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Home » Celebrities » 10 Actors Who Nearly Quit Before Becoming Huge Stars

10 Actors Who Nearly Quit Before Becoming Huge Stars

by Jarrod Saunders
August 6, 2025
in Celebrities, Trending
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Actors Who Nearly Quit Before Becoming Famous

Image Credit: Lifestyle Fortress

Acting’s tough. Even big stars almost quit before their breaks. From waiting tables to career switches, they faced doubt but stuck it out. Imagine Gilmore Girls without Jess or The Office without Jim? Neither can we. These close calls shaped some of your favorite characters. Here are 10 actors who nearly quit acting before they become super famous stars.

Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston breaking bad
Image Credit: HBO

Bryan Cranston almost quit acting after early struggles and constant rejection. He once took two years off after a confusing acting class scene where he mistook a scripted kiss for real interest. Traveling helped him reset, and he decided to give acting another shot, changing his career path entirely. If he didn’t return to acting, we’d never have him as Walter White in Breaking Bad.

Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson batman
Image Credit: Warner Bros.

Robert Pattinson’s Twilight audition went so badly that he called his parents to quit. Then he got a callback the next day. Recently, he worried cinema was dying amid COVID and strikes. But films like The Brutalist reignited his passion. “There’s suddenly a new batch of directors the audience is excited about,” he said. We might never have gotten The Batman. Imagine that.

Milo Ventimiglia

Milo Ventimiglia This is Us
Image Credit: NBC

Milo Ventimiglia told Entertainment Weekly he nearly quit acting to become a car mechanic before landing Jess on Gilmore Girls. After Heroes ended, he struggled to find work again and considered leaving Hollywood. “If they’re not buying what I’m selling, what am I doing here still selling?” he said. Thank goodness he didn’t. He was the perfect Jack Pearson in This Is Us.

John Krasinski

John Krasinski The Office
Image Credit: NBC

John Krasinski told Stephen Colbert he nearly quit acting to become an English teacher. “I can’t do this anymore!” he told his mom. But she urged him to wait a few months. Three weeks later, he landed Jim Halpert on The Office. Ten years after the show ended, Jim’s charm still rules pop culture. Krasinski’s career then exploded from rom-coms, like The Holiday, to action roles in 13 Hours and directing A Quiet Place with Emily Blunt. From awkward office pranks to thriller heroics, Krasinski proves quitting was never the answer. Your tough moments might just be a plot twist waiting to happen.

Henry Cavill

Henry Cavill Superman
Image Credit: Warner Bros.

Henry Cavill nearly quit acting to join the armed forces after constant rejection and failed roles. “There were plenty of times I thought it wouldn’t happen,” he told Graham Norton. But a James Bond screen test buzz led to Man of Steel. The world quickly fell in love with the nerdy Cavill.

Amy Adams

Amy Adams Man of Steel
Image Credit: Warner Bros.

Amy Adams told Vanity Fair she nearly quit acting in her early 30s after struggling to find balance. Just after wrapping Junebug, she gave herself a few more auditions, landing Enchanted. Junebug earned her an Oscar nod, changing everything. “There was a time when I was broken… now, I’m enjoying it,” she said. It’s hard to imagine another Lois Lane alongside Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel.

Melissa McCarthy

melissa mccarthy gilmore girls
Image Credit: The WB

Melissa McCarthy set a deadline: if she didn’t break through by 30, she’d quit acting. Days before turning 30 in August 2000, she landed Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls. Before that, she juggled two jobs, Starbucks included, barely scraping by. Her grind paid off. Now she’s worth $70 million. If you’re stuck, ask yourself: how long will you push before giving up? McCarthy’s story proves perseverance shapes success, even if watching your early work still makes you want to faint.

Brie Larson

Brie Larson Captain marvel
Image Credit: Marvel Studios

Brie Larson told The Sydney Morning Herald she was considering interior design or marine biology before United States of Tara got picked up. Battling rejection and doubt, that role revived her acting career, leading her eventually to Room and the Marvel universe.

Daniel Kaluuya

Daniel Kaluuya Get Out
Image Credit: Universal Pictures

Daniel Kaluuya told Essence he was disillusioned and hadn’t acted for a year and a half before landing Get Out. Jordan Peele spotted him after Black Mirror and knew Kaluuya fit the role perfectly. Kaluuya credits the script and Peele’s vision, saying, “This is a hit, this is a banger.” Since then, he’s chosen roles that get a hard yes, focusing on depth over screen time. His Oscar win for Judas and the Black Messiah came in 2021, and he reunited with Peele in the sci-fi thriller Nope.

Noah Centineo

Noah Centineo atom smasher
Image Credit: Warner Bros.

Noah Centineo hit a wall at 16, locked into a six-month contract that “took away [his] purpose,” he told THR. Nearly quitting, he landed The Fosters in 2015, then To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Today, he calls all his roles “stepping stones.”

RELATED: 10 Hollywood Actors Making Comebacks In 2025

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Jarrod Saunders

Jarrod Saunders

Living in Cape Town, South Africa, Jarrod Saunders (the founder of Fortress of Solitude) is a multi-talented professional with a wealth of experience in various creative fields, including filmmaking, graphic design, web design, sound engineering and copywriting. As an award-winning creative director, Jarrod Saunders has established himself as a respected voice in the world of pop culture, with expertise in film, television, video games, and comics.
Beginning his writing career as a film and gaming critic for Vision Magazine in 2007, Jarrod has gone on to write for and establish multiple entertainment sites, including Sneaker Fortress, 23 Jumpman Street and Lifestyle Fortress. Along the way he has secured interviews with famous actors, game developers and industry professionals from around the globe. He also regularly contributes to MyFaith Magazine writing articles for the kid's section.
As someone who watches over 500 movies a year and over 20 years of experience in media, Jarrod understands trends and has worked alongside industry professionals to create award winning content – including directing, writing and editing a feature film on Showmax (The Lifesaver) and South Africa’s first deaf film (Home).
Outside of work, Jarrod enjoys time with his family, shopping for the latest sneakers (with a personal collection stacked with over 100 pairs), and serving in his local church (where is ordained as a deacon).
Expertise: Filmmaking, Entertainment Journalism, SEO, Web Development
Past Titles: Senior Content Creator @ CV Africa
Current Title: Editor in Chief @ Fortress Entertainment
Connect: jarrodsaunders@fortressza.com

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