You'll Never Believe How These Legendary Actors Got Discovered

Matthew McConaughey

McConaughey was born in Texas into an oil mogul family. He turned down the opportunity to work in big oil with his father to become an actor. But, as it turns out, McConaughey wasn't a particularly good actor when he first hit the scene. In fact, he was even dropped from some of the student films he was asked to act in. 

So Bad, He's Good

Luckily, McConaughey was out drinking at a bar in Austin, Texas when he ran into a producer that loved his awkward charm. This led to McConaughey's first starring role in Dazed and Confused. He was originally turned down because the producer, Richard Linklater, thought that McConaughey was too handsome and kind to play the role of an older creepy dude who partied with young girls. 

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The More You Know

  • Ashton Kutcher's real first name is Christopher.
  • Shakira was banned from her school’s choir, and her classmates said she sounded like a goat. The Hips Don’t Lie superstar sure showed them!
  • A far cry from her upper-class role on Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester was born in prison; her mother was serving time for smuggling drugs.
  • In the early days of his career, Sylvester Stallone was so poor that he sold his dog Butkus for $50.
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Post originally appeared on Upbeat News.