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6 A-List Actors Who Were One Bad Day Away From Quitting Hollywood Forever

Before the Oscars, the paychecks, and the household names, these six stars were broke, rejected, and one audition away from calling it quits.

By The Clapperboard Staff · July 12, 2026 · 2 min read

6 A-List Actors Who Were One Bad Day Away From Quitting Hollywood Forever

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Hugh Jackman Gave Himself Exactly Five Years — And The Clock Was Almost Up

Hugh Jackman, who once gave himself a five-year window to make acting work

X-Men (2000), the role that changed everything

Before Wolverine made him a household name, Jackman spent eight years working restaurants and gas stations while trying to break in as an actor. He made himself a literal deadline: try it for five years, and if it doesn't work out, walk away.

Charlize Theron's Backup Plan Was Literally Her Parents' Road-Construction Company

Charlize Theron, who nearly traded Hollywood for the family construction business

The Devil's Advocate (1997), Theron's breakout film

Broke and unknown in early-90s Los Angeles, Theron faced a genuine fork in the road: keep chasing acting with no guarantees, or go home to South Africa and join the family business. She's said outright she had no idea what she'd have done if a chance meeting hadn't led to her breakout in The Devil's Advocate.

Sylvester Stallone Was So Broke Before Rocky He Had To Sell His Own Dog

Sylvester Stallone, who sold his own dog to survive before Rocky

Rocky (1976), the script he refused to sell without himself attached

Homeless and nearly out of options, Stallone sold his bull mastiff Butkus outside a liquor store for just enough cash to get by, before writing the Rocky script in days and refusing to sell it unless he got to star. Once the film sold, buying his dog back was the first thing he did.

Jason Momoa Went From Khal Drogo To Straight-Up Starving

Jason Momoa, who says he and his family were starving between GoT and Aquaman

Aquaman (2018), the role that finally turned things around

Even after Game of Thrones made him famous, Momoa says he and his family were broke and he couldn't book work, since casting directors assumed Khal Drogo couldn't actually speak English. It took years — and mounting debt — before Aquaman turned things around.

George Clooney Thought One Bad Argument Had Ended His Career For Good

George Clooney, who thought a producer blowup was "the end of my career"

ER (1994), the breakout that almost never happened

A decade into grinding through odd jobs and minor TV roles, Clooney got into a blowup with a producer and quit — or got fired, he's still not sure which — and figured that was it. He only stayed in town because someone he'd once helped out gave him a pilot, which eventually led to ER.

Robert Pattinson Called His Parents To Say He Was Quitting — Then Went To One Last Audition

Robert Pattinson, who told his parents he was quitting right before landing Twilight

Twilight (2008), the last audition he almost didn't go to

Flat broke in Los Angeles and convinced he'd bombed a different audition, Pattinson told his parents he was done and coming home to England. He went to one final audition anyway — for a little vampire movie called Twilight.

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