31 Wonderfully Old Photos of Famous People From Back in the Day

John Summers • Contributor

Aug 23, 2024 11:00 PM EDT

Time stops for no one, not even for the rich and famous. One day you are a teenager goofing around in front of the camera in your parents living room, and the next moment you are one of the richest people on earth. One second you are nervous about taking your yearbook photo and the next you have become a rock and roll legend. It's fun to look back at old pictures of famous people and see them as they were before their life had become something else entirely.

A young Tupac opening Christmas presents, not aware of the crazy twists and turns his life is going to have in the next couple of years or a 10 year old Jack Black posing for a head shot, oblivious to the exciting journey his life is about to take him on. We just wonder what brought Alice Cooper and Colonel Sanders to pose for the same picture.

01
Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth at McDonald’s, 1978

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02
A 17 year-old Elon Musk, wearing two hats and holding a hammer the wrong way.

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03
Tupac opening Christmas presents.

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04
Steven Spielberg on the set of JAWS.

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05
Henry Rollins and Ian MacKaye, back when they worked at Häagen-Dazs.

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06
Katharine Hepburn skateboarding. She was quite fond of it, apparently.

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07
Richard Brooker as Jason Voorhees reading Time Magazine on the set of Friday the 13th Part III.

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08
Robin Williams and Todd Oppenheimer working their mime skills in 1974, Central Park, NY.

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09
Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall play with a puppy during a break in filming on the set of The Breakfast Club.

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10
Aww, baby Jack Black.

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11
A wee Simon Pegg.

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12
Iggy Pop's yearbook photo.

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13
Tim Curry doing makeup testing for IT.

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14
Elvis Presley with his folks.

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15
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, with Erik Estrada on the set of CHiPS.

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16
Buster Keaton with pocket dog, colorized.

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17
Woody Allen and Michael Jackson

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18
Liberace and Cher.

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19
Chastity Bono with Jennifer Aniston, back in high school.

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20
Pope John Paul visits the set of the Blues Brothers, here having his hand kissed by John Belushi.

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21
Freddie and Darth Vader, Radio Gaga performance.

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22
Pee Wee Herman and Phil Hartman.

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23
Super 80s-y Ozzy Osborne and Annette Funicello for Skippy peanut butter.

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24
Henry Kissinger discusses politics with Dolly Parton.

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25
Colonel Sanders and Alice Cooper, because of course.

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26
John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono.

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27
Eartha Kitt and James Dean.

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28
Sigourney Weaver and her pumpkin

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29
Gene Simmons and Brooke Shields

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30
A very young John Waters. I know what you're thinking: are you sure that's not a young Steve Buscemi? Keep scrolling.

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31
Steve Buscemi as John Waters, 1995.

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