There has always been a stereotype wherein the cheerleaders in high school are the most popular and beautiful girls in the school. There have been many instances wherein this stereotype was evident, and many celebrities today were cheerleaders back in the day.
They looked quite different during their cheerleading days since they hadn't yet fully bloomed into the gorgeous women they are today. Let's take a look at which of your favorite actresses and singers were screaming chants and doing some tumbles back then. We're sure some of the throwback photos you'll see here will leave you in awe!
Megan Fox
Megan Fox was only five years old when she started her dance training, so it's not a surprise that she made it into her school's cheerleading team. Sadly, she was far from being the popular kid. She said that people bullied her because they didn't like how she was always hanging out with boys.
She mentioned how she doesn't believe in formal education, and she later stopped studying at 17 to focus on her acting career. Her breakthrough role was her role in the Transformers franchise. You will be seeing Fox in the upcoming film called Midnight in the Switchgrass.
Brooklyn Decker
Brooklyn Decker wasn't part of the Bring It On movie, but the cheerleading attire back then somehow looked like the famous red costumes in the film. She was a cheerleader at David W. Butler High School, and she was undeniably a gorgeous girl even when she was younger.
She got into modeling as a teenager, and then it didn't take too long before she rose to fame after appearing on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Today, Decker is busy with doing acting work, and you can currently catch her on the show called Grace and Frankie.
Fergie
Fergie was always a great dancer, and she first got to showcase her skills as a teenage cheerleader. She was such a model student because, on top of being a great cheerleader, she also maintained good grades. She would even win spelling bee contests!
She tried acting for several years, but becoming a member of the Black Eyes Peas is what changed her life forever. She later got into solo work and released hits like Glamorous and London Bridge. As of today, Fergie is not part of the Black Eyes Peas anymore.
Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria's cheerleading photo from back then looks somehow Photoshopped, but it's just because of the powder she wore that day, which wasn't her color! She was passionate about cheerleading back then, and she continued to cheer until she reached college.
After joining a talent contest, she found herself traveling to Los Angeles to pursue acting. She became a household name in the '00s after she starred on The Young and the Restless and Desperate Housewives. Longoria's IMDb page says she is going to appear in an upcoming film titled All-Star Weekend.
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford lived in Maryland growing up, and she was a student at Bowie High School. She was part of the cheerleading team of the school, but she admitted that she wasn't good at all. She did say she was flexible enough to do the splits!
She looked great as a cheerleader, but it seems like hosting was what she was destined to do. She gained popularity after she started hosting Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee. She also became part of The Today Show, but she left the show in 2019. Gifford now wants to focus on acting, and she's reportedly part of the upcoming Then Came You film.
Madonna
Madonna has been showing us her dance moves for years, and it turns out she's been showcasing them ever since she was a teen. She was a cheerleader at her school, and she reportedly got exemplary grades. She later studied at the University of Michigan and was a dance scholar.
She didn't graduate, for she chose to move to NYC to change her life. She was initially interested in a dance career, but she later found herself in music. Albums like Like A Virgin and True Blue are what gave her mainstream success. Madonna is still active today, and her most recent album title Madame X got released in 2019.
Nene Leakes
Nene Leakes is an entertaining reality star who you must've seen on The Real House Wives Of Atlanta. Catching people's attention is something she mastered ever since she was a young girl, for she was a cheerleader. It brought her a lot of fun, but she didn't opt to make a career out of it.
Leakes was a struggling actress for many years, but getting cast in The Real Housewives of Atlanta in the late '00s changed her life. She still makes money from appearing on the show as of 2020. In 2020, she was featured on an episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories.
Denise Richards
Denise Richards' classmates voted her as the best looking in their school, so it's not a shocker that she was a member of the school's cheerleading team. Cheerleading was just a hobby during her teenage years, and she never went back to it when she became older.
She started her career as a model right after graduating, but pursuing acting in the '90s is what gave her fame and wealth. Among her most prominent roles were in The World Is Not Enough and Starship Troopers. Richards is going to be starring in two new films titled Alpha Code and Switched.
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde wasn't precisely a cheerleader, but you can say that she still knew how to bust a move when she was younger. She was part of the step team of Phillips Academy, and they even got cool outfits that showed off pure school spirit.
After graduating, she didn't push through going to Bard College even if she got accepted. She instead studied acting at Dublin's Gaiety School of Acting. Her breakthrough as an actress came in the late '00s when she starred in House. Today, she's also a director/producer, and she's working on a new film called Don't Worry, Darling.
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan might've done an excellent job in playing the underdog in Mean Girls, but she was an "it girl" in real life! She was a cheerleader as a teenager, and always looked amazing in her cheer uniform. When she reached the eleventh grade, she had to kiss her cheer life goodbye because she started homeschooling.
It's important to note that she was already famous when she was just a child because of her role in The Parent Trap. She later became a famous teen star in the '00s. Lohan's currently trying to make a comeback in Hollywood. She's going to star in the upcoming film called Frame.
Olivia Munn
Olivia Munn spent her teenage years in Oklahoma, wherein she enjoyed several years wearing a cheer uniform. In an old photo of her that we found, you could see that she nailed the perfect "cheer smile." Once she pursued a college degree, she decided to end her cheerleading career.
After Munn finished studying journalism, she was an intern for an NBC affiliate, but she later decided that she wanted to try her luck in acting. Her role in The Newsroom was her big break in acting. She won't slow down anytime soon, and her next film is called Violet.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep already had a gorgeous face as a teen, and it looked like she fit in well in the cheerleading team of her school in New Jersey. You can see above that she looked incredible in the uniform because of her angelic face and shiny blonde hair.
Streep started as a theatre actress, but she later established herself as a talented name in the acting scene after she gave memorable performances in Out of Africa and Sophie's Choice. Some may think she should enter retirement already, but she still wants to share her talents with the world. She's going to star in the upcoming film, The Prom.
Kathy Griffin
Kathy Griffin says she was into musical theater during her younger years, but there's a photo of her that surfaced on the internet that suggests that she was a cheerleader back in the day. She never saw herself making cheerleading a professional career, for she knew she wanted to act during her senior year.
She was able to kickstart her acting career in the '90s, while also being a stand-up comedian. She gained massive popularity in the 2000s thanks to her reality show titled Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. Griffin has been dating Randy Bick since 2012, and they finally had their beautiful wedding earlier in 2020.
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone was the popular girl in Clueless, and it looked like she somehow could relate to her character. She was a cheerleader during her time as a student at San Mateo High School. Her beauty was evident at a young age, and this is why she was able to start modeling right away.
Appearing in the Cryin' music video of Aerosmith made her a teen idol in the '90s. Other notable performances she had were in Miss Match and Batman & Robin. Her IMDb page says she's part of the main cast of the upcoming series called The Baby-Sitters Club.
Blake Lively
Another blonde beauty who looks like your typical popular girl at school is Blake Lively. She had a busy schedule as a teen because, aside from cheerleading, she was also the president of the class. She was even a member of the school's championship choir.
She was always open to the idea of pursuing acting, and her breakthrough happened in 2005 after she starred in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Her stardom later escalated once she got cast in Gossip Girl. Today, Lively is happily married to actor Ryan Reynolds. They just welcomed their third daughter in 2019.
Renée Zellweger
Renée Zellweger wasn't just a cheerleader who shouted chants, for she also had the tumbling skills since she was a gymnast. She was a sporty girl who also loved playing basketball, soccer, baseball, and football. She didn't continue cheerleading after graduating, for she wanted to focus on acting.
She started landing roles in the '90s, but what launched her into mainstream stardom were her roles in Chicago, Bridget Jones' Diary, and Nurse Betty. Today, she also does work behind the camera as a producer. Zellweger was the talk of the town in 2019 after she gave an award-winning performance in the film, Judy.
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler makes a lot of people happy through her comedic performances, and it looks like she was already boosting people up back then because she spent some time as a cheerleader. Sources say she also got to join the student council, and play softball and soccer.
She developed her passion for comedy while she was studying at Boston College. She started doing comedy full-time in the '90s, and her career finally took off in 2001 when she joined the lineup of Saturday Night Live. Poehler has also been getting into producing/directing, and she's currently working on a new movie called Moxie.
Diane Sawyer
Diane Sawyer grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and she enjoyed being a cheerleader at her school. Things were quite different back in the '60s because the clothes that cheerleaders wore barely showed any skin. She was such a remarkable student because she was also the school newspaper's editor-in-chief.
After studying English at Wellesley College, she started pursuing broadcasting. Sawyer had a good run with ABC News, wherein she hosted 20/20 and Good Morning America. People also know her for hosting 60 minutes and CBS Morning while she was with CBS News. As of today, she's only a special contributor for ABC News.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence was just like any other teenager growing up, for she enjoyed taking part in different kinds of activities in school. One of which was cheerleading, and she undoubtedly looked terrific in her cheer uniform. She was also an athlete who enjoyed basketball, field hockey, and softball.
By the '00s, she got serious about acting. She caught people's attention through her performance in Winter's Bone, and then playing the lead in the Hunger Games franchise made her a household name. Acting continues to generate a ton of earnings for her, and her next film is titled Mob Girl.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus didn't have an average life during her teenage years because of her fame from Hannah Montana. Fortunately, she had a normal childhood, and she even got to become a cheerleader for a soccer team in Franklin called Tennessee Premier. She was just a child, so she didn't do any death-defying tumbles.
After becoming a famous Disney star, she also pursued music. She now has a more mature image but is still the same talented girl who's full of personality. Sources say she has an upcoming album titled She Is Miley Cyrus, but its release got delayed because of some health troubles and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner might've had to deal with her whole family being reality stars growing up, but she was still able to have the entire high school experience. She was part of the Sierra Canyon School's varsity cheerleading team. As you can see above, she rocked her white and blue uniform.
Her time in the school didn't last long because she ended up getting homeschooled so that she can have more time to pursue modeling. She became a big name in the modeling industry in 2014 and 2015 after working with big brands like Chanel and Marc Jacobs. In 2020, she starred in a new campaign for Calvin Klein.
Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning started acting early, but she later made sure to devote time to her studies still. She studied at Campbell Hall School and was part of the school's varsity cheerleading squad. It looks like she was one of the most popular girls on the team since she won the title of homecoming queen twice.
Fanning was so serious about her studies that she later took up women's studies at NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. In 2019, she appeared in the film called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. She's reportedly starring in the upcoming series, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness.
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union comes from a family that loves sports, so it was inevitable for her to develop an interest in cheerleading. Sadly, there are no photos of her during that time in her life, so the only cheer photos she's known for are from her popular movie, Bring It On.
The film brought her fame, and she later became even more famous after starring in Think Like a Man, Being Mary Jane, and City of Angels. Union started starring in a new series called L.A.'s Finest in 2019, and she's now going to appear in the upcoming film, The Perfect Find.
Jayma Mays
Jayma Mays might've portrayed an awkward woman on Glee, but it looks like she's the complete opposite in real life. She was a cheerleader back in the day, and her fiery red hairdo made her stand out. After finishing her studies at Radford University, she began her acting career.
Her role in Glee was her career breakthrough, but people also loved watching her in The Millers and Heroes. Mays' most recent part was in a short film titled Little Willy, and she's now going to star in an upcoming movie titled Bill & Ted Face the Music.
Katie Couric
A lot of you probably didn't know that established journalist and host, Katie Couric, was a cheerleader during her teens. She studied in different public schools in Arlington, but she always made sure to showcase her talent as a cheerleader. When she wasn't doing cheers, she was busy being a radio station intern.
After graduating from the University of Virginia, she became a successful journalist who got to work for NBC, CBS, and ABC. Her most notable appearances were in CBS Evening News and Today. Couric is reportedly signed on to host an upcoming docu-series on National Geographic.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry's past as a cheerleader might've made it easy for her to get into acting roles that came with a lot of stunts. She was like the perfect student as a teenager because, aside from cheerleading, she was an honor student. She was even prom queen and the school newspaper's editor-in-chief.
She initially pursued pageantry and modeling, but she found herself struggling to make a living. Her bank account was empty, and she even had to stay in a homeless shelter. Her situation changed forever once she appeared in 1992's Boomerang. Berry is a big name in the industry today, and she has an upcoming movie titled Bruised.
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock already showed impressive star quality as a teenager because she was into cheerleading and acting in school plays. She had her fair share of fun with shouting cheers and wearing a cute uniform, but she later decided to take up drama when she reached college.
She struggled at the start of her acting career, but her life got immensely better after the success of her film called Speed. Today, she also works as the producer of her movies at times. Bullock reportedly has an upcoming movie which is directed by Nora Fingscheidt.
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz usually gets cast in the role of a beautiful blonde-haired dreamgirl, and it looks like that kind of stereotype suits her well. She was a cheerleader back then, and you can just tell that many people fell in love with her. She says that even if her family wasn't wealthy growing up, they were happy.
She landed a modeling contract while she was still a teenager, but the acting industry is where she bloomed. She made her acting debut in The Mask, and she later had her breakthrough performance in There's Something About Mary. Today, Diaz stopped acting already, but she's busy being a mom to her baby with hubby Benji Madden.
Kirsten Dunst
No one is going to be shocked by the fact that actress Kirsten Dunst was a cheerleader back then because of the fame she got from starring in the hit cheer film, Bring It On. She was a cheerleader for several years, but acting consumed most of her time once she graduated.
She was already famous as a child because of her roles in Jumanji and Interview with the Vampire. She later became an even bigger star as an adult after she starred in Elizabethtown, Melancholia, and the first three Spider-Man films. In 2021, she's going to star in a new movie titled The Power of the Dog.
Jessica Simpson
Before Jessica Simpson became a successful singer, she was studying at the J. J. Pearce High School in Texas. She was on the cheerleading team and was the head of the group. Sadly, she still got bullied, and it pushed her to leave the team.
She later just dropped out of school since Columbia Records offered her a record deal when she was 16 years old. Simpson's 1999 album titled Sweet Kisses launched her into stardom. Today, she's not that active in music, but she's busy with her other ventures. She released a bestselling memoir titled Open Book in 2020.