What Were Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Leonardo DiCaprio & Other Stars Like As Students? Teachers & Former Schoolmates Reveal Details

Before they become big stars who made an impact in the world, celebrities had to hurdle through school and experience the awkward teenager phase. A handful of people who have known and seen them around school are sharing what some of these stars are like as students. The tidbits about Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey and Kristen Bell might surprise their fans.

Former teachers and schoolmates are sharing what they know about the stars as students in an interesting Reddit discussion. The biggest surprise might be about Kanye West, who was actually a nice and respectful high school kid. He once threw a baby shower for one of his teachers. The behavior is a direct opposite of his public persona today, as he comes off as an arrogant celebrity.

Early on, Kanye already showed a knack for poetry and has always aspired to be a famous rapper. A child of a former teacher described him as a decent student, who was a bit stubborn as any typical teenager.

Last night, Kanye West summoned fans to a 2 a.m. show that was not meant to be https://t.co/Pjy4LyiPYn pic.twitter.com/CqPiO0XrxT

— New York Times Arts (@nytimesarts) June 7, 2016

Leonardo DiCaprio didn't have too many friends in high school as he "didn't get along" with kids his age, per another Reddit conversation. As a child actor, some viewed him as more mature and he used to spend his lunch break with the faculty members.

Matthew McConaughey was already a cool charmer in class and used to approach his teachers to talk about his desire for acting. Reddit members got the impression that the Oscar best actor used to be a teacher's favorite. 

Lady Gaga didn't do well academically as she was more into her singing. She would promote her gigs to her classmates, which prompted one of her teachers to talk to her. The teacher advised Lady Gaga that if she put in more work in school, then she might be successful one day.

Kristen Bell, of "Frozen" and "Veronica Mars" fame, used to headline school plays. She was described as a likeable and bright student by one of her former teachers.  Bell came from a small town in Michigan and her rise to fame is a huge deal over there.