Some of Hollywood's A-listers haven't always had it so easy. Before hitting the big time, stars like Michelle Pfeiffer [1] and Steve Martin [2] had to take jobs where they could get them, and Disney theme parks were the perfect places to look. Since Disney offers aspiring performers chances to sing, dance, and play characters, it's not surprising that a slew of our favorite actors once roamed Main Street. Keep reading to see who got sprinkled with pixie dust.
Kevin Richardson
Before bursting on to the scene as a member of the Backstreet Boys in 1993, Kevin Richardson worked at Disney World where he took on a variety of characters [3], including Aladdin and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
Kathryn Joosten
You probably know Kathryn Joosten from her quick-witted character on Desperate Housewives, but, believe it or not, the actress once worked as a street performer at Disney's Hollywood Studios [4].
Michelle Pfeiffer
Did you visit Disneyland in the mid-1970s? Well, you may have seen Michelle Pfeiffer [5]! The actress played Alice in Wonderland [6] in Main Street's Electrical Parade.
Steve Martin
Steve Martin was with Disney almost from the very beginning [7]. Shortly after the park opened in 1955, the actor sold guidebooks, twirled lassos in Frontierland, and did magic tricks at Merlin's Magic Shop in Fantasyland. "I knew every nook and cranny of the shop," he has said.
Kevin Costner
Kevin Coster worked at Disneyland as a skipper on the Jungle Cruise. Fun fact: he met his first wife, Cindy, who was working as Snow White [8], during his time there.
Taye Diggs
Before starring in Broadway hits like Rent, Taye Diggs [9] traveled a long way to try to get noticed. He worked as a performer at Disneyland Tokyo [10] for almost a year.
Wayne Brady
Funny man Wayne Brady is Goofy [11] — literally! The comedian wore the character's costume while working at the Disney theme parks in his younger years.
Teri Garr
You may recognize Teri as Phoebe Buffay's mom on Friends, but her first role was playing the Statue of Liberty [12] in Disney's Summer Spectacular show in 1970. Teri said she had to wear roller skates and "carry a torch that spewed confetti or Ping-Pong balls.''
Alyson Reed
Before playing Ms. Darbus in the Disney Channel original movie High School Musical [13], the actress played Alice in Alice in Wonderland [14] at Disneyland.
Richard Carpenter
The Carpenters singer had a gig belting out tunes on Main Street [15] when he was younger.