Plumbing is not the most glamorous job out there. You have to get down and dirty to ensure that the network of pipes in a house is free from leaks or blockages. It can get quite physical and messy, especially when you have to replace rusted tubes or faucets. No one likes to have water splashed on them at inopportune times or get into the nasty task of doing sewer line repairs. But all of that is just a day’s work for a plumber. Theirs is a special skill that they have honed over the years, and they have to earn their license to use that professionally.
Many people love to follow celebrities on TV or social media. They are admired for their talents and are seen as larger-than-life figures. But they can also have interesting roots. Here are some personalities that have dabbled in the world of plumbing.
Michael Caine
The first thing that you have to know about Michael Caine is his original name. He was born Maureen Joseph Micklewhite Jr. in 1933. If you think that is a mouthful, you should see his list of accomplishments. He was nominated for the Academy Awards six times, winning twice for the movies Hannah and Her Sisters in 1983 and The Cider House Rules in 1999. Both were for supporting roles. He is also a bona fide knight. His appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire or CBE was held in 1992 in honor of his contributions to the world of drama. Some of his most popular works include The Italian Job and playing as Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred in director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.
As distinguished as he is, Caine used to dabble in jobs that involved physical labor. A former member of the British Army, he used to be a plumber’s assistant after finishing his stint in the Korean War. Later on, he expressed interest in being a stage manager, which must have sparked his love for acting. The rest, as they say, is history.
Bob Hoskins
Another English actor who made it big in Hollywood was Bob Hoskins. He is best known for portraying Eddie Valiant, the protagonist of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, a live-action and animation hybrid. That movie was highly praised not just for its visual effects also for pulling off the complicated task of gathering multiple licensed properties. You will see prominent cartoon characters owned by Disney and Warner Brothers, among others. It was a crossover event that was unheard of back in 1988. Hoskins had to retire from acting in 2012 as he had developed Parkinson’s disease. He passed away in 2014.
As a young kid, he left school at an early age due to his having dyslexia. Not soon after, he tried out different jobs, including being a plumber. Interestingly enough, he starred in Super Mario Bros., a movie based on the iconic video game franchise whose titular characters are also plumbers.
Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne has been dubbed the Prince of Darkness due to his antics as the singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. His most famous stunt is biting off the head of a bat during one of their concerts. He also launched a successful solo career after being kicked out of the band in 1979. Ozzfest, a music festival that he and wife Sharon started in 1996, will undoubtedly be one of his legacies. Outside of music, he and his family made a successful stab at reality TV with their show The Osbournes. It is a pioneer of modern programs that featured a candid perspective of the celebrities’ daily lives.
During his younger years, Ozzy also dropped out of school and tried becoming a plumber’s assistant before turning to the rock and roll lifestyle.
John Harrington
Among the people featured here, Josh Harington is the standout. The only thing in common was he also hailed from England. He lived during the latter decades of the 1500s and passed away in 1612. He was not an actor or a musician, but he was talented at writing. His pieces were provocative, often political in nature, and targeting the monarchy. Despite this, he found himself working alongside the queen as a courtier. It was during his tenure there that he invented the flush toilet. Hundreds of years later, people are still benefiting from his brainchild. It is a significant development in plumbing and sanitation.
It is fun to know that these prominent personalities once had a hand at plumbing. This proves that even the brightest stars had experiences in other fields of work. That may not be their true calling in life, but it likely contributed to shaping them into the persons they are later in life.
