15 Famous Celebrities You Forgot Were on 'Star Search' - GoodHousekeeping.com

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Long before the days of American Idol and America’s Got Talent, there was a little show called Star Search that launched the careers of many famous celebrities. Hosted by Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon, this televised talent show ran from 1983 to 1995, and then was briefly revived in 2003.

Instead of starting with a big cast and whittling it down like today's competitions, Star Search brought in challengers each week to face off head-to-head against a reigning champion. Once a champion won three matches, they’d be put through to the end of the season semifinals. Contestants competed in dance, singing and comedy, and with juniors and teens having their own categories, audiences got to see many talented people long before they became famous. And while most of these celebs didn't win big, they've all become massively successful (and a few have even gone on to judge talent competitions themselves).

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1 Britney Spears

With her cute bows, Britney made it pretty far in the competition, but despite her powerful performances, she didn’t take home the top prize. However, she did find her way to the Mickey Mouse Club and then her career took off.

2 Beyonce & Kelly Rowland

Before Destiny’s Child rocked the world with "Say My Name," Beyonce, Kelly Rowland and LaTavia Roberson’s R&B group had a few more members and was dubbed Girl’s Tyme. They appeared on Star Search, and lost — years before they switched up the group to include Michelle Williams and skyrocketed up the charts with their "Bootylicious" tunes.

3 Backstreet Boys

In an era filled with boy bands, the quintet showed off their dance moves in 1993, without much fanfare. The band had a few hit songs in Europe, it wasn’t until a few years later with “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)” that they really found their groove.

4 Dave Chappelle

At 19, he was the youngest comedian to appear on the show. While his 1993 appearances were a bit more toned down than the humor we saw later in Half Baked or on Chappelle’s Show, this teenage sensation won two battles before losing his third competition to comedian Lester Barrie.

5 Christina Aguilera

She was belting her little heart out even as a pint-sized diva on Star Search. She was only nine when she appeared on the show, and while she didn’t win, it wasn’t too much longer until she unleashed the "Genie in the Bottle" in 1999.

6 Billy Porter

The actor and singer has been working on Broadway for years, but recently skyrocketed to fame with his Emmy Award-winning turn in Pose. But back in 1992, Porter actually won the male vocalist category on Star Search.

7 Sharon Stone

Way before her famous leg crossing scene in Basic Instinct, Sharon Stone competed in the spokesmodel competition. Don’t remember that portion of the show? It was basically Star Search’s answer to America’s Next Top Model, where aspiring contestants had to strike their best poses and introduce contestants.

8 Drew Carey

9 Usher

While many of the celebrities on this list weren't Star Search winners, Usher, won the teen vocalist category back in 1991. The R&B super star is also one of the few Star Search alums, along with Christina Aguilera, to mentor and judge young talent on The Voice.

10 Aaliyah

11 Rosie O’Donnell

The former host of her own eponymous talk show and co-host of The View, Rosie O’Donnell made five winning appearances on the talent competition, and was a semi-finalist.

12 LeAnn Rimes

Eight-year-old LeAnn Rimes held her ground for several weeks in the competition, with her big hair, big voice and big personality. A few years later, this powerhouse crooned her way into our hearts with her hit song “Blue” in 1996.

13 Kevin James

14 Alanis Morissette

If you’ve ever seen How I Met Your Mother’s Robin Sparkles, watch this video and you’ll see how the character was inspired by a young early '90s Alanis Morissette. Before she released the 1995 anthem “You Oughta Know,” Alanis was a Canadian pop princess with some pretty big hair.

15 Justin Timberlake

Drop everything right now and watch Justin Timberlake with a cowboy hat singing the country tune “Love’s Got a Hold on You.” Before he became JT and brought sexy back, he went by Justin Randall and was adorable. He didn’t win, but soon joined Britney and Christina on the Mickey Mouse Club and the rest is history.

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