Every Hollywood movie star of any era was once an aspiring actor. Do not believe us and think it simply happens overnight? Just look at these inspirational stories that show how the entertainment industry is unpredictable and requires a long journey in order to achieve that sweet and sometimes evasive breakthrough success.
Continue on reading to learn stories of these three acting stars who went against the odds and showed the world how determination and resilience allow individuals to achieve their big dreams.
Charlize Theron
At the age of 16, Theron won her first modeling contract at a competition in 1991. As a result of that, she and her mother moved from their native South Africa to Italy. For a year, she modeled all over Europe, until the job took her overseas to New York.
She decided to stay in the United States and pursue her true passion instead - dancing. In New York, Theron attended the Joffrey Ballet School, where she trained as a ballet dancer. Unfortunately, this dream was cut short due to a knee injury.
Following a period of depression and financial instability, her mother, who had already moved back to South Africa, gave her an ultimatum: “Figure out what to do next or you come home because you can sulk in South Africa.”
19-year-old Charlize decided to pursue a career in the film industry and used the money her mother wired her to buy a one-way ticket to Los Angeles, California, and for the next few months lived in a humble motel. After a period of struggling, the aspiring actress met talent agent John Crosby by accident at the bank, where she could not cash the check, which he kindly did for her, and gave her his business card.
Crosby helped her enroll in acting school, and in 1995 she finally got her first acting gig in the horror film Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest, which was a minor, non-speaking role. A year later, she got her first speaking role in 2 Days in the Valley. By the end of the decade, her career started to really take off and soon enough she was a certified star.
Charlize’s story proved to aspiring actors all over the world that even if things do not go as planned, life offers unexpected opportunities, and it is our choice whether to use them.
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Jon Hamm
Hamm made his acting debut already in the first grade when he portrayed Winnie the Pooh in a school play. As a teenager, he continued to occasionally act in plays, yet did not consider pursuing an acting career just yet.
He began to act more frequently as a college student, starring in various theater productions. After graduating University of Texas in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Hamm returned to his high school in St. Louis, Missouri to teach eighth-grade acting, yet soon realized that a traditional type of career did not appeal to him.
Jon decided he wanted to become a professional actor and moved to Los Angeles in 1995, where he initially lived together with four more aspiring actors. In his spare time outside of acting auditions, which of course at the time was not conveniently available online, like we have at AllCasting today, he worked as a waiter.
While he initially got a few theater production roles and was represented by a top talent agency, Hamm ended up failing to get any acting gigs for three long years. It resulted in getting dropped by the agency, and doing various odd jobs, with then 25-year-old Jon giving himself five more years to make it in Hollywood or end his acting aspirations for good.
“As soon as I said that, it's like I started working right away,” recalls Hamm who in 2000 got the role of a romantic firefighter in the NBC series Providence and made his big screen debut in Clint Eastwood’s Space Cowboys, allowing him to become a full-time actor.
Hamm’s breakthrough came in 2007 when he was cast as the lead of the AMC drama series Mad Men, as the now-iconic Donald Draper. Before getting chosen from 80 other candidates, Hamm actually auditioned for the role eight times.
His example proves that aspiring actors should never give up in the face of rejection and that persistence will ultimately pay off.
Carey Mulligan
Her initial interest in acting sparked at the very young age of six while watching her older brother perform at a school play. As a teen, Mulligan was very actively involved in her school’s theater as the student head of the drama department, as well as performing in plays and musicals, conducting workshops with younger students, and helping put on productions.
Carey decided that she wished to pursue an actual career in acting after attending a production starring British actor Kenneth Branagh. Her parents were strongly against her ambitions of being an actress, so the then 16-year-old wrote a letter to Branagh, seeking his advice on how to deal with the unfortunate situation. His response was for her to follow her own wishes.
So she did, and instead of applying to universities as her parents wished, Mulligan applied to three London drama schools instead. Unfortunately, an invitation to attend them did not follow. During that period of time, she also sought advice from actor Julian Fellowes, who was guest lecturing at her school, yet he tried to dissuade Mulligan from her aspirations and suggested she "marry a lawyer" instead.
Mulligan did not give up, and even sent Fellowes a letter rejecting such a suggestion and stating that acting is her “purpose in life”. Soon after that, his wife Emma invited Carey to a dinner she hosted for aspiring actors. There she met a casting assistant, which led to her auditioning and eventually getting her very first role as Kitty Bennett in the drama film Pride & Prejudice.
Following roles in various mediums, Mulligan’s breakthrough came with her first lead role as Jenny in the 2009 independent film An Education, where she came on top in the auditions amongst 100 other candidates.
It was a critical and star-making success, starting a string of success for Mulligan’s career. Aspiring actors worldwide can take a cue from her tenacity and willingness to go against the grain and explore every option to pursue her acting ambitions and reach major success in this industry.
