Every celebrity has to start somewhere. For many of them, a reality TV appearance helped get their name out there before most people knew who they were.
Here are 24 celebs who were on reality shows before they became big names in Hollywood:
1.
When Zac Efron was 17, he chose which of three girls he wanted to ask out after rifling through their bedrooms on the MTV dating show Room Raiders
Watch the first part of the episode here:
MTV / Via youtube.com
2.
Britney Spears was only 10 when she auditioned for Star Search in 1992.
Watch a clip of her performance here:
Syndication / Via youtube.com
3.
Early in her TV career, Meghan Markle briefly held a briefcase on Deal or No Deal .
4.
Laverne Cox competed for a job as a celebrity assistant on I Want to Work for Diddy in 2008, but she only made it to the second week.
Check out a promo for the show here:
VH1 / Via youtube.com
5.
Before he joined Big Time Rush, Carlos PenaVega competed on the boy band–forming competition show Making Menudo .
6.
Lucy Hale won the American Idol spinoff American Juniors in 2003, and she formed a pop group with the other winners.
Watch one of her performances here:
Fox / Via youtube.com
7.
Orange Is the New Black star Jackie Cruz took an art class with Kourtney Kardashian on Kourtney & Kim Take Miami.
Watch a clip of Jackie hanging out with Kourtney here:
E! / Via youtube.com
8.
Nine-year-old Beyoncé competed on Star Search with her group Girl's Tyme, who later changed their name to Destiny's Child.
Watch their performance here:
Syndication / Via youtube.com
9.
Kesha assisted Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie in finding her mom a date on an episode of The Simple Life .
Watch Kesha react to her episode here:
EndemolShine / Via youtube.com
10.
Before she joined the Saturday Night Live cast, Melissa Villaseñor competed on America's Got Talent.
Watch some of her celebrity impressions here:
NBC / Via youtube.com
11.
In 2008, the then-unknown singer Lady Gaga headlined an event where the cast of The Hills was filming.
12.
Under her real name, Emily, Emma Stone won the singing competition In Search of the New Partridge Family in 2005.
Watch one of her performances here:
VH1 / Via youtube.com
13.
JoJo Siwa, complete with her iconic bows, got her start at the Abby Lee Dance Company on Dance Moms .
14.
Before they were an actor, Lio Tipton came in third on the 11th cycle of America's Next Top Model .
Watch their final interview here:
CBS Television Distribution / Via youtube.com
15.
Julianne Hough was one of the professionals on Dancing with the Stars before leaving to pursue music and acting.
Watch her dance with her brother Derek here:
ABC / Via youtube.com
16.
Miranda Lambert placed third in the singing competition Nashville Star the year before her first album went #1.
Watch her performance here:
USA Network / Via youtube.com
17.
Cardi B joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop: New York in Season 6.
Watch a compilation of her best moments here:
VH1 / Via youtube.com
18.
Jordin Sparks won a local TV singing competition called Arizona Idol , which let her skip the line at her American Idol audition.
Watch her American Idol audition here:
Fox / Via youtube.com
19.
A few years before creating Escape the Night , Joey Graceffa competed on The Amazing Race .
Watch him recap his final episode here:
CBS / Via youtube.com
20.
In 2003, Carly Rae Jepsen made it to the final three on Canadian Idol .
21.
When she was 14, Alanis Morissette auditioned for Star Search .
Watch her react to a clip of her performance here:
Syndication / Via youtube.com
22.
Before he was a YouTuber, Phil Lester competed on the quiz show The Weakest Link .
Watch him react to his episode here:
AmazingPhil / BBC / Via youtube.com
23.
Before she was the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, Nicole Scherzinger competed on Popstars .
24.
And finally, Kacey Musgraves placed seventh on Nashville Star 's fifth season.
Watch her performance here:
USA Network / Via youtube.com
