She’s a Star Now, But Megan Fox’s Very First Role Was Far from Hollywood

Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces, Megan Fox held a job that looked very different from the red carpet. During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the actress admitted that the only “real job” she ever had was at a smoothie shop in Florida. While the interview happened on March 7, 2012, the story of Fox’s first job recently resurfaced on Instagram.

One ‘Real’ Job

“My only real job that I ever had was I worked at a little smoothie shop in Florida and I mostly worked behind the register,” Fox told DeGeneres. “But once a week usually on Fridays someone had to dress up as a fruit, a piece of fruit, and go out and stand by the highway. I was a banana, a giant banana.”

DeGeneres later staged a playful moment, surprising Fox by having a man in a banana suit sneak up behind her.

Born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in 1986, Fox began dance and acting lessons at age 5 and modeled competitively by her early teens, winning awards at the American Modeling and Talent Convention. At 17, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting full time.

Her career began with small television roles and an appearance in “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” (2004), but it was Michael Bay’s “Transformers” (2007) that made her a household name. Starring as Mikaela Banes opposite Shia LaBeouf, Fox became one of Hollywood’s most talked-about rising stars, quickly becoming Hollywood’s “It Girl.” She reprised her role in the 2009 sequel, which outgrossed the original worldwide.

In 2009, Fox headlined Diablo Cody’s cult horror-comedy “Jennifer’s Body,” further cementing her place in pop culture. But her firing from the “Transformers” franchise and a string of critically panned films, including “Jonah Hex” (2010) and “Passion Play” (2011), slowed her momentum.

Despite career setbacks, Fox, who has a net worth of around $8 million, has steadily worked in film and television, with credits including “Till Death” (2021), “Midnight in the Switchgrass” (2021), and “Good Mourning” (2022). She appeared in “Expend4bles” (2023).

Today, Fox remains a headline fixture, not only for her acting career but also for her high-profile, off-and-on, high-drama relationship with musician Machine Gun Kelly.