When a celebrity shows up at a high school prom, it’s a huge deal. And when you think about celebrities, it’s hard to imagine a time when they were not a big deal. But remember, at their high school proms, these stars were pretty much just like everybody else. Nobody yet knew who they would become. (Well, there are one or two exceptions to this.) Check out these celebrity prom photos and marvel at how, well, normal they once looked!
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Taylor used her high school experience to write her early songs, right? We wonder which songs were about this guy…
He has come a long way since those unfortunate, gawky teen days. (Actually, though, this photo was taken only six years prior to his SNL debut!)
The Parks and Recreation star makes a signature Leslie face as she emerges from her prom limo. She went in style!
Unsurprisingly, there isn’t anything particularly embarrassing about RiRi’s look… except for her date, maybe. Why don’t you smile, buddy?
Before she won American Idol and became a famous country singer, she was just another girl from Checotah, Oklahoma. (But it’s clear that the editors of her yearbook knew she’d be a star!)
If that girl didn’t know how lucky she was that prom night, we bet she figured it out later! She probably did, though, because it looks like handsome Harry didn’t have an awkward teen phase!
Yup, Will Ferrell really was just always like that. You do you, Will! (It’s clearly gotten you places.)
We love seeing Jaden Smith break those gender norms! He absolutely rocked that skirt, and his date looked fierce too!
Alright, alright, alright! He may not have been the heartthrob he is today at his senior prom, but Matthew McConaughey and his date did look pretty classy.
As Janice Ian in Mean Girls, she rocked a purple suit and slicked-back hair to the Spring Fling. It turns out that that wasn’t such an unusual look for Lizzy Caplan, though!
Classy, elegant, and regal, Meryl Streep looked stunning (and probably made quite a statement!) in her short, white prom dress. We wonder: Did her date know he was attending prom with one of the greatest actors of all time?
The thing is, Lady Gaga’s prom outfit is one of the most “normal” looks we’ve ever seen from her. It is weird not to see her as a platinum blonde, though!
Demi was actually dating Nick Jonas at the time, but when it came time for prom, she decided to fulfill a promise she had made in kindergarten to her old buddy, Nolan. The Disney star escorted her date in her hometown of Dallas, Texas.
We’ll bet anything that Brad Pitt was a wonderful date when he attended prom in 1982. He apparently taught his date how to dance to Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You.”
Even in 1978, George Clooney had a way with the ladies! Can you blame them? Look at that jawline! Even in high school, he was clearly a charmer.
As always, Jennifer Aniston kept it classy in an elegant black dress for her high school prom. (Is it us, or does her date look a tiiiny bit like Ross?)
The Twilight star went with a lot of hair gel for the big day. When he took this photo, he was already famous for playing Sharkboy in the film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D.
The pop princess was on fire at her high school prom in this fiery red dress. There was nothing “toxic” about her yet, it would seem: She looks sweet and innocent here!
By the time her senior prom came around, Danielle Fishel was already famous as a star on Boy Meets World. So, it only made sense for her to be escorted by NSYNC’s Lance Bass. In recent years, Bass has publicly confirmed that he’s homosexual, and was closeted during the time he was with Fishel. Still, that doesn’t explain the hover hands, man.
Jon Hamm isn’t the only star in this photo; he had the pleasure of taking actress Sarah Clarke to their high school prom. Hamm revealed the news to late night host Jimmy Kimmel, saying that Clarke had dated both him and actor Paul Rudd at different times. It was a pre-Hollywood love triangle!
LeBron James and his now-wife, Savannah Brinson, were high school sweethearts. James had seen her at a rival high school football game, where Brinson was a cheerleader. They attended prom while James was in his rookie season and Brinson was five months pregnant with their first child, LeBron Jr.
When Ellen DeGeneres revealed her high school prom photo (and that dress!) she did it with style, bringing on her former date to relive their fun night.
You can’t mistake that classic Julia Roberts smile. Made famous in Pretty Woman, the red-headed beauty looks like she was hamming it up and having a great time at prom.
Grinning ear-to-ear, like he does all the time these days, comedian Nick Kroll seems to be enjoying the company of his date at high school prom. With genuine smiles and gazes towards the camera, these two must have had a wonderful night.
Famed Jersey Shore alum, Pauly D (Paul D. DelVecchio Jr.), seems to be a bit more subdued and stoic before his eventual MTV rise-to-fame. Even without his iconic slicked-back hair and welcoming smile, his date still seems to be enjoying his camera embrace.
About seven years after this high school prom photo was taken, Reese Witherspoon would establish a name for herself in Legally Blonde as Elle Woods. Clearly unaware of her upcoming fame, Reese just seems to be passing the time at prom instead.
It may be hard to tell but future Greek God, John Stamos, was looking a bit more boyish during his high school days. The long hair, absent facial hair, and subdued smile would all develop in due-time. No matter, his date seems to be blushing, anyways.
He may be looking a little bit younger (and less gray), but your 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, seems to looking happy, dapper, and clearly surrounded by good company during some pre-prom shenanigans.
If you weren’t aware, America’s host – Ryan Seacrest – was actually a little bit “healthier” before slimming down to his current build. Still, he and his dashing date both appear elated to be on-camera, looking their finest.
Pretty much everything about this pre-prom photo of Kim Kardashian and her mom Kris Jenner screams mid-’90s. Those eyebrows, that hairstyle, and not to mention, Kim before any of her cosmetic work. The whole photo just seems so innocent!
Gaten Matarazzo, AKA Dustin from Stranger Things, looks absolutely adorable with his girlfriend at their junior prom. “Junior prom with my best friends and the most beautiful girlfriend ever,” wrote Gaten on Instagram.
YouTube star Liza Koshy dazzled in this incredible navy-blue dress with her date at their prom in 2014. While she obviously looks adorable here, we’re betting her date wishes she would’ve picked a more flattering photo of him!
As it turns out, Blake Lively is just as glamorous in real life as her Gossip Girl character Serena van der Woodsen! (But she’s probably quite a bit nicer!)
We’re used to seeing Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez draped in gold, but for her prom night she opted for a beautiful burgundy dress alongside her date, whom she’s been friends with since kindergarten!
