Pharrell Williams Reveals He Was Fired From McDonald’s Three Times

Pharrell Williams has a relatable past when it comes to fast food. The "Happy" singer shared that he was fired from McDonald's three times before gaining fame as a successful music producer. One of those firings happened when he was caught enjoying McNuggets.

"McDonald’s was my first and only job. I got fired three times. I was eating the chicken nuggets," Williams, 51, explained in a recent interview with BBC Radio 2, as reported by Billboard. He added, "The first two times it was just because I was lazy. The third was like, 'What are you doing? You’re just sitting there eating nuggets?'"

Williams is not alone in having a fast food background. In June 2019, rapper Nicki Minaj discussed getting fired from various Red Lobster locations. "I have worked at a couple different Red Lobsters and I’ve gotten fired from all three or four of them," Minaj told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

Minaj recounted one event leading to her dismissal. "I walked up to this lady. Her and her boyfriend had walked out of the restaurant and took my pen without tipping me," she explained. "I walked to the car, I banged on the window and said: ‘Gimme my pen!’" Her interaction led to her being fired "on the spot" by her manager.

Actress Rachel McAdams, known for her role in Mean Girls, also admitted to her shortcomings as a McDonald’s employee. "I was 16 and directing kids’ theater, which didn’t totally pay the bills," she explained about her brief fast food stint. "I worked at McDonald’s for a good three years. I was not a great employee; I broke the orange juice machine one day."

Despite her lack of enthusiasm, McAdams felt positively about the experience. "I had a little bit of an OCD thing with hand washing and just didn’t have time," she revealed. "They said, ‘Hey, the drive-through’s backing up. Stop washing your hands!'"

In February 2019, Chris Pratt mentioned his time at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company before rising to fame. He humorously admitted to snacking on leftover shrimp while working there.

"Twenty years ago I was a waiter at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Every time I go back, I'm reminded of the thousands of shrimp I ate off of people’s plates on the way back to the kitchen," Pratt posted on Instagram alongside a photo from his past job. "Please tip your server. Leave at least 20%. Also leave some shrimp."