Entering show business is not easy – it requires patience, hard work, connections, and most of all, talent. Altogether, these make the perfect combination for sure-fire success. This is true for most of the actors who climbed their way to the top, starting out as extras or passersby before being eventually noticed by higher-ups.
Even if they get the attention of directors and producers, they must still prove their selves and keep trying over and over again until there comes a time their big break will catapult them to stardom. For those dreaming of becoming actors but don’t have connections in the industry, it is extremely harder to even know where to begin – auditions are attended by loads of pretty faces and talented people, after all.
The point is, there is a rigorous process behind the glitz and glamour. Meanwhile, there are those who try their best and end up being good at acting, and their sheer talent takes them to where they belong and lands them the right projects of all sorts. For the ultimate dreamer, don’t be discouraged as there is still a silver lining behind the dark clouds.
If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be – the famous maxim goes, an applicable rule to some of Hollywood’s greatest thespians that made it big in the industry after being discovered accidentally. Yup, they were tapped by show business’ who’s who without even trying and then went on to have a colorful career. That said, never lose hope, just take on the footsteps of the following people who ended up as successful actors.
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, or Chan Kong-sang in real life, is a celebrated stuntman, actor, singer, martial artist, director, and producer. Now 64 years old, he started acting during the 1960s, appearing in more than 150 films to date. He is not just popular in the United States and his home country in Asia, but he is renowned worldwide because of his philanthropic efforts.
Back in the day, the action star used his karate skills to chop all craft services food into two. Chan was discovered by a director who was impressed by his moves. When he was 17, he became a stuntman for Bruce Lee in the movies “Enter The Dragon” and “Fist of Fury.”
Johnny Depp
Believe it or not, someone as natural as Johnny Depp, whose long thespian credits include “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” didn’t want to pursue a career in acting. Instead, he wanted to become a successful musician, dropping out of school at 15 to focus on music.
One time, as he was accompanying a friend to audition for a role in “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” he was the one noticed and not his friend who went home without a job. As for Depp, his work in the suspense film was only the start of a vibrant acting career.
John Hamm
Probably best known for his role Don Draper in “Mad Men,” John Hamm didn’t have a smooth beginning in the industry. At 25, he used to take on minor roles such as extras, or those usually missed in the scenes. Thanks to his unmissable handsome face, it had come in handy for his projects, which paved the way for bigger earnings than what he used to get.
Although he started accepting some solid scripts, only a few people from the industry recognized his acting talent. After numerous letdowns, he finally got his big break from “Mad Men” just a day after submitting his resume during the Hollywood Job Fair. The show ran for 92 episodes. If that’s not enough, his performance got the nod from award-winning bodies like the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice.
Harrison Ford
Actor Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo in “Star Wars” films, traveled to Los Angeles to make his name in the voice acting industry, but he failed miserably even before his career could take off. He is also known for his remarkable portrayal of the character Indiana Jones in the 1981 film “Raiders of The Lost Ark,” which has quite an interesting story.
Director Steven Spielberg was trying to shoot a documentary when Ford came screaming and grabbing everything he could, saying that all those things belong to the museum. The veteran filmmaker didn’t find the man irritating and instead saw something special in him, so much so that other jungle shots were spliced with the shouting man’s clips.