Very few popular actors in our industries go through routes that are typical of other professions - an acting school and years of getting trained, eventually leading to a degree of some sort. In fact, most of the actors who have made it big have professional histories that rarely have anything to do with acting. Here's a list of the day jobs that some well-known actors tossed away before turning to acting.
Mammootty: After completing LLB from Ernakulam Law College, he was practising for two years at Manjeri. He has often spoken about how he would visit directors for acting opportunities during this period and finally made his debut in Vilkkanundu Swapnangal in 1980. He is also the chairman of Malayalam Communications, which runs Kairali TV.
Nivin Pauly: After passing out from FISAT (Federal Institute of Science and Technology), Nivin got into Infosys, Bengaluru, as a software engineer through campus placement. After slogging there for three years, he resigned and decided to pursue his dream as an actor. Back in college, he, along with his friends would make short films set in the backdrop of their college. He made his debut in Malarvadi Arts Club, directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan, after auditions.
Parvathy: She was hosting a musical show for Kiran TV before entering films. She was selected for her first film Out of Syllabus after an audition.
Nazriya: She began as a child actor (Palunku) and later worked at Asianet, anchoring some of their popular reality shows.
Remya Nambeesan: Though she started as a child actor (Sayanham, Narendran Makan Jayakantan Vaka), Remya, apart from being a trained classical dancer, was also a popular anchor on Kairali TV. In fact, she got an offer to play heroine after the show became popular.
Sathyan: Sathyan was with the Travancore State Police and was posted at the Alappuzha North police station during the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising. He worked as a soldier (Viceroy's Commissioned Officer), clerk and as a school teacher besides serving in the British army during the second World War.
Bheeman Raghu: The quintessential villain was a cop before he entered cinema. He also has an LLB degree from the Government Law College. The actor, who made his debut in Bheeman (hence the name), has over 400 films to his credit.
Mohan Raj: Better known as Keerikkadan Jose (after the famous villain in Kireedam), he is a graduate in Economics from Government Arts College, Thiruvananthapuram, who joined the Indian Armed Forces and later worked in the Central Board of Excise and Customs, and Kerala Police before becoming an officer in the Enforcement Directorate. The actor is currently working as Enforcement Assistant Commissioner in Madurai.
Jagadish: This M.Com. rank-holder started as a Federal Bank officer and later took up a position as lecturer in M.G. College,Thiruvananthapuram. At first, he ventured into films (debuted in My Dear Kuttichathan) by keeping his job and taking extended leaves. But once his career started going steady, he quit his job and took up cinema full-time.
Narendra Prasad: He started as a lecturer in English, got into government service and worked as lecturer at the Government Victoria College, Palakkad, and Government Arts College, Thiruvananthapuram, and as professor at University College, Thiruvananthapuram. In 1989 while working as professor of English at University College, he was selected for the prestigious post of Director, School of Letters of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. He continued in this post till his demise.
Sukumaran: He was an English professor and took an LLB degree while acting. It was during his tenure at Nagercoil as a lecturer that he got an offer to act in Nirmalyam.
MG Soman: He along with Sukumaran and Jayan ruled the '70s and not many are aware that he retired from the Indian Air Force, and worked in Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair’s drama troupe before entering films.
Jayan: He served in the Indian Navy for 16 years and was looking for various jobs when a chance meeting with actor Jose Prakash’s son got him his first film offer. It was the antihero role in Sharapancharam that made him a superstar.
MG Sreekumar: It’s a bit like the film Bharatham. Like Mohanlal’s character, MG Sreekumar used to work in a bank and assist his brother musician MG Radhakrishnan’s kutcheris, till good friend Priyadarshan called him to cinema.
Midhun Manuel Thomas: He was working as a Management Trainer in Dubai and fearing that he might end up as a “Dubaikkaran”, he fled from there feigning a long leave. Back home, it was Aju Varghese who introduced him to Jude Antony Joseph. First Ohm Shanthi Oshaana (2014) happened, and that led to Aadu: Oru Bheegara Jeeviyanu (2015).
Vijay Babu: He began with Star India, quit that and left for Dubai to be an entrepreneur. He later joined as the COO of Asianet and Sitara TV in Hyderabad. It was while working as the Vice President of Surya TV that Sandra Thomas asked him to be her partner in a film production company—Friday Film House.
Murali Gopy: After finishing his Journalism course, he joined The New Indian Express as a sub-editor/reporter, shifted to UAE and worked in a sports magazine, he then worked briefly in The Hindu and headed MSN India Entertainment for a few years. In 2012, he resigned the job to be more active in films.
Anoop Menon: This first-rank holder from Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram, was working as compere on Kairali TV and Surya TV before he got offers in television. He debuted as an actor in Vinayan’s Kattuchembakam and as a screenwriter in Pakal Nakshathrangal.