20 actors for whom acting was not a first choice 

Many famous Hollywood actors didn't always dream of acting as a profession. Most were working their daily jobs or studying when they accidentally found themselves in the show business. They had no formal acting training or experience when they landed phenomenal roles that gave them the stardom they enjoy today. Here is a list of 20 actors, for whom acting was not a first choice.

20) Danny Trejo

Actor Danny Trejo’s life was not always a bed of roses. He got involved in the shady drug business and was sentenced to prison. After spending about a decade in prison and another in a rehabilitation program, he wanted to change his life and help others overcome the same problem as him. He decided to become a drug counselor. On a visit to a shooting site with one of his clients, he was recognized by a filmmaker and offered a role in the movie Runaway Train. This role paved a way for him that he had never imagined before. Soon after he found himself working in movies, with iconic roles in films, like Heat, Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, Spy Kids, and others.

19) Lana Turner

Actress, Lana Turner's life changed one fine day, while she was sipping soda in a cafe. The cafe she was in, was known as Top Cafe, which is quite a famous place in Hollywood, where many actors filmmakers, and talent recruiters often visit. One of these recruiters, William R. Wilkerson, found Lana and introduced her to the world of Hollywood. She debuted in the film, They Won't Forget, in the year 1937. Since then she has been a part of many other successful films like The Postman Always Rings Twice, Imitation of Life, and others.

18) Marilyn Monroe

The legend of Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe, used to work in an aircraft factory. When a photographer from the first motion picture unit, David Conover, was sent to photograph the workers of the factory during the events of World War II, he captured Marilyn working. Her potential was instantly recognized when those pictures were published, and she was picked up from the factory and shoved into the limelight. This resulted in a successful career, spanning modeling and acting. Starting with minor uncredited roles in movies, she eventually started appearing in famous films, like – Niagara, How to Marry a Millionaire, and others.

17) Alexis Bledel

Actress, Alexis Bledel has gained quite a lot of popularity for her role as Rory Gilmore in the fan-favorite series, Gilmore Girls. The actress never really planned to enter the sphere of acting, although she used to do theatre as a part of overcoming her introverted nature. She was studying at NYU’s Tisch School when a modeling recruiter discovered her at a local mall. She was short on cash and thus took the job and things seemed to work for her since then. Soon after she landed her iconic role in the series, Gilmore Girls and since then has also worked in other successful movies like Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants and Sin City.

16) Henry Golding

Actor Henry Golding rose to fame with his role in the successful romantic comedy, Crazy Rich Asians. This British actor had no prior hopes or aspirations of breaking into the industry. He was happy working as a travel host. His many side gigs also included working as a hairstylist. When the director of Crazy Rich Asians, Jon. M Chu was making the film, he was adamant about launching someone new. He discovered Golding's Instagram and found his tourist guide videos enthralling and approached him for the role, thus bringing him to the business of Hollywood, which turned out quite successful for him.

15) Evangeline Lilly

Actress Evangeline Lilly was studying International Relations at the University of British Columbia like any other normal student. One fine day while walking the streets of British Columbia, an agent from Fort Modeling Agency, approached her and asked her to pursue modeling. To pay for her tuition, she took the job and suddenly found herself landing major roles in TV series and commercials. After working in modeling for a while she was cast in the TV series, Lost, which launched her career. Since then she has appeared in other famous projects like, The Hurt Locker, The Hobbit Series, and even in Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she portrays the role of the Wasp.

14) Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford has quite an interesting story of how he landed a job in acting. While finishing college in Wisconsin, where he was a Philosophy Major, he took up a drama class for no significant reason, but it sparked his interest in acting. He thought of giving it a shot and moved to LA, but was struggling to find roles. Thus he gave up on acting and instead took up carpentry. While working as a carpenter, he met the director George Lucas who saw a lot of potential in him and offered him the role of Han Solo in the Star Wars series. Thus began his successful career which included projects like Indiana Jones, Blade Runner, Air Force, and a lot more.

13) Cameron Diaz

Actress Cameron Diaz came from a very poor family. They used to collect trash, pick out soda cans from it, and sell it for cash. She was in school when at the age of 16, she had to drop out to join modeling as a means of earning money. She had quite a successful career in modeling and ended up working with brands like Calvin Klein. She had no interest and no experience in acting, but through a chance of fate found herself working in the film, The Mask with actor, Jim Carrey. Unexpectedly, this movie turned out to be a hit and she entered the sphere of acting with roles in movies, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Charlie's Angel, The Holiday, Knight and Day, and others.

12) Pamela Anderson

Actress, Pamela Anderson was attending a Canadian football game when her entire life changed. She was wearing a T-shirt from the brand, Labatt’s Beer when a camera focused on her sitting in the audience. The brand was impressed and hired her for the role of their spokesmodel. Since then her modeling career has landed her many successful projects like Baywatch, Barb Wire, Scary Movie Three, and more.

11) Eva Mendes

Eva Mendes used to be a marketing major at California State University. She was on her way to becoming a marketing executive when fate decided to cross her path. One of her friends included Eva in his portfolio, and a talent manager recruited her from there. Thus began her career in modeling and commercials. A filmmaker saw one of the modeling campaigns and decided to recruit her in the film, Children of the Corn V, and thus began her career in acting. Since then, she has worked in movies like The Fast and The Furious franchise, Hitch, Ghost Rider, and many more.

10) Ashton Kutcher

As shocking as it might be, Ashton, Kutcher was studying at the University of lowa before he even began thinking about acting. He was a student of biochemical engineering. Once, when he was in a bar in Iowa City, a model scout approached him and thus began his career as a successful model. People started appreciating him in the line of modeling, because of his good looks, and tall height, and eventually, he moved to New York City. There he decided to give acting a chance and instantly landed a role in the series, That '70s Show.

9) Channing Tatum

Before his successful career in acting with films, like Step Up, Magic Mike, and 21 Jump Street, Channing Tatum was studying at a college in West Virginia on a football scholarship. But it wasn't working out for him so eventually he had to drop out and find work elsewhere. He moved to Miami, and it was there that a model recruiter found him and got him jobs with brands like Abercrombie and Fitch, Nautica, Gap, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and more. He even started appearing in music videos and eventually moved on to movies, becoming the great actor that he is today.

8) Jason Statham

Actor Jason Statham has made a name for himself with iconic films, like The Transporter series, Expendables, Fast and the Furious films, and other many impressive projects. Before gaining the fame that he has today, he used to be a highly skilled diver and was a member of Britain's National Swimming Squad. This sport required him to maintain an athletic physique which helped him land a role in a movie. The famous filmmaker, Guy Ritchie, was very impressed by him and offered him a role in the film, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

7) Chalize Theron

Charlize Theron is considered one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood today. Before gaining this title, she had no idea that she would one day enter the world of acting. She came from South Africa and had an alcoholic and abusive father. In Johannesburg, she joined the National School of Arts and started training in ballet. She wanted to continue her career in the art of ballet but had to drop out because of a severe knee injury. Because of this, she had to enter modeling and while auditioning for a modeling job, an agent introduced her to Hollywood and she got cast in the movie, Children of the Corn III, and the rest is history.

6) Johnny Depp

It would be pretty hard to believe that the iconic actor Johnny Depp did not always want to be an actor. He had a passion for music. He was a guitarist and used to have a band known as The Kids. His band later broke up but his passion for music sustained. While trying to make a career in music in Los Angeles, he was introduced to the director Wes Craven and thus began his career in acting. He rose to fame with his role in 21 Jump Street, and eventually cemented his position in Hollywood. He has been a part of the legendary, Pirates of the Caribbean series, and his other great projects include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland, and various others.

5) Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey studied at the University of Texas from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Radio-Television-Film. With plans to join a Law school, he was studying hard when his brother told him that paying law school tuition would be hard for his family. His plans changed when he met the casting director, Don Phillips, at a bar in Texas. He presented him with an opportunity to act in the movie, Dazed and Confused, thus giving rise to the successful career of this iconic star.

4) Jennifer Lawrence

Originally from Kentucky, a vacation to New York changed Jennifer Lawrence's future. She was on a family vacation in New York City when a movie recruiter found her, recognized her potential, and arranged an audition for her. Without any prior acting experience or training, she landed a role in the series, The Bill Engvall Show. Lawrence truly rose to fame with her role as Katniss Everdeen in the movie, The Hunger Games. Since then she has been a part of many other successful projects like X–Men, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Red Sparrow, and more.

3) Hugh Jackman

Actor Hugh Jackman has studied communications at the University of Technology in Sydney. While he was always inclined towards the art of acting, it was not always a fully fledged plan for him. But when he was studying communications, he realized that acting might be his thing. So after completing his bachelor's, he joined the WAAPA drama college and studied and trained there. It was then that he developed a passion for theatre and after appearing in a lot of drama productions, and eventually moved to Hollywood with roles like Wolverine in the X-Men franchise.

2) Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson had always wanted to be and was a professional wrestler. Coming from a family of wrestlers, when he joined the University of Miami on a football scholarship, he had no plans of entering acting. He graduated in criminology and physiology, and went on to focus on his career as a professional wrestler. He made his WWE debut in 1996 and had quite a successful career in that sphere. He had made a name for himself through wrestling and thus was invited for an appearance on the show, Saturday Night Live. After that he started receiving offers for acting and just to try something new, he took up a role in the film, Mummy Returns, launching a successful career in acting.

1) Brad Pitt

The successful Star of Hollywood, Brad Pitt, was not always keen on acting. He was enrolled at the University of Missouri, where he was earning a degree in journalism and was quite interested in the sector of advertising. But it seems like he had a career-defining epiphany and dropped out just short of graduating and moved to LA. There he started auditioning for roles and after three auditions landed a supporting role in Thelma and Louise and began his successful, super-hit career in Hollywood.