Does hard work really pay off in the end ? Realistically, it all depends on who you ask . Privilege certainly plays a role in where a person ends up in life, but at the same time, it’s hard to deny the fact that hard work has the potential to pay off.
So are celebs just coddled, or did their hard work get them to where they are today? After reading through a few of these stories, your perception might just shift a little.
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Beyoncé
Anyone who was at Coachella in 2018 likely remembers it better as Beychella . Bey, the first Black woman to headline the festival, gave an epic two-hour-long set, one in which every last detail, from costumes to choreography, was managed by her.
Paul McCartney
The ex-Beatle has never really taken a professional break over his 60-plus years in music. Even though he’s well into his 70s, he still typically does a long tour every year — something he’s been doing for decades now.
Judge Judy
Judge Judy has finally hung up her black robe after an astonishingly successful career as a TV judge. While most successful TV shows might run for a hundred episodes or so, Judge Judy has an incredible 12,500 episodes .
Ryan Seacrest
If it seems like Ryan Seacrest has been everywhere, all the time, for the past few decades, that’s because it’s basically true. The DJ is in demand and typically spends all day, every day, appearing on different TV and radio shows.
Dolly Parton
It’s hard to fully appreciate the scope of everything Dolly Parton has accomplished in her long career. To date, she’s written over 3,000 songs , recorded nearly 50 albums, written half a dozen books, and operates her own theme park.
Eric Roberts
A fantastic character actor who’s been overshadowed at times by his sister Julia, Eric Roberts may just be the hardest-working actor in Hollywood. At any given time, he’s generally got several dozen different projects in post-production and has appeared in over 300 projects over the course of his career.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus may have had a leg up in the entertainment business because of her famous father, but she was never a slacker. Even while she was shooting Hannah Montana , she was able to do multiple concerts every weekend before returning to work on Monday morning.
David Copperfield
Magician David Copperfield may have made his name by making the Statue of Liberty seemingly disappear, but nowadays he’s settled into the Vegas life. It isn’t anything close to retirement, though, as he does two shows a day every day, a schedule he’s maintained for over two decades.
Tyler Perry
If you’ve ever wondered why Tyler Perry splashes his name on everything he does, it might be because he works so hard on it. He’s said in interviews that he’ll spend a few months working for 18 hours a day before giving himself a vacation, then starting the process all over again.
Martha Stewart
If you can believe it, Martha Stewart is 81 years old and shows no signs of slowing down. At the beginning of her career, she’d spend almost all of her waking hours writing books. Now, in 2022, she’s written more than 100 books.
Abba
Swedish pop legends Abba have a legacy for producing some of the catchiest music of the ’70s. As it turns out, their songs didn’t just come together organically. The musicians worked tirelessly on every last song, to the point that their sound engineer almost passed out from hunger.
James Franco
Franco has taken a bit of a hiatus in recent years after reports of sexual misconduct surfaced against him. But at the peak of his career in 2013, his film work was prolific. He appeared in 16 different productions, directed five movies and even wrote a book in one calendar year .
Tony Hawk
While most of us know Tony Hawk as the best vert skateboarder of all time, and the first to ever pull off the 900, it wasn’t easy. Even though Hawk has tons of natural ability, it took him ten years, lost teeth, broken bones, and concussions before he was finally able to nail the trick in 1999.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is very exacting with her stage show, rehearsing everything to make sure it goes perfectly. As it turns out, rehearsals begin with her daily workout . Gaga has been known to do vocal exercises and sing through her setlist as she works out.
Mr. Rogers
Fred Rogers, better known to generations of kids as Mr. Rogers, portrayed a calm, comforting mentor on television. He played this role off the screen as well, as he took the time to answer every single letter he was ever sent — often up to a hundred every day — by his adoring fans.
Natalie Portman
You can add Natalie Portman to the long list of actors who’ve learned an impressive new skill just so they could play a character more convincingly. Portman took a crash course in ballet , including practicing for five hours a day, for her role in Black Swan .
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton isn’t in the headlines nearly as much as she was 15 or 20 years ago, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t staying busy. She says she’s on planes about 250 days a year as she travels to different DJ gigs.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
It seems like Schwarzenegger’s accomplished everything he possibly could in life. Even though he isn’t acting much these days and is no longer governor of California, he shows no signs of slowing down. Well into his 70s by this point, he still goes to the gym every day .
Gordon Ramsay
If you’re looking to chill and avoid the grind, don’t look to Gordon Ramsay for inspiration. The celebrity chef has a daily routine that sounds nightmarish, frankly: after working for 16 hours, he’ll take 5 hours of personal time before settling in for a brisk 3 hours of sleep.
Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan is an actor, not a pro boxer — but he played a very convincing version of a pro boxer in Creed . He owes his physique in this movie (and also in Black Panther ) to a grueling workout routine that involved six days of training every week, with up to three workouts a day.
