There’s no doubt that actors make it look easy; award-winning performances, rave reviews, and adoring fans. But even the most decorated actors will tell you that it takes countless hours, hard work, and a lot of failures to get to where they are now. Everyone has to start somewhere, and if you’re an actor, that somewhere is the audition process. Auditioning is a skill in itself, and like any skill you want to master, there will be stumbling blocks on your path to perfection. Read below for some truly embarrassing and hilarious tales of bad auditions from some of our favorite celebrities. They’ll make you glad your job doesn’t involve auditioning!
#1: Who Are You Calling Ugly?
Most actresses will, unfortunately, tell you that Hollywood can be especially brutal in regard to your appearance. An actor can be absolutely perfect for a role, but if they don’t have “the look,” they will have no problem letting you know. Some will deliver the news more harshly than others, as Meryl Streep learned early on.
While Meryl described this interaction as “sobering for a young girl,” it did not deter her from pushing on. Within two years, Meryl was nominated for her first Academy Award, and the following year she took home the top prize of Lead Actress. Since then, she has become the most highly-nominated person in Academy Awards history (21 nominations in total). So chin up, all you young actors! Even Meryl Streep had a rough start.