It's hard to imagine that celebrities were, at one point, just like us—working 9 to 5—before they were household names. But, believe it. In fact, a number of famous actors and other personalities had jobs in fast food before becoming endorsers. Here are 10 celebrities who worked in fast food (McDonald's, Jollibee, Max's—you name it).
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1| Ylona Garcia
From working as an actress and singer, Filipino-Australian Ylona Garcia has made headlines for her decision to work at McDonald's. In her Instagram caption, Ylona writes, "Hey ya’ll, I decided to work at @mcdonaldsau. Feel free to come thru & I’ll serve you xx." People were quick to laud Garcia by saying how humble and hard-working she is.
2| Richard Gomez
Richard Gomez has worn many hats as an athlete, model, actor, and politician. But, did you know that he was working in McDonald's when he was scouted? During his time in McDonald's, he even appeared in an '80s advertisement to get students to join the team.
3| Piolo Pascual
Aside from working as a waiter in high school, Piolo Pascual also had a stint as a security guard. He got his big break by playing Brian in Esperanza with Judy Ann Santos and the rest is history.
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4| Jericho Rosales
Jericho Rosales' story to stardom is one that's been told countless times. He, of course, got his start after joining a contest on Eat Bulaga—projects and endorsements soon followed after. A little known fact, however, is that he's had experience as a fish vendor, fast food server, and more.
5| Coco Martin
Yup, that's right—before Ang Probinsyano, Coco Martin worked at Max's Restaurant in Fairview in 2001. He was eventually scouted in the restaurant while working as a server. Years later, the whole thing came full circle when Max's got Martin as a brand ambassador in 2013.
6| Jak Roberto
After his father passed away at a young age, Jak Roberto started work early to provide for his family. His previous job experiences include painting tombstones in cemeteries and being part of a fast food restaurant service crew.
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7| Marvin Agustin
It's only fitting that Marvin Agustin got his start in the food industry, considering that he's become one of the country's top restaurateurs. Before becoming a household name, Agustin worked as a driver, mascot, clerk, and waiter for Tia Maria in Alabang.
8| Martin Nievera
Before he selling out concert halls, Martin Nievera's family owned a restaurant in Hawaii where he flipped burgers. There, he says he learned how to work hard. His stint in fast food wasn't for long as he moved to Manila to pursue singing.
9| Ronnie Liang
Actor-turned-pilot Ronnie Liang had to juggle six jobs to finish his studies. "Nag-work ako ng umaga, nag-aaral ako ng gabi. If you're familiar sa Video City dati, ngayon kasi wala na... and sa McDonald's, nag-deliver ako ng tubig. Yung salary ko before sa McDonald's was P18 per hour, Video City naman P20. Yung mga ganung struggles, just to finish my studies," he tells PEP.ph.
10| Gloc-9
Before Gloc-9 made a name for himself as a rapper and singer-songwriter, he was Aristotle Pollisco of Binangonan, Rizal. Recently, Gloc-9 looked back at where he came from on Instagram, saying, "Nag-service crew sa Bun on the Run, Little Ceasars, Tokyo Tokyo, at French Baker para may perang pang tulong kay nanay at pang punta sa mga auditions pero lagi namang olats."
