Celebrity-Owned Businesses That Aren’t Predictable Celebrity Side Hustles
Having a side business in case your main gig nose-dives is always a good idea, and that’s what many celebrities do.
Actors often start their own production companies, singers delve into another aspect of the music business and athletes look to stay in the sport they played in another capacity.
This story isn’t about those predictable side hustles.
Instead, we rounded up some celebrity-owned businesses that differ from what they usually do for a living, but so far have been successful. Read on. You may be surprised.
Marshfield Hills General Store
Owner: Steve Carell
Best known for: Acting
Business type: Retail
Location: Marshfield, Massachusetts
Actor and “The Office” funnyman Steve Carell owns a general store in the town of Marshfield, Massachusetts, where he and his wife, Nancy Walls, like to spend their summers.
If you time it right, you might run into Carell stocking shelves in the store. He likes the vibe there where he can dip into the penny candy for free and where customers converse over cups of coffee. He considered the purchase of this store an emotional investment as opposed to a business decision because he wants to preserve a piece of Americana.
Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet
Owner: Mark Wahlberg
Best known for: Acting
Business type: Auto dealership
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Oscar-nominated actor Mark Wahlberg recently unveiled his new car dealership in Columbus, Ohio.
Every vehicle comes with a “Three-Day Back Guarantee,” which means if you don’t love the new or pre-owned vehicle you bought, feel free to bring it back within three days. He put his name on the dealership so he wants happy, satisfied customers.
Vanderpump Pets
Owner: Lisa Vanderpump
Best known for: Reality television
Business type: Pet accessories
Location: Online
London-born Lisa Vanderpump regularly appears on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” After their two children fled the nest, Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd, adopted several four-legged family members to fill the space.
Their business, Vanderpump Pets, caters to those furry friends. Unique and often sparkly leashes, collars, apparel and more fill out the lineup.
Walton’s Fancy & Staple
Owner: Sandra Bullock
Best known for: Acting
Business type: Deli, gifts and flowers
Location: Austin, Texas
Just like her acting chops, Sandra Bullock’s business in Austin, Texas, covers a wide range. You can dine there, order a catered meal, buy fresh flowers and select from a variety of gift items.
Bullock may be remembered most for her portrayal of the tenacious mother (Leigh Anne Tuohy) in “The Blind Side,” which garnered her an Academy Award.
Star Waggons
Owner: Lyle Waggoner
Best known for: Acting
Business type: Luxury trailers
Location: Based in Los Angeles
Millennials will need to hop into a wayback machine to figure out Lyle Waggoner starred on “The Carol Burnett Show” from 1967-1974.
Waggoner spent considerable time in movie star location trailers between rehearsals and performances, and he knew which ones he preferred. So, in retirement, he started a business that provides luxury location trailers to the entertainment industry.
William Murray Golf
Owner: Bill Murray
Best known for: Acting
Business type: Golf attire
Location: Online
Legendary comedian Bill Murray will always be remembered for his “Saturday Night Live” characters and the movies “Caddyshack” and “Ghostbusters.”
Murray and his brothers thought golfers took their attire a little too seriously, so they founded a golf apparel company featuring clothes they’d like to wear.
No more boring polo shirts. These clothes are fun and ooze personality.
Leafs by Snoop
Owner: Snoop Dogg
Best known for: Music
Business type: Marijuana
Locations: Colorado and elsewhere
Okay, this one might be a little predictable.
West Coast based rapper, singer, songwriter and actor, Snoop Dogg frequently tries to change his name. He’s gone by DJ Snoopadelic, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Snoop Lion and Snoopzilla, but none of those handles have stuck.
However, his medical and recreational-marijuana product business Leafs by Snoop seems to have discovered the pot at the end of the rainbow.
SJP Collection
Owner: Sarah Jessica Parker
Best known for: Acting
Business type: Shoes
Locations: Dubai; Las Vegas; New York City; Oxon Hill, Maryland
Sarah Jessica Parker, aka Carrie Bradshaw in the series “Sex and the City,” suffered many outrageous shoe moments on the show. So, who better to start her own line of luxury footwear?
Launched in February of 2014, each shoe in the collection is handcrafted by a Tuscany shoemaker.
Dollywood
Owner: Dolly Parton
Best known for: Music
Business type: Theme park
Location: Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Country singer Dolly Parton has made many significant contributions through her philanthropy, and she also wants folks to have fun. She owns her own theme park along with Herschend Family Entertainment in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Dollywood gets rave reviews for its welcoming staff, live music performances, delightful southern food and thrill rides. She’s been working “9 to 5” to make the world a better place.
Elway Car Dealerships
Owner: John Elway
Best known for: Football
Business type: Auto dealership
Location: Colorado
Football fans need no introduction to this superstar quarterback, but for the rest of us, he led the Denver Broncos to five NFL Super Bowls.
After retiring from the sport in 1998, he went to work as the team’s general manager. In 2008 he added to his portfolio by buying a group of car dealerships based in Fort Collins, Colorado.
V Starr Interiors
Owner: Venus Williams
Best known for: Tennis
Business type: Interior design
Location: Jupiter, Florida
When playing tennis is no longer lucrative, champion Venus Williams can fall back on her interior design business based in Jupiter, Florida.
She started the venture in 2002 because of her love for design. By blending her business acumen with her skills learned on the court, she created a firm dedicated to satisfying her clients by getting to know them, asking about their vision and discovering how they want to use a specific space.
Goop
Owner: Gwyneth Paltrow
Best known for: Acting
Business type: Lifestyle
Location: Online, Los Angeles, New York City, plus pop-up stores currently in Dallas and London
Famous for playing complex characters like William Shakespeare’s fictional love interest in “Shakespeare in Love,” to a superhero partner in flicks like “The Avengers” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” Gwyneth Paltrow likes to share her philosophy on healthy living.
In 2008, she launched the lifestyle brand, Goop. Its inventory runs the gamut from bargains to pricey, with apparel, skincare products, fragrances and more.
Goop’s website is a burgeoning source of advice about almost any topic imaginable.
Sugarpova
Owner: Maria Sharapova
Best known for: Tennis
Business type: Candy
Location: Online, plus available at various retail stores
Russian-born five-time Grand Slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova likes sweets. To get the kind and quality she wanted, she started her own candy business.
First came gummy candy, then a mouth-melting premium chocolate line. Her favorite of all her products, Quirky, is a licorice with a marshmallow center and rainbow colors on the outside.
She also decided to share her business knowledge with others and she mentors female entrepreneurs.
The Honest Company
Owner: Jessica Alba
Best known for: Acting
Business type: Safe products
Location: Online, plus available at various retail stores
Best known for the lead role she played on the TV series “Dark Angel” in the early 2000s, Jessica Alba founded The Honest Company in 2011.
The company sells non-toxic beauty and baby products. Alba wanted safe, effective products for her own use and that’s why she created this company. Her inventory now includes cleaning supplies, infant formula, prenatal vitamins and more.
Draper James
Owner: Reese Witherspoon
Best known for: Acting
Business type: Clothing and accessories
Locations: Online, plus stores in Atlanta; Dallas; Lexington, KY; and Nashville
Besides acting and producing films, and creating a media company, Reese Witherspoon tapped into her entrepreneurial skills to open her own clothing line for women.
Draper James also sells accessories for both humans and pets, and home décor. All the products speak to the charm of the South, as was Witherspoon’s intent.