Stars Who ALMOST Quit Before Their Big Break (And Why)

Life

6. Zoe Saldana

Back in 2003, when Zoe Saldana was playing a role in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, she said that she felt like the industry wasn’t for, and it was all because of the politics behind the camera. “Those weren’t the right people for me,” she said. “I’m not talking about the cast. The cast was great. I’m talking about the political stuff that went on behind closed doors. It was a lot of above-the-line versus below-the-line, extras versus actors, producers versus PAs…It was very elitist,” she continued. “I almost quit the business. I was 23 years old, and I was like, ‘I am never putting myself in this situation again. People disrespecting me because they look at my number on a call sheet and they think I’m not important. F*** you.'” But she stuck with it. Though she had some great roles in-between, it wouldn’t be until 2009 with Star Trek and Avatar that she really hit the bigtime.

5. Brie Larson

For Brie Larson, quitting wasn’t a one-time thing. It was a process. “I threw in the towel a lot. A lot! I couldn’t take the no’s over and over,” she said. “I was acting since I was seven years old and a reoccurring problem I used to have was never fitting the mold of what they were after. I was never fully right, I was never that desired package, I wasn’t pretty enough, I wasn’t plain enough, and I found myself so many times, getting so close and hitting that wall,” she recalls. “At one point, I did three independent films, had the most amazing experiences, and didn’t get paid a cent,” Larson said. “I didn’t have anything to my name. And that happened a few times where I would find myself down to the last dollar, backed up against a wall, ready to quit, and the next day, something would come up and I would be saved. This wasn’t even that long ago.” Despite putting up some excellent performances, it wasn’t until she was recognized by the Academy for her role in Room that she finally became that household name.