This article was originally published on JustStarz
When most people think about celebrities, they often think about lavish travel and all the luxuries money can buy. However, the truth of the matter is that most celebrities are pretty down to earth and live their lives as normally as they can. That's why it isn't super uncommon for someone to spot a celebrity while they're in the middle of their morning or evening commute on the subway. Here are just some instances of your favorite celebrities proving that they are normal people, just like you!
Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan, or the Winter Soldier if you'd rather, was spotted here casually checking his phone while riding the subway in New York City. Stan always gives off pretty normal vibes, so it's not surprising to think he's just like us. He's even dressed in pretty normal clothes. It was probably also a fan who took this photo, considering they said "The Winter Soldier, is here" in the caption.
This wasn't the last time Stan was spotted on the subway, and other interactions caught on camera show him playfully realizing that he's been figured out by other commuters.
Tom Hiddleston
New York isn't the only place you're likely to spot a celeb while commuting. London is another big city where it's possible to run into a star while riding the tube. Someone spotted Tom Hiddleston while they were in London. The Marvel A-lister is best known for his role as Loki, Thor's brother, but he's also played in a lot of other great films throughout his short but successful career.
We're not exactly sure what he's doing in this shot, but he could be trying to memorize some lines or something for his next role. Either way, he's certainly well dressed.
Kendall Jenner
We actually didn't know how to title this pic since there are a couple of different stars in this photo. Kendall Jenner was spotted taking the bus while she was out with her friend, Tyler the Creator. Despite her not being quite as wealthy as her two other siblings, this Jenner still isn't usually spotted taking public transport. It was probably Tyler who managed to get her to ride the bus to wherever they were going.
Either way, we're glad they ended up here, or else we wouldn't have gotten this awesome celebrity spotting. However, this Jenner isn't the first in her family to be spotted out and about using public transportation.
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is probably one of the most loved stars in Hollywood. The legendary actor is incredibly friendly by all accounts and he's also known for regularly taking the subway since he calls New York home. This is just one of the photos he's posted of himself using his MetroCard, and it makes us think that he really is just like us. He could easily afford to have a private driver.
If you go and look at his IMDB page, the list of movies he's been in includes some of the most successful and best movies of the past couple of decades.
Katy Perry
This photo is a bit older compared to some of the others on this list, but it's worth noting that this was taken during the height of Katy Perry's fame. This Hollywood sighting occurred around the time Perry had released Teenage Dream. Not only did she have five number-one hits, but she sold around 3 million albums. Even today, it's still remembered as one of the most successful albums of all time.
So, it's cool seeing that the star didn't let all of that success and money go to her head when she was spotted riding the subway with a group of friends.
Rihanna
Rihanna is one of those stars that we'd imagine would attract a lot of attention when riding the subway. She certainly caught the attention of a couple of people in this photo, as she can be seen taking a picture with a fan. Besides that, she seems like she could just be one of us. She's dressed pretty normally and even kind of looks like she wants to keep a low profile.
We aren't sure when this celebrity sighting took place, but whenever it happened, we're pretty sure Rihanna was doing pretty well for herself as she's been a star for decades now. We're actually kind of surprised that the entire train isn't lined up to take a photo with her.
Paul McCartney
Here's another star we'd imagine would attract throngs of fans while riding the subway. There are very few people out there who have experienced the kind of success and fame as Paul McCartney and the Beatles. At one time, McCartney couldn't go anywhere without attracting a horde of supporters. So, it's kind of weird seeing him just going about life normally and taking the tube like everyone else in London.
However, after all of those years of living like an A-lister, he probably finds a lot of comfort in just getting out and doing things normally for a change. We certainly don't blame him, and we'd probably feel the same way.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal was spotted riding the subway in New York in this photo. He's dressed like a pretty normal person, which doesn't really surprise us very much as he's always given off pretty down-to-earth vibes. However, we are a little curious about what exactly is going on in this photo. Does the lady next to him know who he is? And is she trying to peek at his playlist, or is she looking down at her shoes?
It's worth noting that Gyllenhaal actually owns an apartment in New York, so he probably rides the subway pretty often, as the city's traffic is notoriously heavy. He fits in perfectly with other New Yorkers in this photo.
LeBron James
No matter which side of the Michael Jordan and LeBron James debate you fall on, you have to admit that it's still pretty cool to see James taking the subway like everyone else. This celebrity spotting occurred sometime when James was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Apparently, he and his teammates had decided to take the train as it was faster, and they had to get to their game.
He was and still is a living legend in that city so we can only imagine all of the commotion that his trip stirred up. Fans were probably amazed to see him on the subway.
Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield has had some iconic roles, but our favorite is when he played Spiderman. Garfield isn't spotted riding the subway a whole lot, so someone got pretty lucky in getting this pic of the Hollywood celeb. It also looks like the guy sitting next to him has no idea who he is because he's looking at the person taking the photo like he's wondering what in the world is going on.
Garfield himself just looks like he's going about his day as normal and is listening to some tunes while riding the subway like pretty much everyone else on the train.
Jay-Z
There are actually a couple of different celebs in this photo, but the obvious star is Jay-Z. This celebrity sighting took place in London and you can see Jay-Z hanging out with Coldplay's Chris Martin and Timbaland while waiting on the train. They were probably all attending the same function or something. Either way, we bet fans who saw them were pretty ecstatic. It's not every day you run across Jay-Z while on the commute.
However, it makes a lot of sense as he is from Brooklyn, and he probably took the subway all the time before he blew up and got famous a long time ago.
Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren is a legend of Hollywood, so it's a little weird to see her casually taking the subway like this. Still, we suppose she's probably just like us and, as such, catches the train every now and then when she needs to get from point A to point B. Still, you can tell from the elegant way she's dressed in this photo that she's someone special. She even dresses like Hollywood royalty.
We're kind of surprised that nobody is going up to her and asking her for a photo, but that very well could've happened after this picture was taken. Even if you somehow didn't know who Helen Mirren is, you'd probably be able to tell that this person is someone important.
Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick is a Hollywood staple, and he starred in some of our favorite movies growing up. He now lives in New York, and it's actually not super uncommon to spot him using public transport, but that certainly wasn't what he was doing when he was growing up. His parents were also pretty famous, so he probably got the star treatment with his own personal driver when he was a kid.
That said, he seems pretty down-to-earth and chill. He's also dressed super normally in this photo, which makes us think he'd probably be a pretty chill person to hang out with.
J. Cole
J. Cole is known for being a super humble guy. This is despite him being one of the most recognizable and successful stars on the planet. In literally every filmed interaction we've seen of him, he's just acting like one of us. This particular celebrity sighting happened when he was taking a public bus, and one of his fans noticed who he was. We can only see half of this kid's face in the photo, but even with half of his face showing, we can tell he's super excited.
And we're not going to lie, we'd probably also be pretty giddy if we were just going to the grocery store and looked back to see J.Cole standing on the bus waiting for his stop.
Kim And Kourtney Kardashian
You probably wouldn't spot Kim and Kourtney Kardashian on the subway today, but they did visit it once while filming for Keeping Up With The Kardashians. That said, we aren't sure if there were a bunch of other commuters on the train or if they had it all to themselves, which seems like the likelier scenario. It's also worth noting that the two were nepo babies, so it's unlikely they took the subway when they were younger.
This photo was taken over a decade ago but since then, their little sister Kendall has been spotted taking public transportation with friends on more than one occasion.
Keanu Reeves
In the world of Hollywood, there are few celebrities who have garnered as much love as Keanu Reeves. The A-lister is known for for being incredibly down to earth, despite starring in some of the biggest Hollywood movies of the last few decades. This celebrity spotting happened in New York, and Keanu seems to be doing exactly what we'd imagine he'd do on a train, read a book or newspaper.
He's also dressed like a pretty normal person. It's worth noting that he's a big motorcycle collector so he could totally drive around the city if he really wanted to. Although, we don't know why anyone would want to drive around New York City.
Andy Cohen
Only an A-lister could make riding the subway look like fun. Andy Cohen has taken a couple of selfies of himself while he's out riding the subway and in all of his photos, he's smiling and having a good time. Good for him for being able to find joy in taking the subway, and we honestly wish we could be the same. Cohen could most definitely hire a private driver if he wanted to.
It seems like the Hollywood star hosts just about everything over on Bravo, and he's always at all of the fancy galas and award ceremonies held in Hollywood.
Ed Sheeran
No matter your opinion of Ed Sheeran's music, you have to admit that he's one of the most successful musicians of our time. He also seems like a pretty laid-back dude. This celebrity spotting happened in New York, and it shows Sheeran just casually standing on the train like everyone else. He's sold around 80 million albums, so he could probably afford to fly from one spot in New York to the other if he really wanted.
It also looks like everyone else on the subway is just casually going about their business, which is also a bit surprising to see, considering how famous he is. There are all kinds of photos online of Sheeran just doing normal everyday things while out and about.
Sarah Jessica Parker
In this photo, Sarah Jessica Parker looks like a pretty normal person. The star is probably best known for her role in the iconic Sex In The City series. So, she's pretty much a New York Staple. She lives there now, and she's regularly spotted taking public transportation. You probably wouldn't even know that the person in this photo was a star unless you were to pay special attention to her shoes.
There are a couple of other photos out there of her riding the subway while accompanied by family or friends, and in all of them she looks really down to earth.
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is one of the best-selling artists of all time, so we'll forgive the look she's giving the subway seat in this photo. She isn't usually captured taking public transportation for the simple reason that she doesn't have to anymore. However, this photo is kind of old, and it was taken after she finished up with an event. This was in 2014 and we can't imagine that she's been spotted there since.
She later posted this photo, making fun of herself and saying that it had been a while since she'd taken the subway. She also walked around the city in this dress.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks is another celebrity that we imagine is probably just like us. He and Keanu Reeves are probably among two of the most chill stars in Hollywood. He's been spotted riding the subway a couple of different times, but during this Hollywood sighting, he can be seen taking a selfie with a lucky fan. He also kind of looks like he doesn't know what's going on, which makes us love him even more.
Hanks is also dressed really lowkey in this photo, which might be the reason there aren't more people who recognize the star in this pic. We'd probably recognize him from the other end of the train. Hanks is also known for sometimes just showing up randomly to people's weddings, which is pretty cool.
Harry Styles
Harry Styles is absolutely huge now, but this celebrity sighting was from his early days. He was still well-known when this photo was taken, but he wasn't quite as big as he is now. He's sitting with his former bandmate Louis Tomlinson in this photo and the two look like they were riding the train somewhere in London when this pic was taken. You can also see how they're happily having conversations with other riders.
We aren't sure how often Styles rides the train today, but we are sure that it's not nearly as often as he used to when he was still up and coming. Everything about this particular photo is pretty wholesome, especially the smile on the lady's face to their left.
Nicole Scherzinger
If you aren't sure who Nicole Scherzinger is, we would say just look at this photo, but she's in full incognito mode here. She was part of the Pussycat Dolls back in the day, which was one of the biggest girl bands ever. This celebrity sighting happened in London and it's a pretty old photo. Scherzinger isn't usually spotted riding the subway and this particular time was reportedly her first.
You can also tell that she doesn't want to draw a whole lot of attention to herself, although we'd probably think this was someone famous if we saw a person wearing a similar outfit.
Allison Janney
Allison Janney is one of those actors who knocks it out of the park in every role she has. Despite this, she still takes the subway every now and then, and this particular Hollywood sighting shows her taking a quick nap while commuting to or from work. She could most definitely afford her own driver if she wanted, which makes us think that she's probably just like us and doesn't mind riding the subway too much.
It's also worth noting that she's dressed completely normally, although we are a bit curious if the passenger next to her recognizes who she is. He actually looks kind of like a celebrity himself.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore is one of our favorite Hollywood actors. She's hilarious and really chill despite being incredibly successful and even coming from a family of actors. She's another actor who always seems down to earth in every interaction we've ever seen her in. She was spotted touching up her makeup on the subway in this pic, and it's probably the most Barrymore pic we could imagine of her. She's just doing her thing.
She's also wearing a pretty cool hat. We're just a bit surprised people aren't swarming her asking for a picture or anything, considering how popular she is with nearly every generation.
Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl ranks up there with the best of them when it comes to chill celebrities. This is one that really is just like us, but we wouldn't expect anything less from the former Nirvana member. He and his former band members basically became stars with that down-to-earth philosophy. Still, it's cool seeing that he's still happy to say hey to a fan or give someone a big smile when caught riding the subway.
Grohl is a living legend, and we're sure that this photo is a perfect example of why people still flock to his concerts and love not just his music, but also him as a person. He's also known to perform surprise concerts for fans sometimes in public.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez is one of the biggest stars in history, but she's also a proud New York native. So, it's not really that surprising that she has been spotted taking the train in the past. She probably used to take it all of the time, actually. However, she isn't spotted there as often today, and we don't really blame her. We could only imagine the kind of crowds she'd attract.
They'd probably have to stop the entire subway line if she were to try and take the train, which wouldn't be good for anyone. Still, it's cool to see her casually waiting for the subway in this pic.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence is actually spotted quite often, but she's usually walking and doesn't take the subway a whole lot. Maybe her friend, Aziz Ansari persuaded her to take the subway when this Hollywood sighting occurred. Whatever the reason, we're glad she did because it's really cool seeing these two out taking the subway like regular people. Lawrence always seems really hilarious and chill in all of her interviews so we're not surprised.
She's probably also now fooling anybody with that disguise of her, and Ansari sitting right next to her with no disguise at all probably doesn't help. Whoever took this photo certainly wasn't fooled.
Cynthia Nixon
Sex In The City was just one of those shows that was as much about the setting as it was about the characters, so it doesn't surprise us that so many of the actors from that series feel perfectly at home taking the subway. Cynthia Nixon can be seen here casually having a conversation with a couple of other passengers, and we really wish we knew what they were talking about.
We do have a bit of background on the photo, though, and apparently, it was taken when she was running for governor. She made fixing the subway one of her big campaign promises.
Emma Watson
Emma Watson is actually known for taking the tube in London pretty often. She even sometimes leaves books for others when she's traveling, which is probably one of the coolest things we've ever heard. Watson can sometimes be spotted while heading to class or just traveling about London, which shouldn't be too surprising to anyone who'd ever watched her in an interview. She usually comes super chill and just like one of us.
Honestly, the same can be said for all of the kids who starred in the Harry Potter series. They all just seem like decent, chill human beings which you can't always say about those who were child actors.
Lily Allen
Lily Allen has had a pretty amazing career, but she also just seems like a really amazing person. She was one of the biggest pop singers in the world at one point in time, but she could still be spotted taking the subway. Even today, she's often seen riding the tube or the subway despite still being really wealthy. She's also been known to do a bit of celebrity spotting herself when on the train.
She once snapped a photo of New York's mayor while he was riding the subway to work, which is honestly pretty funny and just goes to show that she's super chill.
Niall Horan
If you remember One Direction when they were big, then you probably remember just how famous they actually were. Niall Horan was probably one of the biggest stars on the planet at the time, yet here he is taking the tube. Not only that, but nobody even seems to know who he is which is really surprising. This could've been taken before they blew up but it doesn't look like he was that young in this pic.
Maybe he just got lucky when this pic was taken, and nobody happened to spot him. Either way, it's pretty cool to see him just casually taking the subway.
Fergie
Fergie certainly garnered a bit of attention that time she took the subway. You can see that the police officer in this photo immediately recognized her and managed to snap a photo with the talented singer. Unlike a lot of other celebs on this list, Fergie made sure she was dressed pretty glamorous when heading out to take the subway, but we'd expect nothing less from the multimillion-dollar star.
We aren't sure how often she takes the subway but if we'd have to bet, then we'd probably say that she doesn't take it that often, at least not compared to others on this list.
Emma Roberts
Actor Emma Roberts is another one of those Hollywood celebrities who always seems really chill and funny in whatever interview of her you watch. She was spotted here about to get on the train in the New York subway, but we aren't too sure how often she takes the subway. There are a couple of different photos out there of her riding the subway so it isn't unheard of.
She also looks like a typical New Yorker in this photo, with a baseball cap and backpack. She doesn't look too incognito though so we're surprised nobody else spotted her here and went up to try and get a picture.