Beyoncé’s first girl group lost a TV talent show
Whilst Beyoncé might now be one of the world’s biggest pop stars, she was once a struggling girl-band member. Way before her solo career and her time in Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé was a member of another group, Girl’s Tyme. In 1993 the band performed on Star Search, but lost. Audiences may have forgotten the incident, but Beyoncé herself has not, even sampling some of her Star Search performance on her song Flawless.
Stephen King received 30 manuscript rejections
Author Stephen King is proof that you should never give up. Although his debut novel, Carrie, is now regarded as a brilliant work of horror literature, King struggled to get it published. In fact, the author received 30 letters of rejection before someone finally said yes to the manuscript.
Jim Carrey was booed off stage
Given his reputation as one of the nineties’ funniest actors, it is hard to believe that audiences ever found Jim Carrey anything less than hilarious. However, when the star was starting out, he was met with a lot of negativity. His first attempt at stand-up saw him booed offstage and then he failed an audition for Saturday Night Live.
Lady Gaga’s bullies mocked her on Facebook
Before becoming an icon, Lady Gaga had a hard path to fame. Aged nineteen, she was signed by a record label, but was dropped after just three months. The setback pleased Gaga’s high-school tormentors; the group created a Facebook page dedicated to poking fun at the aspiring star. Thankfully, Akon saw and appreciated her talent, signed Gaga to his label and made history in the process.
Leigh Whannell failed an audition for Lord of the Rings
Australian actor, writer, and director Leigh Whannell rose to fame when he wrote and starred in horror franchise Saw. Before that though, Whannell only had dreams of becoming a superstar actor and auditioned for Lord of the Rings. Whannell was so committed, he hired a make-up artist to give him latex hobbit ears. The move didn’t pay off, as his appearance ended up frightening the casting agent.
Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first news job
These days, Oprah Winfrey is an American institution who has her own media empire and a legion of adoring fans. Most famed for her popular talk show, Winfrey is lucky to be in the industry at all as she was actually fired from her first job as Baltimore’s WJZ-TV news anchor.
Walt Disney’s first character was a failure
Walt Disney’s iconic animation studio may have just passed its 100th year, but there was a time when Disney meant nothing. In 1926, Disney created the successful cartoon character, Oswald the Rabbit, but was denied the fee he wanted. Without owning the intellectual rights, both the character and his staff were taken from him. His next creation, Mickey Mouse, changed everything for Disney.
Katy Perry was dropped by three record labels
Before becoming a pop-star, Katy Perry attempted a career as a gospel singer. In 2001, Perry released her first album, but it only sold 200 copies. The label went out of business soon after. Perry then moved to LA and was signed, and then dropped, by a further two labels. Finally, in 2006 she released I Kissed a Girl, and the rest is history.
Jay-Z experienced years of record label rejection
After years of rejection, Jay-Z gave up trying to snag a record deal and instead created his own opportunity. Although the musician tried hard, not a single record label would sign him and so, along with partners Damon Dash and Kareem Biggs, he established his own company, Roc-a-fella Records.
Fred Astaire was told he couldn’t act or sing
Singin’ in the Rain star, Fred Astaire, spectacularly flunked his first MGM screen test. The director gave Astaire some strong notes stating, “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Slightly bald. Not handsome. Can dance a little.” Astaire was undeterred and became one of the era’s biggest stars. Astaire never forgot those words and was rumored to have had them hung on the wall of his home.
Steven Spielberg was denied a place at film school
Steven Spielberg grew up aspiring to make movies. Knowing his calling early, the director applied to the prestigious USC School of Theater, Film, and Television. The institution failed to recognise his talent however, and denied him admission on not one, but three occasions. Spielberg eventually went to another school, but promptly dropped out to make movies directly.
Bill Gates was originally a failed business owner
Before Bill Gates was a billionaire, he was the owner of a failed business. His first venture, Traf-O-Data, was designed to create reports for roadway engineers, but the machine that he and his partners built flopped when they tried to present it to a Seattle County traffic employee. His next project, Microsoft, proved much more profitable.
Hillary Scott was an American Idol loser
Before joining Lady A, Hillary Scott tried, and failed, twice to make it onto American Idol. Both times, Scott was let go before making it through to the judges. In 2010, Scott made it onto the American Idol stage finally as she performed with Lady A days after sweeping the Country Music Awards.
Sarah Silverman was fired from SNL
Sarah Silverman may now be a household name of comedy, but her first attempt to break into the industry was short-lived. In the early nineties, Silverman got a writing gig at Saturday Night Live. However, after just eighteen weeks, she was fired. Worse still, nothing that she wrote was ever aired.
Madonna was rejected from multiple record companies
Trained as a dancer, music icon Madonna always wanted to be on the stage. Whilst many believe her to have been an overnight success, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into her achieving her goal. She was rejected from a number of record companies, with one viciously telling her, “the thing missing from this project is the material.”
Lisa Kudrow was fired from her role on Frasier
Before being hired as Phoebe on hit show Friends, Lisa Kudrow was cast in another iconic sitcom, Frasier. Kudrow originally had the part of Roz on the show, but was fired days into rehearsals. Looking back, Kudrow agrees she wasn’t the right fit for the part, and thankfully a year later she joined the cast of Friends and took the world by storm.
Carey Mulligan was told she should be a children’s TV presenter
In an effort to perfect her skills, Carey Mulligan applied to drama schools rather than University. However, the star was rejected by every single school that she applied to, with one telling Mulligan she was better suited to being a “children’s TV presenter.” Mulligan instead forged her own path and is now a highly respected actor of stage and screen.
Jimi Hendrix was once booed off stage
Jimi Hendrix is one of the greatest guitarists to have ever lived, but his immense talent was not always appreciated. In 1967, Hendrix was booed off stage by a crowd of The Monkees fans. That Jimi Hendrix once opened for The Monkees is a wild concept. Hendrix dropped from the tour shortly after the booing incident.
Jerry Seinfeld was fired from his first sitcom
Jerry Seinfeld’s first foray into comedy was met with disaster. Although fully rehearsed, Seinfeld drew a blank when he got on stage at his first stand-up gig. Eventually he managed to curb the nerves and was cast in the sitcom, Benson. The comedian was fired after just four episodes, and he returned to stand-up where he was scouted for The Tonight Show.
Vera Wang never achieved her figure skating dreams
Vera Wang was once an aspiring figure skater. Wang was talented, but although she tried out, she didn’t make the Olympic team. After the rejection she turned her attention to her fallback in fashion design, a world in which she is now hugely successful. Wang did still manage to make it in figure-skating as she designed costumes for various skaters, including Nancy Kerrigan and Michelle Kwan.
Sylvester Stallone once sold his dog to buy food
Sylvester Stallone’s road to fame was a hard one. The star was so determined to make it that he even lived on the streets for a time as he pedalled both himself, and his Rocky script around the industry, being rejected countless times. At one point, Stallone sold his dog to buy food, but after Rocky became a success, he brought the pooch back for a whopping $15,000.
Marilyn Monroe was let go from 20th Century Fox
Marilyn Monroe’s dreams of stardom took a number of years and various studios to come to fruition. The bombshell was signed to 20th Century Fox for six months, which led nowhere, and although her time with Columbia Pictures saw her snag a film credit, the studio did not renew her contract. Only when she joined the William Morris Agency did everything click into place.
Harrison Ford was told he would never be a star
Harrison Ford is a Hollywood legend and the face of several high-profile movie franchises, but he almost didn’t make it. Movie executives on his first film, Dead Heat on a Merry-Go Round, were not impressed with the actor, telling him he simply didn’t have what it took to be a star. Ford proved them wrong nine years later when he was cast in Star Wars.
Amber Riley failed her first round of American Idol auditions
Amber Riley burst to super stardom during the first season of Glee. The actor and singer played Mercedes on the hit-show, but it wasn’t her first stab at fame. Riley had previously auditioned for American Idol, but failed to get past the first round of auditions.
Lauryn Hill was booed off stage at 13 years old
The world of show business is cruel and has little regard for the feelings of those within it. Lauryn Hill learned this lesson the hard way as a child. Aged just thirteen, Hill performed at the Apollo, but was met with boos from the crowd. Undeterred, Hill continued to write and sing and became a massive success with The Fugees, before striking out alone.
Elvis Presley was told to stick to truck driving
Before he crossed paths with Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley was managed by Jimmy Denny. Whereas Parker immediately understood Elvis’ star power, Denny was less certain, and after Elvis received a lackluster reception at the Grand Ole Opry, he threw him out of the venue and told him to go back to driving trucks. Elvis persevered, and with Parker by his side, he became the ultimate King of music.
George Lucas’ Star Wars was turned down by Disney
A long time ago in our galaxy, Disney rejected George Lucas’ proposed new film, Star Wars. The studio now has ownership over the franchise, but were originally unimpressed by the idea. They weren’t alone though, as Lucas was also turned down by both United Artists and Universal. Fox eventually backed the project, but even then, Lucas was met with disdain and confusion during production.
The Beatles were told to ditch their guitars
Before Beatlemania swept the globe, the four musicians struggled to be taken seriously. Prior to getting signed, they were met with several rejections, the biggest occurring when Decca Recording Studios’ A&R, Dick Rowe, told them not to bother as “guitar groups were on their way out.” They later signed with Parlophone and went on to sell over 1.6 billion albums to date.
Lily Gladstone almost gave up acting to work in data analysis
Thanks to her phenomenal performance in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Lily Gladstone is about to become a potential award winner. Prior to getting the role though, Gladstone was about to leave acting. Years of small parts and little recognition had her feeling dejected, and she began looking into a career as a data analyst. Thankfully, an email from Scorsese’s team stopped her in her tracks.
Sidney Poitier was told he would be better off washing dishes
Sidney Poitier’s rise to the top of the Hollywood pile required a lot of discipline and determination. Though he went on to win an Academy Award, Poitier’s first auditions were a nightmare. Poitier’s Caribbean accent was so thin that one director unkindly told him he’d be better as a dishwasher. The words spurred Poitier on and a few years later he was the most-paid actor of the era.
Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson was shot 9 times
Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson had a rough upbringing tainted with drugs and crime. Aged twenty-five, Jackson was shot nine times, after which he was signed by Columbia Records. However, Jackson was promptly dropped after the song Ghetto Quran. Jackson then continued to push his own agenda before signing with Eminem at Shady Records in 2002.
Tyler Perry’s first show opened to just 30 people
Inspired by some advice given by Oprah Winfrey on her TV show, Tyler Perry, the man behind Madea, wrote a series of letters to himself. These were turned into his first musical, I Know I’ve Been Changed. The actor financed the show himself and also served as director, producer, and star, but come opening night the audience consisted of only thirty people.
Henry Cavill lost out on multiple huge franchises
Before he hit the big-time, Henry Cavill had the reputation of being Mr. Almost. Cavill auditioned and almost starred in both Harry Potter and Twilight, and lost out to the part of James Bond to Daniel Craig. Cavill was also cast as Superman in 2004 before the project fell apart, though in 2013 he got another chance to don the cape in Man of Steel.
Steve Jobs was fired from his own company
The late Steve Jobs had an interesting road to success. Before going on to pioneer the iPod and iPhone, he was fired by Apple, the company that Jobs had co-founded. His firing came as a result of a clash with the CEO. Jobs then began a new company NeXt, which Apple later went on to purchase, taking Jobs back into the corporation.
Tom Hiddleston’s hangover cost him a huge role
Loki’s Tom Hiddleston has made a career playing the God of mischief, but it was his own mischievous streak that caused him to lose out on a lucrative role. A young Hiddleston managed to get an audition for the part of Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean. Rather than practice, Hiddleston went out drinking the night before and was severely hungover during the audition.
Tom Hardy never realized his rap dreams
Tom Hardy may now be regarded as a serious actor, but once upon a time the star had dreams of being a rapper. Hardy started rapping when he was a teenager, but his middle-class background made him a hard sell. He did however, work and record with Leela James and Lauryn Hill’s manager, but none of his work as Tommy No. 1 was ever released.
Shakira was told she sounds like a goat
Colombian singing sensation Shakira has one of the most distinctive voices in music. Her school teacher did not agree, banning her from joining the school choir, deeming her as “sounding like a goat.”. Shakira ignored their words and aged thirteen she signed her first record deal. Sadly, her first two albums flopped, but it was third time lucky, as album number three launched her as a star.
Anna Wintour was fired from Harper’s Bazaar
Anna Wintour is a fashion institution. Her work as Editor of American Vogue has led to countless awards and accolades, including an OBE for her services to both British journalism and fashion. Wintour’s career was almost cut short though when she was fired from Harper’s Bazaar after nine months as a Junior Fashion Editor. Her bosses at the time deemed her work “too edgy.”
Jennifer Love Hewitt never made it on the music scene
When she was twelve, Jennifer Love Hewitt released her first album in Japan. She then attempted to make it in America and was signed with Atlantic Records where she released two albums, both of which failed. In 1997, her acting career took off when she starred in slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Fergie’s first girl band was a flop
Before she was a member of Black Eyed Peas, Fergie attempted to top the charts in another group, Wild Orchid. The three-piece all female band were active during the early nineties, but got lost amongst the sea of boy band hysteria. The star performed with the Black Eyed Peas for a number of years, before going on to enjoy a successful solo career.
