13 A-Listers whose famous mentors propelled them to stardom

A friendship that publicly started when the all-star singing duo took to the Grammys stage together in 2010, Lady Gaga has credited Elton with helping her find her feet in the music industry.

In an interview with Apple Music, Lady Gaga praised him: “He’s been my mentor for a long time. He’s always challenged me to keep my head above water and something that I always appreciate is that he knows when I’m down.”

“Elton’s always really challenged me to take care of my artistry and to really take care of myself,” she continued. “I cannot tell you how instrumental in my life he’s been to showing me that you can go all the way in life and… be authentic and be you and do good things in the world and take care of yourself and be there. He’s such an inspiration.”

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Elton called the Poker Face singer “more than a friend” and said she is “like family”.

Lady Gaga is also godmother to both Elton’s children, and his husband David Furnish has expressed that he hopes Lady Gaga will pass on her mentorship to his sons.

In an interview with Barbara Walters, he said: “Zachary’s going to inherit an incredible musical legacy from his father one day, and she will be a good person to guide him through the ins and outs of the music business, because she sure knows everything about the business now.”

JJ Abrams was just 15 when he won an award for being a young filmmaker. The story was reported in a newspaper which made it into the offices of esteemed director Steven Spielberg, who offered the young directing hopeful the opportunity to complete frame-by-frame repair work on old films Steven had made in his youth.

Recalling the experience, JJ said at the time: “On one hand it was unnerving because the movies we were repairing were documenting the earliest work of one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.

“On the other hand it was weird to see that his movies were as rough as mine in a way. It was heartening and also somehow scary. How could he have made movies where the cuts look like that?”

Inspired by this early experience with his hero, JJ went on to direct many blockbuster films, and also made Super 8 with Steven, who produced the film.

Steven has spoken about his desire to be a mentor in the past, inspired by his own mentor Sid Sheinberg. At his memorial service in 2019, Steven said: “Maybe the greatest gift Sid Sheinberg ever gave me was the moral urge to be a mentor.

“Every time I discovered a new director, a new actor, a new writer, cinematographer, film editor, set designer, composer, I still to this day see Sid as the partner of all those choices of all of those big breaks.”

Disney fans may remember Dolly Parton’s cameos as ‘Aunt Dolly’ in Hannah Montana, but art does reflect life in this instance as Dolly is godmother to Flowers singer Miley Cyrus.

As well as a maternal role in Miley’s life, Dolly has been on hand to support her in her career. Speaking to The Evening Standard about her goddaughter, the Jolene singer said: “She’s just trying to find her own place and wings and learn to fly. If she needs my opinion on something I will surely give it and there have been times we’ve talked.

“But I would never dream of calling her and saying, ‘Well, why are you doing this?’ or ‘You shouldn’t do this or that.'”

In 2020, Miley made an appearance on the Podcastn Out podcast, where she called Dolly her “mentor” and said she sends her godmother “a little rundown of what’s going on every other month”.

While tech giants are often better known for intense rivalries than friendly co-operation, Apple and Facebook founders Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg were known for their cross-company friendship.

In a Q&A, Mark told the prime minister of India about Steve’s pivotal advice for him when he was founding Facebook.

He said: “Early on in our history when things weren’t really going well – we had hit a tough patch and a lot of people wanted to buy Facebook – I went and I met with Steve Jobs, and he said that to reconnect with what I believed was the mission of the company, I should go visit this temple in India that he had gone to early in the evolution of Apple, when he was thinking about what he wanted his vision of the future to be.”

When the Apple founder passed away in October 2011, Mark wrote via Facebook: “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.”

Music legends Michael and Diana met when Michael was part of the Jackson 5, auditioning for Mowton, the record label that propelled the singing group to fame.

While there was lots of speculation about the nature of Michael and Diana’s relationship, the two supported each other throughout their careers.

Diana told Ebony: “I’m crazy about Michael and I love him a lot. He’s been my inspiration. He’s a very gentle, wonderful human being, one of the special ones in this universe, and I don’t even know if he knows how special he is. So, whenever I can be around him, I like it. His aura is only about love.”

In his will, Michael asked that Diana take custody of his children, should his mother be unable to take care of them.

While Justin Bieber is now grown up with a baby of his own, there was a time when the Canadian singer was a teenage heartthrob. After videos of him singing went viral on YouTube, Justin’s manager Scooter Braun flew him out to Atlanta, where he met RnB singer Usher.

He told Howard Stern in an interview: “I’d heard about Justin through the grapevine, because people were talking about him. I said, ‘Why don’t you set up a meeting between me and your manager? I’d love to meet with you and do this in a formal setting. Let’s do this the right way.'”

Usher is credited as executive producer for Justin’s first album My World, and has since been involved in all of Justin’s subsequent albums.

He told the Hollywood Reporter: “Our relationship is more man-to-man now. He’s making his own decisions and it’s important to show support. I can say I’m not happy with all the choices my friend has made, but I’m supportive of him. 

“I try my hardest to give as much positive reinforcement as I can. I’ll punch him in the chest when I need to, and give him a hug and kiss when I need to. It’s more than just mentoring. I love the kid.” 

Jane and Meryl first met on the set of Julia when Meryl was 28 and Jane was 40.

At an AFI Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony, Meryl credited her mentor with helping her become a better actor on set. She said: “I was so nervous because all of my scenes were going to be with you. [Jane] had this almost feral alertness, like this bright blue attentiveness to everything that was around her that was completely intimidating – and made me feel like I was lumpy and from New Jersey, which… I am.”

Meryl also recalled Jane helping to instruct her during their work on Julia. Jane told her: “Look down… over there, that green tape on the floor, that’s you. That’s your mark. And if you land on it, you will be in the light and you will be in the movie.”

Following Julia, Jane recommended Meryl for other roles, helping forward her career.

The Mamma Mia! actress also shared how she is paying forward the mentorship she received from Jane. She said: “I thank you for [your guidance]. And all of the young actors I’ve worked with subsequently, in the years following, thank you too, because that lesson and kindness got passed down. And it does keep going.”

Bill was introduced to Warren by his mother in 1991, 16 years after he first founded Microsoft, while Warren was better known for his work in investment with the company Berkshire Hathaway.

During their first meeting, Warren reported that the pair spoke for 11 hours, and became friends. In his blog, Bill wrote: “Warren has helped us do two things that are impossible to overdo in one lifetime: learn more and laugh more.”

He also shared how much Warren’s mentorship has meant to him. He wrote: “At my office I have just two numbers on speed dial: my home and Warren. If Warren has time for a call, it’s the highlight of my week. I’m constantly learning things from him.”

Bill continued: “As trustee of our foundation, Warren is an amazing thought partner to Melinda and me. When faced with a challenge, we often ask ourselves: ‘What would Warren do?’ It usually leads us to the best answer. Warren and I are mostly peers, but sometimes he is so much wiser than I am, he’s like a father figure to me.”

In 2006, Warren pledged most of his wealth to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, reportedly the second largest charitable foundation in the world.

While the world remembers their love story as the President and First Lady of America, Michelle and Barack Obama actually met at work, at a law firm in Chicago.

Barack was assigned to Michelle as a mentee, and he told O, The Oprah Magazine: “In the luckiest break of my life, Michelle was assigned to be my adviser, charged with helping me learn the ropes. I remember being struck by how tall and beautiful she was.”

Sticking to her role as mentor, Michelle initially refused Barack when he asked her out several times, only changing her mind when he convinced her. In her memoir. Becoming, she wrote that he was “a deadly combination of smooth and reasonable”.

Speaking to Oprah in 2011, Barack said: “I couldn’t have done anything that I’ve done without Michelle.”

Rihanna was just 15 years old when she auditioned for Def Jam, a record label which had newly appointed Jay Z as CEO and president.

She told The Guardian in an interview about her nerves performing in front of him, but reported that “the audition definitely went well. [Def Jam] locked me into the office – till 3am. And Jay-Z said: ‘There’s only two ways out. Out the door after you sign this deal. Or through this window …’ And we were on the 29th floor. Very flattering”.

Elsewhere in the interview, she shared how their professional relationship developed into one of a mentor-mentee. She said: “Jay-Z just always gives me pep talks. Always good advice like keep good people around me, always telling me to let loose, go hard and have fun. And work hard.”

The hip-hop legend has echoed this sentiment, but has made it clear that while he offers advice, Rihanna is her own person. He told Hot97’s Angie Martinez: “That’s not my place, no, again, I can’t control the outcome of her life. I can’t intervene, I can give advice when asked and that’s it. I can provide information and then life has to play out, life has to happen.”

While Richard Branson may be better known for his immense airline rivalry with British Airways in the 1990s, he actually learned from a fellow airline company when creating his own brand, Virgin Airlines.

Freddie Laker founded his airline brand, Laker Airlines, in the 60s, but went bankrupt in the 80s. Richard said he was inspired by Freddie’s moves to shake up the airline business, and took his business learnings into his own work.

After Freddie’s death in 2006, Richard penned a moving tribute to his friend and mentor in Airliner World. He wrote: “In the early days, Freddie helped me understand the risks and the pitfalls we would have to navigate. Initially, I wanted to create a business-class only airline, but by talking things through with him, it was clear that there was a need for a high-value, low-cost option with more of a relaxed, less stuffy feel than the traditional fare. He also told me to learn from my own experience.”

Freddie’s aid to Richard also played a key part in Virgin Airways’ success over competitors.

Richard continued: “His mentorship not only helped us get Virgin Atlantic off the ground (literally) but taught me lifelong business and life lessons. With his guidance, I learned how to define and achieve my goals, overcome obstacles and outmanoeuvre competition – things that are often the missing link between a promising business person and a successful one.”

Inspired by the mentorship he’d received from Sir Freddie, Richard founded Virgin StartUp to encourage other founders to pursue their goals, and pass on the valuable business wisdom he learned.

Richard concluded the tribute, writing: “It’s not an overstatement to say that he was vital to Virgin’s success. With his help, I was sure we could overcome anything.”

Actors Jake and Patrick met in 2001, on the set of Donnie Darko, as Jake’s career was just beginning.

Speaking to PA news, Jake said: “Patrick and I met when I made this film Donnie Darko very early in my career and he was always so generous and he was lovely to me and supportive throughout my career.

“And so, when it came time to try this on, I thought about him a lot and I tried to honour him in different ways. I have some tattoos in my character that we designed in honour of him, just to carry him with me while I did it. I’m just a huge Patrick Swayze fan.”

Patrick tragically died from pancreatic cancer in 2009.

Penning a tribute via Instagram, Jake wrote: “I’ll never forget his kindness to me when I was starting out – he didn’t have to take the time, but he always did.”

Maya and Oprah met in the 1970s when Oprah was in her early twenties. The two women bonded over similar histories, and what started as an initial meeting branched into a lifelong friendship over 40 years.

Oprah wrote via her website: “Only now I sit at Maya’s feet, beside her fireplace, hardly believing that, years after reading Caged Bird, she is my mentor and close friend. When we met in Baltimore more than 20 years ago, our bond was immediate. We talked as if we had known each other our entire lives; and throughout my twenties and in the years beyond, Maya brought clarity to my life lessons.

“Now we have what I call a mother-sister-friend relationship. She’s the woman who can share my triumphs, chide me with hard truth and soothe me with words of comfort when I call her in my deepest pain.”

Maya died in 2014, and Oprah has since referred to her as a “wise, loving presence” and “the greatest mentor” she had ever known.