Ever wondered how the rich and famous go to where they are? There are many roads to fame, but only a few of them will make you be recognized around the world. Here are the most common paths to stardom.

1 - Athleticism

Of all the ways to become famous, being a great athlete is one of the hardest. Not only do you need to put in thousands of hours of hard work, but you also need to be incredibly talented. Hard work alone can make you pretty good at a sport, but you need talent and luck if you want to be known around the world for your skill.

Even if you have all that, it will mean little if you choose the wrong sport. Many can name great basketball players, but how many people know the name of the best table tennis player in history?

2 - Acting

Successful actors embody the lifestyle and acclaim that most associate with being famous. The road to success as an actor also requires a lot of good fortune and hard work, but there are good news. Once you become famous enough, your growth becomes exponential, rather than linear.

Watch out for the moment where your face starts being used in marketing material to sell tickets. When your mere presence in a movie becomes a selling point, actors can expect anonymity to become a thing of the past.

3 - Social media

There is a difference between being really famous and being famous online. Having millions of followers may earn you a decent amount of money, but it won’t necessarily lead to people recognizing you on the streets. However, a few very successful influencers do reach the point where they are almost as recognizable as movie stars, especially among a younger audience.

4 - Going viral

There is no way to predict what will become viral. However, if you or something featuring you goes viral overnight, you may wake up and find yourself a famous person. That fame is unlikely to last, and it may be hard to monetize. But for a couple of weeks, it’ll feel like the entire world is talking about you.

5 - Music

Becoming a musical star is one of the oldest ways to become famous. We still know the name of great musicians who lived 300 years ago. And many of today’s celebrities got their start as music stars; some even started performing in their infancy.

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