Life doesn’t always go according to plan, right? That’s really okay. In fact, sometimes it’s all for the best. We don’t realise this at that second, but later in life, we look back and thank God for all of those situations that made us stronger and got us where we are today. And just like that, there are celebrities who’ve made it big in their careers, but their lives weren’t always that glamorous. There’s so much to learn from these celebrities. Here are a few success stories that prove struggle is an important phase of success.
1. Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves is one of the most talented actors, isn’t he? Apart from that, he comes from a very humble background. He has seen a lot of trouble in life. His father left him when he was 3 years old, at 29 he lost one of his closest friends to a drug overdose, his wife was pregnant but the child was born still. He finally ended his relationship with his wife due to their personal problems. After a few months, she died in a car accident. But Keanu did not give up on life. He always thought that tragedy is a part of life and is constant. Although he was worth millions of dollars, he still rides the subway. There’s so much to learn from his humble attitude.
2. Jim Carrey
Carrey comes from a very modest background. His father was a funny man too, but since he had to provide for the family, he gave up his dream of becoming a comedian. Jim, on the other hand, pursued this even though it was quite a struggle till his first ever break, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. He used the theory of affirmations every day telling himself that movie offers will be pouring in, he’s a really good actor, and everybody wants to work with him. As a child, he struggled with dyslexia and could not focus on studies because of that. He was a loner and didn’t make friends easily. He later overcame this and became the funny actor we all know him as.
3. Robert Downey Jr.
Our very own Iron Man was not always so successful. Although his parents were from the film industry and he had a good enough childhood, he still lead a very disturbing life. Robert was responsible for his own downfall even though he had so much potential. He suffered from major drug addiction and almost reached a point of no return. He was arrested many times for this too. Finally around 2004, Robert quit all those drugs and started taking charge of his life. And eventually, in 2008 he bagged our favourite movie Iron Man after which there was no looking back for him.
4. Chris Pratt
Pratt had a classic story that defines the phrase ‘rags to riches’. In his teen years, he was living in a van. He was very happy and thought there was something charming about it. He worked at the restaurant called Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and one day actress Ray Dawn Chong visited the place. He went up to her and asked her if she was casting in movies and eventually she did take him in her directorial debut movie called Cursed Part III. And that was the beginning of his amazing career in Hollywood.
5. Mark Ruffalo
Ruffalo is one of our favourite Marvel stars, isn’t he? He’s had a great career in Hollywood, but it wasn’t always the case. As a kid, he mentioned he had undiagnosed dyslexia and did not do well in studies. His entire family moved to Wisconsin and quickly became bankrupt. He then decided to take up acting as a career. He said he was rejected from about 600-800 auditions and that made his temper rise. Apparently, he used to cover his house walls with posters because he would punch the walls so hard, it would create holes in them. No wonder Marvel cast him as The Hulk. After he got his first break in 2001, he found out he had a brain tumour. He had many such challenging moments in life but didn’t give up. That makes him the successful actor he is today.
6. Jeremy Renner
Renner always wanted to be a movie star and he came to LA to pursue this dream. He auditioned a lot and acted in several movies with minor roles and after all that struggle and living in the dark because he was unable to pay electricity bills, he finally bagged a big role in The Hurt Locker in 2009. He was known as ‘the new guy in town’ although technically, he was already working in the industry for 20 years. We learn to never give up from Renner. And today, everyone refers to him as Hawkeye from The Avengers.
7. Leonardo DiCaprio
There’s so much more to DiCaprio than just talent. He has seen a very tough childhood and the first time he got beaten up, he realised he wanted to be an actor. He told his mother to start taking him for auditions at the age of 15. He gives us so much motivation and teaches us to not let our surroundings affect our dreams.
These celebrities inspire us so much with their stories. So, have we motivated you enough to work toward your goals?
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