Who's got spirit? Well, once upon a time, these stars did! These celebrities always had a knack for putting on a show and got started with cheerleading. Whether they were the cheer captain or just yelling up to the bleachers, these are the most famous faces to shake some pom-poms.
Cameron Diaz
Before she was a movie star, Cameron was a teenager just like everyone else. In her teen years, the blondie was a peppy cheerleader attending Long Beach Polytechnic High School. She wore green and yellow to represent the school colors, but later on, those facial expressions came in handy for a myriad of auditions.
Diane Sawyer
Who's got spirit? Apparently, Diane Sawyer used to! The cheerful and bubbly blonde Diane was part of the Seneca High School cheerleading team in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. After her kicks kicked off, she spent a few years promoting the Coca-Cola Pavilion at the World's Fair and eventually moved that personality to television journalism.
Olivia Munn
Olivia Munn and her family were stationed in Japan when her father enlisted in the Air Force. Once the couple split, Olivia and her mother moved back to Oklahoma. That's where Munn became a cheerleader for the Putnam City North High School team. She then went to college to study journalism but found her true niche in acting.
Ciara
Ciara Princess Wilson wasn't just another member of Riverdale High School's cheerleading squad, she was the captain! Ciara is still a big advocate for the sport and its benefits. She gave it up during her senior year to pursue music, saying "Unfortunately, I couldn't be as involved as I wanted to be because it was the year when my music started to become even more important to me."
Kirsten Dunst
Sure, she played cheerleader Torrance Shipman in the movie Bring It On, but this actress had some real-world experience. She had been a pom girl when attending Laurel High School and Notre Dame High School. She was on her own high school squad until the blockbuster movie came out.
George W. Bush
At Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, future President George W. Bush was a cheer captain as well as a basketball player. Armed with a megaphone and tons of cheer, the political figure roused the crowds with chants. He would later go to Harvard Business school and Yale University, but this is where it all started.
Eva Longoria
The Mexican-American actress Eva Longoria actually got her big breakthrough cheerleading. While performing with Roy Miller High School in Corpus Cristi, TX as well as at Texas A&M-Kingsville, Longoria fell in love with being in front of a crowd. She was discovered by a visiting LA agent who knew she had something special.
Kathie Lee Gifford
By the age of fourteen, Kathie Lee was a cheerleader at heart. Aside from cheerleading, she also competed in pageants and even won Maryland's Junior Miss Pageant in 1970. She graduated from the sport and went to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There, she studied drama and music.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is one of Hollywood's favorites actresses. She's known for her prowess on the screen as well as lovely attitude, the latter of which she learned through cheering at Bernards High School in New Jersey. She was a varsity member during her senior year, pictured here very proud of her accomplishment.
Sandra Bullock
Before she was the cool spy in Miss Congeniality, the actress was actually a cheerleader at Washington-Lee High School in her hometown of Arlington, Virginia. Before graduating in 1982, she participated in the sport as well as many of the school's theater productions. She had her eye on the prize!
Steve Martin
This silver-haired comedian once had a head of brown locks and a cheerleaders uniform hanging in the closet. The Garden Grove, California team was peppy and fun, and they had some of the best cheers. That might be because a lot of them were written by comedy legend Steve himself!
Denise Richards
Back in her youth, Denise was an athletic Tomboy in Illinois. Once she moved to Oceanside, California, she decided to switch up her style and join the El Camino High School cheer team. She went on to star in shows like Saved By The Bell and Married with Children, eventually courting her now ex-husband, Charlie Sheen.
Kelly Ripa
Kelly Ripa grew up as a performer in southern New Jersey. The future soap opera star attended Eastern Regional High School, and joined the cheerleading team, chanting spirited sayings at the crowds. She also took drama classes in school. Her teacher, Jim Beckley, told her to continue acting, and she's probably glad to have followed that advice.
Halle Berry
Before she was the first African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Actress, she was Halle from Bedford High School in Cleveland, OH. Berry was a role model of a student, participating in cheerleading, honors classes, and the school newspaper. She even won prom queen, and somehow still didn't peak in high school.
Jenna Dewan
Jenna Dewan is known to be a dancing superstar thanks to her movie Step Up starring herself and Channing Tatum. Before she was in that franchise though, she was a cheer queen in Texas. She fell in love with the physicality of the dance parts and continued to pursue it. She eventually got her big break while dancing backup for Janet Jackson in 2001.
Lindsey Lohan
After her childhood star status, Lindsay went to a normal high school in Long Island, NY. She attended both Cold Spring Harbor High School and Sanford H. Calhoun High School, attempting a cheer team at both schools before switching to exclusively home education.
Sally Field
You might recognize this celeb from her work in Forest Gump or Mrs. Doubtfire, but she was performing long before that. This star was a cheer team member at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California. Later on, though, she would be a star known for shows like The Flying Nun and Gidget.
Fergie
Born as Stacie Ann Ferguson, Fergie was a beloved member of her high school cheer team for her sunny attitude and pretty face. She also defied the stereotype that cheerleaders are dumb, considering she was a straight-A student at Glen A. Wilson High School. She later went on to join the Black Eyed Peas.
Cynthia Bailey
Before she left town at 18 for a career in NYC, this actress was performing on a football field. The reality TV star and actress cheered for the home team at Deshler High School in her home state of Alabama. The rest is history for this starlet.
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union captivated fans as a cheerleader in Bring It On, but she had a lot of experience in the role. In Pleasanton, California, the star was a cheerleading superstar. Her family was hugely into sports, as she once said "In my family, if you couldn't talk Cornhusker football, then you don't get to have an opinion."
Renee Zellweger
While attending Katy High School in Katy, Texas, Zellweger was part of a team of cheerleaders. She's still very involved in the gymnastics aspect of the sport, once even appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to show off her flips and tumbles. You can't keep this girl down!
Stacy Keibler
This WWE wrestler didn't always have the heart of a fighter. It was more the heart of a dancer when she was a professional cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens. In 199, she jumped to the WCW until 2001. From there, the girl became a wrestling pro and worked exclusively with WWE.
Jesse James Decker
Singer or cheerleader...well, why not both? The country singer and songwriter was writing hits and interviewing with Nashville labels at fifteen, but she was also screaming for the home team on the weekends. Now she's got a ton of hit songs and has even branched into the fashion industry. Maybe she'll redesign some uniforms.
Mandy Moore
Before she played the pom wielding Lana Thomas in 2001's The Princess Diaries, Mandy Moore was wearing her own cheer uniform. However, her experience was a bit unusual, as she cheered for the Pop Warner football team. After this encounter with the cheer world, she went on to star in A Walk to Remember, and later on, This is Us.
Miley Cyrus
Though most cheerleaders-turned-actors start performing on the field, Miley has performing in her blood. As the child of Billy Ray Cyrus, she always had a knack for being onstage. Before she became Hannah Montana though, the Cyrus star was once a seven-year-old cheerleader for the Tennessee Premiere soccer team in her hometown. Too cute!
Blake Lively
It seems insane now, but Blake only got into acting because her mom and dad thought she'd be good at it. They were right. While attending Burbank High School though, she left some extra time in her schedule for friends, homework, and the cheer team. She did it all between filming her first big film, Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler might be a top tier comedian, but she was also once on top of the cheer pyramid! The SNL legend cheered and chanted for the Burlington High School in Massachusetts. Then, she went to Boston College and eventually made her way to Chicago, where she learned to create not only cheers but laughs as well.
Danielle Brooks
Danielle Brooks is famous for her leading role in Orange Is the New Black, but back in high school, she was actually a member of her high school cheer squad. Eventually, she quit the team because she felt uncomfortable in the short skirts. She eventually wrote about the experience on her blog, saying "Never ever quit anything again because you're scared of what others might think of you – unless you become an exotic dancer, the only exception. But even then, only quit because you want to."
Megan Fox
Before she was breaking hearts in Transformers, Megan was attending Morningside Academy in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The bombshell was bullied at her school and turned to athleticism for comfort. She went on to star in films like Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen where she played a cheerleader!
Paul Rudd
At Overland Park High School in Kansas, this Clueless heartthrob was one of the school's "yell leaders". Not only was he adept at hyping up a crowd, but he was also Student Body President. The actor learned how to cartwheel, flip, tumble, and lift a stunt while in high school, though he doesn't use the skills on film.
Reese Witherspoon
Back in the day, this Legally Blonde star was on top of the world, and on top of the pyramid. The Walk the Line celebrity was part of her school's cheerleading squad long before fame came into her life. Here she is in a throwback photo posted by Reese herself, cheering on the Generals.
Ann Margret
Born in Sweden in 1941, Anne was an accomplished singer, spry dancer, and peppy cheerleader for New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. She happily smiled for the cameras and the crowds even before she was famous. The starlet went on to act in pictures like Bye Bye Birdie, Carnal Knowledge, Grumpy Old Men, and The Cheap Detective.
Sela Ward
The magnificent Sela Ward might be known for her acting career today, but the University of Alabama knows her as one of their cheer team's prestigious alumni. The star chanted for the Crimson Tide football team years before she was ever onscreen. She graduated in 1977 after studying fine art and advertising.
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone a cheerleader? As if! This blonde beauty might be known for her iconic role as Cher Horowitz in the cult classic comedy Clueless, but her teammates knew her as a base stunter. She cheered for San Mateo High School, home of the fighting Bearcats! Go, team!
Jayma Mays
Though she's Emma Pillsbury, a high school guidance counselor on Glee, Jayma was actually a high school cheerleader back in the day. She and her squad members are seen here donning blue and yellow while happily supporting their school mascot, the Wolves. That smile would light up a crowd!
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields is famously one of the world's most beautiful women. Whether she was posing for the camera or acting in Emmeline in the 1980s The Blue Lagoon, she did it all with a smile. That career-defining grin was one she learned from her spirited cheer squad at her private high school in New Jersey.
Nene Leakes
Nene Leakes has had a long and illustrious career as a reality star in the past decade, but before that, she was waving her pom-poms in the air for the home team. Seen here sporting a red and gold color combination, it's no doubt that her spunky attitude on and off the field helped her with both cheering and her career.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence has tried her hand at a variety of mediums like modeling and acting, but did you know she was also a high school student once upon a time? Aside from cheer practices, Lawrence filled her days with softball games, basketball warm-ups, field hockey scrimmages, and more. She can do it all!
Kirk Douglas
Amsterdam High School in Amsterdam, New York can proudly say that esteemed actor Kirk Douglas once cheered their teams on to victory. He filmed over 100 films during his long life. These typically consisted of genres like serious dramas, old-school westerns, and war films.
Paula Abdul
Paula took being a cheerleader to the next level. Not only did she perform at Van Nuys High School in Los Angeles, but she was also an honor student. After graduation, she committed to dance by becoming a Laker Girl, then becoming the head choreographer, and supporting stars like Jamaal Wilkes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson on the court.
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson's cool-girl energy is unmatched thanks to her cheer days. She got into the sport while attending Richardson North Junior High School in her home state of Texas. She wasn't there long though, since she dropped out of school at age 15 to pursue singing, but she eventually became a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
Snooki
Everyone's favorite Jersey Shore cast member was once just a regular teen. The star cheered for her school in Marlboro, New York, but it cost her mental health. "Cheerleading was my life in high school, but it wasn't always easy for me. I started to be anorexic," she said, "There were freshmen, who were seventy pounds and I was, like, my spot as a flier is going to get taken away. So I ended up starving myself."
Phaedra Parks
Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia was where this Real Housewives star and lawyer got her start. Seen here wearing a red, white, and gold uniform, she had all the spunk a cheerleader needs. This fiery spirit was especially helpful when she went to law school later on in her life.
Olivia Wilde
Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts didn't technically have a cheer team, but it did have a step team. It seems to be pretty much the same look and style of cheer, but with a different name and less stunting. According to Wilde herself, it's just "another form of cheering."
Kirstie Alley
Alley cheered for Wichita Southeast High School in Kansas before she got her big break. She also had way shorter hair at the time, which was unusual for a cheerleader. It must have helped her character though because soon after high school she was cast on the show Cheers.
Kendall Jenner
She might be the most famous woman in the world today, but only a few years ago, she was an awkward teen. The Kardashian sister Kendall Jenner got some relief from the limelight in school. She is seen here sporting a blue and white uniform as a cheer team member for her high school.
Kathy Griffin
Kathy is a comedian these days, but she used to be a young and fun seventeen-year-old cheerleader. Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois was where she got her kicks...literally! Though she later turned to comedy, she always had a taste for the spotlight.
Dakota Fanning
Dakota was unlike many on this list due to the fact she started cheering years after she was an established actress. By this time she had already been a part of shows like ER, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Practice, Spin City, Ally McBeal, and more. Campbell Hall School had her on their varsity cheer team. Go Vikings!
Calista Flockhart
Remember this star from Ally McBeal? Calista Flockhart was always performing, even as early as cheering for Shawnee High School in her hometown of New Jersey. Then, she graduated and attended the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University where her career really started to gain traction.
Michael Douglas
Up until the 1950s, cheerleading was actually a predominantly male sport. Choate Preparatory School was where this Douglas learned to cheer, chant, tumble, and stunt as well as the rest of them. When he was cast in the Marvel films as scientist Hank Pym, he joined another male cheerleader... Paul Rudd!
Brooklyn Decker
Originally, this starlet was cheering for Butler High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. She became a model, then an actress, but she started as senior class president. She would later be recognized for her roles in Just Go With It, Battleship, What to Expect When You're Expecting, and Stretch.
Madonna
This pop icon once attended Rochester Adams High School and performed well both in the classroom and on the court. She was a straight-A student and, much more secretly, a natural brunette. She got a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan but dropped out to pursue singing.
Melissa Rycroft
Melissa Rycroft wasn't exactly the cheer captain...she was part of the drill squad. She eventually became the leader of her sport and moved on to cheerleading for the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, was her big break, so she owes her livelihood to this sport!
Rachel Ray
Before she was serving up dinners she was serving up smiles for the Lake George High School sports teams in Lake George, New York. While she now spends her days shaking salads and learning recipes, she used to spend her after-school hours shaking pom-poms and learning dances. Oh, how times have changed!
Lucy Hale
Gooo Cougars! Lucy Hale played Aria Montgomery in the hit show Pretty Little Liars, but she was a cheerleader long before she was a teenage mystery actress. She also was a singer and dancer, proving that she was always born to perform.
Samuel L. Jackson
Who had 'cheerleading Samuel L. Jackson' on their bingo card? The ladies man joined the cheerleading squad at Morehouse College. He admitted later in an interview that it was pretty much the easiest way to meet pretty girls. The only issue was that he attended an all-boys college. Oops!
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy is a social media maven and supermodel superstar, but she got it all from her days as a cheerleader. Her love for dance and showstopping started when she was a squad member at Snohomish High School. She posted this picture of her and some friends in Panthers' uniforms, all red, white, and black.
Christina Aguilera
This world-class diva was once a student cheerleader at North Allegheny Intermediate High School in Pittsburgh, PA. Not only that, but she was a member of the exclusive Mickey Mouse Club, which had a collection of other famous faces. After her music career took off, there was no stopping her.
Katie Couric
Katie Couric is a journalist famous for her groundbreaking work on channels like Yahoo! News and 60 Minutes. However, the journalist was a troubled teen growing up in Arlington, Virginia. She attended a variety of high schools. She loved to dance though, so she joined the cheer team at each one of them. Now that's dedication!
Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones might have grown up as a celebrity daughter, but she also stayed pretty grounded. In her elementary school days, she loved to cheer, but she eventually became a mathlete as well as a National Honor Society member. That's a multi-talented person.