Inspiring success stories!
Today’s blog is about Hollywood actors stories to success, from nothing to being the some of the world’s biggest names!
Tom Cruise:
The 55-year-old actor, who have won Golden Globe Awards for his roles in Born on the July 4th, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia. But before even getting started as actor he had pretty rough life in his past. Tom Cruise, born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, always thought he would be a priest. He ditched the idea in high school, and focused on becoming an actor.
Robert Downey Jr., was born on April 4, 1965, in New York City, the son of the avant-garde filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., who is best known for the 1969 film Putney Swope. He now one of the most bankable and highly paid actors in show business, starring in blockbuster comic book films like Iron Man and The Avengers. But not so long ago, he was practically unhireable, due to his drinking and drug abuse—not to mention the time his addictions landed him in prison.
Both show business and addiction run in the Downey family. The cult filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., also an addict, allowed his son to try marijuana at the age of six. According to a 1996 People article, drugs facilitated an emotional bond between father and son. This apparently led to Downey becoming a daily drinker. As reported in a 2003 interview with the New York Times, Downey was arrested multiple times for drug offences and cycled in and out of jail.
Instead, he escaped from rehab twice and, in 1999, was sentenced to 36 months in jail, though he served just under a year. After two more arrests, including the time he was found wandering the streets of Los Angeles barefoot, Downey checked into rehab and finally got clean. Thanks to his wife, Downey’s wife Susan Downey (they got married in 1992) told Harper’s Bazaar that he quit drugs for good in 2003 after she gave him an ultimatum. According to a 2013 Daily Mail article, the actor credits a combination of 12-step programs, yoga, meditation and therapy in keeping him sober.
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey, popularly called Jim Carrey, the famous comic actor, had taken a beating after being rejected as a performer the first few times, we would not have had great movies like ‘Bruce Almighty’ and ‘The Truman Show’.
Faced with dire poverty in his childhood, this brilliant entertainer was unable to complete school, and was forced to fend for his family. His only form of practice was at home, when he would try cheering up his mother in time of economic calamity.
This however, did not undermine the young lad’s confidence, and he went on to prove to the world, that he had talent. With splendid comic performances in films like ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’, ‘The Mask’, ‘Dumb and Dumber’, ‘Liar Liar’, and ‘Me, Myself & Irene’.
Halle Berry
Everyone knows Halle Berry and her amazing success. What most might not know are all of the hardships she went through growing up. Starting with the abandonment of her father at a very early age, facing racism, and later being forced to live in a shelter for a time when she came to New York City, Halle has faced many setbacks. This did not stop her from going forward and pushing for her goal of becoming an actress. She looks back on it now and says that she did what she had to do; it did not deter her from going for her dream and ultimately being the first black woman to win an Oscar for best actress in 2002. We can all learn from Halle that there will be difficult times to get to where you want to be; ultimately if you want something bad enough, you have to be willing to make sacrifices and understand that things are going to get worse before they get better, and nothing can stop you if you don’t give up on what you know you were meant to be.
Mark Ruffalo
The Hulk didn’t get noticed until his late 20’s as an actor, and his struggles stemmed from the time he was a child. Suffering from both ADD and dyslexia in his younger years later made studying lines and scripts extremely difficult. Yet somehow, he was able to focus and memorize lines for plays and movies to eventually make it onto the big screen, which is a true testament to his determination and stamina. If that wasn’t tough enough, in 2002 it was discovered that he had a brain tumor, which lucky for him was benign, but the removal of the tumor left him suffering from facial paralysis. The actor attended over 500 auditions before he got his first yes! He went through therapy and was able to make a full recovery, return to his acting aspirations and eventually, a long-standing career as an actor in over 40 films. His story is moving and inspiring and should demonstrate to everyone that even physical setbacks do not have to keep you from following your dreams.
Lauren Dern
Though she’s known for her 4 Golden Globe Awards and now an Academy Award!!, and as an Alumni of the Lee Strasberg Institute, a and for her smashing roles in Wild at Heart, Jurassic Park and more recently the series Big Little Lies, Laura Dern has suffered traumatic experiences that she overcame to get where she is today. At the mere age of only 14, Laura was sexually assaulted, and for years she admits that she blamed herself and made excuses for her abuser’s behavior, without realizing the toll it took on her both physically and mentally.
Even with a tragedy at such a crucial age in her life, she did not allow the occurrence(s) to interfere with her aspirations to become an actress, and worked through it and other obstacles, including the famous 1997 Puppy Episode of the television series Ellen, which received so much backlash that it kept Laura from working for a year afterward. Nonetheless, once again she made her way back, working hard in spite of those difficulties, and has become one amazing actress and inspiration to all.
And lastly but not most definitely least, Jennifer Lopez!
Jennifer Lopez was “homeless” just months before she had her big break. Lopez and her mother often argued about the life decisions she made, but the star couldn’t help but live out her dreams.
All these amazing stars and their stories are SO inspiring! No matter where you’re from, what your background is, where you grew up or how much you can afford, anything is possible. It’s clear to see from all these stars stories that hard work and dedication beats absolutely everything!