These Famous Faces Have Been Making You Laugh for Years, but Do You Know How They Got Their Starts?

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Who Am I?

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Zach Galifianakis in a 1988 Senior Yearbook Photo; Zach Galifianakis Now

This Wilkesboro, North Carolina, native was making audiences laugh in such shows as Boston Common and Tru Calling long before hitting it big on the big screen in The Hangover. Galifianakis’s quirky style shines in his Between Two Ferns series and when he hosts SNL. We can't wait to see what comes next from this one-of-a-kind talent!

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Who Am I?

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Amy Poehler in a 1998 Yearbook Photo; Amy Poehler Now

This Burlington, Massachusetts, native burst onto the scene on Saturday Night Live, ruling the Weekend Update desk and mastering impersonations such as Hillary Clinton. Although she left the venerable NBC show, Poehler has found great success on the big and small screen alike, most recently on Parks and Recreation.

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Who Am I?

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Chevy Chase Then; Chevy Chase Now

Cornelius Crane Chase has been a staple of American comedy since his days on Saturday Night Live and the Fletch and National Lampoon movie series. He was a staple on the cult favorite Community, and we expect to see much more of Chase in the years to come.

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Who Am I?

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Rainn Wilson in a 1984 Senior Yearbook Photo; Rainn Wilson Now

Wilson attended New Trier High School—one of the best on the north shores of Chicagoland and the scene of several John Hughes films. It’s no wonder he was stricken with the comedic bug. As Dwight Schrute on the popular NBC sitcom The Office, Wilson brought laughs weekly with Dwight’s idiosyncrasies and pranks. The brain behind SoulPancake and an actor on the big screen as well, Wilson is hitting his stride.

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Who Am I?

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Steve Carell in a 1979 Yearbook Photo; Steve Carell Now

Yet another comedian to come out of Massachusetts, Carell honed his comedic chops at the Second City in Chicago before turning his attention to Hollywood. Though everyone fretted about the ability to find an actor who could bring Ricky Gervais’s character to hilarious life on the NBC version of the British hit The Office, Carell left all those doubters in the dust, not only making the sitcom a hit but following it up with a brilliant film career as well.

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Who Am I?

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Tina Fey in a 1988 Senior Yearbook Photo; Tina Fey Now

This hilarious woman from Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, has the Midas touch. She started on the Chicago improv scene, lighting up the stage at the Second City. She then moved on to Saturday Night Live, eventually becoming the first female head writer. Her time at the Weekend Update desk was a creative high for the show, and even after she left SNL,, she came back to impersonate such pop-culture icons as Sarah Palin. Now that she was the producer and star of the award-winning 30 Rock and a New York Times best-selling author, we are convinced there is nothing this woman can’t do.

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Who Am I?

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Andy Richter in a 1984 Yearbook Photo; Andy Richter Now

Who would have guessed that this Yorkville, New York, senior would grow up to be one of the best comedic sidekicks of our generation? Conan O’Brien’s right-hand man is not just a second banana, and has a successful career on the big and small screens as an actor and voice-over artist. He can be heard in Madagascar 3.

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Who Am I?

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Arsenio Hall in a 1978 Yearbook Photo; Arsenio Hall Now

This Kent State alumnus (and competitive speech team member) has gone from late-night television host to voice-over artist and actor in recent years, appearing in such shows as Arsenio and Martial Law. We wonder if his famous arm pump ever makes an appearance.

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Who Am I?

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Bill Maher in a 1974 Senior Yearbook Photo; Bill Maher Now

Maher started his career as a stand-up comic while at Cornell University, landing such impressive gigs such as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He then moved on to his own politically skewed and irreverent shows Politically Incorrect and Real Time with Bill Maher.

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Who Am I?

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Conan O’Brien in a 1981 Senior Yearbook Photo; Conan O’Brien Now

This Brookline, Massachusetts, native and Harvard alum was funny behind the scenes long before he made the jump to his own late-night show, writing for SNL and The Simpsons. O’Brien’s sarcastic and sardonic humor has always been a huge hit. If you ever wonder how beloved he is, just google “Team Coco.”

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Who Am I?

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Jay Leno in a 1968 Yearbook Photo; Jay Leno Now

Another hilarious Massachusetts native, Leno was handpicked by Johnny Carson as heir to The Tonight Show. However, he has been plagued by some controversy in the last few years when he handed the Tonight reins over to Conan O’Brien and then took them back when his new show failed. His popularity continued despite that. He hosted his last The Tonight Show episode in February 2014.

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Jimmy Fallon in a 1991 Junior Yearbook Photo; Jimmy Fallon Now

Saugerties, New York, native Jimmy Fallon started on SNL in 1998 while also balancing a film career with such hits as Almost Famous and Fever Pitch. He left Saturday Night Live and the Weekend Update desk in 2009 for his own late-night show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, but still found time to guest-star on SNL. He followed in Leno's footsteps in February 2014, beginning his reign of The Tonight Show.

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Jimmy Kimmel in a 1984 Junior Yearbook Photo; Jimmy Kimmel Now

This funnyman from Sin City hit the airwaves with a variety of radio shows before hitting it big with The Man Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Once famously linked to Sarah Silverman, this father of two is a die-hard television fan himself, often hosting the stars of his favorite shows multiple times (ahem, The Bachelor).

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Who Am I?

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Jon (Leibowitz) Stewart in a 1980 Yearbook Photo; Jon Stewart Now

Few people know that the multiple award-winning host of The Daily Show (and William and Mary alum) started out as an actor. Although his comic timing was great in movies, nothing compares to his great take on the news—intelligent and hilarious!

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Who Am I?

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Stephen Colbert in a 1982 Senior Yearbook Photo; Stephen Colbert Now

This South Carolina native became hugely popular with audiences as a correspondent for The Daily Show but broke into his own niche with the equally hilarious The Colbert Report. Mr. Colbert, we are all grateful that you brought humor up a notch for America.

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Who Am I?

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Jim Carrey in a Sophomore Yearbook Photo; Jim Carrey Now

This rubber-faced comedian broke onto the scene in a big way with his starring, and scene-stealing, roles on the sketch comedy show In Living Color. Determined to be a success, Carrey famously wrote himself a $20 million check knowing he’d be able to cash it one day. And he was right! Carrey has turned into one of the most successful movie stars of our generation—and we know there’s a lot more to come from this man of a million faces!

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Kathy Griffin in a Yearbook Photo; Kathy Griffin Now

This flame-haired actress from the Chicago suburbs has been wowing audiences since her days at Oak Park River Forest High School in 1978. A proud member of the D-list, Griffin has done everything from comedic performances for our troops to television series and red-carpet commentary. We love watching and wondering what will come next.

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Sacha Baron Cohen in the 1990s; Sacha Baron Cohen Now

It took a while for this Brit, originally known for Da Ali G Show, to make his way onto the international scene, but once he did, he became a worldwide favorite. Married to Wedding Crashers actress Isla Fisher, this father of two’s most recent box office hit was The Dictator.