Totally Awesome Retro Celebrity School Photos
1 Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey’s breakout role was when he starred in the movie Dazed and Confused. His laid-back character stole the show and, by the looks of this school portrait, he was more like the character than we thought when he was a teenager.
McConaughey wore a choker necklace in his sophomore yearbook photo at Longview High School in Texas in 1986. He also rocked a killer tan. We can admit that we would have crushed on him hard if we went to the same school as him. He already had a star quality about him.
2 Reese Witherspoon
It’s hard to believe that the sweet little girl in this school photo would grow up to be an award-winning actress and producer. Reese Witherspoon burst onto the Hollywood scene when she was just 14 years old after being cast in the film Man on the Moon.
She went on to win two Academy Awards for Best Actress, but we can’t get over just how adorable she looks in this childhood photograph. From her cute smile to the monogrammed tag on her dress, it’s clear that Witherspoon was born to be on the big screen. The camera even loved her back then.
3 Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence is an Academy Award-winning actress. Rolling Stone dubbed her the “coolest chick in Hollywood”. Yet, before she became famous, she was just an ordinary 8th grader at Kammerer Middle School in Louisville, Kentucky.
She clearly had a thing for funky earrings. In spite of this, she finished school two years early and graduated with a 3.9, so she got beauty and brains. Lawrence set her sights on Hollywood and never looked back, landing her breakout role in the drama Winter’s Bone. It’s so cool to see her looking like a normal 14-year-old girl instead of a glamorous movie star.
4 Ryan Seacrest
Most people go through an awkward stage as a kid but this school photo of Ryan Seacrest takes the cake. He’s been open about being bullied because of his weight when he was in Elementary School in Dunwoody, Georgia.
He told Men’s Health about that experience, “I also remember at times being teased about it, and because of that it’s still in my brain. I never want to feel that way again, and that motivates me to strive hard for balance without cutting anything that I truly enjoy, but while also knowing I can’t have it all the time.”
5 Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson got her big start when she won Season 1 of American Idol. She’s one of the hardest working celebs in Hollywood, serving as a judge on The Voice and having her own talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. It’s awesome to look back at her humble beginnings when she was just a little girl.
This sweet childhood photo of Clarkson is just about as cute as they come. She had that million-dollar smile even back then, and how sassy was her blonde hair? Her little girl, River Rose, is the spitting image of her mom at this age.
6 Snoop Dogg
You would know it by looking at this yearbook pic, but that’s actually a portrait of Snoop Dogg from his senior year at Long Beach Polytechnic High School. Back in 1989, his name was Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., but his nickname was “Snoopy”.
Fast forward a few decades and he’s now the man we call Snoop Dogg. He sure was clean cut in those days. Although, we suspect he cleaned up for his senior portrait. Regardless, he’d grow up to provide vocals for the hit “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” and other chart-topping tunes.
7 Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock is America’s sweetheart, starring in films like Miss Congeniality and The Lost City. Yet, there was a time when she was an awkward teenager, just like the rest of us. The actress attended Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia.
She was on the cheerleading squad and a member of the drama club before she graduated in 1982. Even though her bangs were a little bit goofy, you can totally see a movie star just waiting to come out of her shell in this senior portrait. Her big break would come 12 years later when she starred in Speed with Keanu Reeves.
8 Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez got her start as a “Fly Girl” on the sketch comedy show In Living Color. She went on to be a singer, dancer, actress, and fashion mogul. Before she made it into the big, she really was just “Jenny from the Block,” as you can see from her senior portrait.
Lopez was just a fresh-faced teen when she posed for this photograph, along with her senior quote: “What a lovely dream come true to love someone who loves you.” She seems to have finally found true love with a boyfriend from the past, Ben Affleck, seventeen years after they split up.
9 Tom Cruise
You can’t get much more A-list Hollywood than Tom Cruise. From Top Gun to Mission: Impossible, he ignites the screen in whatever movie he stars in. Cruise has proven to have staying power and continues to star in blockbuster films to this day.
So it’s cool to see him before he was famous in his senior yearbook photo. He graduated from Glen Ridge High School in 1980, only one year before he would be cast in his first roles, in both Endless Love and Taps. He was such a handsome teenager. You can tell that he was destined for greatness with that smile.
10 Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder may be a superstar now, but she was just a goofy-looking kid when she was in junior high. With a short pixie cut and penchant for wearing men’s clothing, Ryder was bullied often in school and talked about her scary experiences in her biography, Winona Ryder: The Biography.
“I was wearing an old Salvation Army shop boy’s suit. As I went to the bathroom, I heard people saying, ‘Hey, [homophobic slur].’ They slammed my head into a locker. I fell to the ground, and they started to kick the s*** out of me. I had to have stitches.”
11 Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber may be a heartthrob now, but even he went through a few awkward teenage years. Take a look at his 8th-grade yearbook photo when he was just a baby-faced kid attending Stratford Northwestern Public School in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
Take a look at that silly haircut! We’re sure that style was all the rage back when he was an 8th grader, but it’s a bit cringy to see now. Thank goodness he grew up and got over this stage of his life. He’s now married to Hailey Bieber and continues to create chart-topping songs.
12 Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain was larger than life as the lead singer of the band Nirvana, whose first hit was the song “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Here we have a school photo from when he was just a little guy attending Robert Gray Elementary School in Capital Heights, Maryland.
He looks like an ordinary kid, so it’s hard to believe that he would one day be such a huge rock star. Unfortunately, fame became to be too much for him and he tragically succumbed to mental illness in 1994. It’s nice to have this sweet image of him as a child to remember him by.
13 Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner may be a glamorous movie star now, but she used to be a total nerd when she was a kid. The actress shared a Throwback Thursday photo on Instagram to celebrate Thanksgiving and it was a doozy. From her awful hairstyle to her yellow jumper, she is all of us who grew up in the 80s.
Garner posted this school photograph along with the caption, “This week I’m grateful for…..@hairbyadir. #SometimesThe8DollarHaircutWorked #SometimesItDidnt #WithVirtue, of course (sic).” The actress took a moment to show gratitude for her hairstylist, Adir Abergel, who she collaborates with at hair brand Virtue Labs.
14 Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars is the master of funk and soul, but before he hit it big, he was known as Peter Hernandez. Here he is in his 2003 senior portrait from his time at President Theodore Roosevelt High School in Honolulu, Hawaii.
He was already rocking his amazing style with that epic afro. It’s no wonder he made it big a mere seven years later with his first hit single, “Just the Way You Are”. He had obvious star power back then and continues to make music that hits the charts to this day.
15 Jason Sudeikis
Do you recognize this cute kiddo? We’ll give you a hint: he got his start as a writer for Saturday Night Live. Do you give up? Funnyman Jason Sudeikis broke into film with his role in Horrible Bosses. Yet, before he became Ted Lasso, he was just a cute little kid in an ugly sweater.
He attended Brookridge Elementary School in Overland Park, Kansas. We’re just teasing about the ugly sweater because he was one adorable little guy. You can tell by the twinkle in his eye that he was destined for amazing things in the future.
16 Melissa McCarthy
Melissa McCarthy’s breakout role was in the film Bridesmaids. The actress sat down with Anderson Cooper and revealed this amazing yearbook photo from her time at St. Francis Academy in Joliet, Illinois.
She joked about going from cheerleader to goth over the course of the summer. “Yeah, like in one summer I played tennis, I was on student council, I was a cheerleader. Then, like the next, I think it was like the next year. Oh, my God, I forgot about that,” she continued. “I was super preppy, and by the end, blue-black hair that I’d shave in patches.”
17 Amy Poehler
Fans were treated to this hilarious yearbook photo of Amy Poehler, thanks to Conan O’Brien. He shared her senior portrait when she was a guest on his show, Conan. Her hairstyle may look ridiculous by today’s standards, but back in the day, ladies sprayed an entire can of Aquanet hairspray on their bangs to achieve this look.
Poehler took everything in stride after having her awkward years exposed to the world. “Every day I would walk into school and just be, like, ‘You’re welcome, fellas!'” Poehler joked about the photograph. We get the feeling that the fellas liked what they saw with all that 80s flair.
18 Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford has been a morning talk show fixture for decades, but before she became famous, she attended Bowie High School, located in Bowie, Maryland. Proving to be multi-talented, Gifford sang in a folk group named Pennsylvania Next Right, which played at school assemblies.
She graduated in 1971 and you could have guessed that she was a 70s graduate based on her school photo alone. From her stick-straight hair to her untouched eyebrows, her natural beauty really shines through in this yearbook photo. Her big break would come in 1988 when she was paired with Regis Philbin in the show LIVE! with Regis and Kathie Lee.
19 Mariah Carey
Here we have a young Mariah Carey in all of her glory. The future pop diva went to Harborfields High School, located in Greenlawn, New York. She graduated in 1987, which is obvious thanks to her huge bangs and impressively feathered hair. That’s quite some curls she had going on.
After graduation, Carey moved to New York City to break into the music scene. The singer launched her career just three years later in 1990 with the release of her first single “Vision of Love”. She would go on to win 5 Grammy awards and 21 Billboard music awards.
20 Weird Al
It’s no shock to see that Weird Al was a total nerd in high school. We all know him as Weird Al, but his real name is Alfred Matthew Yankovic, which is what his classmates knew him by. He attended Lynwood High School, located just outside of Los Angeles, California.
Did you know that he actually graduated two years early? He was just 16 years old and the valedictorian of his class in 1975. It’s no wonder that he would one day become a famous parody singer with hits like “Like a Surgeon” and “Eat It”.
21 Cameron Diaz
Why does it come as no surprise that Cameron Diaz was a cheerleader? This yearbook photo from Long Beach Polytechnic High School gives us proof that Diaz was always one of the popular girls. She graduated in 1990 and was a total dream girl back in the day.
The actress has a fellow celebrity in her midst during high school. Snoop Dogg attended the same school. He spoke to Yahoo Music and revealed what crowd Diaz rolled with at the time. “She ran with my homegirls, all my little cheerleading homegirls,” Snoop revealed. “She was in [their] little crew.”
22 Jay-Z
Jay-Z looks cute as a button in this throwback photo that his wife, Beyoncé, posted on Instagram. Of course, when the photo was snapped, he was known as Shawn Carter, and was just a kid growing up in Brooklyn, New York. How adorable is that little graduation photo?
Queen B shared the pic to celebrate his album “Magna Carta Holy Grail” going platinum. She wrote the caption, “Platinum #MagnaCarta.” We love that she showed her support by giving fans a glimpse of Jat-Z before he made it big. Who would’ve known that little guy would become a huge rapper?
23 Debra Messing
Debra Messing may be a glam movie star now, but she was once an awkward kid, just like the rest of us, and this throwback photo proves it. The actress grew up in Rhode Island but had Hollywood aspirations even when she was a child.
She opened up during an interview with The Gentlewoman and revealed that her love for acting began when her parents took her to see plays on Broadway as a little girl. “I remember levitating off my seat, amazed that there were these people, arm’s length away, singing and dancing. It’s always been magic to me,” she said.
24 Fergie
Fergie stole the stage in the band The Black Eyed Peas, and later with her solo career. Not only is she a talented singer, but she had tons of school spirit as a teenager. Before she became Fergie, she went by Stacy Ferguson, and she was a cheerleader.
Back in 1992, she was a senior at Glen. A. Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, California. She cheered on the football field for the Wildcats, and this epic photograph of her in uniform appeared in her school yearbook. You can just tell that she was the envy of all the girls in her class.
25 George Clooney
George Clooney has always been a heartthrob, as you can tell from this yearbook photo. Even with goofy hair and a devilish grin, he was still quite handsome. He attended Augusta High School, located in Augusta, Kentucky.
The actor graduated in 1979 and was very active in school activities. He was part of the Drama Club, Beta Club, and an officer of the Science club. On top of that, he played basketball and baseball as well as being named Prom Prince his senior year. Clooney would grow up to one day become an A-list actor and social activist.
26 Tom Hanks
Way before Tom Hanks graced our screens in movies like Big and Forrest Gump, he was a regular guy who attended Skyline High School in Oakland, California. He graduated with the class of 1974 and his senior yearbook photo could not have a more 70s vibe.
From the shaggy hair to the huge bow tie, he looks like a typical teenager from that era. Of course, we all know him as a superstar that is married to Rita Wilson. Yet, it’s comforting to know that before he shined in the bright lights of Hollywood, he sometimes had a bad hair day, just like everyone else.
27 Courtney Cox
Courteney Cox had a natural beauty as a teenager that really shines through in this yearbook photo. She attended Mountain Brook High School in Mountain Brook, Alabama, and graduated in 1992. As you would imagine, Cox was very involved in sports and other clubs when she was a student.
She was a member of the swim team and played tennis. She was also a cheerleader. The actress also got her first taste of modeling when she was a senior, appearing in an ad for the store Parisians. She would sign with the Ford Modeling Agency after graduating high school.
28 Beyoncé
Before becoming Queen B, the celebrity that the whole world now knows, Beyoncé was a young girl like any other, or almost. She studied at the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. This photo is from her ninth year school’s yearbook.
Beyoncé made her name with the group Destiny’s Child, who released in 1997 their major label debut song “Killing Time,” created for the movie Men in Black. Already, seeing this picture of her, we understand that Beyoncé already exuded a lot of determination and that she was destined for great things.
29 Liam Hemsworth
Before becoming the star of the Hunger Games movies and the great actor he is today, Liam Hemsworth, one of the most famous Australian actors, also had to go through the ungrateful period of adolescence. This picture is from his freshman year at the Newhaven College on Phillip Island, in Victoria, Australia.
It was during his high school years that he began to seriously consider following in his brother Chris’ footsteps and becoming an actor. At the time, he participated in school plays. He also surfed competitively until he was 18, and judging by his curly blond hair in the picture, he had the look for the job!
30 Katy Perry
Before becoming the popular singer we know, Katy Perry, whose real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, was a young girl raised in a very religious family. Her parents are pastors, after all! She often changed schools because of this, but this picture is from her freshman year at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California.
She dropped out of school after that year, however, in 2000, at the age of 15, to pursue her music career. She released her first album, Katy Hudson, in 2001, but only managed to break through in 2008 with her second album, One of the Boys, and its single “I Kissed a Girl”.
31 Channing Tatum
Suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and dyslexia, Channing Tatum struggled in school. Still, the popular sportsman—he played soccer, soccer, track, and baseball—says his biggest distraction in school was girls. He had a lot of charisma back then, if this photo is any indication, so there’s no doubt that he was a distraction for the girls, too!
He graduated from Tampa Catholic High School in 1998. His career began as a dancer, when he was selected to appear in the music video for Ricky Martin’s song “She Bangs”. He went on to model and then broke through as an actor in 2006 with roles in the films She’s The Man and Step Up.
32 Blake Lively
Before she became the star she is today and married the Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively was just a teenager studying at John Muir Middle School in Burbank, California. This photo of her is from her eighth-grade yearbook, taken in 2001. Blake Lively was an active teenager! In high school, she was a cheerleader, a member of the championship choir, and the class president.
Blake Lively’s acting career took off in 2005 with the film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination for “Choice Movie Breakout – Female.” Many know her from her role as Serena van der Woodsen in the series Gossip Girl, though, which she played for 6 seasons, from 2007 to 2012.
33 Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani is the type of person that stands out no matter what, and this high school photo proves that she’s always been that way. She attended Loara High School in Anaheim, California, and graduated in 1987. The No Doubt singer was popular with her classmates and participated in several school activities.
From being on the swim team to drawing the art for her yearbook, Stefani had that special star quality from a young age. Although, we love how approachable she looked in her senior portrait. Frosted lipstick was popular at the time, so she was even on-trend as a teenager.
34 Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson may be a blonde bombshell now, but this throwback picture she shared on social media tells a different story. The actress posted a school portrait in support of an anti-bullying campaign, and by the looks of it, she’s not a natural blonde. Although, she was a natural beauty.
She wrote the caption: “Welcome #Back2School with @AntiBullyingPro-share your school photo- http://back2school.antibullyingpro.com To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight. #EECummings.”
35 Dax Shepard
It’s so fun when celebrities share childhood photos on social media and this pic of Dax Shepard is even better because his wife, Kristen Bell, posted this school photo of her hubby along with the caption, “#tbt to the cutest kid in class. @daxshepard.”
He was pretty darn cute! Shepard grew up in Milford, which is a suburb outside of Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from high school in 1995 and moved to Los Angeles the same year to become an actor. His breakout role was in the prank show Punk’d with Ashton Kutcher. Yet, we’ll always remember him as the fresh-faced kiddo in this photograph.
36 Catherine Zeta-Jones
It doesn’t get much more adorable than this epic photo posted by Catherine Zeta-Jones. The actress posted a throwback school photo on Instagram and we can’t believe what a little cutie she was in pigtails and wearing her tidy school uniform.
The actress captioned the photo: “😂This is probably the best official school portrait I have. 😂full on ragamuffin.” We agree, she was quite a ragamuffin. Despite the fact that she grew up to be a glamorous actress, she still has that beautiful smile that she did as a little girl. Some things never change, we suppose.
37 Bruce Willis
Back in 1973, Bruce Willis was a senior at Penns Grove High School, in Carneys Point, New Jersey. Before he made it big in Hollywood, he had a busy schedule as a teenager and was so popular that he was even president of the school council.
The actor always had a love for acting and was a member of the drama club and a member of the PGHS TV Crew. It’s no wonder he grew up to star in blockbuster films like Die Hard and The Fifth Element. It’s obvious that he was destined for fame with that full head of hair.
38 Jessica Biel
Long before Jessica Biel grew up to marry Justin Timberlake, she was a little girl who was raised in Boulder, Colorado. Look at her sweet face and cute braids! It’s no wonder she would one day grow up to be a successful actress in her own right.
Her breakout role came when she was cast as Mary Camden in the family drama series 7th Heaven in 1996. Since then, she’s solidified herself as an A-list Hollywood actress. She wed Justin Timberlake in October 2012 and they share two sons, Phineas and Silas.
39 Mandy Moore
Before Mandy Moore became a star, she was a teenager who posed for a cringy school portrait. The This Is Us actress shared this amazing pic on Instagram and wrote the caption, “7th-grade fake smile #tbt.” We can all relate a bit too well to this middle school picture.
Her acting debut came in 6th grade when she was cast in the school play Guys and Dolls. “The show was everything, my entire world,” Moore told the Orange Observer. “As the date approached, I remember being beside myself with adrenaline and nerves.”
40 Michelle Obama
Former First Lady Michelle Obama took to Instagram to support the graduating class of 2021 and shared her own graduation photo, along with the caption, “Congratulations, Class of 2021! 🎉 From navigating virtual learning to finding new ways to develop relationships with teachers and classmates—while somehow submitting your assignments on time.”
“You overcame so much this year with grace and humor. You should be incredibly proud of everything you’ve accomplished. When I think about how you must be feeling right now, I am reminded of my own experience as a younger woman, just getting started as an adult.”
41 Kelly Ripa
Let’s take a moment to celebrate Kelly Ripa’s huge 80s hair that she wore in her senior portrait. This awful permed look was all the rage when she graduated from Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, New Jersey. Her bangs were so impressive.
She was a cheerleader in high school and was encouraged by her drama teacher to pursue acting. Her first big role was playing Hayley Vaughan on the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children in 1990. She played the on-screen love interest of her real-life husband, Mark Consuelos, who she met on the set.
42 Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan grew up in Bethel, Connecticut, and attended Bethel High School. The actress graduated in 1979 and was heavily involved in school activities and clubs when she was a teenager. It’s no surprise that she starred in the school play and was at the top of her class.
Ryan was America’s sweetheart when she starred in several romantic comedies in the 90s like Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. Although, she eventually left Hollywood and quit acting after rumors circulated that she left her husband, Dennis Quaid, for Against The Ropes costar, Russell Crowe. She looked so innocent in high school.
43 Brad Pitt
It’s hard to believe that this kid with a goofy haircut would one day grow up to be one of Hollywood’s most famous leading men. Brad Pitt was just 14 years old when he posed for a pic with his basketball team, the Cherokee Rejects, in 1979. The actor was raised in Springfield, Missouri.
The Daily Mail interviewed one of Pitt’s teammates who revealed: “We were the Cherokee Rejects. We didn’t make the final cut for the eighth-grade basketball team, so the five of us just decided to be the Cherokee Rejects,” he added. “We even got a trophy, but sadly, I can’t remember what it was for.”
44 Adam Devine
Funny man Adam Devine has obviously been making people laugh since his teenage years at Millard South High School located in Omaha, Nebraska. The actor posted this hilarious school photo from his senior year in 2002 on Instagram and wrote a clever caption along with the pic.
“#tbt to another senior photo. ‘Sup ladies. I’m still rocking my carpenters and fossil watch, but I’ve slipped into a Kohl’s original Superman tee. Wanna drink some Surge and play Mario cart or 007 tonight? Also, I think goons has 4$ worth of kind bud he would share.#cementtruck #ifyouknowyouknow #sideburns,” he wrote.
45 Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian found fame in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but before she was a reality star, Kimmy was just a regular teenager. She shared this photo on social media from Marymount High School, a Roman Catholic all-girls school in Los Angeles.
The post was a nod to the 2018 Met Ball theme, “Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”. Kardashian captioned the pic, “Catholic School Girl 8th Grade”. It’s refreshing to see that she had a much more natural look when she was in middle school. It appears she wore just a smidge of mascara and a dash of pink lip gloss.
46 Matt Damon
Of course, it’s no surprise that Matt Damon was totally dreamy when he was a teenager. The actor attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated in 1997. From his leather jacket to his tousled hair, it’s clear that Damon was cooler than all of us when he was a senior.
After graduation, he attended Harvard University until he dropped out to follow his passion for acting. It’s a good thing he made that decision because he would go on to win an Academy Award for the film Good Will Hunting, which solidified his place as an A-list actor in Hollywood.
47 Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks may be a beautiful movie star now, but once upon a time, she was just an awkward child, as proven by this pic posted on her webpage, along with the caption, “#tbt 2nd grade I feel so lucky that I mostly loved school and making friendship pins that I wore on a necklace because that felt like style to me.”
She continued, “This haircut was inspired by Dorothy Hamill because female athletes were and are superheroes to us girls (fund them, #paythem) my boys are this age now and it’s the best. #buckteeth show me your #schoolphotos!”
48 January Jones
January Jones is one of Hollywood’s most stunning actresses, which makes this next photo on the list even more priceless. The actress is known for posting throwback pics that should make us all feel so much better about ourselves. From the mullet to her snaggle-tooth smile, she was once just one of us.
Jones shared the photo, which was the second of its kind, along with the caption, “#2. Soft spikes again. You Dep’d it but it wore off before picture time and now it looks limp, so smile really wide to make up for it.” Okay, this childhood photo makes us like her even more.
49 Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande made a name for herself in music, but was once a typical teenager. She attended North Broward Preparatory School, located in Parkland, Florida, and was in the class of 2012. The singer took the time to update her peers on Classmates.com. She wrote: “So after I graduated, I went on with my singing career! Yay!”
“Well, I let out my first album, Yours Truly, and (since my fans are frigging amazing) it went to the top as soon as it came out! Yay, again! Well, after that, all the award ceremonies I have officially just released my second hit single, ‘Problem’!”
50 Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin has been a fixture in Hollywood for decades. Yet, before he became a household name, he was a dashing young man who attended Barner High School located in Massapequa, New York. The actor graduated in 1976 and was very active at his high school.
Baldwin was athletic and played on the football and lacrosse team. He was also class president and a member of the drama club, which doesn’t come as a shock at all. His breakout role came in the blockbuster movie The Hunt For Red October. He went on to star in several hit films over his career.
51 Tyra Banks
This photo of a young Tyra Banks shows that she’s always been beautiful, even when she was just a teenager attending Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. Banks graduated in 1991 and was accepted to UCLA and USC, but decided to pursue a modeling career instead.
Thank goodness she made that choice because she would go on to be a Victoria’s Secret Model and the host of the popular competition show America’s Next Top Model. Proving that she has both beauty and brains, Banks received her diploma from Harvard University’s Executive Education Owner/President Manager Program in 2012.
52 Madonna
Madonna may be the queen of pop now, but it’s hard to believe that she was just an ordinary girl when she was in high school. Despite being larger than life these days, she attended Rochester Adams High School in Rochester, Michigan. The singer graduated with the class of 1976.
Her portrait reflects her standout style, even when she was a teenager. Madonna, whose full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone, was a natural performer. She was a member of the drama club and often starred in school plays and performed in other events at school. She was destined to be a star!
53 Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton even had sky-high hair when she was a teenager, as seen in this school portrait. She attended Sevier County High School, located in Sevierville, Tennessee. Although, the country singer revealed to Rolling Stone magazine that she actually hated going to school.
“I tell you, it was kinda rough for me because I was the most popular girl in school in the wrong way,” she said. “Everybody talked about Dolly, but I didn’t have as many friends as I should have had. My best friends were boys because they understood me and weren’t tryin’ to find fault.”
54 Tori Spelling
Before Tori Spelling got her start as Donna Martin on the popular show Beverly Hills, 90210, she was a little girl who attended The John Thomas Dye School located in none other than Los Angeles, California. The actress posted this adorable pic on Twitter to celebrate her 39th birthday in 2012.
Spelling wrote the caption: “Thx so much for all the bday wishes! Had a lovely day with the family. Found this pic of me age 6. Who do I look like?” She looks like a cutie pie to us. From her messy hair to her schoolgirl uniform, we love everything about this photo.
55 Ice Cube
Ice Cube, whose was born O’Shea Jackson, attended William H. Taft High School located in Woodland Hills, California. He graduated with the class of 1987. He became well known as a rapper in the group N.W.A. and is credited with being one of the first founders of gangsta rap.
We can tell just by looking at this amazing yearbook photo of Ice Cube that he was totally gangsta in high school and flexed hard on his classmates. From the mullet to his popped collar, this guy had some serious swagger when he was a teenager. Who else wore a hot pink and white striped shirt in the senior portrait?
56 Jenna Dewan
Jenna Dewan posted a series of throwback photos on Instagram that celebrated her cheerleading days.”When you are from Texas, pom-poms are your main accessory #fbf,” she captioned the post, which was a trio of pictures; two from her high school years and one as her younger self in a cheerleader uniform with two pom-poms.
The actress graduated in 1999 from Grapevine High School in Grapevine, Texas. She had a love for dancing and was a varsity cheerleader during her school years. Her passion would lead her to Hollywood, where she found fame as Nora Clarke in the movie Step Up.
57 Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez took to social media to share this super cute throwback pic from her elementary school days. The singer is shown wearing denim overalls and the cutest toothy grin. She wrote a rather mysterious caption to go along with the photo, writing, “We always go into it blindly.”
While we may never know exactly what Gomez was referring to, we do know that she was one adorable little girl. She attended Tavis Elementary School located in Grande Prairie, Texas, and eventually found her big moment when she was cast as Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place.
58 Lady Gaga
Before Lady Gaga became famous, she was known as Stefani Germanotta and attended the private school Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattan, New York. She may be a superstar now, but her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, revealed to The Daily Beast that Gaga was often bullied in school.
“She was creative and unequivocally her own person, but her peers didn’t always appreciate the things that made her unique—and different. As a result, they would sometimes taunt, humiliate, or exclude her,” Germanotta said. “It was hurtful for her to experience and heartbreaking for me to watch.”
59 Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt shared this awkward photo from his middle school years on social media to support a project created by his brother-in-law at the time. He caption the snap: “Before selfies, this was what 13 looked like. #Being13 looks like this now: cnn.com/being13.”
He added, “So proud of my brother-in-law, friend, and hunting partner Bob Faris for his involvement in this great project. Check it out!!” Pratt has since divorced his first wife, Anna Faris, and moved on with his second wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger. Yet, we’ll forever have this epic throwback pic of him as a cute 13-year-old boy.
60 Kelly Osbourne
We all have cringy school photos from our high school days, and Kelly Osbourne shared quite the doozy on Twitter. The reality star posted an almost unrecognizable throwback pic of her in a white shirt and sporting glasses. Osbourne wrote the caption: “Me in high school! I was such a dork!”
Osbourne attended Pipers Corner School located in Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire, England. Her famous father, Ozzy Osbourne, was the lead singer of the band Black Sabbath, but she was thrust into the spotlight when her family appeared on the popular reality show The Osbournes.
61 Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep attended Bernards High School in Bernardsville, New Jersey. She is arguably one of the best actresses of her generation and revealed what sharpened her acting skills while she was in school when she spoke during the 2010 commencement speech at Barnard College.
Streep told the graduating class that she used to thumb through fashion magazines so she could look like one of the “it” girls and felt like her teenage years were “a form of acting for a purpose”. She also said that she’d been “playing a role” during those formative years. No wonder she’s such a talented actress.
62 Ashton Kutcher
Before Ashton Kutcher landed his big breakout role as Kelso in That 70s Show, he was just a regular guy when attending Clear Creek Amana High School, located in Homestead, Iowa. After graduating in 1996, he pursued a career in modeling.
Eventually, he was bit by the acting bug and moved to Hollywood, California to become an actor. After starring in That 70s Show, he took on roles in films like The Guardian and The Butterfly Effect. Looking back at his senior portrait, it’s clear that Kutcher was most likely popular with the ladies when he was a teenager.
63 Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts found her place on the big screen when she was cast in the movie Mystic Pizza, but it was her role as Vivian in Pretty Woman that really solidified her as a star. She’s been a Hollywood darling with an unforgettable smile for decades.
We love to see this school photo of her at the tender age of eleven. It’s clear that she was stylish even back then with her feathered hair and pink dress with ruched turtle neck. Who could miss that amazing grin? You can see that she had a bright future ahead.
64 Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson found fame as a wrestler who was known as “The Rock,” and later took in acting with his first leading role in The Scorpion King. Johnson posted a hilarious throwback pic on Instagram from his awkward years in school. He wrote the caption: “Throwback to 7 years old in Hawaii, and just drippin’ cool with my buck teeth [and] aloha shirt.”
He added: “WTF is going on with my afro matted down on one side!?🤦🏽♂️ No way this stud doesn’t grow up to become Sexiest Man Alive 🤣 #HellooooLadies #BuckyJohnson #SmellsLikeHotDogs #KingOf2ndGrade.”
65 Renée Zellweger
Renée Zellweger was an all-American girl when she went to high school in Katy, Texas. She was on the cheerleading squad, vice-president of her class, and voted “Dream Date” by her classmates on her senior year in 1987.
Of course, she was totally in style with her sky-high bangs, which was the look in the late 80s. You can tell by looking at her that she was totally the “It” girl in high school. She went on to land her first big movie role when she was cast in Jerry Maguire with Tom Cruise, grabbing the attention of Hollywood and launching a successful career.
66 Eva Longoria
Before Eva Longoria starred in the series Desperate Housewives and became a household name, she was just a regular teenage girl with huge bangs. The actress attended Roy Miller High School in Corpus Christi, Texas. She graduated in 1993, which explains the hair.
Longoria was not only in the high school’s showband, but she was the Head Drum Major, which proves that she was a born performer and leader. She certainly captured the popular fashions at the time, complete with curly hair and a dress with an oversized lace collar.
67 Jamie Foxx
This slick teenager is non-other than Oscar winner Jamie Foxx. He graduated with the class of 1986 from Terrell High School, located in Dawson, Texas. The actor made a name for himself during those early years as an outstanding high school quarterback.
Of course, acting would eventually lead him to fame, and Foxx got his start in the comedy series In Living Color. He went on to win the Academy Award for his portrayal of Ray Charles. Although, you’d think that he might have grown up to be a car salesman by the looks of his senior portrait.
68 Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt grew up in the movie industry, thanks to her father, director Gordon Hunt. Before she became a fixture in Hollywood, Hunt was a typical teenage girl who attended Providence High School in Burbank, California. It’s hard to believe she started acting at just 8 years old.
Hunt would grow up to star in the television series Mad About You and win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in the film As Good As It Gets. It’s clear from this amazing yearbook photo that she always had charisma, which led to an impressive career.
69 Steve Buscemi
It can be entertaining to look back on yearbook photos of famous actors. Steve Buscemi has been a Hollywood heavy-hitter for years. Here he is as a fresh-faced young man during his high school days when he attended Valley Stream Central High School located in Long Island, New York.
The Brooklyn-born actor graduated in 1975. His breakout role came in 1992 when he played Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino’s film Reservoir Dogs. Before that, he was a firefighter for the New York City Fire Department and even returned to his old job to help out after 9/11.
70 Taylor Swift
It’s hard to believe that this adorable little girl would grow up to become one of the most successful singers of her generation. Taylor Swift attended the Wyndcroft School, a co-ed private school located in Reading, Pennsylvania, when she was a child. It doesn’t get much sweeter than this.
From her tousled blonde hair to the plaid school uniform, Swift’s inner beauty really shines through in this pic. Although Swift revealed to The Sun that she wasn’t popular at school. “Nobody would invite me to parties. I felt very left out at that time,” she said.
71 Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler posted this epic high school pic on Twitter, along with the caption, “I wanted everyone to know what I looked like before I became legal to vote; uninformed.” Um… We’d like to inform Handler that her hairstyle was awesome. Those sky-high bangs are impressive.
The comedian attended Livingston High School, located in Livingston, New Jersey. She graduated in 1993 and went on to host the sketch comedy series The Chelsea Handler Show. Although, it looks like she had plenty of success looking glam when she was a teenager.
72 Emma Stone
Emma Stone attended Xavier College Preparatory, a Catholic, all-female private high school in Phoenix, Arizona. She dropped out after her freshman year to pursue an acting career and never looked back. The actress even made a PowerPoint presentation to convince her parents.
“It’s nuts that they agreed to it,” Stone told The Hollywood Reporter. “I don’t condone it. Everybody should go through high school and graduate.” Her gamble paid off, and she’s now one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. How could she not be with that smile?
73 Johnny Depp
Behold the splendor of a teenage Johnny Depp. The actor attended Miramar High School located in Miramar, Florida, but dropped out of school at the age of 15 in 1979. He left school to become a rock star. Fate would have other plans as his breakout role came on the show 21 Jump Street.
Despite being embroiled in a scandal with his ex-wife, Amber Heard, Depp played many iconic characters like Edward Scissorhands and Willy Wonka. He’s also a musician in the band The Hollywood Vampires. So it appears his dream to be a musician came true after all.
74 Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway’s first role came when she was still in high school when she was cast in the television show Get Real. She attended Millburn High School in Millburn, New Jersey, and graduated in 2000. Yet, she was a senior when she got the gig.
The actress spent time in Los Angeles for filming, so her senior year was anything but typical. She would find fame after starring in the movie The Princess Diaries and later won an Academy Award for her role in Les Misérables. Who knew that goofy grin would take her so far?
75 Halle Berry
This yearbook pic of Halle Berry proves that she always stood out in a crowd, even as a teenager. So much so that she was crowned the prom queen of her graduating class at Bedford High School in Oakwood, Ohio. Not only was she popular, but she was active in school activities.
Berry was a cheerleader, editor of the school newspaper, and an honor student when she graduated in 1984. No wonder she would one day grow up to be the first female African American to win an Academy Award for her role in Monster’s Ball. That’s something to be proud of!
