Health.

As a healthcare consultant, she could be earning upwards of £84,000. Now, she’s primarily focused on her humanitarian activities and is worth an estimated £33 million.

She attended New York University and Columbia University, earning an Arts degree before going on to earn a Masters in Public Health

Wanda Sykes – the marketing executive

Comedian Wanda Sykes earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Hampton University in 1986.

She worked at the National Security Agency in a desk job before finally getting her big break.

The Bad Moms actress could have become a marketing executive, earning anywhere from £71,000. She’s worth an estimated £8 million.

Comedian Wanda Sykes earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Hampton University in 1986

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