10 Stars You Didn't Know Worked At Hooters

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Even if you’ve never been, you likely know the reputation that Hooters has. It’s basically a sports bar known for the “assets” of its waitresses. The women who work there have to be comfortable wearing short orange shorts and a fitted t-shirt that shows off their breasts. Some see this as extremely objectifying, while others don’t see the big deal and enjoy going to Hooters to watch a game or grab a bite to eat with friends. Others see it as an alternative to stripping for money, which definitely doesn’t make working at Hooters sound extremely appealing.

At the end of the day, people have to do what they have to do in order to make ends meet. It’s highly unlikely that the women who work at Hooters want to make a long-term career of it. Some of the Hooters waitresses even turned out to be celebrities after paying their dues at the popular chain restaurant. While we’re sure these stars are glad they no longer have to deliver chicken wings to tables of “hungry” diners anymore, we’re guessing that having the public find out about their previous Hooters employment status isn’t the worst thing that can happen. After all, there are some celebs who actually used to be strippers. Here are 10 celebrities you probably didn’t know worked at Hooters.

10. Samantha Burke

Samantha Burke is a model, but these days, she is best known for being the mother of actor Jude Law’s fourth child. Burke actually got her start working at Hooters, and it seems that she’s “struck gold” by having a child with a movie star. Burke was just 24 years old when she and Jude had their daughter Sophia, and it was reported that Law didn’t see the child until she was five months old. Jude met his daughter for the first time when he and Samantha met to discuss child support arrangements. Perhaps the reason Law was so distant with the mother of his love child was because he’d rekindled his relationship with Sienna Miller by the time Sophia was born.

9. Naya Rivera

Actress Naya Rivera has been in the spotlight since she was a little girl (you may remember her guest appearance on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). Rivera has also been in a number of music videos, and is now best known for her role on Fox’s Glee. Before her acting career really took off, Naya was a waitress at a California Hooters. Hey, bills have to be paid while you’re trying to work your way to stardom. Rivera also made headlines for her relationship and engagement to rapper Big Sean. The rapper penned a musical response to their breakup called “IDFWY.” Naya went on to marry Ryan Dorsey, and the couple has one child.

8. Leangela Davis

Leangela Davis is a former Hooters employee, and she’s also been a contestant on America’s Next Top Model. Davis also has the distinction of appearing in every Hooters magazine since 2007, and once earned the title of "Miss Hooters International". She won the crown in 2010, and is the first African-American woman to hold the title. She had the honor of being on the cover of the 2011 Hooters calendar, and decided to wear a bikini made from military patches. Davis came up with the idea after her visit to Kuwait. Leangela also signed a deal with FoxSports.com to cover events, after the company got wind of all her accomplishments.

7. Leeann Tweeden

Leeann Tweeden worked as a Hooters hostess when she was pursuing her modeling career. She’s now gaining popularity in the modeling world, and is also a TV host. Tweeden admits that she was a tomboy growing up, but decided that she wanted to be a model when she graduated from high school. While she was working at Hooters, she got her first modeling gig and became the winner of the Venus International Model Search. She also appeared in the Hooters calendar twice during the 1990s. These days, you can catch Tweeden on the shows The Best Damn Sports Show Period and on Fox Sports Net.

6. Jerri Manthey

Jerri Manthey is known for her time on the intense reality show, Survivor. Before her appearance on the show, she worked at Hooters for several years. Since she had the determination and grit to make it as far as she did on Survivor, she likely didn’t have a problem handling some of the creeps who are known to come through the doors of Hooters. Manthey was an “Army brat,” born in Stuttgart, Germany, and in addition to being on Survivor, she also had parts in the shows The Surreal Life and Extreme Dodgeball. Manthey also appeared nude in an issue of Playboy magazine in 2001.

5. Alison Waite

When Playmate and model Alison Waite was just an aspiring starlet, she took a job at Hooters to pay for her college tuition. Waite is a native of California and majored in Gerontology at San Diego State University. In 2005, she graduated with her master’s degree. She was discovered by Hugh Hefner at a Midsummer’s Night party at the Playboy mansion, and in 2006, Waite was May’s Playmate of the Month. She was also one of the four finalists for Playmate of the Year in 2007. Alison Waite also appeared on the reality shows The Girls Next Door and Kendra. While she seems to be doing pretty well for herself, she clearly has something to fall back on if this modeling thing stops working out.

4. Jesse Jane

Jesse Jane is proud to be affiliated with Hooters. She’s appeared in the company’s magazine, and even starred in one of their commercials. After all, working at Hooters is pretty mild compared to what Jane is known for these days. The adult film star has also won a few Hawaiian Tropics beauty contests, and even snagged at spot in the 2003 movie Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding. Jesse Jane grew up in a military family and had a love for dancing and sports, so she used these interests to become a cheerleader. In addition to winning awards for her work in adult movies, Jesse Jane (whose real name is Cindy Taylor) also has a line of sex toys that is doing quite well.

3. Vienna Girardi

Vienna Girardi is known for her appearances on The Bachelor in 2002, and Bachelor Pad in 2010. She also appeared on The Bachelor: Jason and Molly’s Wedding in 2010. Girardi was married to Josh Riley, but when the two divorced, she worked at Hooters to make ends meet. She later met and got engaged to Jake Pavelka, but split with him in June of 2010. Vienna is a native of Geneva, Florida, and though she hasn’t been in the spotlight for a while, she tried to make a comeback by getting a nose job in 2011, performed by Dr. Franklin Rose, her friend Erica Rose’s dad. When she’s not appearing on reality TV, Girardi is running a boutique in Orlando.

2. Holly Madison

Holly Madison rose to fame when she starred in the reality show The Girls Next Door, which centered around the lives of the women living in the Playboy mansion. She also appeared in her own spin-off reality show called Holly’s World. Before Madison rose to fame, she worked at Hooters so she could put herself through college. She majored in theater and psychology while in school. In addition to being in reality shows, Madison has also appeared on TV shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She ended her relationship with Hugh Hefner years ago, and wrote a tell-all book about her time in the mansion. Madison has also stated that she enjoys a quieter life that involves raising her young daughter.

1. Amy Adams

Amy Adams has such a sweet face and angelic persona that you’d never think she took a job at Hooters as a young woman. When Adams was 18, she waited tables at the popular restaurant so she could earn enough money to buy a car. Adams is one of seven children and was born into a Mormon family, which makes her time at Hooters even more surprising. During high school, she sang in the choir and was an apprentice dancer at a local dance company, in hopes of one day becoming a ballerina. These days, Adams is best known for her work in movies like Enchanted, Catch Me If You Can and American Hustle.

Sources: ranker.com, madamenoire.com, imdb.com, dispatch.com