Celebrities, they’re just like us! Well, at one time they kind of were at least. As in, they had to go to school at some point in their lives and had teachers trying to educate them. So yeah, totally like us.
In fact, you might be surprised at just how much they were like us once you read the answers to this Reddit thread which asked, “Past teachers of present celebrities and/or famous people — what were they like?”
Then again, some of them already showed the potential for the greatness that was yet to come.
As for whether these stories are all true, well, we have no way to actually verify them, but it is the internet and no one ever makes stuff up on the internet, right?
With that in mind, here are some of the most interesting stories that were shared…
Kanye West…
My mom taught Kanye West’s Music Theory class in high school. She said he insisted he would one day be a famous rapper, and that he was a decent student but sometimes a bit stubborn. Overall not that noticeable, although he did like free styling. He and some other students threw a little baby shower for my mom while she was pregnant with my sister, which is nice. ~ onebigcat
LeBron James…
My 4th grade math teacher also taught LeBron James. She said he was obessed with basketball. When asked what he was going to be when he grew up he said he was going to be in the NBA. When she told him he needed a back up plan he just looked in to her soul and said “No, I’m going to be in the NBA.” ~ D_Mes
Kristen Bell…
One of my high school teachers had Kristen Bell in her class for a few years. She said that Kristen was a very bright student, always well liked, and she had a beautiful singing voice and was the lead in the school plays. One particular memory she had of Kristen was when she was Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz: surprisingly it wasn’t the main cast, but rather the munchkins who stole the show, because they were the varsity football team walking on their knees through the auditorium. Kristen was supposed to sing at her wedding but had to cancel because she had just been hired for a job (which turned out to be Veronica Mars). ~ lazyfirefly
Michael Phelps…
My Econ teacher taught Michael Phelps. He said that no one knew who Michael was before the olympics. As soon as he came back though, whenever he was in school, he was really cocky and obnoxious. But since he rarely was in school, he didn’t really have much experience with him after his Freshman year. ~ umop_episdn_
Mariah Carey…
My hair stylist was Mariah Carey’s cosmetology teacher when she attended BOCES vocational school in Greenlawn/Huntington, New York.
Said Mariah was a bit of a diva, and was not terribly interested in learning the trade of hair and makeup. Wanted to sing instead. I guess that worked out. ~ Bugjones
Steph Curry…
Stephen Curry. It’s a pretty small private school in Charotte Notth Carolina where most people stay from kindergarten all the way through senior year and everyone knows everyone. Stephen was honestly one of the most kind hearted and humble kids I knew. Granted he wasn’t too amazing back then, but he never desired any attention, he was just playing for the love of the sport. No matter what class he was in, whether it interested him or not, he was always respectful and tried his hardest. Basketball skills aside, he was one of the best students to graduate. ~ eigthtrysthecharm
John Travolta…
My English teacher had John Travolta in his basketball team that he coached at the time, he said he was very annoying and he told him that he wouldn’t make it anywhere in life. ~ sidimazz
Curtis Granderson…
It’s not much I suppose but I had Curtis Granderson in class when I taught high school. Really nice kid, pretty funny and animated, super personable, just overall a like-able kid. really glad he found success. ~ thepikey7
Patton Oswalt…
A friends mom taught Patton Oswalt. Said he was mostly quiet, kept to himself and seemed like kind of a loner but when he did speak it was comedy gold. ~ frostysbox
Matthew McConaughey…
My mother’s best friend taught Matthew Mccaughney. She said he was one of her favorite students because he was so sweet. Apparently he came to see her and talk to her class when he first started acting. Seems pretty cool. ~ FrogCurry
Of course he was cool, even back then.
Check out the rest of the stories over at Reddit.
H/T Uproxx