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Hilary Swank -

Hilary Swanks' breakthrough came thanks to her role in 'The Next Karate Kid' in 1994. She quickly became a household name. Six years later she won her first—but not only—Oscar for Best Actress for her part in 'Boys Don't Cry' (199).

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One Direction - One Direction was without a doubt the most successful creation to come out of the British talent show 'The X Factor.' Although they didn't win the competition, they became a global success and one of the biggest bands on the planet.

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Psy - Unless you've been living under a rock for the past decade, you've certainly heard of the hit song 'Gangnam Style.' Singer-songwriter Park Jae-Sang, aka Psy, released the song and uploaded it on YouTube on July 24, 2012. It didn't take long before it turned into a real internet sensation, launching the South Korean artist into stardom across the globe.

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Robert Pattinson - Pattinson became famous overnight thanks to his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga. He was only 21 years old when he landed the role, and was basically unknown before that.

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Gerard Butler - Being an actor has not always been Butler's priority. He actually nearly became a lawyer, after having studied law for five years and practicing it as a trainee for two. However, he was eventually fired. But his luck changed when he was approached in a London coffee shop by actor Steven Berkoff, who gave him a role in a stage production. From then on, he landed some major roles.

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Emma Watson - Watson knew from the age of six that she wanted to become an actress. Her first professional acting role was as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series. She was only 10 years old and rocketed to fame after the first movie's release.

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Elizabeth Olsen -

Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley, hadn't really had global recognition before being cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch.

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Chris Pine - Chris Pine was virtually unknown until he appeared in 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement' alongside Anne Hathaway in 2004. This launched him onto the radar, and he was soon starring in blockbusters like 'Star Trek' (2009) and 'Wonder Woman' (2017).

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Justin Bieber - Bieber became a viral sensation after posting a video of him singing a cover of Chris Brown's 'With You' on YouTube, and got the attention of American talent manager Scooter Braun. At the young age of 13, he began singing for none other than Usher, and his popularity skyrocketed from then on.

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Kim Kardashian -

Kim Kardashian may be a reality TV star now, but the reason she became famous in the first place? Her video tape with former boyfriend Ray J. A few months later the first episode of 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' aired, and that turned her officially into a star.

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Millie Bobby Brown - The British actress' big break came in 2016 with Netflix's hit series 'Stranger Things.' Brown quickly became a sensation, and has now been cast in other notable projects. The star confessed that her family went broke in order to support her acting dream, but today she's a self-made millionaire.

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Leonardo DiCaprio -

DiCaprio was in several movies before 'Titanic' (1997), but it was his role as Jack that turned the heartthrob into an international star and icon.

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Kate Winslet - Finding fame in Hollywood alongside DiCaprio, Winslet also received overnight global recognition after her role in 'Titanic.'

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Jonah Hill -

As a kid, Jonah Hill became friends with Dustin Hoffman’s son, Jake. Jake was so impressed with Hill's talent for making prank phone calls that he told his dad about him. Hill ended up appearing in the 2004 movie 'I Heart Huckabees' alongside Dustin Hoffman, Mark Wahlberg, Jude Law, and Lily Tomlin. The rest is history!

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Jennifer Lawrence - Lawrence became a huge star overnight thanks to the Hunger Games franchise. Although she had been cast in a few independent films, hardly anyone had ever heard of the actress until she nabbed the role of Katniss Everdeen in the film series.

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Miley Cyrus -

Miley Cyrus' Disney show 'Hannah Montana' debuted when she was just 13, making her a star. Within the first year of its premiere, she had also released a triple-platinum debut album.

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Daniel Radcliffe - Radcliffe was just the right fit for the titular role in the Harry Potter film series. This catapulted him to international fame at the age of 12. He will always be remembered as Harry Potter.

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Zoe Saldana - The actress has starred in many low-budget films as well as big box-office movies, but the role that really changed her life overnight was 'Star Trek' (2009). Though it was closely followed by 'Avatar' later that same year, cementing her place in Hollywood.

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Emma Stone -

Stone started out in the popular teen comedy 'Superbad' (2007). After the movie debuted, she began to get more regular roles in major films. Today, Stone has worked her way to the top of Hollywood's A-list.

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Andrew Garfield - Andrew Garfield scored a notable role in 'The Social Network' in 2010, but he gained wider recognition for playing Spider-Man in 2012.

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Lupita Nyong'o - Nyong'o can surely be considered a breakthrough star. After starring in '12 Years a Slave' (2013) alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt, and Michel Fassbender, she quickly became something of an overnight success and one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood.

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Marion Cotillard - While Cotillard was known previously in French cinema, she turned into an overnight success in the rest of the world as everyone wanted to know about the French actress who was up for the Best Actress Oscar in 2008. She ended up winning it for her role as Édith Piaf in 'La Vie en Rose.'

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Amber Heard - Amber Heard had only landed small TV roles up until she co-starred with Johnny Depp in 'The Rum Diary' in 2011. Both the film and her subsequent relationship with her co-star made her a high-profile celebrity very quickly.

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Rebecca Black -

Rebecca Black was a 13-year-old girl when her parents got her a session in a recording studio as a Christmas gift. With a producer, she created a low-budget pop track and corresponding music video. It was just something she did for fun, but when the producer posted the video online, it instantly went viral. Rebecca Black's 'Friday' was viewed 100 million times in three months. She became known around the world for all the wrong reasons. Black is now in her twenties and bravely pursuing a music career after recovering from the trauma of her disastrous overnight fame.

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Jeremy Meeks - The success story of Jeremy Meeks is quite unusual. After Meeks' mugshot got published on Facebook by a police officer involved in his arrest, the internet went wild and dubbed him "Prison Bae." It didn't take long before a modeling agency offered the hot felon a contract after his release from prison.

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Alana Thompson -

Alana Thompson, also known as Honey Boo Boo, was a child beauty pageant contestant on TLC’s 'Toddlers and Tiaras.' Audiences were so captivated by her personality that she was an internet sensation and went on to have her own reality show.

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Nusret Gökçe -

Nusret Gökçe, or "Salt Bae," went from a butcher's apprentice to a real social media sensation. Known particularly for his theatrical performance of preparing and serving steaks, his restaurants attracts even the biggest celebrities, such as Leonardo DiCaprio.

Sources: (TheRichest) (Fame 10) (MoneyPPL)

See also: Famous models turned musicians

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