Comedian and TV presenter Steve Harvey has a true story of rags to riches, and one that many people don’t even know about.These days he is considered one of the most influential celebrities in America, but few are aware of the grinding journey he had to embark upon as he fought for his dreams, enduring some dire situations and circumstances on his way to the top.

Born in West Virginia to a coal miner, Steve Harvey didn’t have a lot growing up. When he did set out to forge a career he had to fund his dream with a string of jobs including being a mailman, carpet cleaner and even a boxer.

After his divorce from his first wife, he was sending his pay checks from his standup comedy gigs home to his kids, leaving him with hardly any money. As a difficult consequence, he found himself homeless.

“One or two gigs fell through, and suddenly I was homeless…I had nowhere to go…It was so disheartening… A week is really the maximum you can do. This was three years!” the comedian once explained to PEOPLE.