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Quiz about Homeless to High Society
Quiz about Homeless to High Society

Homeless to High Society Trivia Quiz


It helps to be born with the proverbial silver spoon, but not always. These rich and famous people were once homeless and are modern-day Horatio Alger heroes. Try to identify them

A multiple-choice quiz by SixShutouts66. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
394,520
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
419
Last 3 plays: Guest 206 (3/10), Guest 172 (9/10), Guest 175 (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. It's fitting that my name is on a Top Ten list, since that was one of my trademarks as an American late-night television host. However, a few years after finishing college in the Midwest I moved to California and regularly slept in my 1973 Chevy pickup truck before landing a job as a comedy writer. Who am I? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Whatever you think, I'm really not John Chapman - even though there may be similarities. For a short while I attended Reed College in Oregon and slept in dorm room beds made available by friends and acquaintances whenever I could - or I slept out on the street. I never finished college, but created digital products you probably use every day. Who am I? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. When my parents marriage turned violent, I convinced my mother to move with me and her other children to a homeless shelter in Toronto. At age 16 I often had to sleep in a vacant house or buses. After singing in bars with small bands my career took off, and "Man, I Feel Like a Woman Now". Who am I? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. I promise I won't reveal the incorrect winner this time, although I became famous for doing just that. I was impoverished after a costly divorce and spent three years homeless when I wasn't working on comedy gigs. Now it's hard to miss me between my game show (once emceed by Richard Dawson), a daily talk show, and my books. Who am I? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The Grinch really stole Christmas from me. When growing up in Canada, my father lost his job and our family lived out of a van. I quit school at age 15 to work as a janitor to help my family survive. I have gone on to be famous for my zany comedy where I've been a riddler and a pet detective among other things. Who am I? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. My childhood does not classify as a Nirvana. My parents divorced when I was young. I was passed around to extended family members during my childhood and eventually ended up sleeping under a bridge before making it as a musician. Who am I? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. I became a little tramp at age 14 in London after my mother had a mental breakdown. My brother and I survived on whatever food we could find. After such a miserable childhood, it must be surprising that I became an iconic comic actor. Who am I? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. I spent time growing up living in our car or at the YMCA when my father was going back to school. Later I shared a psychiatric practice with him in Wichita Falls, Texas. Along the way I impressed Oprah Winfrey, working with her for several years before starting my own show. Who am I, America's pop psychologist? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. I'm the true underdog of this bunch. Before running up steps in Philadelphia chasing a seemingly quixotic dream, I was living in a bus terminal in New York City and escaped only by acting in an adult movie for two days. Who am I? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. I was fired from my job because I refused the advances of my employer. I couldn't pay rent on my apartment and was forced to live in my car for a month. I almost died when I became sick and had no health insurance. But my upbringing in Alaska toughened me and my career as a folk/pop sing took off. Who am I? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 27 2024 : Guest 206: 3/10
Mar 22 2024 : Guest 172: 9/10
Mar 15 2024 : Guest 175: 7/10
Feb 10 2024 : rossian: 7/10
Feb 07 2024 : Hayes1953: 6/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. It's fitting that my name is on a Top Ten list, since that was one of my trademarks as an American late-night television host. However, a few years after finishing college in the Midwest I moved to California and regularly slept in my 1973 Chevy pickup truck before landing a job as a comedy writer. Who am I?

Answer: David Letterman

David Letterman grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from Ball State University in 1969. For several years afterwards he worked at an Indianapolis radio station. In 1973 he moved to Los Angeles in hopes of landing a job as a comedy writer. Until he was hired by Jimmy Walker as a writer, Letterman lived out of his truck.

He later landed a job as a late-night television host for a show which lasted between 1982 and 2015. He was noted for his "Stupid Pet Tricks" and "Top Ten Reasons Why..." routines on the show.
2. Whatever you think, I'm really not John Chapman - even though there may be similarities. For a short while I attended Reed College in Oregon and slept in dorm room beds made available by friends and acquaintances whenever I could - or I slept out on the street. I never finished college, but created digital products you probably use every day. Who am I?

Answer: Steve Jobs

Hopefully the reference to Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) gave you a clue to Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple.

Steve Jobs was adopted by a blue-collar family and displayed a precocious talent in electronics. He attended college for a short time, but his parents were unable to fund it. He ended up dropping out, although he audited classes for a while. He collected bottles for spending money and reputedly walked seven miles every Sunday for a large meal at the local Hare Krishna temple.

Jobs worked for a while for Atari Corporation for the first video games and developed illegal "blue boxes" to spoof telephone companies. He and Steve Wozniak, whom he met in high school, formed Apple Corporation, which grew to one of the largest in the world. Jobs eventually was replaced as CEO of Apple, but was brought back when the company floundered in his absence.
3. When my parents marriage turned violent, I convinced my mother to move with me and her other children to a homeless shelter in Toronto. At age 16 I often had to sleep in a vacant house or buses. After singing in bars with small bands my career took off, and "Man, I Feel Like a Woman Now". Who am I?

Answer: Shania Twain

Shania Twain was born Eileen Edwards, but assumed the surname of her stepfather Jerry Twain. She sang at bars from the age of eight to help her impoverished parents. After their marriage turned violent, she lived with her mother and siblings in a homeless shelter for two years. When Shania was 22, her mother and stepfather died in a car crash; and she raised her younger siblings.

While starting out her career, she adopted the name Shania, claiming it meant "on my way" in her stepfather's native Ojibwa language. She later reached stardom in both country and pop music, with "Man, I Feel Like A Woman Now" being a signature song.
4. I promise I won't reveal the incorrect winner this time, although I became famous for doing just that. I was impoverished after a costly divorce and spent three years homeless when I wasn't working on comedy gigs. Now it's hard to miss me between my game show (once emceed by Richard Dawson), a daily talk show, and my books. Who am I?

Answer: Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey was a coal miner's son. In the late 1980s he spent time homeless and showered at gas stations and swimming pools when he was not working gigs at hotels.

He's had a long career as a stand-up comedian, hosted a radio and TV talk shows, and currently hosts the popular TV game show "Family Feud". He is the author of "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man", a surprising commercial success.

Harvey is most famous for his faux pas at the 2015 Miss Universe pageant when he mistakenly read the name of first runner-up Miss Colombia as the winner. Only after she had been crowned, did he realize the mistake and announce the actual winner, Miss Philippines. Despite the error (or because of the publicity it generated), he returned the following years as host.
5. The Grinch really stole Christmas from me. When growing up in Canada, my father lost his job and our family lived out of a van. I quit school at age 15 to work as a janitor to help my family survive. I have gone on to be famous for my zany comedy where I've been a riddler and a pet detective among other things. Who am I?

Answer: Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey was born in Canada and spent time homeless after his father lost his job. He was aided by comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who brought him to Las Vegas. He gained widespread attention as a member of the cast for "In Living Color". He then had commercial success in the movies "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", "Dumb and Dumber", "Mask", and "How The Grinch Stole Christmas".
6. My childhood does not classify as a Nirvana. My parents divorced when I was young. I was passed around to extended family members during my childhood and eventually ended up sleeping under a bridge before making it as a musician. Who am I?

Answer: Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain was the leader of the influential band Nirvana. After his troubled childhood he formed the band, which was the leader of the "grunge" music style - a fusion of punk rock and heavy metal. He struggled with heroin addiction and depression and a tempestuous marriage to singer Courtney Love. He died from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to his head at age 27.
7. I became a little tramp at age 14 in London after my mother had a mental breakdown. My brother and I survived on whatever food we could find. After such a miserable childhood, it must be surprising that I became an iconic comic actor. Who am I?

Answer: Charlie Chaplin

Chaplin was born to an impoverished family and was sent to a workhouse twice before age nine and housed in an institute for destitute children. By 10 he was appearing in dancing shows and plays. Later as a young man he toured North America's vaudeville circuit with a company that included Stan Laurel.

Chaplin adopted the "tramp" character in early silent films for Mack Sennett. He successfully transitioned to "talkies" with "City Light", "Modern Times", and "The Great Dictator" among his more famous films. He was controversial for his time for his lifestyle and supposed political leanings.
8. I spent time growing up living in our car or at the YMCA when my father was going back to school. Later I shared a psychiatric practice with him in Wichita Falls, Texas. Along the way I impressed Oprah Winfrey, working with her for several years before starting my own show. Who am I, America's pop psychologist?

Answer: Phil McGraw

After some difficult family situations in his younger years, Dr. Phil attended the University of Tulsa on a football scholarship. His psyche survived a drubbing of 100-6 loss against the University of Houston, and he later was awarded a psychology degree at Midwestern State University.

In 1995 he assisted Oprah Winfrey in a legal matter, and she invited him to appear on her popular show. She later offered him a weekly feature on relationships and life strategies. He then wrote several successful books and was offered his own television show.
9. I'm the true underdog of this bunch. Before running up steps in Philadelphia chasing a seemingly quixotic dream, I was living in a bus terminal in New York City and escaped only by acting in an adult movie for two days. Who am I?

Answer: Sylvester Stallone

Stallone had his first starring role in a soft porn film that he was paid $200 after being evicted from his apartment and finding himself homeless. He had spent three weeks at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City prior to seeing the casting call for the film.

He played minor roles in movies and TV shows until he completed the script for the film "Rocky", which showed the hero Rocky Balboa training by running up the steps of the Philadelphia Library. Several studios offered to buy the script, but place another actor in the starring role. However, Stallone refused the offer until he was also offered the lead role. Since then he has been involved in several sequels to "Rocky" and "Rambo".
10. I was fired from my job because I refused the advances of my employer. I couldn't pay rent on my apartment and was forced to live in my car for a month. I almost died when I became sick and had no health insurance. But my upbringing in Alaska toughened me and my career as a folk/pop sing took off. Who am I?

Answer: Jewel Kilcher

Jewel Kilcher was born in Utah, but raised in Alaska, where her father stars in the show "Alaska: The Last Frontier". She grew up in the wilderness in a house without indoor plumbing and thrived in the primitive environment. She and her father supplemented their incoming by performing as a father-daughter singing act in Alaska. Their small community of Homer assisted her with money to attend a music school in Michigan as a teen.

She was a local favorite in Southern California living in a van until her album "Pieces of You" was released.
Source: Author SixShutouts66

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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