Many of the stars on our list were born in one state and then moved around a lot, so perhaps there's something to be said for a varied upbringing when it comes to your chances of finding fame? Singer Jojo Levesque is another example; she was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, but grew up between New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She cites her mother as her musical inspiration: She was raised in a single-parent low-income household after her parents separated, and so her mom would take her along when she sang with the local Catholic church choir.
As someone who was singing almost from the moment she could speak, Levesque had no fear of performing. She was happy to impersonate Cher on the TV show 'Kids Say the Darndest Things,' and then Aretha Franklin on 'Destination Stardom.' Oprah Winfrey happened to be watching the latter performance, and got in touch with Levesque to invite her to come and sing on her show. After Oprah came Maury, and by that point a career as a singer was inevitable.
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.