Nowadays, people can acquire celebrity status without even trying. There’re a ton of ways by which people can acquire fame and some level of fortune. The fame game is no longer just about big acting stars and musical icons. People can become celebrities by posting videos and pics online, appearing in game shows or reality shows – there are plenty of different ways people can get themselves out there. Those who go down this path may become stars, but they’re unlikely to become A-listers. A-list status is reserved for the biggest and the best, those who are revered by one and all.

When striving to become a celeb, it’s fair to assume that a lot of celebs told themselves that if and when they made it, they wouldn’t let fame and fortune get the better of them. A lot of celebrity figures have made a conscious effort to remain grounded, not to get swept away with the fame game and everything that being a massive celebrity encompasses. It’s pretty tough to be able to do that, because let’s face it, these celebs don’t and can’t live conventional lives. It doesn’t mean they don’t try. But on the flip side, there are those celebs that get carried away with everything. They hit what they feel is the big time, people start talking about them, and consequently their egos get inflated. These are 10 C-list celebs who’ve had an almighty ego boost since acquiring fame. They didn’t need it, though. And here are 10 celebs who’ve remained humble and grounded despite acquiring A-list status.

C-LISTER WITH BIG EGO: LORDE

It’s pretty amazing to think that Lorde is only in her early 20s. She’s just hit 21, and she has tasted a tremendous amount of success. She’s accomplished a whole lot for a woman of her age. But from the way she speaks and acts, you’d think she was far older than she is and that she’s the biggest name in the music industry. She hasn’t achieved A-list status quite yet, and if she keeps getting on the wrong side of people, she may not be given the opportunity to get there. She’s a solid C-lister, and until she gets an attitude adjustment, that’s where she’s going to stay. For someone so young, she’s got a massive ego. It’s definitely not an attractive part of her personality. Lorde thinks she’s better than everyone else, thinks she’s a leading authority on the industry and plenty of other matters. It’s led to her attacking the likes of David Guetta, Selena Gomez and Beyoncé. Lorde is way too big for her boots.

HUMBLE A-LISTER: JENNIFER LAWRENCE

Jennifer Lawrence is as humble as they get. She’s still young at 27, her films have grossed billions, a few years ago she was the highest paid actress in the world, and she gets involved in matters that resonate with her, making her one of the world’s most influential women. No wonder people listen to Jennifer. She’s someone who demands respect, not through doing anything brash and outlandish, but by remaining grounded and having a down-to-earth personality. It’s something that’s endeared her to millions of people worldwide. Part of the reason for that is because she surrounds herself with good people. She has close friends who she’s known for a long time and doesn’t surround herself with other celebs who might take her down the wrong path. Jennifer has a strong support network and appreciates everything she’s got. She’s said, "I just constantly feel so lucky, that I don't really have time to feel cocky. I was raised to have value for money, to have respect for money, even though you have a lot of it." It’s an attitude that’s held her in good stead.

C-LISTER WITH BIG EGO: IGGY AZALEA

There used to be a time when youngsters respected their elders and those who had more experience than them. Nowadays, it seems as if most youngsters want to create controversy. As soon as they get on the scene, they want to start being spoken about, and they don’t necessarily care if it’s for good or bad reasons. Iggy Azalea’s been around for some time, but recently she’s started to have a really successful time of things. However, music aside, some of her antics have really brought her down a peg or two in people’s eyes. For someone who’s still a relative newcomer, Iggy has one big ego. A lot of people have commented on Iggy giving across a frosty vibe and that she’s pretty tricky to work with. Leigh-Anne Pinnock from the band Little Mix has said that she thinks Iggy has one big ego. She’s not the only person to think that about the controversial Australian rapper.

HUMBLE A-LISTER: JIM CARREY

Jim Carrey is without doubt one of the greatest comedic actors of his generation – of all time, in fact. His comic timing is impeccable, and whatever role he’s playing, you can pretty much guarantee that he’ll have the audiences in stitches. Jim Carrey might have established himself as one of the great comedic presences, but he hasn’t allowed himself to get carried away with his success. When starting out, he struggled initially, and he keeps those times in mind which ensures he remains grounded and humble. He takes time in life to appreciate the little things and doesn’t take things too seriously. It means that he’s able to maintain the persona of just your average person, not Jim Carrey the superstar actor and comedian. There’s no sense of bravado about Jim. He’s approachable and is as funny, as laid-back as he his onscreen.

C-LISTER WITH BIG EGO: SPENCER PRATT

It’s fair to say that Spencer Pratt is a TV villain. He acknowledges the fact that he’s hated by the masses, but he’s okay with it. After all, popularity is popularity, whether it’s good or bad. He doesn’t mind being infamous instead of famous. Reality TV stars have to be willing to live that kind of life. They’re going to be people who hate them or love them, and a lot of people who love to hate. For those of you who aren’t into your reality TV, Spencer Pratt achieved fame as a member of The Hills. He engaged in some massive feuds, and that got the ball rolling. Spencer’s then progressed onto a number of other things, doing the rounds, appearing on this show and that. With his presence in the media, his bank account started to swell. But for someone with an ego the size of his, someone who lives a narcissistic lifestyle, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. He ended up blowing $10m: "My ego was so big that I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be Tom Cruise, so money’s not a thing.’ And then you listen to gangsta rap about ‘spend, spend, spend,’ all day. I’m like, 'Spend, spend, spend.' So, my advice would be, like, listen to classical music and like, you know, probably don’t imagine yourself as Tom Cruise. But yeah, spending money is super easy."

HUMBLE A-LISTER: ADAM SANDLER

Adam Sandler is one of the world’s great comedians. There was a time when he was one of the world’s greatest actors. He’s simmered down a bit of late, but he’s still got that reputation of a great, and that’s never leaving him. It’s funny – pun intended! – how comedians are some of the most humble celebrities around. A lot of them don’t have big egos, are extremely relaxed about life, and take everything life throws at them with a pinch of salt. It’s perhaps why individuals like Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler have remained in the limelight and have remained loved for so long. Adam Sandler, despite being a massive name, has no sense of bravado about him. He doesn’t act like he’s entitled, likes to merge in with the crowds, and be an average Joe. He greets fans like he’s known them his whole life and gives everyone his time if he can spare it. Adam Sandler is as humble as it gets.

C-LISTER WITH BIG EGO: KENYA MOORE

Kenya Moore is a solid C-lister if ever there was one. That’s where she’s been ever since she came into the limelight, and one feels that’s where she’ll always be. She’s not going to climb through the ranks to achieve A-list status any time soon. Kenya is known for starring in The Real Housewives of Atlanta. That show’s essentially all about big attitudes, massive egos clashing, butting heads with each other. A lot of people would make a case for Kenya Moore’s ego being the biggest of them all. She knows how to stir up controversy and get people talking about her, that’s for sure. Nothing delights Kenya more than when the attention’s on her and when people stroke her ego. Statements like this just show how big her ego is: “Everyday someone thinks I’m Beyoncé.” That someone is probably looking back in the mirror at you, Kenya.

HUMBLE A-LISTER: LEONARDO DICAPRIO

Leonardo DiCaprio has come from humble beginnings to rule the roost in the movie industry. There’s no one that demands respect and A-list status quite like Leonardo. The man just exudes star quality and is a colossal figure amongst the film fraternity. But despite everything that’s come his way, all the fame and the fortune, Leo is still one of the most humble guys you could meet. He likes to live in the present and not get too carried away with his success, and celebs with this point of view are few and far between. He lives a humble life compared to most extravagant celebrities, and he certainly has a lot of cash to spend. He surrounds himself with close friends he’s known for a long time, and they keep his feet firmly on the ground.

C-LISTER WITH BIG EGO: LINDSAY LOHAN

Lindsay Lohan’s had a tumultuous time of it growing up. She’s faced many trials and tribulations over the years, much of which has been well documented. You’d think that facing everything she has, that she’d be humble. But nope, Lindsay’s still the same old Lindsay. Her issues have become infamous, and so have her diva moment. There have been co-stars of hers and casting directors who have been less than enamored by her attitude. From what’s been said of her, she thinks she’s entitled to living the high life and that she’s an A-lister with a huge celebrity status, when in fact she’s a run-of-the-mill C-lister who’s famous primarily because of her problems and her antics brought about by her ego. Her ego is definitely her downfall and is stopping her getting back any smidgeon of credibility.

HUMBLE A-LISTER: ROBERT PATTINSON

Sure, there’s a lot of gossip that arises and circulates in the celebrity world. Some of this is manufactured by the press, nosy reporters looking for a scoop, anything resembling what they deem to be a worthy story. But a lot of info about celebs is also divulged by their co-stars and those they’ve worked with. The press loves to get celebs to dish the dirt about others in the industry, and because of that, we know who has big egos. Let’s face it, that’s what people want to read about. But occasionally we hear about some celeb or other singing the praises of one of their co-stars. Nobody has anything other than nice things to say about Robert Pattinson. He’s a guy who likes his privacy, doesn’t come across as brash and bold. His Twilight co-star, Bryce Dallas Howard, sums him up perfectly: “He’s such a down-to-earth, humble person.” A lot of people in the industry echo those thoughts.

C-LISTER WITH BIG EGO: PARIS HILTON

You probably had an inkling that Paris Hilton was going to feature on this list. She’s got a massive ego, but can you really be surprised at that? The socialite and heiress is essentially famous for being famous, rich, having reasonably good looks, and flaunting what she’s got. And she has got pretty much everything. Sure, she’s tasted success in business and reality TV, has made her fame work for her, but she’d have to screw up pretty epically to end up broke, desolate and vanish from the limelight. Paris grew up with a big ego, and with people stroking it over the years, it’s just gotten bigger and bigger. Her ego’s become inflated to the point where she could explode. She’s naturally egocentric, but she definitely enhances her persona when she’s on TV, doing reality TV shows. Paris knows what people want to see and doesn’t like to disappoint.

HUMBLE A-LISTER: NATALIE PORTMAN

Natalie Portman is a woman who knows the meaning of hard work. From a young age she set goals for herself and went out to achieve every single one, and there have been some unexpected surprises along the way too. She comes from a very driven high-achieving family, and that drive and determination to success is something that was drilled into her from an early age. It’s held her in good stead, because Natalie’s gone on to taste a tremendous amount of success, and not just in the acting profession. She’s a highly accomplished academic, and that’s something she values and rates higher than her movie career. These values that she’s picked up throughout life, and her family’s backstory, have kept her incredibly humble. Some women might have had their heads in the clouds being so smart, having tasted that much success. But it’s pretty evident by now that Natalie Portman isn’t like most women.

C-LISTER WITH BIG EGO: KENDRA WILKINSON

Kendra Wilkinson has had a rollercoaster of a life. She’s had many ups and downs and has been in the limelight for an awfully long time, first as one of Hugh Hefner's bunnies, then as a reality TV star. She’s gone through a lot, but is still standing and still going strong enough to cement her place as a C-list celeb. Going through everything Kendra’s gone through, you’d have thought that she has some regrets. But Kendra doesn’t regret a thing – why? Because it led to her being famous. That’s the thing with Kendra – she’ll do anything to stay relevant, to ensure people are still talking about her. She’s always been successful with her antics too. It’s resulted in Kendra being famous, having achieved C-list status, and it’s also resulted in her acquiring a massive ego. That’s what tends to happen to reality TV stars; they need a big ego to stay in the industry.

HUMBLE A-LISTER: SARAH MICHELLE GELLER

A lot of millennials grew up watching Sarah Michelle Geller, probably had her posters plastered across their walls, watched her movies and TV shows over and over again. That’s the Sarah Michelle Geller effect for you. There was Buffy the Vampire Slayer and movies like Scooby Doo, and a ton of other performances of note. At the moment, Sarah’s been rather quiet and is enjoying family life. But she’ll always be able to look back at that golden period with fondness, will always remain an A-lister because of her popularity and achievements. Another reason why she’s achieved this status and is so popular is because she’s incredibly humble. No one has a bad thing to say about her and you’ll never hear about her trashing other celebs either. Sarah always remains upbeat, has a positive attitude, and has remained humble.

C-LISTER WITH BIG EGO: JANUARY JONES

January Jones is beautiful, is a decent actress, and by and large, the fans love her. She may have a decent fan following, but in the industry, she’s not exactly the most popular person. In fact, we’d go as far to say that January Jones is hated by most of those she’s worked with. She rubs people up the wrong way because of her snobbish attitude and her massive ego. Many have said that she’s just downright obnoxious. There are a number of incidences of note that demonstrate this. Jared Gilmore, her co-star from Mad Men, has said she’s really frosty, is wrapped up in her own little world and is unapproachable. Zach Galifianakis has revealed that when he first met her, she was seriously rude and basically ordered him to get lost from her table. She’s got an aura of superiority and needs to be in control. Many would feel she needs to get a grip of herself.

HUMBLE A-LISTER: ADELE

Adele is regarded to be the Queen of pop music for a reason. She’s earned that tag, not just by producing hit after hit, but by being one of the most humble, down-to-earth superstars around. She’s one of the world’s best-selling artists, has an incredible voice, tasted a ridiculous amount of success, but those close to Adele would say she’s still the same person as she was before she shot into the limelight. Her head’s not in the clouds, her feet are firmly on the ground, and it’s something that’s held her in good stead. It’s why the world adores Adele. A lot of those who have been in Adele’s shoes, and even a lot of characters who have tasted half of her level of success, get swept away with it all. Adele has always strived to be what she considers to be normal, and it’s kept her incredibly humble.

C-LISTER WITH BIG EGO: LEA MICHELE

See someone on screen and it skews your perception of them in real life. Watch them for long enough, and you think they have the same persona as their onscreen character. In a way, that’s testimony to them for playing such believable roles, for being decent actors and actresses. Lea Michele is a decent actress, there’s no doubt about that. She shot to fame when she starred as a main cast member in Glee. From that role, people perceived Lea to be really sweet and innocent, quite shy and reserved, someone who wouldn’t say boo to a goose. We know that to be very different. Lea Michele doesn’t have a lot of buddies in the industry and it’s all because of her ego. She’s had a massive feud with her co-star Naya Rivera because she thinks she should have gotten more airtime on Glee and thinks she should have been paid more. In fact, her ego resulted in her alienating herself from most of the cast and crew. It’s been a similar state of affairs on other projects that she’s worked on.

HUMBLE A-LISTER: SARAH JESSICA PARKER

Over the years, Sarah Jessica Parker has demonstrated to us time and time again that she’s a seriously humble person. She’s got an incredibly likable, human side to her personality, and it’s something that hasn’t gone unnoticed and has endeared her to one and all. We challenge anyone to find more than a couple of negative articles about her. That’s because Sarah is one of the most loved women in the industry. She’s nothing like the character she was famed for playing, Carrie Bradshaw. Sarah is humble in terms of her persona, but she lives a frugal and humble lifestyle too. She rarely wears designer clothes, isn’t obsessed with her appearance, and just lives life on her own terms, and her own terms have made her a pretty decent person.

C-LISTER WITH BIG EGO: KATHERINE HEIGL

Many would label Katherine Heigl as being an egotistical maniac. She’s snobbish, thinks she’s better and above everyone else, has an attitude the size of Long Island, and engages in real diva behavior. That’s a combination that’s going to mean Katherine grates on a lot of people. The first rule about the acting profession is that you don’t trash writers and producers. Katherine hasn’t followed that rule. She’s taken to trashing scripts plenty of times, which understandably hasn’t gone down too well. She’s withdrawn from an award show essentially because she thought it was beneath her. She’s a nightmare to work with on set, questioning everything just to be difficult and ensuring people adhere to her diva demands. Nobody’s doubting that Katherine is a talented actress. But people have probably told her that once too many times, because she certainly knows it. She has a massive ego, and it’s meant that many people have found her incredibly tough to work with.

HUMBLE A-LISTER: TAYLOR SWIFT

A lot of people can’t stop singing Taylor Swift’s praises. She has feuded with a lot of people, and there are some who don’t have many nice things to say about her. But that doesn’t mean that Taylor isn’t a humble superstar. She’s as humble as they get, someone who revels in being at the top of the tree, but at the same time someone who’s kept her feet firmly on the ground. The thing about Taylor is that she lives life on her own terms, at times can be unflinchingly honest, and that’s meant that some people feel as though they’ve gotten burned. But the majority of people find her attitude to living life in the limelight to be refreshing. She’s a breath of fresh air in the music industry, has remained humble even after all of her success, and is likely to remain at the top for a long time.