Celebrities Who Were Friends Before Fame

There's nothing we love more than watching our friends succeed — unless, of course, we somehow manage to succeed along with them, at the exact same time and rate. When you're famous, as nice as it must be to ascend to the top on your own, it's probably a million times easier to have someone there with you. That person can not only relate to the paparazzi stalking your every move and almost driving you off the road multiple times, but can also reminisce about the early days, when you both suffered from severe acne and weren't allowed to go on Accutane because your parents believed strictly in homeopathy.

Celebrities such as Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato became friends while auditioning for Barney and Friends and managed to stay close for quite a few years after that. Then there's Gwyneth Paltrow and Maya Rudolph, whose friendship started even before either had an inkling of acting and eventually rose up the ranks in their own respective fields. Cameron Diaz and Snoop Dogg attended the same high school, and Jon Hamm once taught Ellie Kemper drama when she was in the eighth grade.

Then there are the pairings that were thrust together in the midst of success — Niall Horan and Liam Payne were randomly selected to be roommates during the bootcamp portion of The X Factor, long before either was selected for One Direction.

Check out the gallery above to see other celebrities who were friends before they were famous!

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