Even Back in High School, These Stars Stood Out—Some Were Most Popular, Some Were Class Clowns. Can You Guess Which Was Which?

willard scott actor yearbook high school young 1951 most popular photo

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Most Popular or Class Clown?

willard scott actor yearbook high school young 1951 most popular photo red carpet 2009

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Willard Scott: Most Popular!

Voted most popular at George Washington High School, Willard Scott was always headed for a life in front of the camera. He began his career as a page at NBC before going on to work in radio and children’s television, eventually ending up as a local weekend weatherman before landing on the Today show in 1980. Though he’s beloved for his kitschy, down-home approach to weather announcing, he wasn’t always popular with his colleagues; in 1989, a memo written by then-Today anchor Bryant Gumbel complained about his colleague’s “bad taste.” Although he has since handed over the day-to-day duties to Al Roker, he can still be counted on to deliver birthday greetings and off-the-cuff comments.

kevin richardson yearbook high school young 1989 most popular photo

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Most Popular or Class Clown?

kevin richardson yearbook high school young 1989 most popular photo red carpet 2011

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Kevin Richardson: Most Popular!

He was already singing and acting, was the captain of the football team, and as a senior at Estill County High School in Kentucky, Kevin Richardson was named most popular. Is it any wonder he went on to become a boy-band idol? Richardson joined his cousin Brian Littrell in the Backstreet Boys in 1993, becoming the group’s tallest and oldest member. (Check out Littrell serenading his cousin for his birthday—in a Donald Duck voice.) Although Richardson left BSB in 2006 to pursue acting and modeling, he still pops in to perform with the Boys from time to time (as in this performance of their signature hit “I Want It That Way” in July 2011).

gillian anderson yearbook young high school 1984 photo

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Most Popular or Class Clown?

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Gillian Anderson: Class Clown!

Best known for serious roles like her career-defining Agent Dana Scully on The X-Files and period pieces like The House of Mirth and The Last King of Scotland, Anderson (seen here as a sophomore in 1984) was voted class clown by her classmates at City High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. If you’re wondering what she must have been like to get that honor, check out how she got to show off her goofy side in a few X-Files episodes.

missy elliot yearbook high school young 1990 photo

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Most Popular or Class Clown?

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Missy Elliott: Class Clown!

As a senior in 1990, Melissa Elliott—you may know her better as Grammy-winning Supa Dupa Fly rapper-producer-singer Missy—was the class clown of Manor High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. Maybe all her early clowning around led to that “Misdemeanor”?

lily tomlin yearbook high school young 1957 most popular photo

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Most Popular or Class Clown?

lily tomlin yearbook high school young 1957 most popular photo red carpet 2011

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Lily Tomlin: Most Popular!

Look at those pearly whites—and those pearls! Cass Technical High School’s most popular of 1957, Lily Tomlin looks like she’s ready to start cracking wise any minute. On Laugh-In, Sesame Street, her comedy specials, and movies like 9 to 5 and All of Me, she cemented her status as one of the funniest funny people ever. The Tony-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning comedian (she’s only an Oscar away from an EGOT!) has brought us beloved characters like telephone operator Ernestine and perpetually five-and-a-half-year-old Edith Ann. In recent years, she’s had memorable roles on Damages and Desperate Housewives. And that’s the truth!

jack nicholson yearbook high school young 1954 photo

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Most Popular or Class Clown?

jack nicholson yearbook high school young 1954 photo red carpet 2010

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Jack Nicholson: Class Clown!

It seems that Jack was always a Joker—even back as a senior in 1954 at Manasquan High School in Manasquan, New Jersey. Having built his career around characters who tend to smile maniacally or seductively (or both) at the drop of a hat, it’s no wonder. From The Shining to Something’s Gotta Give, Jack always gives good grin.

oprah winfrey high school yearbook young 1971 most popular photo

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Most Popular or Class Clown?

oprah winfrey high school yearbook young 1971 most popular photo red carpet 2010

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Oprah Winfrey: Most Popular!

Before she became one of the most influential (not to mention wealthiest) women in the world, Oprah Winfrey was voted most popular at East Nashville High School. She started her career in local radio and TV before earning her own syndicated talk show, and after 25 years of entertaining and educating audiences, she retired the Oprah show. Along the way, she gave cars to studio audiences; established a school for girls in South Africa; made instant best-sellers of new and established authors with her book club; wrote her own books; founded O, The Oprah Magazine; and created the Oxygen and OWN networks. And don’t forget her acting credentials: She was nominated for an Oscar for her movie debut in The Color Purple and appeared in Beloved, Brewster Place, and There Are No Children Here.

tyrese gibson yearbook high school young 1996 photo

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Most Popular or Class Clown?

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Tyrese Gibson: Class Clown!

By 1996, when Tyrese Gibson was voted class clown as a senior at Locke High School in Los Angeles, he was already well on his way to stardom, thanks to successful modeling gigs and his memorable Coca-Cola ad. But things really heated up when he released his first album, started appearing on TV shows like Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, and eventually transitioned into movies like Baby Boy, Four Brothers, and the Transformers franchise.

blake lively yearbook high school young 2005 photo

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Most Popular or Class Clown?

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Blake Lively: Class Clown!

Look at that smile— Blake Lively was clearly cracking herself up in her senior picture at Burbank High School in Burbank, California, in 2005. Nowadays she plays more sexy than silly as Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl and in movies like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

sara evans yearbook high school young 1989 most popular photo

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Most Popular or Class Clown?

sara evans yearbook high school young 1989 most popular photo red carpet 2011

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Sara Evans: Most Popular!

Her smile hasn’t changed a bit, though her hair has certainly improved. Country superstar Sara Evans was already singing at clubs as a senior at New Franklin High School in Missouri. In 1997, she released her first studio album and went on to win numerous awards with hits like “Born to Fly” and “A Real Fine Place to Start.” She’s also an author, has guest-judged on shows like Nashville Star, and made a brief appearance on Dancing with the Stars before withdrawing when news of her imminent divorce became public. Evans—who is one of seven siblings—remarried and now has three kids and four stepkids of her own.