Meryl Streep is one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, much-loved the world over thanks to her kind demeanor, her acting prowess, and cheerfulness. One sleuth managed to dig up her high school yearbook in 2012 and found photographic evidence that Streep was a varsity cheerleader at Bernards High School in New Jersey.
The picture features Streep – instantly recognizable – wearing her classic cheer uniform and sporting a kind smile. She went on to make her mark with the help of blockbusters like “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Out of Africa,” and “Doubt” however, her most remarkable role was, without a doubt “Sophie’s Choice,” which brought her numerous awards.
Eva Longoria
Unlike many of the names on this list, cheerleading wasn't just a fun activity for Mexican-American actress Eva Longoria. For her, it led directly to her Hollywood career. Not everyone is born to a celeb parent, and some actually work their way to the top. While cheering at Roy Miller High School in Corpus Cristi, Texas, and at Texas A&M-Kingsville, Longoria appeared in pageants and won the Miss Corpus Cristi pageant in 1988.
Soon after, a theatrical agent in Los Angeles discovered her, and the rest is history. Longoria is best known as Gabrielle Solis in the ABC series "Desperate Housewives."
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford was a cheerleader by the age of fourteen, having been born in Paris but moved to Bowie, Maryland, by the age of four. This future famous name won Maryland's Junior Miss Pageant in 1970, which gave her a springboard to stardom.
After graduating from high school, Gifford went to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and studied drama and music. For more than eleven years, Lee starred on the "Today" show which brought her to a nation's awareness. After a fifteen-year run on 'Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee', there aren't many people who don't recognize this cheerleader.
Sandra Bullock
Wow, another award-winning actress who got her start as a cheerleader. Sandra Bullock has been in numerous incredible movies and television shows, but guess what? She was once a cheerleader. She led pep rallies at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia.
However, Bullock already had her eye on the prize since she was a big part of the school's theater productions before graduating in 1982. Sandra certainly wasn't blind-sided by fame, if her personality is any indication – that time in high school got her started young. She has since adorned our screen in "The Proposal" and "Speed," making her one of the most successful women in the industry.
Steve Martin
You've certainly seen Steve in some of his blockbuster comedy films, thanks to a career that has spanned more than five decades. "Three Amigos" and "Cheaper by The Dozev" are only some of the hysterical pieces. Before he grew to fame in the sixties, he was a member of his high school cheerleading squad in Garden Grove, California.
The man who would go on to become one of the most beloved and famous funny-men in the world also tried his hand at writing cheers for the squad to perform, but they ended up not using them for one reason or another. Don't worry, young Steve, your time will come.