Written by Michelle Calderon. Published: May 17 2026
It often
feels like our favorite A-listers received their fame and fortune
in the speed of lighting. However, many successful celebrities
spent years working hard to get to the top. Many artists don’t
achieve fame or monetary success until years after starting their
journeys. Here are 4 celebrities who finally received their flowers
after years of hard work!
1.
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina
Carpenter has been taking the world by storm. She has toured the
world with Taylor Swift, achieved platinum status
on her Man’s Best Friend album and was nominated for 6
Grammys at this year’s ceremony. However, it took her years to
achieve this level of stardom.
She started
her music career back in her Disney Channel acting days. Her first
debut studio album, Eyes Wide Open, was released in 2015.
While this album debuted at number 43 in the U.S. Billboard 200, it
wasn’t until 2024 when she released her 6th album Short n’
Sweet that would see her musical abilities pay off. Short
n’ Sweet debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. She
went from a Disney Channel star whose music was mostly known to
American middle schoolers to an internationally recognized singer!
Proving that if you stick to what you love, you’re bound to find
success.
2.
Lizzo
American
singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress Lizzo has had massive
success in her career throughout the last few years. At the 62nd
Annual Grammy Awards in 2020, she received 8 nominations, more than
any artist of that year. She also took home 3 awards including Best
Urban Contemporary Album, Best Pop Solo Performance for “Truth
Hurts”, and Best Traditional R&B Performance for the song
“Jerome”. She has also consistently sold out her tours. Her Cuz
I love You Too Tour sold in 2019, and her 2022-2023 Special Tour grossed over $86 million over 80 shows.
However, her
journey to the top was a difficult one. She experienced
homelessness and depression after her father’s death. She slept in
her car before deciding to chase her music dreams. Her debut album Lizzobangers was released in 2013, but it wasn’t until
2019 and 2 years after her single “Truth Hurts” was released where
she would finally see her efforts pay off. “Truth Hurts” topped the
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and became the longest-leading solo sung by
a female rapper. She’s living proof that, with consistency and hard
work, you can achieve massive success despite your
circumstances.
3.
Zara Larsson
Swedish
singer and songwriter Zara Larsson has been making waves in the
music industry! Her song “Lush Life”, which was released back in
2015, achieved over 4.5 million streams on Spotify in January 2026.
The song also re-entered tracks worldwide. Fans also look forward
to her performing this song on her current tour because she always
pulls a fan from the audience to sing with and dance to this
hit!
Larsson has
been chasing her music dreams since childhood. In 2008, at just 11
years old, she won the second season of “Talang”, the Swedish
version of the “Got Talent” competition series. While her music was
successful in Europe, she’s finally becoming internationally known
and respected. She also received her first Grammy notification for
the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in the Best Dance Pop Recording
category for her 2025 hit single “Midnight Sun”. Her first major
hit single, “Uncover”, was released back in Jan. 21, 2013. While
she’s been singing and recording music for years, it looks like
she’s finally on a path to become pop music’s newest
It-girl.
4.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm is a
respected Emmy Award-winning actor best known for his role as Dan
Draper in the critically acclaimed television series “Mad Men”. He
has also had lead roles in films such as Stolen, Million Dollar Arm, and Keeping Up With The
Joneses. While he is a gifted actor who has made it in
Hollywood, he had a rough start to his career.
Hamm
graduated college in 1993 with a degree in English. After
graduation, he returned to his high school to teach 8th grade.
However, in his heart he knew he didn’t want a normal career and
dreamed about acting. In 1995, he took a leap of faith and moved to
Los Angeles to pursue his acting aspirations. He lived with other
aspiring actors in a small apartment and took on odd jobs to
support himself. Before making it in Hollywood, he struggled to pay
his bills. He told The Hollywood Reporter that, at one point, he
was extremely behind on his rent because he had not been able to
book one solid acting job. “At a certain point, I had owed my
landlord here in LA about seven or eight months’ worth of rent that
I somehow talked her into being fine with,’ he said.
He had also
given himself a deadline — if by his 30th birthday he still hadn’t
booked a solid acting job, he would quit. At 29 years old (just a
few months short of his deadline), he landed the role of romantic
firefighter, Burt Ridley, on NBC’s drama series “Providence”. This
role allowed him to quit his minimum wage job at the time and focus
on acting. Despite his struggles, he persevered and is now a
respected actor. His story highlights how you can truly do anything
as long as you stick your mind to it!