25 Crazy Old-School Celeb Pics You Won’t Believe Are Real

Believe it or not, Marilyn Monroe used to be just Norma Jeane with natural hair. This 1946 pic shows her at 20, before the whole glam bombshell thing kicked in.

An exec suggested she pick a stage name, and voilà! Marilyn Monroe was born by mixing her mom’s maiden name with a Broadway star’s first name.

It took a whole decade before she made it official in 1956, but this is where the magic started.

In 1983, Princess Leia ditched her spaceship for some fun in the sun during a quirky Rolling Stone shoot. She hung out with Darth Vader, an Ewok, and Jabba’s chunky henchman at the beach.

The photographer called it one of the happiest shoots ever, and you can see why - it’s a vibe.

Who’s meeting who here? In 1956, Marilyn was invited to a royal film event while filming in England. Both ladies were 30, both icons, both probably wondering what the other was thinking.

Christmas 1983 at the White House got a bit wild when Nancy sat on Mr. T’s lap and stole a kiss. Mr. T joked it would start some scandals, and honestly, same.

This unexpected friendship led to Mr. T helping out with Nancy’s “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign. Who knew?

Two TV legends in one room - Betty White and Lucille Ball hanging out at a book signing in 1987. Betty said Lucille was the real deal, no pretenses, always moving those backgammon pieces at lightning speed because she wanted to WIN.

July 17, 1955, was supposed to be magical, but Disneyland’s opening was more chaos than charm. Rides broke down, food ran out, and Fantasyland had a gas leak.

Turns out, more people crashed the party than were invited - about 28,000! Not quite the laid-back launch Walt hoped for.

Behind every great frog is a guy pulling the strings. Here’s Jim Henson rehearsing Kermit on Sesame Street back in 1970.

Fun fact: Kermit started life in 1955, made from a green coat and ping pong balls for eyes. Talk about DIY!

Here’s Jim Henson in the middle, hanging with puppeteers Daniel Seagren and Frank Oz as they rehearse a Bert and Ernie scene in 1970.

Oz later voiced Miss Piggy, Cookie Monster, AND Yoda. Yeah, Yoda.

Here’s James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor cutting loose at the Texas State Fair in 1955 during a break from filming Giant. The energy? Legendary.

Sadly, Dean passed away later that year, making this probably one of the last times they hung out.

If you ever wondered what went on when cameras weren't rolling on The Golden Girls, here’s a sneak peek at their set. Four friends, tons of laughs, and some epic daytime TV magic between 1985 and 1992.

Yes, Madonna and 2Pac dated briefly in 1994! Here they are chatting with Raquel Welch at a NYC party.

Her swear words on Letterman? Totally inspired by Tupac. And that handwritten apology letter Tupac wrote her? Pricetag: $100,000. Drama and star power, served fresh.

This 1988 photo shows the real royal Princess Diana meeting the fictional Roger Rabbit - who honestly looks way more starstruck.

This took place at the London premiere of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a wild world where humans and cartoons hang out like it’s no big deal.

Before there was celebrity impersonation overload on SNL, Madonna rocked a tiara and blue dress to play Princess Di in 1985.

She came back in 1993 to wow audiences with her killer vocals and some seriously cool performances.

Remember when Britney danced with a giant yellow python at the 2001 VMAs? Here’s her getting ready for that moment - looking fierce but probably freaking out inside.

She admitted the snake getting right up to her face and hissing was kind of terrifying, but hey, pop princess powers activated!

Leo wasn’t just about acting. Check him out going full fanboy at Toys "R" Us on the night Star Wars: The Phantom Menace dropped.

People were so hyped that grown-ups were wrestling toddlers for Obi Wan figures. Just your typical toy store madness.

We all know The Beatles crushed the first Ed Sullivan Show in black and white, with 73 million viewers glued to their screens.

But here’s a rare colored-in look at the fab four jamming live. It’s like the ’60s hit your living room in HD.

Here’s the OG director himself, Steven Spielberg, doing his thing on the set of E.T. in 1982.

He imagined a kid making friends with an alien to fix a lonely hole left by his parents’ divorce. And just like that, we all wanted to phone home.

1965, Atlantic Studios, New York. Bob Dylan hangs with Sonny and Cher, the power duo who basically ruled the ’60s.

Fun twist: the song I Got You Babe was inspired by Dylan’s folk hit “It Ain’t Me Babe” and Cher covered a couple of Dylan’s tunes later - it was a true musical bromance.

Before Julie Andrews sprinkled her magic in 1964, Mary Wickes was the OG Mary Poppins on a 1949 TV show.

Andrews said her sweet Mary Poppins look got her teased, but she totally owns it (and the Oscar that followed) to this day.

The disco era was wild, and Diana Ross and Truman Capote were living it up at New York’s legendary Studio 54 around New Year’s 1978-79.

Think Andy Warhol, Elizabeth Taylor, Cher, and a dance floor where anything goes. Talk about memorable nights!

In 2012, Miss Piggy strutted her stuff on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live.

She dazzled in a custom cocktail dress, played some fun games, and proved she’s STILL the ultimate diva - even Muppets can’t resist her charm!

In 1967, Sonny & Cher got hilarious playing old hippies from the future on Kraft Music Hall. Hosted by Phyllis Diller, it was basically the grooviest throwback you never knew you needed.

Everyone loves the Friends crew, and here’s a look at Monica and Rachel’s apartment from behind the cameras.

From 1994 to 2004, this cozy space was the stage for some of TV’s most unforgettable laughs (and countless coffee dates).

In 1990, the TMNT crew (Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo) shared the stage with Oprah, promoting their funky musical.

They even got Oprah dancing! Plus, a mom in the crowd had Ninja Turtle underwear on her head - dedication, much?

Back in 1990, RuPaul was discussing NYC’s wild Club Kids scene on The Geraldo Rivera Show.

He had a plan: move to NYC, become a superstar (Warhol style), then hit Hollywood. Spoiler: he nailed it, except the Warhol part.