We bet these stars had a lot more spirit in school than you did. Today’s famous faces may be hard to imagine having to go to school, but before they were celebrities, they had to get an education just like everyone else. Many of them spent their time waving pom-poms around while they were there and supporting their teams as cheerleaders. These idols have always had a real knack to share, so it’s not shocking that whenever they’re put in front of a camera, they can do just about anything.
Cameron Diaz
Most people know Diaz for her acting work, with the star appearing in comedies such as ‘Shrek’ and There’s Something About Mary.’ However, she was a humble cheerleader at Long Beach Polytechnic High School before Cameron impressed audiences on the big screen.
Cameron Diaz
Diane Sawyer
Diane Sawyer was definitely a professional cheerleader! The happy and blond Diane belonged to the Seneca High School Cheerleading squad in her home town of Kentucky, Louisville. Over the past few decades, Diane Sawyer has been an incredibly busy woman. She not only anchored various news shows, but she was a White House staff member during Richard Nixon’s time in office. This impressive reputation has been given to Sawyer’s reputation, and she has won numerous awards, unsurprisingly.
Diane Sawyer
Olivia Munn
Olivia Munn never seemed to settle anywhere for very long when she was younger. That’s partly because the position of her stepfather in the Air Force meant that she had to move a lot around. After the couple broke up, Olivia and her mother relocated to Oklahoma. Munn served as a cheerleader for the Putnam City North High School team. Fortunately, the TV journalist finally established roots in Oklahoma when she was a teenager after years of traveling from one place to another.
Olivia Munn
Ciara
For Ciara, the 2000s were an outstanding time. She bagged herself with three consecutive top-three records, the second at number one on the charts. Collectively, these records sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. alone, launching hits like ‘Goodies’ and ‘1, 2 Step.’ Ciara’s musical success came quickly after her time at Riverdale High School, where she became the captain of the cheerleading squad. Unfortunately, she fell to the curb when she became a musician.
Ciara
Kirsten Dunst
The series ‘Bring It On’ is one of the best when it comes to cheerleading films. Kirsten Dunst, who already had plenty of experience shaking pom-poms, was included in the original movie’s cast. Dunst was a regular on the cheerleading squad at both Laurel Hall School and Notre Dame High School. She probably leaped at the opportunity to show off her stuff when she heard about ‘Bring It On.’ The actress, after all those years of practice, was an expert!
Kirsten Dunst
George W. Bush
In Andover, Massachusetts, at Phillips Academy, President George W. Bush was both a cheerful captain and a basketball player. The political figure, armed with a megaphone and great joy, fired up the crowd with chanting. Later he went to Harvard Business School and Yale University, but this is where everything started.
George W. Bush
Eva Longoria
Without Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis, the drama series ‘Desperate Housewives’ wouldn’t have been the same. She was a perfect addition to the cast, and the show sent the skyrocketing of her career. The show was one of her first roles since graduating from Texas A&M-Kingsville College, where she had been a cheerleader during that time. Since her days at Roy Miller High, Longoria had actually been part of a squad, where she’d been the perfect embodiment of the school spirit. It’s shocking to know that this was three decades ago…
Eva Longoria
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford was one of the co-hosts of ‘Live!’ prior to Kelly Ripa taking over the reins. She was on the talk show alongside Regis Philbin for 15 years, before withdrawing. That was almost two decades ago, and at that time she became famous alongside Hoda Kotb for another talk show role in ‘Today.’ Of course, she was an aspiring drama student before Kathie Lee was a regular on TV screens who spent her high school days wowing audiences on the cheerleading squad.
Kathie Lee Gifford
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep as a cheerleader is hard to envision. It’s been more than 50 years since she was on the Bernards High School Cheerleading squad, and a lot has changed since then. With Streep holding the record for most Academy Award nominations at 21, she’s now one of the most acclaimed actresses in the world. Somehow, over the years, she’s only won three of those the most recent of which was for the drama ‘The Iron Lady.’ However, to keep those trophies company, she has plenty of other accolades.
Meryl Streep
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock finally won an Academy Award for The Blind Side’ after years in the industry. It makes sense she would win for a film like this given the sporting past of Bullock. The actress was one of the stars of the cheerleading squad back when she was a student at Washington-Lee High School.
Sandra Bullock
Steve Martin
Steve Martin is widely known for his ability to make people laugh. You might laugh at first if you heard that Steve was a high school cheerleader, but that wasn’t a joke! Steve attended Garden Grove High School in sunny Southern California, shouting to give some moral support to the sports teams. Steve, even writing funny cheers for them, testing his comedic skills on the cheering squad. Steve has become one of the best stand-up comics ever.
Steve Martin
Denise Richards
Nowadays, you don’t really hear much about Denise Richards. She was a huge deal back in the ’90s, thanks to various sitcom roles and movies such as the’ Starship Troopers’ military sci-fi film. She was also one of the lucky few ever to be called a Bond girl after appearing in the ‘The World Is Not Enough’ spy movie. We wonder if Richards ever thought that would happen at El Camino High School when she was a cheerleader. The idea probably seemed too good back then to be true.
Denise Richards
Kelly Ripa
It was when Kelly Ripa at Eastern Regional High School was a cheerleader that she realized what she was meant to do. Her drama teacher proposed that she should nurture her performing talent and make it a full-time career. Her life was changed by that advice. Ripa dropped out of college after receiving those wise words, appeared in the soap opera ‘All My Children,’ and even had her own sitcom in the form of ‘Hope & Faith.’ She has also spent the last two decades presenting the talk show ‘Live! .’
Kelly Ripa
Halle Berry
Halle Berry appears to be an expert at everything she does. She is a bonafide star, whether it is acting, modeling or directing. Berry can say proudly that for her hard work, she has an Academy Award, as well as a sixth-place finish in the Miss World pageant. We expect given all her success, that when Halle attended Bedford High School, she was also an outstanding cheerleader. That was on top of her being a student of honors and prom queen as well.
Halle Berry
Jenna Dewan
Jenna Dewan’s family moved around a lot when she was a child, but young Jenna was talented and determined enough to make it to the cheerleading squad wherever she was. This photo she shared on her Instagram account is #TBT for her Texas cheerleading days. Later on when she began her career as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson, her experience of cheerleading was probably helpful to her. She hit it big when she got the role of Nora Clark in the movie Step Up, making her transition into acting, and the rest is history.
Jenna Dewan
Lindsay Lohan
It’s no secret that over the past decade or so, life has been difficult for Lindsay Lohan. Problems with substance abuse and trouble with the law have seen her career fall somewhat. Despite all the issues Lindsay has had, however, there’s no denying she was an incredibly talented child star. Roles in ‘The Parent Trap,’ ‘Freaky Friday,’ and ‘Mean Girls’ comedy movies really showed what she was capable of. It’s no surprise to see her in these films that she was an active cheerleader before getting homeschooled.
Lindsay Lohan
Sally Field
In this image, the haircut and the outfit might make it difficult to recognize the young lady, but the eyes and the gentle smile prove that none other than actress Sally Field is this cheerleader. That’s right, she was the Flying Cheerleader before she was The Flying Nun. In Brothers & Sisters, Forrest Gump, Sybil, Steel Magnolias, and more, she is now known for her roles, but there was a time when Field was just a teenager shaking her pompoms at a school pep rally.
Sally Field
Fergie
Fergie might not have become the star she is today if it weren’t for the Black Eyed Peas. The group gave her a platform to show her amazing vocals and sassy attitude, as well as her ability to move. Naturally, if she had not spent her school days honing her skills, The Black Eyed Peas would never have employed her in the first place. Thanks to Fergie’s time as a cheerleader, she learned most of what she brought to the table at Glen A. Wilson High School.
Fergie
Cynthia Bailey
Until Cynthia Bailey left the state at 18 for a position in NYC, this actress worked on a football field. At Deshler High School, the reality TV star and actress cheered for the local team in her home state of Alabama. The rest is history for this Hollywood star.
Cynthia Bailey
Gabrielle Union
Another actress who starred in ‘Bring It On’ back in 2000 was Gabrielle Union, so again it’s no surprise that she was a high school cheerleader. While living in Pleasanton, California, she honed her abilities, probably motivated by her sports-centric family. This was the one thing she was supposed to be passionate about growing up, according to the actress, regardless of whether or not she was performing. Cheerleading was a great way to show her sporting support, and it also helped her with her career, obviously.
Gabrielle Union
Renee Zellweger
Over the years, Renée Zellweger has had quite a few big hits. Obviously playing the lead will always be the one that stands out in the rom-com film series ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary.’ However, her status as a star was also established by featuring in the musical drama ‘Chicago’ and the biographical drama ‘Judy’. Ever since she was a cheerleader at Katy High School, it seems Renée has always had a desire to perform. She loved her time on the squad so much that even now she still recalls her moves.
Renee Zellweger
Stacy Keibler
This WWE athlete did not always have a fighter’s spirit. When she was the Baltimore Ravens’ professional cheerleader, it was more like a dancer’s heart. Stacy moved to WCW in 1999 and up to 2001. From there, the girl became a wrestler for WWE and worked exclusively with WWE.
Stacy Keibler
Jesse James Decker
The country singer-songwriter composed hit singles at the age of 15 and conducted interviews for Nashville labels, but she also yelled for the home team on weekends. She has a ton of hit songs now, and she’s also ventured out into the fashion business. She might have modified some uniforms.
Jesse James Decker
Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore has had a remarkable career. She not only stunned everyone as a singer but found fame as an actress as well. On several occasions, these two worlds have collided, including when she voiced Princess Rapunzel in ‘Tangled.’ Of course, the role Moore will probably always be remembered for is Lana in ‘The Princess Diaries’ coming-of-age teen comedy. It was one of the first movies of Mandy, but she was prepared. Being Pop Warner’s cheerleader really helped her out.
Mandy Moore
Miley Cyrus
During their high school days, many celebrities seemed to be cheerleaders, but some of them started out much earlier than that. For example, take Miley Cyrus. When she decided to grab some pom-poms and cheer for her sports team, she was only seven years old. She was a cheerleader for her local Tennessee soccer team, and from an early age, she made it clear just how much she loved performing. It’s no wonder she, like both herself and Hannah Montana, went on to become a successful singer.
Miley Cyrus
Blake Lively
Another actress whose biggest role is always the one where she was a teenager is Blake Lively. Between 2007-12, she portrayed Serena van der Woodsen in the teen drama ‘Gossip Girl.’ To date, it’s the only television series that she’s done, although she’s racked up plenty of film credits over the years too. Blake was only in her early 20s when the show was on air, so her cheerleading days at Burbank High were still fresh in her mind. If only her school spirit had been shared by Serena.
Blake Lively
Amy Poehler
Instead of having them in awe of her moves, we’re more used to Amy Poehler making people laugh with her comedy. However, she spent her time on the cheer squad at Burlington High School before her TV career took off. She wowed audiences for several years with her routines, which really helped boost Poehler’s trust and showed her the joy of performing. Later, she took that experience and poured it into her comedy, resulting in a massive gig on the ‘Saturday Night Live’ variety series. That changed her life forever.
Amy Poehler
Danielle Brooks
Danielle Brooks is recognized for her lead role in Orange Is the New Black, but she was also a part of her high school cheer squad back in high school. Because her short skirts made her feel insecure, she eventually left the team. She later wrote about her blog experience, saying, “Never quit anything again because you’re scared of what others might think of you – unless you become an exotic dancer, the only exception. But even then only quit because you want to.”
Danielle Brooks
Paul Rudd
We were surprised to find out that in Paul Rudd’s younger days, he was also a cheerleader, but now that we know it, we feel like we should have seen it coming. Anyone watching his epic lip-synch battle on The Tonight Show against Jimmy Fallon knows he’s got the moves. His interpretation of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now was too good-he had some dancing background, of course, as well as experience getting the crowd’s attention.
Paul Rudd
Reese Witherspoon
Is there anything that Reese Witherspoon can’t do? Before the Award-winning actress was topping the box office, she was topping talent shows, and, as we can see here, she was also topping pyramids for her cheerleading squad. In an interview to Jimmy Fallon, Reese revealed she was a football and a wresting cheerleader, explaining that “you have a cheerleader for basically everything in the South.”
Reese Witherspoon
Ann Margret
It’s unlikely that we’ll ever see Ann Margaret on the cheer squad again when she’s fast approaching her 80s. She was one of the peppiest cheerleaders around though, back in the day. At New Trier High School, Margaret knew how to get the crowds going, and it seems that passion translated into her later career as an actress. She can now rest easy after a long and successful career that, among many other nominations, has seen her win five Golden Globe Awards. Not that Ann has plans to retire anytime soon, of course.
Ann Margret
Sela Ward
The beautiful ward of Sela may be known today for her acting career, but the University of Alabama knows her as one of their cheering squad’s prestigious alumni. The actress had cheered for the football team Crimson Tide years before she was on TV.She graduated in 1977, having studied fine art and advertising.
Sela Ward
Alicia Silverstone
Regardless of what she’s doing now, in the teen comedy film ‘Clueless,’ Alicia Silverstone’s biggest role will always be as high school student Cher Horowitz. Silverstone was still a teenager at the time the movie was released, so she had only just left school herself. As a student, her time probably gave her all she needed to bring Horowitz to life. It’s just a shame that the character wasn’t a cheerleader, because in that role, Alicia had a lot of experience. Throughout her time at San Mateo High School, she was one.
Alicia Silverstone
Jayma Mays
Like the timid germaphobe Emma Pillsbury in ‘Glee,’ Jayma Mays was a cheerleader. But because the character would never strut her stuff on a squad, that doesn’t mean either the actress wouldn’t. At high school, Mays was a passionate member of her cheerleading team. Like many of these stars, being on the squad helped her gain confidence, strengthening her performing skills. These two things have certainly been helpful for her career, which began a few years after she graduated.
Jayma Mays
Brooke Shields
We wouldn’t be surprised if Brooke Shields had left the school early on as a child model and actress, who had gained worldwide acclaim with her leading role in the 1978 movie Pretty Baby. But she was, as it turns out, actually a model student who only scored A’s and B’s. The director closed down the production twice while she was taking her school exams when she was shooting the movie Endless Love. Brooke was also on top of that a dedicated cheerleader, as seen in this picture.
Brooke Shields
Nene Leakes
Thanks to the reality series ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta,’ Nene Leakes is now a household name. Not only did the show propel her into the spotlight, but it also helped her bag roles on shows such as the dramedy ‘Glee’ and the ‘Fashion Police’ talk show. Of course,’ The Real Housewives’ brand did not arrive until the mid-’00s, by which point Leakes was in her ’40s already. Not a lot is known about her life before the show, except that back in grade school, she was a cheerleader.
Nene Leakes
Jennifer Lawrence
At the perfect time for Jennifer Lawrence came the dystopian adventure film series’ Hunger Games.’ She was in her early twenties and she was looking to establish her presence in Hollywood, something that these films certainly did. They also gave her something to spend her energy on as Lawrence often had hyperactivity problems. These endless bursts of energy probably explain why, as well as being a cheerleader, she played field hockey, softball, and basketball at school. She must have been one busy student during her teenage years.
Jennifer Lawrence
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American of the first generation, born to parents who immigrated from Russia. In Amsterdam, New York, they settled where Kirk was born and raised. Kirk did everything he could to immerse himself in the culture of America. He had an after-school job making snacks. He was a newspaper delivery boy as well. Cheerleading at Amsterdam High School is another thing he did, obviously, because he’s on this list. He even cheered alongside Lauren Bacall, a fellow Hollywood legend.
Kirk Douglas
Paula Abdul
No denying that Paula Abdul’s got some moves. All you have to do is watch videos of some of her music! Dancing is what she’s been passionate about her entire life, and it’s thanks to her moves that she’s had such an astounding career. When Abdul was head choreographer for the Laker Girls, they attracted the attention of the Jackson family. After turning 18, she’d been on the team previously had been a cheerleader at Van Nuys High School before that.
Paula Abdul
Jessica Simpson
Over the years, Jessica Simpson’s career has been a rollercoaster ride. She eventually got her big break after a few false starts when Tommy Mottola offered her a record deal. Her first few albums performed well, shifting an incredible 7 million copies around the world with her third record. Sadly, things have recently declined, but that doesn’t mean that she isn’t in a really great place yet. Her life is now a world away from her time as a Richardson North Junior High School cheerleader.
Jessica Simpson
Snooki
For bringing Nicole Polizzi into our lives, we have the “Jersey Shore” reality TV series to thank. The show might have been controversial, but there’s no denying that people like “Snooki” were impossible to stop watching. We expect the TV star to be grateful for the opportunity, especially after the difficulties she faced in high school, to become famous. Apparently, she developed an eating disorder when Polizzi was a cheerleader, out of fear that she would lose her spot on the team. Definitely, that experience put her through the wringer.
Snooki
Phaedra Parks
A few stars of The Real Housewives seem to be a cheerleader back in school. At Clarke Central High School, Phaedra Parks, who also found fame in the Atlanta version of the franchise, was on the cheer squad. A world away from her later work in the courtroom was to stand on fields supporting a sports team. She was just as passionate about cheerleading then as she is now about the law. It’s incredible how much your life can change after you graduate from high school.
Phaedra Parks
Olivia Wilde
People probably know Olivia Wilde for her role in the medical drama ‘House these days. It’s the biggest part she’s played in the last few decades, although it’s not her only one by any means. Unfortunately, none of these roles have seen Wilde as a cheerleader, which is basically what she was at Phillips Academy. The actress has racked up dozens of credits, from the teen drama ‘The O.C.’ to the sci-fi action movie ‘Tron: Legacy.’ She was on the step team, which is almost identical to cheerleading.
Olivia Wilde
Kirstie Alley
In Wichita, Kansas, Kirstie Alley was born in 1951. She grew up with her mother, father, brother, and sister. In fact, Kirstie seems to have the whole American life always painted on the pictures – an even more complete look because she was a cheerleader. At high school in Southeast Wichita, Kirstie started cheering. She could yell, cheer, and scream with the best of them. She moved to Kansas State University after high school before finally leaving to pursue the acting career for which we all know and love her for today.
Kirstie Alley
Kendall Jenner
Considering that she was just 24 in 2019, for Kendall Jenner, high school is not such a distant memory. It wasn’t that long ago, even though she was one of the most famous girls in the world, that she walked through the halls of Sierra Canyon School. She was a cheerleader trying to bring as much pep to the varsity squad as possible before Kendall was setting catwalks on fire and driving her millions of followers wild. She didn’t have much trouble achieving that with bundles of enthusiasm and some crazy moves.
Kendall Jenner
Kathy Griffin
Rather than reciting cheers, Kathy Griffin now prefers to spend her time cracking jokes. However, Griffin was part of the spirit squad at Oak Park and River Forest High School when she was a teenager. It’s difficult to imagine her being so full of pep, given how controversial some of the comedian’s jokes can be. Naturally, when you go from adolescence to adulthood, a lot can change. Maybe back when she was a high school student, Kathy had more of a sunny disposition than a dark sense of humor.
Kathy Griffin
Dakota Fanning
For Dakota Fanning, although most of these stars were cheerleaders before they were actresses, it was a different story. That’s because in 2000 when she was only around six years old, she landed her first role. At that point, the star hadn’t even thought about cheerleading, but she was already on the way to becoming a world-class actress. She never lost sight of that ambition, although it took time for her to go to school and become a cheerleader, of course. Education, regardless of celebrity status, is essential for everyone.
Dakota Fanning
Calista Flockhart
Do you remember Ally McBeal’s star? And Calista Flockhart was still performing as soon as she cheered for Shawnee High School in her home state of New Jersey. Then, she graduated and attended Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of Arts, which really started to boost her career.
Calista Flockhart
Michael Douglas
They say that when it comes to kids taking after their parents, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and we even think that’s a bit of an understatement when it comes to Michael Douglas. Michael cheered in high school, just like his dad. Choate Rosemary Hall, then called The Choate Preparatory School, was attended by Michael in Wallingford, Connecticut. After Michael had finished school, he continued to be an actor in the footsteps of his father. Today, Michael and actress Catherine Zeta-Jones are married.
Michael Douglas
Megan Fox
If you look at Megan Fox now you might think she was Queen Bee at school. That wasn’t the case, though. Although at Morningside Academy, the actress was a cheerleader, she was also frequently bullied. She had grown up in a very strict Pentecostal family, so there was not necessarily something to aspire to in her current way of life. Luckily, with things like ‘Hope & Faith’ and the teen comedy’ Confessions of a Drama Queen,’ Fox managed to get her big break in the early’ 00s. Everything just got better for her from there.
Megan Fox