1. Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman – Shah Rukh Khan 

In an interview, Shah Rukh revealed that he almost gave up on acting because he thought he was too ugly to be on-screen! “When I saw myself for the first time onscreen, this was for the rushes. Rushes are dailies. You shoot the scenes and you see the negatives. That was the time when we had negatives. So, I was looking at Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman rushes in RK Studio. And I realised I am so ugly.”

He even bought a ticket home, ready to give up on his dreams of acting, “Around 4ish, there used to be a flight of Air India that offered 25 per cent discount. I used to get those tickets back in the days. I bought one and went to airport realising that I cannot be an actor.” However his then co-star, Juhi convinced him that the final result would look better. “I never looked better. I kept looking bad. But I feel extremely fortunate as people have loved me so much,” he added. 

2. Game of Thrones – Millie Bobby Brown 

In this case, it wasn’t a show or movie she did but instead one she was rejected from. Millie almost gave up acting after failing to land a role in Game Of Thrones. However, she did persevere and two months later was chosen to play Eleven in Stranger Things. 

3. Multiple flops – Abhishek Bachchan 

The actor had a string of flops like Shararat, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost and Kuch Naa Kaho in early 2000s. In an interview he revealed that he was on the verge of giving up acting, especially after reading the harsh things being written about him. However, his father, Amitabh Bachchan’s advise, “I never brought you up to be a quitter. Every morning you have to wake up and fight for your place under the sun. As an actor, you are improving with every film,” gave him the courage to move forward. 

4. Harry Potter – Emma Watson

The actor had been a part of the celebrated franchise since she was 10-11. But she wasn’t sure if she belonged in the industry. “I’m so wrong for this job because I’m too serious; I’m a pain in the ass; I’m difficult; I don’t fit,” she told Vanity Fair in 2017. She revealed that she often asked herself if she hated being famous. But thankfully she changed her mind, “As I’ve got older, I’ve realised, No! Taking on those battles, the smaller ones and the bigger ones, is who I am.”

5. Jodha Akbar – Hrithik Roshan

The actor was so badly injured while shooting for Jodha Akbar that he thought he’d have to give up acting because it wouldn’t be physically possible anymore. “Before beginning shooting for Kites, I was trying to get my knee treated and doctors said it will not be able to function. I was heartbroken and was even contemplating an alternative career in singing or direction,” Hrithik told PTI.

6. Unnamed Project – Jennifer Aniston

Though the star did not name the project, during a podcast she revealed that “she nearly stopped acting after having an exhausting experience on an unnamed project.” In the last three years, the actor revealed that she has considered leaving acting, “It was after a job I had completed, and I was like, ‘Whoa, that was really … that sucked the life out of me. And I don’t know if this is what interests me.”

7. Unnamed Disney Channel Pilot – Noah Centineo

While talking to The Hollywood Reporter in November 2018, this To All The Boys star spoke about how his contract after a failed pilot forbid him from auditioning for 6 months and he almost gave up acting during that time. Because he felt he lost all purpose, “My purpose was just to act, and you take away someone’s purpose and you kind of deteriorate them.” We’re glad he didn’t give up!

8. Alias – Bradley Cooper

Bradley was a part of the hit TV series Alias in 2001, but as the show progressed his role got smaller and smaller. the actor revealed that he was so disappointed that he went into depression and asked to be written off the show. He almost quit acting but things turned for the better when he landed Wedding Crashers in 2003. 

We’re glad they never gave up!