6. Steve Martin

Image: pamhule, Flickr (license)

One of the most talented performers in Hollywood history, the original Wild and Crazy Guy has earned a Grammy, an Emmy, and an honorary Academy Award during his career. One of his favorite anecdotes during his early days as an experimental comedian involved a crowd in Nashville. He persuaded them that while his comedy act was over, they should follow him outside. They did. At that point, he had a captive, mobile audience and no idea what to do with them. He wound up improvising, demonstrating a few choice magic tricks. Where did he learn his sleight of hand and illusions? You guessed it..

Martin’s family moved within two miles of Disneyland when he was a kid. The comedian recounted that he worked various odd jobs at the Happiest Place on Earth from the time he was 10 until 18. He was technically a salesman, pushing programs and other merchandise. While working there, the curious mind tried to learn the mechanics of various park tricks. He even co-opted one for his own. Martin’s legendary arrow-through-the-head gag has its origins at Disneyland. The park used to sell these, and the comedian considered them so brutally unfunny that he felt they circled back to hysterical. His instincts were correct.

7. Michelle Pfeiffer

Image: JeremiahChristopher, Flickr (license)

Pfeiffer’s career as an actress has included head-turning roles in films such as Scarface, The Witches of Eastwick, and Dangerous Liaisons. She’s also played one of the most memorable fantasy heroines of the 1980s in Ladyhawke as well as a hilariously over the top villain in 2007’s Stardust. These roles allowed her to draw on her experiences during her time at Disney. The actress marched down Main Street every day in the Main Street Electrical Parade. She played Alice from Alice in Wonderland during her Disneyland performances.

8. Ronald Reagan

Image: Marion Doss, Flickr (license)

Okay, this one is kind of a cheat. Reagan didn’t slave away at Disneyland for low pay in exchange for on-the-job entertainment training. He was already an established celebrity during the 1950s. He was going through a dry spell, though. After working in 10 films from 1951-1953, the future President of the United States suddenly found his career cooling off in 1954. The best he could do was television work, which was deemed a huge setback for a former lead actor in film.

In 1955, Walt Disney called him with a job offer. He wanted Reagan to co-host the proceedings for the opening day of Disneyland. History recorded him as one of the first day cast members, providing him lifetime membership in Club 55. What’s Club 55, you ask? It’s anyone who can provide a paycheck proving that they worked for Disney during its opening year of 1955. Few people qualified, but the 40th POTUS was one of them. 

9. Kevin Richardson

Image: ElHormiguero, Flickr (license)

Okay, since this isn’t the 1990s, we may be stretching the definition of celebrity to include one of the Backstreet Boys. However, he still merits mention here since he was quite the worker bee at Walt Disney World. Richardson portrayed several costumed characters and worked as a tour guide. His most memorable gig was as one of the Teenage Mutant Turtles during the time they were a presence at Disney-MGM Studios.

Richardson was also lucky in love while working as a cast member. The man who played Prince Eric in an Aladdin show fell in love with an employee portraying Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Her name is Kristin Kay Willits, and they first started dating just before Richardson quit Disney to start singing with the Backstreet Boys. They eventually married in 2000 and remain together to this day. Belle with Prince Eric sounds like slash fiction, but it’s actually an incredibly sweet story of a musician meeting the woman of his dreams while they both worked at the Most Magical Place on Earth.

10. Robin Williams

Image: Castles, Capes & Clones, Flickr (license)

Sometimes the perfect job lands in the lap of just the right person. In the case of Robin Williams, you might think that I’m speaking of his legendary work on Good Morning, Vietnam, where he portrayed wartime military disc jockey Adrian Cronauer or possibly his Academy Award-winning work as a psychiatrist in Good Will Hunting. As a huge fan of the artist, I agree that both performances were exemplary, but they’re not the ones I mean.

Robin Williams once worked as a tour guide on Jungle Cruise. Can you even imagine what those 12-minute journeys would have been like? We’re talking about a man whose life’s breath was improvisation. That poor Jungle Cruise script never had a chance! If someone ever found audio of Williams on Jungle Cruise, they’d go viral in an instant. Please make this happen, internet!