Sitcom stars... They're just like us. Most of them have struggled to get to where they are. There's no more human story than wanting something and going after it, hoping to achieve some far-off, unattainable dream. And when we learn about their paths to success, it makes our own goals seem more reachable. 

Brad Garrett starred as Robert Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond, but his story was not one of an overnight sensation. Instead, Garrett clawed his way to a place where he could eke out a living as an actor, having spent years working on a craft that he wasn't even sure would provide him a living. 

Garrett won Star Search, and the first-place prize was an appearance on The Tonight Show. Carson was a kingmaker, so surely Garrett felt his place would be minted. However, a misstep at a crucial juncture threatened to ruin it all, as Garrett opted not to heed a critical warning. In rehearsal, he told an off-color joke and was told not to repeat it on camera. However, when the time came, Garrett told the joke and was not invited back for 10 years. 

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When he failed to tear the house down on Carson, Garrett took his show on the road, touring his standup act while staying afloat in odd jobs. 

"I was a waiter," he told the Bend, Oregon Bulletin in 2006. "I was horrible. I watched my debut from TGIF while waitering. It was the Norm Crosby comedy show, and I came out in a cowboy hat. I did a line about being urban Hebrew. I was 21. I said 'Please, I am a little nervous, but I am going to be fine.' Then I take a teddy bear out of my jacket.'"

While it may not have been the star-making opportunity of a lifetime, it was an important stepping stone in getting back ontrack.