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