Famous actors who got their first role by accident (10 photos)

Becoming an actor requires not only talent, education and connections, but also attending numerous auditions. However, many famous actors today got their first roles thanks to happy accidents. They were simply spotted at the right moment and were in the right place. Let's look at some of these amazing coincidences that have helped famous actors launch their careers in the film industry.

Charlize Theron





Have you heard the phrase “through thorns to the stars”? Charlize Theron knows firsthand what it means. When the actress set out to conquer America (Theron is from South Africa), she had a hard time. One day, a girl came to the bank to cash a check for $500, but she was refused because the document was issued outside the United States. Charlize burst into tears, and then caused such a scandal that everyone in the institution paid attention to her, including the casting agent, who invited the performer to the casting. A few months later, the actress received a role in the film “Children of the Corn 3: City Harvest” (1994).

Johnny Depp



Depp went to the casting for the film “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) out of boredom, accompanying his friend Jackie. The young actor's audition impressed director Wes Craven, and he gave the role to Johnny. I wonder if the friend regretted taking Depp with him?

Natalie Portman





11-year-old Portman (actress Natalie Hershlag's real name) was simply eating pizza in a Long Island cafe when an agent from a cosmetics company noticed her and invited the girl to audition for a commercial. And although Natalie went to the casting for her role in the film “Leon” (1994) on her own, it seems that it was that meeting in the pizzeria that encouraged the girl to try herself in a big movie.

They didn’t want to cast Natalie for the role in Leon, because she seemed too young. But after looking at about two thousand actresses, the director still returned to Portman’s candidacy.

Mel Gibson



Australian Mel Gibson was an unknown theater actor. He didn’t even hope to conquer Hollywood, but one day, having brought a friend to audition for the film “Mad Max” (1979), he was noticed by director George Miller. Gibson's face was covered in bruises and abrasions, as he had gotten into a fight in a bar the day before. Miller invited the actor to come to the audition, deciding that he would be perfect for the role of a villain. 2 weeks later, Gibson arrived for the casting. His face had completely healed and, seeing the natural beauty of the actor, Miller decided that Mel was worthy of the leading role.

Ashton Kutcher



Kutcher did not plan to become an actor. His dream was to invent a cure for cerebral palsy, which his brother suffered from. That's why Ashton went to study biochemical engineering at the University of Iowa. One day, a girl scout approached him in a bar and invited the guy to participate in the “New Faces of Iowa” competition. Kutcher was noticed, he became a model, and quickly got his first role in the sitcom “That '70s Show.”

Matthew McConaughey



The actor's father was a successful oil worker, but his son did not want to follow in his footsteps. Matthew dreamed of cinema. One day he was drinking at a hotel bar in Austin and met the casting director. He introduced Matthew to Richard Linklater, who was just looking for actors for the film Dazed and Confused (1993).

Rosario Dawson



Rosario was just sitting on the porch of her house when director Larry Clark noticed her. He approached the girl and invited her to audition for the film “Kids” (1995). Rosario successfully passed the audition, which gave impetus to her acting career.

Jason Statham



Jason Statham was selling jewelry and perfume on the street when he was noticed by a representative of a modeling agency. He brought the future actor together with director Guy Ritchie, who was just casting for his debut film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). During the audition, Statham was asked to sell one of his trinkets to the director, and he not only successfully completed this task, but also got his first role.

Danny Trejo



Danny worked as a boxing trainer for Eric Roberts, who played a prisoner in the film Runaway Train (1985). It was on the set of this film that Trejo was noticed by Andrei Konchalovsky. Danny's unconventional character captivated the director, who invited him to play a small role.

Pamela Anderson



Pamela was an ordinary physical education teacher in Canada. One day she attended a football match, where the cameraman noticed her and showed the girl on the big screen of the stadium. The crowd was so delighted with Anderson's appearance that the girl was called onto the field to give her a standing ovation. Immediately after this, Pamela began to be actively invited to advertising shoots and films. It was this incident that led the actress to receive her first role in the series “Days of Our Lives.”