We’ve seen and heard plenty of stories of actors and musicians going through tough times to make it big.  The “struggle” is always part of a success story.   And while we know a fair amount of people out there who have struggled mightily to make it big, there’s always new names that crop up on the list.

These seven celebrities give new meaning to struggle as each of them were homeless at one point in their careers….

Thanks to Listal for these finds and the info

Jim Carrey

As a Canadian teenager, Carrey and his family slept in a VW van and when he was older, they camped out on his sister’s lawn in a tent. Carrey was, at that point, headlining Canadian comedy clubs while trying to make ends meet.

Halle Berry

Early in her career, Berry moved to New York City to pursue her dream as a fashion model and actress. Berry, while trying to find work in New York, briefly stayed in a homeless shelter.

Hilary Swank

In 1989, when she was 15, Swank and her mom packed up their Oldsmobile Delta 88 and, with just $75, headed to Los Angeles. They lived in the car until a friend gave them a place to stay. Swank’s mom used a pay phone to book her daughter for auditions.

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone,Oscar-winning actor and screenwriter; film director-producer, for a while slept at the bus station. He once said “I was broke and basically sleeping in the Port Authority bus station for three weeks straight. I read in a trade paper about this film that was paying $100 a day—for a $100 a day I would wreak havoc.  Instead of doing something desperate, I worked for two days for $200 and got myself out of the bus station.”.

Thomas Jane

Actor Thomas Jane lived on the streets of Los Angeles for months before he made it big in Hollywood, surviving as a busker.
He slept on park benches in between street performances, and he is convinced that his tough times gave him the hunger he needed to finally succeed.

David Letterman

Born in Indiana, Letterman fell in love with talk shows working at his college radio station. From there, he made the move to Los Angeles where, because of financial constraints, he had to live out of his red Chevy.

William Shatner

After the cancellation of Star Trek in 1969 and a bitter divorce, Shatner lived in a pick-up truck with a walk-in camper on the back for a time. Included in that time, Shatner travelled to the east coast of the U.S. appearing in a play on the summer theater circuit and sleeping in the camper with his dog