Famous Celebrities Who Were Cheerleaders

100 Famous Celebrities Who Were Cheerleaders (You’ll Be Surprised!)

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You might be surprised to learn that some of the world’s biggest stars once cheered on the sidelines! From Hollywood A-listers to sports icons and even politicians, many famous faces kicked off their journeys with pom-poms in hand. Sandra Bullock, Taylor Swift, and Dwayne Johnson all honed their charisma and teamwork skills as cheerleaders before dominating their respective fields. Here’s a list of famous celebrities who were cheerleaders, along with brief details about their backgrounds:

  1. Paula Abdul
    • Background: Pop singer, dancer, and choreographer.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Van Nuys High School cheer squad in California.
  2. Sandra Bullock
    • Background: Academy Award-winning actress.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Washington-Lee High School in Virginia.
  3. Steve Carell
    • Background: Comedian and actor (The Office, 40-Year-Old Virgin).
    • Cheerleading: Yelled for Denison University in Ohio during college.
  4. Carrie Underwood
    • Background: Country music superstar and American Idol winner.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma.
  5. George W. Bush
    • Background: 43rd U.S. President.
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Yale University cheerleading team in the 1960s.
  6. Halle Berry
    • Background: Oscar-winning actress.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Bedford High School squad in Ohio.
  7. Khloé Kardashian
    • Background: Reality TV star (Keeping Up with the Kardashians).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Mater Dei High School in California.
  8. Faith Hill
    • Background: Country music singer.
    • Cheerleading: Part of the McLaurin High School team in Mississippi.
  9. Jane Fonda
    • Background: Actress and fitness icon.
    • Cheerleading: Briefly cheered at Emma Willard School in New York.
  10. Kristi Yamaguchi
    • Background: Olympic gold medalist figure skater.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered in high school before focusing on skating.
  11. Betty White
    • Background: Legendary actress and comedian (The Golden Girls).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Beverly Hills High School squad in the 1930s.
  12. Taylor Swift
    • Background: Grammy-winning singer-songwriter.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered for Hendersonville High School in Tennessee.
  13. Jimmy Fallon
    • Background: Comedian and host of The Tonight Show.
    • Cheerleading: Part of the College of the Holy Cross cheer team in Massachusetts.
  14. Nancy Reagan
    • Background: Former First Lady and actress.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Smith College in Massachusetts.
  15. Madonna
    • Background: Pop icon and cultural provocateur.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Rochester Adams High School squad in Michigan.
  16. Cameron Diaz
    • Background: Actress and model (The Mask, Charlie’s Angels).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in California.
  17. Jennifer Lawrence
    • Background: Academy Award-winning actress (The Hunger Games).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the cheer squad at Kammerer Middle School in Kentucky.
  18. Amy Poehler
    • Background: Comedian and actress (Parks and Recreation).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Boston College in Massachusetts.
  19. Sarah Palin
    • Background: Former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Wasilla High School squad in Alaska.
  20. Katie Couric
    • Background: Journalist and TV personality.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at the University of Virginia.
  21. Fergie (Stacy Ferguson)
    • Background: Singer (The Black Eyed Peas).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Dos Pueblos High School squad in California.
  22. Alyssa Milano
    • Background: Actress (Who’s the Boss?, Charmed).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at St. Pius X High School in New Hampshire.
  23. Teri Hatcher
    • Background: Actress (Desperate Housewives, Lois & Clark).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the De Anza College cheer team in California.
  24. Sheryl Crow
    • Background: Grammy-winning singer-songwriter.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Kennett High School in Missouri.
  25. Meryl Streep
    • Background: Award-winning actress (The Devil Wears Prada, Sophie’s Choice).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Bernards High School squad in New Jersey.
  26. Matthew McConaughey
    • Background: Oscar-winning actor (Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Longview High School in Texas.
  27. Reese Witherspoon
    • Background: Actress and producer (Legally Blonde, Big Little Lies).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Harpeth Hall School squad in Tennessee.
  28. Gwen Stefani
    • Background: No Doubt singer and fashion icon.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Loara High School in California.
  29. Ryan Gosling
    • Background: Actor (La La Land, Drive).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School squad in Ontario, Canada.
  30. Pink (Alecia Moore)
    • Background: Pop-rock superstar.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Central Bucks High School West in Pennsylvania.
  31. Kurt Russell
    • Background: Actor (Escape from New York, Guardians of the Galaxy).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Thousand Oaks High School team in California.
  32. Julia Roberts
    • Background: Oscar-winning actress (Pretty Woman, Notting Hill).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Fayette County High School in Georgia.
  33. Channing Tatum
    • Background: Actor and dancer (Magic Mike, 21 Jump Street).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Tampa Catholic High School squad in Florida.
  34. Emma Roberts
    • Background: Actress (Scream Queens, American Horror Story).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Archer School for Girls in California.
  35. Ashley Tisdale
    • Background: Actress and singer (High School Musical).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the cheer team at Monmouth Regional High School in New Jersey.
  36. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
    • Background: Actor and former WWE wrestler.
    • Cheerleading: Briefly cheered at Freedom High School in Pennsylvania (before focusing on football).
  37. Megan Mullally
    • Background: Actress (Will & Grace).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Casady School in Oklahoma.
  38. Joan Cusack
    • Background: Actress (School of Rock, Working Girl).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Glenbrook South High School squad in Illinois.
  39. Blake Lively
    • Background: Actress (Gossip Girl, The Shallows).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Burbank High School in California.
  40. Tom Cruise
    • Background: Iconic actor (Top Gun, Mission: Impossible).
    • Cheerleading: Reportedly cheered at Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey (before focusing on theater).
  41. Garth Brooks
    • Background: Country music legend.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Oklahoma State University cheer squad in the 1980s.
  42. Terry Bradshaw
    • Background: NFL Hall of Famer and TV analyst.
    • Cheerleading: Served as a “yell leader” (cheerleader) at Louisiana Tech University.
  43. Britney Spears
    • Background: Pop icon.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Parklane Academy in Mississippi during her early teens.
  44. Samuel L. Jackson
    • Background: Actor (Pulp Fiction, Avengers).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Morehouse College cheer team in Atlanta.
  45. Tyra Banks
    • Background: Supermodel and TV host (America’s Next Top Model).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Laguna Beach High School in California.
  46. Christina Aguilera
    • Background: Pop diva.
    • Cheerleading: Briefly cheered at Rochester High School in Pennsylvania.
  47. Jason Lee
    • Background: Actor (My Name Is Earl, Mallrats).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Newport Harbor High School squad in California.
  48. Andy Richter
    • Background: Comedian and Conan O’Brien collaborator.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at the University of Chicago.
  49. Diane Keaton
    • Background: Oscar-winning actress (Annie Hall, The Godfather).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Santa Ana High School squad in California.
  50. John Ratzenberger
    • Background: Actor (Cheers, Toy Story).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.
  51. Shelley Long
    • Background: Actress (Cheers, The Brady Bunch Movie).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Huntington High School team in West Virginia.
  52. Connie Britton
    • Background: Actress (Friday Night Lights, Nashville).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Dartmouth High School in Massachusetts.
  53. Michael Keaton
    • Background: Actor (Beetlejuice, Birdman).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Kent State University cheer team in Ohio.
  54. Deion Sanders
    • Background: NFL Hall of Famer and sports analyst.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at North Fort Myers High School in Florida before his football career.
  55. Kristin Chenoweth
    • Background: Actress and singer (Wicked, Pushing Daisies).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Oklahoma City University squad in the 1990s.
  56. Mia Hamm
    • Background: Soccer legend and Olympic gold medalist.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Notre Dame High School in California before focusing on soccer.
  57. Newt Gingrich
    • Background: Former U.S. House Speaker and presidential candidate.
    • Cheerleading: Yelled for Emory University in Georgia during college.
  58. John Legend
    • Background: Grammy-winning singer-songwriter.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Springfield North High School squad in Ohio.
  59. Jennifer Garner
    • Background: Actress (Alias, 13 Going on 30).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at George Washington High School in West Virginia.
  60. Will Ferrell
    • Background: Comedian and actor (Anchorman, Elf).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the USC Trojan cheer team in the late 1980s.
  61. Jerry Rice
    • Background: NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Mississippi Valley State University before his football career.
  62. Janet Jackson
    • Background: Pop icon and actress.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the cheer squad at USC (University of Southern California).
  63. Chris Pratt
    • Background: Actor (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Lake Stevens High School in Washington.
  64. Faith Ford
    • Background: Actress (Murphy Brown, The Ranch).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette cheer team.
  65. John Goodman
    • Background: Actor (The Big Lebowski, Roseanne).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Missouri State University in the 1970s.
  66. Kathy Ireland
    • Background: Model, actress, and entrepreneur.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the San Marino High School squad in California.
  67. Jennifer Aniston
    • Background: Actress (Friends, The Morning Show).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Manhattan’s Rudolf Steiner School and later at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School.
  68. Kelly Clarkson
    • Background: Singer and American Idol winner.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Burleson High School squad in Texas.
  69. Troy Aikman
    • Background: NFL Hall of Fame quarterback.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at UCLA before transferring to the University of Oklahoma (pre-football career).
  70. Bradley Cooper
    • Background: Actor (A Star is Born, Hangover).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Villanova University cheer team in Pennsylvania.
  71. Kelly Rowland
    • Background: Singer (Destiny’s Child).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Waltrip High School in Houston.
  72. Gabrielle Giffords
    • Background: Former U.S. Congresswoman and gun control advocate.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Scripps Ranch High School squad in California.
  73. Cindy Crawford
    • Background: Supermodel.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at DeKalb High School in Illinois.
  74. Emma Stone
    • Background: Oscar-winning actress (La La Land).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Xavier College Preparatory squad in Arizona.
  75. Zendaya
    • Background: Actress and singer (Euphoria, Spider-Man).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Oakland School for the Arts in California.
  76. Nick Cannon
    • Background: Entertainer and TV host.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Lincoln High School team in San Diego.
  77. Cheryl Cole (Tweedy)
    • Background: UK singer and TV personality (Girls Aloud).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered for Newcastle United’s youth squad as a teen.
  78. Hayden Panettiere
    • Background: Actress (Heroes, Nashville).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Palisades Charter High School team in California.
  79. LL Cool J
    • Background: Rapper and actor (NCIS: Los Angeles).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Andrew Jackson High School in Queens, New York.
  80. Alyson Hannigan
    • Background: Actress (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, How I Met Your Mother).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Northside High School squad in Georgia.
  81. Rob Lowe
    • Background: Actor (The West Wing, Parks and Recreation).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Williamsville East High School in New York.
  82. Elvis Presley
    • Background: The “King of Rock and Roll.”
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1950s.
  83. Marilyn Monroe
    • Background: Hollywood’s ultimate blonde bombshell.
    • Cheerleading: Reportedly cheered at Van Nuys High School in California (though debated).
  84. Stephen Colbert
    • Background: Late-night host (The Late Show).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Northwestern University in Illinois.
  85. Simone Biles
    • Background: Olympic gymnast.
    • Cheerleading: Briefly cheered before focusing on gymnastics at Spring High School in Texas.
  86. Jungkook (BTS)
    • Background: K-pop superstar.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered in middle school in Busan, South Korea.
  87. Rosie O’Donnell
    • Background: Comedian and TV host.
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Commack High School squad in New York.
  88. David Beckham
    • Background: Soccer legend.
    • Cheerleading: Reportedly cheered for a local team in London as a child.
  89. Queen Latifah
    • Background: Rapper, actress, and singer.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Irvington High School in New Jersey.
  90. Ian Somerhalder
    • Background: Actor (The Vampire Diaries).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the cheer team at Mandeville High School in Louisiana.
  91. Kylie Minogue
    • Background: Australian pop icon.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered for the Melbourne Football Club’s youth team in the 1980s.
  92. Chuck Norris
    • Background: Martial artist and actor.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Ryan High School in Oklahoma (yes, really!).
  93. Eva Longoria
    • Background: Actress (Desperate Housewives).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Roy Miller High School squad in Texas.
  94. Dick Clark
    • Background: Legendary TV host (American Bandstand).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at A.B. Davis High School in New York.
  95. Naomi Campbell
    • Background: Supermodel.
    • Cheerleading: Briefly cheered in London before modeling took over.
  96. MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson)
    • Background: YouTuber and philanthropist.
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Greenville Christian Academy in North Carolina.
  97. Courteney Cox
    • Background: Actress (Friends,, Scream).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at La Quinta High School in California, where she developed her iconic “Rachel Green” energy.
  98. Kesha
    • Background: Pop singer (Tik Tok, Praying).
    • Cheerleading: Member of the Brentwood High School squad in Tennessee before her music career took off.
  99. Mandy Moore
    • Background: Actress and singer (This Is Us, A Walk to Remember).
    • Cheerleading: Cheered at Trinity Preparatory School in Florida, balancing flips and vocals.
  100. MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson)
    • Background: Comedian and actress (Bridesmaids, Spy).
    • Cheerleading: Part of the Thornwood High School cheer team in Illinois, fueling her bold stage presence.