UniversalBefore starring in the highest-grossing weekend movie debut ever, Chris Pratt lived out of a van in Hawaii.
Rags-to-riches stories don't just happen in the movies.
Some of the world's richest and most successful people didn't start off that way; they spent nights sleeping on the streets, in their cars, or on friends couches.
Here are 17 incredible stories of people who turned misfortune into great success.
Vivian Giang contributed to an earlier version of this story.
'Jurassic World' star Chris Pratt lived out of a van in Maui, Hawaii.
Pratt, aka Burt Macklin, has been turning heads with his transition from lovable funny guy Andy Dwyer on "Parks and Recreation" to action hero Owen Grady in "Jurassic World."
But that's not the only major transition the actor's gone through.
At age 19, Pratt accepted a one-way ticket to Maui, Hawaii, from a friend and set up a humble abode in a flea and mice-infested van — a setup that he told The Independent was "pretty awesome."
"We just drank and smoked weed and worked minimal hours, 15-20 hours per week, just enough to cover gas, food, and fishing supplies," Pratt said. "You know it was a charming time."
That same year, actress Rae Dawn Chong met Pratt when he was waiting tables at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in Maui, took note of his good looks, and cast him in her directorial debut, "Cursed Part III." (Pratt is seen holding the script in the above photo.)
"The moment she told me she was bringing me to LA, I knew," he said. "I was like, 'This is what I'm going to do with the rest of my life.'"
Director James Cameron lived out of his car before selling the rights to 'The Terminator' for $1.
When Cameron was writing "The Terminator," he was "barely making ends meet, even living in his car for a time," according to IGN.
But his main concern at the time wasn't money. He was determined to direct his screenplay despite his limited experience.
When he pitched "The Terminator" at meetings, the production companies said they liked the script, but they didn't like the idea of him being in charge.
Cameron persevered and partnered with producer Gale Anne Hurd, who bought the rights to the screenplay for $1 and named Cameron the director.
The film went on to make $77 million worldwide.
Comedian Jim Carrey once lived out of a VW camper van and in a tent on his sister's front lawn.
According to the biography "Jim Carrey," the comedian dropped out of high school and lived in a VW bus with his family parked in different places throughout Canada. They eventually moved into a tent on his older sister's lawn and parked the van in the driveway.
Carrey said it was during these tough financial times growing up when he developed a sense of humor.
Oscar winner Halle Berry once stayed in a homeless shelter in her early 20s.
When she first moved to New York to become an actress at age 21, Berry ran out of money, and her mother decided the best thing would be to not send her daughter more cash, People reports.
During this period, the actress said she stayed in a homeless shelter.
In an interview with Reader's Digest, Berry said:
It taught me how to take care of myself and that I could live through any situation, even if it meant going to a shelter for a small stint, or living within my means, which were meager. I became a person who knows that I will always make my own way.
Talk show host Dr. Phil once lived in a car with his father.
According to BusinessPundit, when Phil McGraw, aka Dr. Phil, was 12 years old, he was homeless and living in a car in Kansas City with his father, who was interning as a psychologist.
McGraw later went on to obtain his own bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D., and he joined his father's psychology practice in Texas.
In the 1990s, Oprah Winfrey invited McGraw to appear on her show. He later became a regular on "Oprah" and eventually launched his own syndicated advice program.
Personal finance guru Suze Orman lived out of her van for a few months in 1973.
The well-known Emmy-winning financial adviser, who has published numerous New York Times bestsellers, could not afford to move out of her van when she first moved to Berkeley, California, in the 1970s, according to The Huffington Post.
For two months, Orman and a friend took a job clearing trees for $3.50 an hour and lived out of Orman's van. Today she is a multimillionaire.
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