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The stars are like us.
Before becoming famous, Nicki Minaj, Anna Nicole Smith and others worked day jobs at one of America’s biggest restaurants.
The rapper worked in many places, and Smith was working at Red Lobster as a young mother when she first welcomed her son, Daniel, at the age of 19.
Anna Nicole Smith and Nicki Minaj are just two stars who have used Red Lobster as a way to launch their fame. (Getty Images)
AMERICA’S BEST-EATING RED LOBSTER PLACE IS CLOSING AFTER 56 YEARS
Damola Adamolekun, the youngest CEO the restaurant has ever seen at 37 years old, acknowledges the company’s history with celebrities, and has been talking about the company since taking over.
“People really care about this brand. It has a deep history and a deep meaning to people.” she told Vanity Fair in June, adding, “I like that I’m giving people a different kind of role model—a different approach that people might not know otherwise.”
Here are some of the biggest names who have worked at Red Lobster.
Nicki Minaj
Minaj has worked at many different Red Lobster locations. (Taylor Hill/WireImage)
Nicki Minaj had experience as a waitress before making it big as a record-breaking female rapper.
During an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” he talked about his time working at Red Lobster as a waiter, saying “I’ve probably waited on people in this audience for a real story,” adding, “If you’ve ever eaten at Red Lobster, I probably took your order.”
“That’s what made me want to hurry up and follow my dream, because I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is not for me. I have to hurry and get out of here before it’s too late,'” said Minaj about working at a chain restaurant.
He went on to find success with his debut album, “Pink Friday,” featuring his biggest single, “Super Bass.” This led to record-breaking success, as she became the best-selling female rapper of all time, selling over 100 million records worldwide.
Anna Nicole Smith
Smith’s mother remembers her daughter working at Red Lobster when she was a young mother. (Ralph Notaro/Getty Images)
Anna Nicole Smith once chose to work at Red Lobster to support herself and her son, Daniel.
In an interview with the Daily Mail in February 2017, Smith’s mother, Virgie Arthur, shared that her daughter once worked at a popular restaurant before quitting to work as an unknown dancer in the Executive Suite.
He recalled walking into the Executive Suite one night and finding Smith dancing with a man, telling him, “You can’t do that kind of work. You should be working at Red Lobster.”
“He said, ‘Mom, I know you don’t understand this but I work at Red Lobster all night and my back and feet are killing me,'” Arthur told the outlet. “‘I can go to work in the Executive Suite overnight and make $1,000 dollars.'”
In 1991, while dancing at a local club, Smith met billionaire oil magnate J. Howard Marshall. With his support, she was able to quit dancing and start modeling – she never looked back.
Chris Rock
Rock worked as a dishwasher at Red Lobster as a child. (Brianna Bryson/Getty Images)
Chris Rock spent his teenage years working at Red Lobster in New York.
The actor and comedian talked about his time working at a restaurant after dropping out of high school in the 10th grade during a 2008 HBO comedy special, “Kill the Messenger,” saying he “used to put shrimp in a trash can and load the dishwasher.”
“I have never received a raise, I have never been promoted,” he said. “They kept me behind because I had really f—ed-up teeth, and they didn’t want people to think that shrimp are f—ed-up teeth.”
He went on to say that this job “killed me,” but he says he is “blessed” and has a successful career. He started doing stand-up at a young age, and later landed a spot on the cast of “Saturday Night Live.” He has established himself as a multi-specialty comedian, earning him multiple Emmy Awards. He also had a successful film career.
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Jonathan Majors
Majors shared that he worked at Red Lobster to support himself as a homeless youth. (JC Olivera/Getty Images)
Jonathan Majors had a “crazy journey” on the road to success as an actor.
The Marvel actor talked about his experience working at Red Lobster as a child during his opening monologue for “Saturday Night Live,” which he hosts in 2021, sharing that he worked there for a living while he was “homeless.”
“I was living in my car, working at Red Lobster and Olive Garden, but you know what I learned from that? You know what I learned? That Red Lobster and Olive Garden are owned by the same parent company, so you can work at both places without a problem,” he joked.
He then pointed out that many stars started their careers at the restaurant, joking, “I don’t know what they put in those cheddar biscuits, but it works.”
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More importantly, he added that working at both restaurants taught him the importance of hard work and that “if you trust the plan, great things can happen.”
While Majors found success in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his career took a nosedive when he was convicted of two misdemeanor charges – third-degree reckless assault and harassment – in December 2023, following an altercation with his girlfriend in March 2023.
Jamie Kennedy
Kennedy worked at two different Red Lobster locations on different coasts. (Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)
Jamie Kennedy loved his time working at Red Lobster.
During an interview on “The Jason Show” in June 2024, Kennedy said he started working at a restaurant because his mother thought it would be good for him.
“It was my first job. My mom is like, ‘You should learn about life so go to Red Lobster,'” he said. “I got a job when I was 16, and I loved it so much that when I moved to LA to pursue my dream, I got a transfer. I was recommended as a bus boy in North Hollywood because I was the best bus boy in Philly. So I worked there.”
He finally found success as the actor playing Randy Meeks in the 1996 film “Scream,” and went on to have a successful film and television career.
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