Stars Who Stayed Humble After Achieving A-List Status

They say money can't buy you happiness, although some people argue they'd rather cry in a Lamborghini than on a bus. To that end, money can afford you plenty of luxuries, like lavish holidays, designer wardrobes, and fancy homes, but there's one thing it can't buy: modesty. That's why it's so refreshing when celebrities who have the option to live really lavish lives still demonstrate how humble they can be.

Whether it's working with charities, donating money, supporting disadvantaged communities, or simply helping a stranger, there are so many ways that famous faces can use their wealth for good and, in doing so, show a softer, more relatable side. Even if they do get to drive away in a million-dollar sports car after doing said good deed.

Of course, there's another side to being humble. Some famous faces aren't fussed about flashy purchases, and there are huge stars who live like normal people while other celebrities live on a surprisingly tight budget. Nonetheless, it's worth pointing out that there's nothing wrong with celebrating success, especially for those who've worked so hard to achieve it. But there are celebrities who stayed humble, even after achieving A-list status.

Dolly Parton grew up with 11 siblings and they all lived in a small, two-room cabin on a homestead in Tennessee. Inspired by her simple upbringing, Parton — who now has an estimated net worth of $650 Million (per Celebrity Net Worth) — lives a very philanthropic life, giving away much of her fortune.

In 1988, the musician created the Dollywood Foundation to help decrease the drop-out rate in the area she grew up in. It supports initiatives that help keep children in school, among other things. Beyond her beloved Tennessee, Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center as part of its efforts to develop the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine. She also racked up $12.5 million in relief donations following the 2016 Sevier County fires.

Parton's generosity isn't just a front, though. She's just as humble at home as she is in public. The singer doesn't have a glam team following her every move, telling Into The Gloss that she still does her own hair and makeup. Another way Parton stays humble is by honoring her Southern roots in the kitchen. She still enjoys a home-cooked meal, previously sharing with Parade that "chicken and dumplings" are one of her classics.

Across his four decade career, Keanu Reeves has starred in blockbuster movies like "Speed" and "Point Break" as well as major franchises including "The Matrix" and "John Wick." It's no wonder then, that he's sitting on an estimated $380 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

But that wealth seemingly doesn't matter to Reeves. For much of his time in the public eye, Keanu has expressed his disinterest in money. "Money is the last thing I think about," he famously told the Chicago Tribune. To that end, Reeves prefers to flex kindness rather than cash. In 1997, he made headlines when he spent hours with a homeless man in West Hollywood, sharing drinks, snacks, and conversation. In the decades since, he's been spotted using public transport many times, even giving up his seat to other passengers, as seen in this YouTube clip.

Perhaps the biggest humble brag is that Keanu Reeves has secretly given away millions. For decades, a rumor even circulated that he donated most of his income from "The Matrix." Although that claim has since been debunked by his publicist, who chatted to Newsweek, the fact that no one questioned it for so long speaks to how the actor is regarded so highly by the public.

Nirvana band mate and Foo Fighters founder, Dave Grohl, has played concerts across the globe with hundreds of thousands of attendees. That fame has amassed him millions (roughly $330 million, per Celebrity Net Worth) in the bank, as well as accolades including 19 Grammy Award wins. Despite it all, though, he still lives very much like the average person and, quite frugally, to be honest.

The musician famously said he drives a "family car" rather than splashing out on a fancy one. "I drive a family car — not a monster SUV, but a family car that fits five people," he previously told The Red Bulletin (via CNBC). "I've got a house that is just big enough, too." In another interview with The Red Bulletin, he echoed this. "I don't need even more money, cars, and gold chains," he said. "They don't make you happy. And I'd rather be happy than stinking rich."

Perhaps then, Grohl gets his happiness elsewhere, like at the community shelters he's been seen helping out at. On one occasion, Grohl even spent 16 hours preparing and cooking food (all of which he paid for, too) for 450 homeless people in Los Angeles, as captured by We Are Iowa Local 5 News. What a guy.

As president of the United States, Barack Obama ran the country for eight years, but his wife didn't let that immense power go to her head. During her time as first lady, which lasted from January 2009 to January 2017, Michelle Obama continued to live as humble a life as possible in order to set an example for her two daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama.

In her book, "The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House," former White House reporter Kate Andersen Brower explained that the Obamas were "uncomfortable" with having "so many butlers and housekeepers waiting on them hand and foot." To that end, they insisted that their children kept up with their own "chores list" so as not to "get used to someone else" doing things for them.

"Barack and I did everything we could to give our girls as normal of a life as possible," Michelle later told Parents, confirming Brower's report. "When we were at the White House, we made sure they were doing things like making their beds every morning and as they got older, getting summer jobs." Clearly, those rules didn't just apply to her children, either. Michelle Obama lives a wildly lavish life with her husband these days, but is still often spotted running her own errands, like the time she went shopping at a Target store in Virginia.

From "American Psycho" to "Spiderman," "Nosferatu," and even "Finding Nemo," Willem Dafoe has quite an impressive list of movies on his acting resume. But the four-time Academy Award nominee hasn't let any of that change who he is. He's still a pretty humble guy at heart, which his New York City neighbors can certainly attest to.

Dafoe is often spotted walking around his neighborhood in NYC without any security or even an entourage at all. The 70-year-old also frequently interacts with the locals, if social media is anything to go by. In one video shared on X, the actor gave a "fit check" and, while most of his clothes were Prada, it was still pretty friendly of him to stop and take part.

When he's not in NYC, be that making movies or taking part in street-style videos, Dafoe spends a lot of his time at the rustic alpaca farm in Italy that he shares with his wife. As well as alpacas, the farm is home to turkeys, chickens, sheep, and goats — all of which the actor counts as friends. "I'm basically a vegetarian, so I do it just for the pleasure of their company and to try to give them a good life," he told The Guardian of why he runs the farm.

Brendan Fraser was a big name in the '90s, starring in smash hit films like "George of the Jungle" and "The Mummy." Following his success, the actor took a long break from Hollywood, but when he returned decades later, he was still the same lovable guy, which is evident from his fan interactions.

"Everyone always says to never meet your heroes, I met mine and we almost burst into tears talking to each other," one fan said on TikTok after chatting to the acting legend. "His kindness and warmth were evident." As for what Fraser got up to while he was out of the spotlight, he revealed he had dedicated the time to raising his family — so much so that his own children did not believe he was famous, as he recalled in a Today interview.

Another pretty humble attribute of Fraser's? He's a man of his word. He turned down the opportunity to attend the 2023 Golden Globes, despite being nominated for his role in "The Whale," due to sexual assault allegations he made earlier in his career, which were partly the cause of Brendan Fraser's disappearance from Hollywood. He alleged in a 2018 GQ interview that Philip Berk, the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (which is the non-profit organization that votes for the Golden Globe Awards), had sexually assaulted him in the summer of 2003. Berk denied Fraser's claims, and was later expelled from his role over a racist email, but the actor has continued to boycott the ceremony.

"The Hunger Games," "X-Men," and "Silver Linings Playbook" are just some of the movies that have made Jennifer Lawrence one of Hollywood's highest paid actors. But although she's got a lot of money, the actor has previously expressed discomfort at flaunting her massive wealth. "I was raised to have value for money, to have respect for money, even though you have a lot of it," she once told Fabulous magazine (via E! Online). Giving an example of how that plays out in her real life, she said: "That's why mini-bars are difficult, because it's like, yes, I can afford a $6 Snickers bar, but there's just something wrong with that!"

Expensive chocolate bars are not the only thing that Lawrence passes up in favor of being humble. Or, perhaps, frugal is the better word. "Ten million dollars and I'm still living in my parents' condo ... I think it would be very bizarre to live in a big mansion by myself," she told Elle (via The Hollywood Reporter) of her living situation, adding that she also still drives the "same car" she's had for years.

"I don't ever walk around feeling famous. I walk around feeling the exact same way I have walked around my entire life," the Oscar-winner went on, affirming how down-to-earth she really is. "But it's not until I talk to somebody and see in their eyes that I'm different. It makes me feel weird."

Shaquille O'Neal is one of the biggest names in basketball, but he's also one of the most humble. This is a trait he spoke about at one of his four (yes, four!) graduations. "Your character will take you further than your resume," he said, per a Fox News social media video. "Continue to be kind. Continue to be humble."

So, how does the NBA legend stay humble himself? O'Neal has been known to share his wealth with strangers on more than one occasion. In 2021, for example, he was shopping at a store in Atlanta when he overheard another customer discussing a payment plan for an engagement ring. In response, the former basketball player handed his credit card to a checkout assistant and gave the stranger a pat on the back. "I'm not gonna say the amount but ... this is just something I do every day" he later told TNT (via The Sun) of the generous move.

In addition to randomly handing over his credit card to store clerks and paying off big bills for other shoppers, O'Neal has earned a reputation for tipping big at restaurants. "When I'm at restaurants, I am a big tipper," he previously told Jimmy Kimmel. "I like to show people my appreciation." As for how big those tips are, O'Neal said the most he's ever tipped a server was $4,000.

Movie star and TV presenter Drew Barrymore is known by millions (and has millions in the bank), but fans who got a glimpse of her home on TikTok described it as refreshingly relatable and normal. Taking to the social media platform, the celebrity filmed herself as she completed chores about the house and declared how much she loves "staying in."

"I know everyone thinks it's boring, but it's really not," said the clip's voiceover. "It's the least boring thing. I am really happy being a happy little hermit. I love being at home. I never wanna go anywhere." That in itself is pretty humble, as well as the fact she cooked her own food in the clip. Sunny-side eggs, for those invested. "I love that your house looks like a home and not just a show piece," someone replied in the comment section of Barrymore's humble abode (pun intended). "Is it possible that you live in a normal house?!" another person shared, as a third wrote, "Wait, don't you have a chef?"

Beyond eggs and being a homebody, Barrymore maintains an open dialogue with fans about her past struggles, rather than shying away from the realities of life and putting on a fake persona. "I didn't have parents, I was the parent to them. It was all totally upside-down," she previously told The Mail on Sunday's You of how her upbringing impacted her as a mom. "So I didn't know what I was doing. When people would talk to me about parenting I felt like an outcast. It took years for me to pluck up the courage to say, 'Can you speak to me as someone who is desperately trying to learn? Can you teach me?'"

Fans of Kristen Bell might think her humble personality is down to her Midwestern roots, but she famously said it's actually her kids' insults that keep her grounded. "The amount of insults that they can hurl at me in a very short period of time ... it really brings me back down to earth," she told E! Online. "I come home and they will just pull the rug out from under you so quickly," Bell continued, adding that she'd call the movie of her life, "My Kids Keep Me Grounded."

Insult-throwing children aside, Bell and her husband Dax Shepard famously opted for a no-frills courthouse wedding rather than a big, fancy celebrity event. "We wanted the lowest-key day possible," she told Jay Leno, via People. "Then we got sandwiches and called it a day. We called that our wedding brunch."

Clearly, Kristen Bell lives an incredibly normal life compared to most celebrities. She's a self-confessed homebody (which she frequently proves by posting her and Shepard's matching pajamas on social media), always carries snacks in her purse, and loves a discount. "Smart people use coupons," she exclaimed to Yahoo! Entertainment. "There is a high that comes along with getting a discount or having an exclusive offer. There's definitely something emotional attached to it. But it also feels really good to save money. I'll use them when I get them."

With her burning passion for Manolo Blahniks, it's safe to say that Carrie Bradshaw of "Sex and the City" is anything but humble. As for the woman who played her? Well, that's a different story.

Sarah Jessica Parker came from simple beginnings, as one of eight siblings in a family that grew up on welfare. "I remember my childhood as Dickensian," she once told The New York Times. "I remember being poor. There was no great way to hide it." Parker went on to recall how the family sometimes didn't have electricity, or even enough money to celebrate Christmases or birthdays. Although life for her own children is now very different, Parker hasn't forgotten her roots as she continues to live a modest life despite her massive net worth.

Unlike her fashion-obsessed onscreen character, Parker isn't too fussed about spending big money on clothes. She dresses her children in used clothes and has even been seen at discount stores, like Target, per The Globe and Mail. "This idea of hand-me-downs and sharing and passing on is what I grew up with," she explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "My mother saved everything I wore as a child, so my daughters wear my hand-me-downs."