Yearbooks are the best way of documenting an academic school year. We can go back and see what our friends looked like, and also what yearbook quotes they chose. Just like you, famous celebrities were also photographed in their school yearbooks and yearbook ads. Celebrity yearbook photos show us that everyone went through an awkward stage, even the most famous people. Some of the photos were taken before stars reached their peak, while others looked like they’d blend into a crowd.
Check out photos of these celebrity yearbook pictures to see what your favorite stars looked like before they graduated and achieved fame.
Taylor Swift
Source: Seventeen
Taylor Swift went from being a regular high school student to selling out Stadiums, setting records, and becoming the most famous musician.
Kendrick Lamar
Source: Billboard
In Kendrick Lamar’s junior year school photo, he hadn’t yet become the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper. Kendrick Lamar is an activist, Grammy winner, and hip-hop star, while also being on soundtracks for major movies. He also headlined the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in 2025.
Nicki Minaj
Source: Seventeen
Nicki Minaj is known for her bold style and hit songs like “Super Bass,” but in high school, she attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Performing Arts.
Zendaya
Source: Pinterest
Zendaya’s high school yearbook photo shows her before she became a red carpet superstar. Now she’s known for her roles in movies like Euphoria.
Blake Lively
Source: Bored Panda
This yearbook picture of Blake Lively was taken in 2004 at Burbank High School, before she became Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl. Since then, she has gone on to star in many movies, including a recent Hit, “It Ends With Us.”
Mariah Carey
Source: Billboard
Mariah Carey is a pop icon with her version of “All I Want for Christmas is You” being a holiday classic, but she was once a regular high school student like in her 1987 yearbook photo.
Snoop Dogg
Source: Instagram
Snoop Dogg is a hip-hop staple and a favorite in memes, but he was once a teen attending Long Beach Polytechnic High School. Celebrity trivia: Snoop Dogg and Cameron Diaz went to high school together!
Kelly Clarkson
Source Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library
Kelly Clarkson won the first season of American Idol in 2002, but her yearbook photo shows the girl she was before fame.
Paris Hilton
Source: Instagram
Paris Hilton is a nostalgic Y2K icon, starring on one of the first popular reality TV shows, “The Simple Life.” Before that, she was a student at a private school in New York City.
Bruno Mars
Source Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library
Before “Uptown Funk” became a family favorite song, Bruno Mars was a high school student at President Theodore Roosevelt High School in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Emma Stone
Source: Bored Panda
Emma Stone was the star of Cruella in 2021, but before that, she was a regular student like the rest of us.
Reese Witherspoon
Source Harpeth Hall School
Most people know Reese Witherspoon from Legally Blonde, but you may know her from Big Little Lies, The Morning Show, or her famous book club. Before that, she was a high school student in Tennessee, as seen in her yearbook photo from the ‘90s.
Ke$ha
Source: World’s Facts
Kesha was a high school senior from Nashville before she became known for her glittery celebrity image. Then, she became well-known for songs like Tik Tok and Your Love is My Drug. Her nostalgic hits are popular in Y2K video trends on TikTok, so she’s still relevant with today’s teens.
Megan Fox
Source: Pinterest
Megan Fox went to high school in Florida before her acting career took off and she became a pop culture icon.
Jennifer Lopez
Source Yearbook Archives
Jennifer Lopez was a high school dancer and track star in the Bronx before she went on to become a household name.
Jennifer Lawrence
Source Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library
Before her role in Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence was a regular teen. When this yearbook photo was taken in 2005, she was in eighth grade.
Kim Kardashian
Source Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library
This yearbook photo of Kim Kardashian was taken during her freshman year at Marymount High School in Los Angeles in the 90s. It was well before her rise to fame with a reality TV empire.
Katy Perry
Source Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library
In 2000, Katy Perry was a freshman at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, CA, when this picture was taken. She went on to have huge hits like “Firework” and became known for her stand-out pop image.
Beyonce
Source: Billboard
This yearbook photo of Beyoncé was taken during her school days in Houston, well before she became a household name as one of the biggest music icons.
Ariana Grande
Source Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library
Ariana Grande was a student in Florida before she had her big break into stardom. From starring as Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon to her massive music hits like “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings” and her most recent role as Glinda in “Wicked”, she has become a household name.
Harry Styles
Source: @cchloeannn on X
Okay, this one is not an official yearbook picture, but it is still worth mentioning. As a prank in 2018, one high school decided to include Harry Styles in their yearbook!
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez was a Disney Channel star on “Wizards of Waverly Place” and then went on to release hits like “Lose You to Love Me” and “Love You Like a Love Song.”
Rihanna
Source: Pascal Le Segretain
Rihanna is loved for her music and fashion influence. She’s the founder of Fenty Beauty and has top music hits like “Umbrella” and “Work.”
Jimmy Fallon
Source: Cracked
As the host of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” you may not often think of who he was before he was famous. If you were curious, this is what Jimmy Fallon looked like in high school!
Laura Prepon
Source: Cracked
Laura Prepon is best known for her role as Donna Pinciotti on “That ‘70s Show” and then on the reboot, “That ‘90s Show.”
Justin Bieber
Source: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library
After gaining fame through YouTube, Justin Bieber became a teen favorite with the hit “Baby” in 2009. Since then, he has had many hits, including “Peaches” and “Ghost”, and leads a public life through social media. Before that, he posed for this eighth-grade yearbook photo.
Will Smith
Source: The Scroller
Will Smith first became a household name after his role on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, which teens today still stream. He’s also made music and starred in many other movies, like “Aladdin” and “Bad Boys.” In high school, he attended Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, where this yearbook photo was taken.
Conclusion: Celebrity Yearbook Photos
Before fame, red carpets, and viral hits, these celebrities were regular teens with yearbook photos full of awkward smiles and big dreams. We want to give big credit to the Seth Poppel Yearbook Library for their gigantic archives of yearbooks. Definitely check them out to see more.
Did you go to school with any famous celebrities? Hang on to your yearbooks, because they might be worth a lot someday! Especially if they signed it!