Steve Harvey dreamt of being on TV as a child, but as he got older, his priorities changed. He found work as an insurance salesman, married Marcia Harvey in 1981, and welcomed twin girls in 1982. Then, in 1985, he did his first standup comedy gig and won $50 — he was hooked. Deciding to pursue a comedic career full-time, he quit his day job. Unfortunately, he earned just $3,000 that first year, and his marriage crumbled as a result. As he told People in 2016, he was soon sleeping in his 1976 Ford Tempo, using public bathrooms to clean up, and keeping his food (mostly bologna sandwiches) in a cooler. “That was an ugly period, just very painful,” he told People at another time.
Read Related Also: Jason Sudeikis Pays Olivia Wilde A Ton Of Money In Child Support
Harvey was homeless for three years, even having to steal gas for his car to make it to comedy shows. “It was crushing,” he admitted. “I realized, ‘You’re on your own. You have nothing or no one.'” At one point, he was living on $50 a week and was ready to give up. “I sat down and started crying, but a voice said, ‘If you keep going, I’m going to take you places you’ve never been,'” he recalled. His big break came soon after when he was asked to host “Showtime at the Apollo.” Megastardom followed, but he still thinks about those days. “I’m running from homelessness,” he told People. “I can’t ever be in that position again.”
