Millie Bobby Brown, now one of Hollywood’s brightest stars, once contemplated leaving the industry entirely.
The Stranger Things actress revealed this during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2020.
The acting profession is notoriously tough, often marked by frequent rejection before success is achieved.
Even the most resilient actors can find constant rejection disheartening at times, leading some to consider quitting.
Thankfully, Brown persevered and has since achieved considerable success despite facing numerous rejections.
One particular role she missed out on almost made her reconsider her career choice.
Brown auditioned for a part in the later seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones.
She remembered: “I think I was just very disheartened by the rejection which is something that I tell everyone, is like, ‘this industry is such full of rejection 24/7.’”
“You get no’s – a lot of no’s – before you get a yes.”
Brown tried out for the role of Lyanna Mormont in the series.
She added: “I was auditioning for commercials, for anything really. I then auditioned for Game of Thrones and I got a no for that, and then that’s when I was kinda like ‘Oh, this is really difficult.’”
“I guess I really wanted that role.”
Fans might remember Lyanna as the fierce lady of Bear Island, who bravely supports the Starks with her limited forces.
The character meets a heroic end, killing an undead giant by stabbing it in the eye with a dragonglass dagger.
No need for spoiler warnings; enough time has passed.
The role went to Bella Ramsey, who later starred in The Last of Us with fellow Game of Thrones actor Pedro Pascal.
Brown’s fortunes changed when she received a callback for a Netflix show initially called Mauntauk.
The show was eventually renamed Stranger Things, and Brown was cast as Eleven.
Her stellar performance in Stranger Things has significantly boosted her career, earning her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Since then, she has starred in major blockbuster films, including two Godzilla movies.