It is well known that acting is a volatile career path that takes many people years to achieve success, if at all. Some actors go from audition to audition, with little hope of making it big. However, this is not the case for some actors, who have landed major roles at unexpected times. Here are five actors who stumbled into life-changing roles.
1. Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson is number one on our list. Gibson worked on several stage productions after graduating from Sydney’s National Institute of Dramatic Art in the 1970s. That was the pinnacle of his acting career, in his opinion.
Everything changed when a friend asked him to drive him to auditions for the 1979 film ‘Mad Max.’ Gibson had no intention of auditioning, so he spent the night before the auditions in a bar, where he got into a brawl.
When he brought his friend to the audition the next day, the director saw Gibson’s battered face and thought he would make a great villain in the film, so he asked him to return in a few weeks. When he returned, Gibson’s face was healed and the director realized he was a good looking man. Instead of casting him as a villain, he offered him the lead role.
2. Johnny Depp
Although Depp is now one of the most well-known and respected actors in Hollywood, he had no intention of becoming an actor in the first place. He wanted to make money with music and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams. However, his career path changed when he accompanied a friend to the ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ auditions. The director’s daughter took a shine to him, describing him as “dreamy,” and convinced her father to cast young Depp in the film. As they say, the rest is history.
3. John Wayne
John Wayne’s real name was Marion Robert Morrison, and his ambition was to become a professional football player. Unfortunately, due to an injury, this dream came to an end. To support himself, he took on odd jobs, which led to him working on a movie set. His job entailed moving things around and dealing with props. Because of his athletic build, the directors allowed him to be a stand-in.
John Ford, one of the greatest directors of the time, elevated Morrison from a stand-in to a minor role as a geese herder in ‘Mother Machree.’ When Ford introduced Morrison to other directors, he was given his first starring role and changed his name to John Wayne.
4. David Boreanaz
Boreanaz is best known for playing ‘Angel’ in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ a role he landed under unusual circumstances. Prior to this, he made a brief appearance on ‘Married with Children’ in an attempt to launch his acting career. Marti Nixon, the creator of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ was looking for a handsome man to play ‘Angel.’ Boreanaz lived next door to Nixon’s friend. Boreanaz’s name was used for the part after a neighbor saw him walking his dog past his house. Boreanaz has since had his own spin-off series as well as a starring role in ‘Bones.’
5. Danny Trejo
An acting career couldn’t have been further from what Trejo was expecting in life. In his youth, he had a serious drug problem and had spent time in prison. While serving time in San Quentin, he cleaned up his act, went through the twelve-step program and became a boxing champ. While in recovery, he met a guy who asked for his help on the set of ‘Runaway Train’. Due to his disheveled appearance, Trejo was given the part of an extra. The screenwriter knew Trejo and asked him to train some of the crew to box. When the director saw him boxing, he gave him a part in the film. The role he is now best-known for is the lead in ‘Machete’.
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