Top 10 Celebs Who Struggled to Break Into Hollywood

Few actors achieve stardom early in their career, but for Bradley Cooper, that road was much longer and rockier. Cooper got his first major role opposite Jennifer Garner on the sci-fi series “Alias”. Although the show was a hit, his role was significantly diminished over time, leading him to ask to be written off. Cooper’s uncertainty about his career prospects wasn’t helped by his struggle with addiction and a nasty injury he suffered to his Achilles tendon. After a few more supporting roles and a failed Fox sitcom, Cooper got his breakthrough when he landed a part in “The Hangover”. Since then, he has risen to A-list status, directed an Oscar-winning film and was even named People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2011.

Bryan Cranston was born and raised right in the heart of the film industry in California. He began acting after college, picking up minor and supporting roles throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. During that period, Cranston was the sort of actor whose face you know you’ve seen somewhere but just can’t place where exactly. Things started breaking good for him in 2000 when he began starring on the popular Fox sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle”. Two years after the show ended, Cranston landed the role that would define his acting career - as chemistry-teacher-turned-drug-kingpin Walter White on “Breaking Bad”. The series won him four Emmys for his performance and paved the way for a wildly successful career, late in his life.

A theater actor by training, Kathy Bates moved to New York in the early ‘70s in hopes of becoming a star. After her first movie role in 1971’s “Taking Off,” Bates soon learned that making it in Hollywood was a lot harder than she imagined. She found it difficult getting roles afterwards, which she attributed to her not being conventionally attractive enough for Hollywood standards. Bates returned to the stage and began making a name for herself there, receiving a Tony nomination in 1983. With other more established actresses turning it down, Bates was offered her breakthrough role as Annie Wilkes in 1990’s “Misery”. It earned her the Oscar for Best Actress and helped establish her as the versatile performer she is today.

Like many other struggling actors in LA, Jon Hamm first made a living waiting tables while aggressively auditioning. Even though he was represented by the renowned William Morris Agency, Hamm still had a very hard time finding any substantial acting jobs. After he was dropped by the agency, Hamm gave himself an ultimatum - if things weren’t looking up by his 30th birthday, he’d quit acting. Luckily, by his 30th, he had booked roles on films like “Kissing Jessica Stein” and “We Were Soldiers,” which improved his career prospects. Following a long and arduous start in the industry, Hamm finally became a star in the late 2000s, with his lead role in the AMC series “Mad Men”.

Before he became the comedy legend that he is today, Steve Carell cut his teeth performing in improv groups such as Chicago’s notable The Second City. Although he seemed to get better at his craft, the roles just weren’t coming for Carell in the early ‘90s. It got so bad that just before getting his break on “The Dana Carvey Show,” his agent suggested he consider other career options. Although the sketch series was quickly canceled, Carell made a lasting impression and was later hired as a correspondent on “The Daily Show”. This introduced him to a wider audience and helped secure him two monumental roles in 2005 - as the titular character in “ The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” and as Michael Scott on “The Office”.

Easily one of the most gifted actresses of her generation, Viola Davis overcame tremendous adversity to achieve her present status. Although she studied at Juilliard and graduated in 1993, it took years for her to land her big break. Davis got her professional start on the stage, where she garnered acclaim and won a Tony for the 2001 August Wilson play “King Hedley II”. Her onscreen breakthrough came years later, for her Oscar-nominated turn in “Doubt”. She then became a bona fide star with her appearances in “The Help” and “....how to get away with murder”] Davis has broken barriers all her life, and in 2023, she joined a select group of performers who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony.

Harrison Ford’s life changed drastically when he was cast as Han Solo in George Lucas’ epic space-opera “Star Wars”. Prior to that, Ford worked as a talent with Columbia Pictures and Universal Studios, but was only able to secure small parts in films and TV shows. In 1973, he made his first major film appearance in Lucas’ “American Graffiti,” but still found it hard getting more acting gigs. To support his family, he became a carpenter and did work for some high-profile individuals in and around Hollywood. However, after “Star Wars,” Ford received significant recognition in the industry. He went on to work again with Lucas, starring in 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” which solidified him as a leading man.

Today, she’s one of Hollywood’s funniest ladies and an extremely versatile actor, with Oscar nominations for comedic and dramatic parts. But her ascent to that level of mega success was by no means an easy feat. McCarthy left her hometown of Plainfield, Illinois when she was just 20 and began working as a stand-up comedian. She, however, struggled to make the transition to the screen and was once so broke that her account balance was less than $5. After appearing on all seven seasons of “Gilmore Girls,” McCarthy achieved international fame with her lauded role on “Bridesmaids”. Just five years after the film’s release, McCarthy had already become one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses. If that isn’t undeniable star quality, we don’t know what is.

Before Octavia Spencer played the outspoken Minny Jackson in “The Help,” she had already amassed a long list of credits, but was still relatively unknown. After moving to Los Angeles in 1997, Spencer spent years in the background, picking up minor roles in film and TV that were often nurses. When the opportunity came to star in “The Help,” Spencer grabbed it with both hands and gave it her absolute best. Her incredible work was crowned with an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Spencer earned additional nods for “Hidden Figures” and “The Shape of Water,” becoming the first African-American actress to receive back-to-back Oscar nominations. She has also seen success on TV, with shows like “Mom” and “Self Made”.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Eric Stonestreet
This “Modern Family” Actor Struggled for More Than a Decade Before Hitting It Big

Leslie Jones
At 47, Jones Became a “Saturday Night Live” Cast Member After Years Working Underground

Gal Gadot
Gadot Nearly Gave up on Acting Before Becoming Wonder Woman

Morgan Freeman
Even God Himself Knows Morgan Freeman Was Destined for the Screen

Billy Bob Thornton
Thornton Had to Write, Direct and Star in His Own Film to Gain Everyone’s Attention

The red-headed bombshell who dominated TV, Lucille Ball was not always a big shot. Before making it, Ball worked as an in-house model and a cigarette girl, while trying out for gigs on Broadway. During this period, the future star could barely afford to feed. After moving to Hollywood in the early 1930s, she became a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures and played minor roles in several of their films. Ball built up her repertoire over the next two decades and in 1951, she got her breakthrough with the hit sitcom “I Love Lucy”. From there, Ball went on to star in other beloved sitcoms like “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy,” cementing her status as a comedy icon.