7 celebrities who were accidentally discovered in completely ordinary places

Monster actress Charlize Theron started out modelling when she moved from South Africa to the US at 18 years old. As is the case with most early stars, each paycheck made a big difference – but it was an issue cashing a New York modelling check that won her her first manager.

While trying to cash in her last modelling check from New York, Charlize pleaded with the bank teller to accept the out-of-state paycheck. As she pleaded with the bank to cash it in, a man came over and tried to help her – a man who turned out to be Hollywood manager John Crosby. She told Oprah in 2005, "What I didn’t know is that I was auditioning for a guy who would end up being my manager. On the way out, the man who’d helped gave me his card. He said, ‘If you’re interested, I’ll represent you."

At 19 years old, Chris Pratt had moved to Hawaii in a van with his friend, giving up his previous job as a door-to-door salesman for a job at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. As luck would have it, The Colour Purple star Rae Dawn Chong came in and Chris struck up a conversation.

Rae noted his good looks and asked if he acted, prompting Chris to grab the opportunity with both hands: "I was like [expletive] it, 'Goddamn right I act! Put me in a movie!'" Rae cast the Jurassic World actor in her directorial debut, Cursed Part 3, providing the launching pad for his future Marvel stardom.

Iconic Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson was discovered as an eager fan at a BC Lions Canadian football game in 1989. Dressed for the occasion, she was projected onto the Jumbotron in a Labatt's beer T-shirt. 

With a big cheer from the crowd, Pamela was dubbed the Blue Zone Girl, promptly hired by Labatt for an ad campaign and soon Playboy was on the phone – a modelling gig that led to international acting fame in Baywatch and Home Improvement, followed by more recent fame with hits like The Last Showgirl and The Naked Gun.

Before he was Han Solo, Harrison Ford moved to Hollywood in the 1960s and took on small, uncredited roles with Columbia Pictures and Universal. But with the demands of family life, he worked as a carpenter to bring in more dependable income. 

The actor first crossed paths with George Lucas while working for Francis Ford Coppola and the film company American Zoetrope, leading to a small role as Bob Falfa in 1973's American Graffiti. In 1976, a carpentry gig near the Star Wars audition space led casting director Fred Roos to ask Harrison for help reading lines with other actors. It was soon obvious Harrison himself was the man for the job, and he's been a Hollywood star ever since.

At just 11 years old, Natalie Portman was approached by a Revlon scout who asked if she wanted to be a model, while she was sitting in a pizza parlour. But modelling wasn't what Natalie wanted to be doing.

She declined the offer and asked for help getting an acting agent instead. Soon after, the Black Swan actress made her debut in 1994's Léon: The Professional at 13 years old, appearing as Mathilda, Léon's young neighbour in New York whose family is murdered.

Charlie Hunnam already knew he wanted to pursue a career on the screen but the Sons of Anarchy star was discovered in a surprising set of circumstances: on Christmas Eve, after a few hours at the pub, Charlie headed into a shoe shop to try on trainers for his brother. 

Having a bit of a dance and generally enjoying himself, he blew a kiss and a wink to a lady who was staring at him. She turned out to be the production manager for British drama Byker Grove and invited Charlie to audition. He made his screen debut in an episode of the show and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Bones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer star David Boreanaz  got involved with local theatre and advert roles, but it was a well-timed dog walk in Los Angeles that landed him a guest role on Married with Children in 1993, after his talent manager Tom Parziale took a liking to him – and presumably his pup.

Tom is reportedly still his agent today but David also owes a lot to the role his dog at the time, Bertha Blue, played in securing him the role that led to major Hollywood stardom.