Before achieving global fame as a musician and producer, Pharrell Williams was a teenage McDonald’s employee—but his time there didn’t last long. In a recent interview with BBC Radio 2, the “Happy” singer, now 51, revealed the unusual reason for his swift exits from the fast-food chain. “McDonald’s was my first and only job,” Williams shared. “I got fired three times. I was eating the chicken nuggets.”
A Rough Start in Fast Food for Pharrell
Pharrell’s stint at McDonald’s began, and ended, with a taste for chicken nuggets. Although he was fired three times, it wasn’t all about snacking on the job. Reflecting on his experience, Pharrell explained, “The first two times it was just because I was lazy. The third was like, ‘What are you doing? You’re just sitting there eating nuggets?’”
His McDonald’s missteps, however, didn’t deter him from success. Shortly after his fast-food foray, Williams met Chad Hugo, a key collaborator who would help launch his music career. Together, they formed The Neptunes, the production duo behind some of the biggest hits of the early 2000s, including Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body.”
From Nuggets to Number One Hits
Williams’ climb to fame didn’t stop with The Neptunes. He formed the band N.E.R.D. in 1999 and later soared as a solo artist. His hit “Happy” became one of the best-selling songs ever, topping charts worldwide and becoming the most-played song on British radio in the 2010s. His other collaborations, such as “Blurred Lines” with Robin Thicke and “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk, solidified his spot in pop culture history.
Beyond music, Pharrell’s success spans fashion and design. In 2023, he became the men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton. Reflecting on his journey, Williams remains grounded, sharing, “I think about those early days, and how every opportunity shaped me.”
Pharrell’s story of bouncing back from being “lazy” and nugget-obsessed at McDonald’s to a multi-talented global icon highlights his resilience. Today, Williams is far from his fast-food past, but he credits each experience—good and bad—with shaping his path.