Celebrities That Once Tackled Call Center Work

It’s hard to imagine that A-List celebrities once tackled regular jobs like the rest of us before they hit their claims to fame. To show you that anyone can be on the other end of any given phone call, we here at A Courteous Communications bring you some of the world’s best known names that first started working as a telephone operator. If their stars ever fade out and they are looking to return to the telecommunications industry, we would hire any of them to be part of our award winning team of virtual receptionists. Hey, a call center like us can dream big can’t we?  

Hollywood Stars that would make great Virtual Receptionists: 

Johnny Depp

It is true, before scoring his debut role in “Nightmare on Elm Street,” Mr. Johnny Depp himself was a skilled telemarketer for a call center. He focused on outbound sales calls attempting to sell pens, double glazing and insurance policies.

Click here to watch his 1988 interview with Entertainment Tonight and listen to him speak about his pen selling days; earning about $50 a week, before Nicholas Cage encouraged him to try acting. Can you imagine the cinematic world without Depp to play the infamous roles of: Edward Scissorhands, Gilbert Grape, Don Juan Demarco, Ichabod Crane, Jack Sparrow, Sweeney Todd or the Mad Hatter?!

We will always have an honorary position within our team of virtual receptionists for Johnny Depp. 

Jennifer Aniston

Before she was Rachel Green, Jennifer Aniston spent three months as a telemarketer in an outbound call center and even acted as a receptionist before becoming world famous.

She remembers, “I was a telemarketer once — and I apologize if I called any of you. I got yelled at, and I was the worst telemarketer because I would just apologize and hang up. It was in 1989 and I was selling time shares.”

Jennifer, we promise, if you were working with our call center, you would be delighted to know that we take incoming calls so no one would ever hang up on you. The callers would be seeking information from you, not vice versa. Since we opened back in 1986, it is conceivable that had you lived in Orlando, Florida, you would have been working with us and who knows what would have happened.  

Faith Hill

Could you imagine the beautiful voice of this country/pop singing star answering the telephone as a company’s receptionist? She had moved to Tennessee to become a country music artist and landed a job as a receptionist at Gary Morris’ publishing company; after lying during her interview and telling them she had no desire to sing. They wanted an office worker with no aspirations to crossover to stardom. “I just didn’t tell them I could sing,” she giggles. “And for more than a year I was a closet singer around the office.”

However, talent like hers cannot be stifled and Faith was asked to record a demo after someone overheard her singing along with the radio in the office. And the rest is history. 

Jeff Goldblum

Jeff Goldblum’s telemarketing career lasted all of one week. He recalls, “I worked one week selling pens and pencils over the phone – that was the only other job I’ve done.” So he wasn’t a seasoned telephone operator and salesman but he did give it the ol’ college try.

Speaking of Jeff Goldblum, did you know that he was a trained jazz pianist and had it not been for breaking into acting he would have dazzled us all with his musical talents?

Demi Moore

A teenage Demi Moore tried to pay the bills by demanding that others pay theirs; yes, she was a debt collector. The commanding presence of this vivacious woman would definitely compliment the gumption needed to make outbound calls; trying to collect on outstanding debts.  

Born Demetria Guynes, Demi dropped out of high school at the tender age of 16 and quickly began collecting debts and dabbling in modeling. We can only imagine the sound of her infamous husky voice over the telephone receiver demanding payment. By the age of 19, she landed a role on the popular television soap opera General Hospital and has been an unstoppable force ever since.

Beyoncé Knowles

This starlet worked as a receptionist at her mother’s hair salon in Houston, Texas. When she wasn’t lending her beautiful voice to assisting incoming callers, she was sweeping hair and making sure the salon was tidy.

Here at A Courteous Communications, our virtual receptionists answer millions upon millions of calls each year. If we were so lucky to have Beyoncé as one of our agents, would you know her voice when you heard it?

Did you know? Tina Knowles, mother of Beyoncé, met Matthew Knowles, father of Beyoncé, while working as a receptionist at Xerox. Talk about a small world of telephone handlers, phone operators and virtual receptionists.

George Clooney’s Celebrity Call Center

George Clooney ran a Call Center for the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. He brought dozens upon dozens of celebrities to come in and handle the telephone lines; encouraging donators to call in and give all they could.

Who were the major hitters answering telephone lines? According to People Magazine, the celebrities answering calls in New York were: Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Jennifer Hudson, Wyclef Jean, President Bill Clinton and Jon Stewart.

In Los Angeles, the acting crew acting as telephone agents consisted of: Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Morgan Freeman, Drew Barrymore, Halle Berry, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson. Musical artists included: Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Taylor Swift, Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews, Stevie Wonder, Keith Urban, Kid Rock and John Legend.

We agree with People Magazine, George Clooney did run the largest celebrity call center ever!

Why not start your career as a virtual receptionist too?

Our virtual receptionists love working for our 30-year-old call center because we know how to treat our employees; we treat them like family. We are always looking for talented professionals that want the flextime hours and extensive benefits of working for a call center. If you think you have what it takes, shoot us a message here and start the conversation.