Not finding fame immediately, these 5 celebrities have all struggled to find success in Hollywood. Going to countless auditions and facing constant rejection, these stars battled against the odds to find success as an actor or actress. Some worked for years before finally getting their big break and know exactly what it’s like to struggle for a long time while feeling like they’re going nowhere.
Adrien Brody
Adrien worked for years without much recognition: “The idea that achieving success in one area of your life will remove all of your problems is a delusion that most people have. I fortunately have seen both sides of the coin. I was a struggling actor in Los Angeles for many years and now as a successful actor, I have become very grateful for what I have.”
Christina Hendricks
Christina admits she has been rejected countless times: “I’ve been to a million auditions and have been rejected a million times, so it’s something that I’m used to. You’re either right for it or you’re not right for it. You could leave thinking you had the best audition in the world and they say you don’t look like the person I imagined. It has nothing to do with your talent. Someone could have just broken up with a redhead the other day and not want to hire me.”
Naomi Watts
Naomi felt she was getting nowhere for a long time: “You know it’s true what people say about looks. You must have more than just looks, you must have personality too. I didn’t have that confidence and it affected the way people perceived me. I’d been slogging away in Hollywood for five years getting nowhere. At castings I was constantly told I wasn’t talented enough, I wasn’t right, I wasn’t beautiful enough, I was nowhere near sexy enough.”
Ryan Gosling
Ryan used to feel lucky just to land an audition: ”You’re lucky to get an audition. Then you get it, you get there [at the audition], you walk into a room full of guys that look just like you. You realise that you’re not the only one that wore a cowboy hat. Then you can hear the other guy in the other room auditioning. Now you’re thinking about not doing it like him as oppose to doing it the way you wanted to do it.”
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett has struggled to get her name out there in the past: “I pounded the pavement for years and I know what it’s like to struggle as an actor… So, I totally understand the frustration there. A lot of my friends, who are struggling actors, are going through the same thing. But I can’t apologise for it. I have worked my a** off to get to where I am, so I understand that struggle. For me, it’s more about hiring the right person for the job. You know, who fits that description. If somebody is cast because they are a name but they’re not right for the job, well, it’s very frustrating. I see that. As an actor, you’re trying to get one foot in the door all the time.”
