20+ Famous People Who Grew Up Rich & 20+ Who Are Actually Self-Made

Life in Hollywood often comes with a degree of fortune and fame. However, not everyone has the same sort of wealth before they make it big and rise up to the spotlight. These stars all started somewhere, whether they came from money or grew up in a small town.

Self-Made: Dolly Parton

It's hard to beat the fame that Dolly Parton has earned for herself. Music fans of all genres love the "Jolene" singer. Parton grew up in Tennessee in a big family - she's one of 12 children!

Twitter // @DailyLoud

The singer once told AARP, "Back in the early days, what we had was each other," as she described growing up with her siblings and parents in mountainous Tennessee. Today, she's one of the most recognizable names in music.

Rich: Cara Delevingne

Cara Delevingne has become quite well-known for her work as a model. However, you might recognize a few of her family members, too. For one, her godmother is none other than award-winning actress Dame Joan Collins herself.

Twitter // @sarahkyle7

On top of that, she has an aristocratic grandmother on her father's side and, on her mother's side, her grandmother was a lady-in-waiting for Princess Margaret. As for Delevingne, she and her sister, Poppy, branched their own path into modeling.

Self-Made: Billy Bob Thornton

Now, Billy Bob Thornton is a fairly well-known actor. The star even has a few Oscars under his belt! However, Thornton didn't grow up in Hollywood but rather in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Twitter // @NetflixTudum

He was originally set on sports but an injury led him to change paths. Around the second half of the 1980s, he stepped into acting and has branched out into screenwriting as well. It seems that was a wise choice!

Rich: Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper has become a household name through his work on outlets like CNN. His family goes back quite a ways, as well. If you go all the way back a few generations to Cooper's great-great-great-grandfather, you'll meet incredibly wealthy Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Twitter // @bearzus

More recently, you might recognize his mother's name, Gloria Vanderbilt. She was most famous for her work as a fashion designer. Cooper himself started appearing in the media almost from birth.