10 Movie Actors Who Were Discovered In Unusual Ways
Vin Diesel broke into cinema... by breaking into a cinema.
![Vin Diesel Fast and Furious](https://d2thvodm3xyo6j.cloudfront.net/media/2021/08/5226812d1c61ed9c-600x338.jpg)
Becoming a movie star is as much about luck as it is about talent. Yes, you need to be driven, with a genuine passion for your work - but you also need to have the right connections, and above all else, you need to be in the right place at the right time.
Getting discovered as an actor isn't always as straightforward as going to drama school, graduating into theatre work, and then getting recruited for some TV shows and movies. While some actors do break into Hollywood this way, many others got their big shot under much more unusual circumstances.
Some actors were just wandering around a public area when they were approached by a talent scout. Others visited film sets while working different jobs, only to end up being offered a role in the movie and spawning an acting career. Hell, a certain Mr. Diesel was discovered while committing an actual crime. Seriously.
Bizarrely, those aren't even the strangest examples, and whether it was their very first job or their breakout role, some of the biggest stars in the world began their careers in highly unusual ways.
10. Jennifer Lawrence Was Discovered On The Streets Of New York City
![Vin Diesel Fast and Furious](https://d2thvodm3xyo6j.cloudfront.net/media/2014/10/The-Hunger-Games-Katniss-Everdeen-Jennifer-Lawrence-600x338.jpg)
They say you have to go out and chase your dreams, rather than waiting for your dreams to come to you. But whoever "they" are, they're completely wrong in the case of Jennifer Lawrence, and the curious start to her award-winning Hollywood career.
Lawrence - who was the highest-paid actress in the world just a few years ago - didn't go to acting school, she didn't take classes, and she didn't have any sort of formal training as a youngster. Rather, her discovery was a total fluke.
At 14 years of age, Lawrence visited New York City with her mother, unaware that she was about to get her big break. She was hanging out in the iconic Union Square when a man approached her and asked if she'd be interested in some modelling work, which obviously sounds a bit creepy - but as it turns out, the man's intentions were completely pure.
Phone numbers were exchanged, and a short while later, Lawrence agreed to pursue the opportunity, which set her on the path to movie stardom. Don't talk to strangers kids - unless they're highly influential strangers who can make you filthy rich.