These stars shined the brightest. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at celebrities who competed on the popular talent competition series “Star Search” and won at least one showdown on the show - although they may not have been crowned champion of the season.
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00:00 "Don't you think it's time?"
00:03 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking at celebrities who competed on the popular
00:07 talent competition series Star Search and won at least one showdown on the show, although
00:13 they may not have been crowned champion of the season.
00:16 "All the women are laughing, all the men are going, 'What is she talking about?'"
00:21 Number 10 - David Archuleta
00:24 American Idol wasn't his first competition TV rodeo.
00:27 At 12 years old, the young singer won showdowns against several challengers on the rebooted
00:32 version of Star Search.
00:34 "Ain't no sunshine when she's gone."
00:39 Although he did not receive the top prize of Junior Grand Champion, he was crowned Junior
00:44 Vocal Champion.
00:45 His run included performances of "Ain't No Sunshine," "Wind Beneath My Wings," and "Climb
00:51 Every Mountain."
00:52 "Climb every mountain, you!"
00:57 After the show, Archuleta auditioned for American Idol at 16.
01:01 He made it to the finale, but again fell short of the crown.
01:05 However, both appearances were enough to land him a record deal and a debut self-titled
01:09 album in 2008.
01:10 "I know this crush ain't going away."
01:19 Number 9 - Martin Lawrence
01:21 Star Search also had its fair share of budding comedy stars appear on the show.
01:25 "But when you get back, if the locks are changed on the door, I ain't got nothing to do with
01:30 it.
01:31 Now you go, you go, right?"
01:32 In 1987, Martin Lawrence went from performing at the Improv Comedy Club in New York City
01:38 to competing on several rounds of Star Search.
01:41 His monologues were lauded enough to get him to the last round of the show, but he ultimately
01:45 fell short of claiming the final crown.
01:47 "The new champion, Martin Lawrence.
01:50 Congratulations."
01:52 However, the exposure got him his first acting role as Maurice Warfield on the sitcom What's
01:57 Happening Now.
01:58 From there, he was able to land a part in Do the Right Thing and went on to lead his
02:02 own hit series, Martin.
02:04 "People, we are talking male sensitivity.
02:07 What up?
02:08 Ain't you?"
02:09 Number 8 - Leigh-Anne Rimes
02:12 At just 8 years old, Leigh-Anne Rimes knew she wanted to be a star.
02:16 She took to the stage in the junior vocalist category in 1991.
02:19 "Don't be mean."
02:25 Already a soulful performer, Rimes impressed audiences and the judges with a performance
02:30 of "Don't Worry" by Marty Robbins.
02:33 She retained her championship title for a week.
02:36 After her stint on Star Search, Rimes would focus on her country music career.
02:40 "Why can't you be blue over me?"
02:47 She performed on the variety show Johnny High's Country Music Review and gained national
02:52 acclaim with her 1996 album Blue.
02:56 Six years after her Star Search debut, Rimes would become the youngest person to win a
03:00 Grammy at 14 years old.
03:02 "Why can't you be blue over me?"
03:09 Number 7 - Billy Porter
03:12 Before he added Grammy, Tony, and Emmy winner to his resume, Billy Porter had already won
03:17 $100,000 on Star Search.
03:19 "And our champion, Billy Porter."
03:26 He reflected on his 1992 appearance on the show on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live.
03:31 The Pose actor remembered his time on the show fondly, calling out the fact that a young
03:35 Britney Spears appeared on the same episode as him.
03:38 "I don't care, I don't care."
03:41 According to Porter, he used the prize money on dental work to further his career.
03:45 "I was like, 'Well, let me fix these teeth, these holy teeth, so that I can be a movie
03:52 star.'
03:53 So thank you, Star Search, for my teeth."
03:55 After Star Search, Porter got busy working on films, appearing on Broadway, writing plays,
04:00 and recording solo albums.
04:09 Number 6 - Brad Garrett
04:11 This recognizable comedian and character actor was the first-ever winner of the comedy category
04:17 on Star Search.
04:18 "Now look at you.
04:19 What is the matter with all of you?"
04:25 Following his 1984 appearance on the show, Garrett performed on The Tonight Show Starring
04:29 Johnny Carson at the age of 23.
04:32 These performances exposed him to a larger audience and professional opportunities.
04:36 "Didn't make a lot of money in tips as a waiter, because when you're 6'9", you're
04:40 not a good waiter.
04:41 You know, when you take your family out to dinner, you don't want to be waited on by
04:44 Lurch.
04:45 I mean, you know, I'd walk up to the table, 'More coffee?'
04:48 'No, no, no, that's okay, just a check, just a check.'"
04:51 Including opening shows for Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, and The Beach Boys.
04:56 Known for his tall frame and deep voice, Garrett found success in television and film.
05:01 His first major role was as Robert Barone on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond,
05:06 for which he would receive three Emmy Awards.
05:09 "Extra credit."
05:13 Number 5.
05:14 Kevin James
05:15 Brad Garrett isn't the only Everybody Loves Raymond alum to net some wins on Star Search.
05:20 "Trying new stuff while I'm down here.
05:22 I tried water skiing for the first time.
05:24 I don't know if you water ski- oh, I hated it.
05:26 A lot of work for like not that much fun."
05:29 In 1995, Kevin James won several rounds on the show in the comedy category.
05:33 However, it wasn't until a year later that he would get his big break by catching the
05:38 attention of Ray Romano.
05:40 James' set at the Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival landed him a recurring role
05:44 on Romano's sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.
05:47 "Shake it up, come on!"
05:50 He would go on to appear in eight episodes.
05:53 Soon after, James was able to helm his own show and became the King of Queens.
05:57 "No, no, you shut up.
05:59 Bloody, making fun of my shorts again."
06:02 Number 4.
06:03 Rosie O'Donnell
06:04 At 20 years old, Rosie O'Donnell was a young comic touring clubs in New York.
06:08 "I'm feeling a little shaky today though.
06:10 I almost overdosed on Flintstone vitamins this morning."
06:13 After a performance at a Long Island venue, she was approached and eventually booked to
06:17 appear on Star Search in 1984.
06:20 O'Donnell's trip to Los Angeles resulted in several wins on the show and an opportunity
06:24 for a national audience.
06:25 "He was a slow guy, kind of a dumb guy.
06:27 He used to take the phone off the hook to watch Gilligan's Island."
06:31 O'Donnell credited Star Search for allowing her to break into the scene in an interview
06:35 with Larry King.
06:36 After her run ended, she moved to the West Coast and scored her first television role
06:41 on the sitcom Gimme a Break.
06:43 A few years later, she made her film debut in A League of Their Own.
06:47 "All right, we just told them now we got it!
06:51 Come on!"
06:52 Number 3.
06:53 Usher
06:54 Star Search was one of many talent shows a young Usher Raymond competed in as a child.
06:59 From parking lot performances to national television, the young singer was focused on
07:03 his career.
07:04 "I wanted my own success."
07:06 In 1991, he came away with the title of Best Teen Vocalist on Star Search.
07:11 "People thought he was singing on the track.
07:12 That's how pitch perfect he was."
07:14 A representative from LaFace Records saw Usher perform on the show.
07:18 From there, Usher auditioned for L.A. Reid, co-founder of LaFace, and wound up signing
07:23 a record deal with the company.
07:25 His self-titled debut album would come out three years later.
07:28 And the singer was still only 15 years old.
07:31 Number 2.
07:32 Dave Chappelle
07:33 The youngest comedian on Star Search became one of the most famous comics in the world.
07:38 "I was recently on black entertainment television.
07:41 I kinda have a feeling most of you haven't seen that.
07:45 I don't know why."
07:47 In 1993, at the age of 19, Dave Chappelle made three appearances on the show.
07:52 He had already gained some acclaim in the New York comedy circuit, performing at clubs
07:56 and even in city parks.
07:58 Around the same time, he popped up on Def Comedy Jam, appeared on several talk shows,
08:04 and had a part in the film Robin Hood Men in Tights.
08:07 "Hey, put it there.
08:08 How do you do?"
08:09 "Even better!"
08:11 Although he triumphed numerous times on Star Search, he ultimately lost to Lester Barry.
08:17 Ten years later, Chappelle's show premiered on Comedy Central.
08:20 "You know what I mean?
08:21 I'm serious.
08:22 When I say, 'This is my show, this is my show.'"
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08:40 1.
08:43 Britney Spears
08:44 Several Mickey Mouse Club cast members appeared on Star Search, but not all of them came away
08:49 with at least one victory.
08:55 A 10-year-old Britney Spears was named a champion, although she lost in the round before the
09:00 finals in 1992.
09:02 Her performances of "Love Can Build a Bridge" and "I Don't Care" charmed audiences.
09:07 The power of her voice even impressed her competition.
09:12 Marty Thomas, the singer who would best Spears in the junior vocalist category, admitted
09:17 that he thought she was going to beat him.
09:19 Spears didn't come away with the ultimate Star Search crown, but she became a global
09:23 star in her own right.
09:29 Not every future celeb who competed came home with a win.
09:32 Shout out the Star Search losers you can remember in the comments.
09:35 "What?
09:36 What?"
09:37 Do you agree with our picks?
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