1. J.K. Rowling
In 1994, J.K. Rowling had just gone through a divorce, was living on government assistance, and struggled to afford food for her baby. Just three years later, she would publish her first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. At the time, Rowling was so financially strained that she couldn’t afford a computer or the cost of photocopying her 90,000-word manuscript. Instead, she manually typed out each copy to send to publishers. The book was rejected multiple times before Bloomsbury, a small London publisher, finally took a chance on it—thanks to the CEO’s eight-year-old daughter, who loved the story.
2. Stephen King
Stephen King was broke and struggling when he first started writing. He and his wife, who was also a writer, lived in a trailer and worked multiple jobs to make ends meet while pursuing their passion. Their financial situation was so dire that they had to borrow clothes for their wedding and even disconnected their phone because they couldn’t afford the bill.
King received so many rejection letters that he developed a unique way of organizing them. In his book On Writing, he recalls: “By the time I was 14…the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and kept on writing.” Before selling his first short story, “The Glass Floor,” for $35, King had accumulated 60 rejections. Even his now-famous novel Carrie wasn’t an instant success. After numerous rejections, he finally sold it to Doubleday for a small advance, and the hardback edition sold only 13,000 copies. However, everything changed when Signet Books bought the paperback rights for $400,000, with King receiving $200,000. Success at last!
3. Jim Carrey
When Jim Carrey was 14, his father lost his job, and his family fell on hard times. They ended up living in a VW van parked on a relative’s lawn. The young, aspiring comedian—who had already mailed his resume to The Carol Burnett Show at age 10—took on an eight-hour-per-day factory job after school to help support his family.
At 15, Carrey performed his first comedy routine on stage, wearing a suit his mom made for him, but it was a disaster. Despite bombing, he remained determined. At 16, he dropped out of school to pursue comedy full-time. Soon after, Carrey moved to Los Angeles, where he would park on Mulholland Drive at night and visualize his future success. One evening, he wrote himself a check for $10,000,000 for “Acting Services Rendered,” post-dating it for Thanksgiving 1995. Just before that date, Carrey hit his big break with Dumb and Dumber. He kept the check in his wallet for years, and when it finally deteriorated, he placed it in his father’s casket as a tribute.
4. Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry had a tough upbringing. He endured physical and sexual abuse, was expelled from high school, and attempted suicide twice—once as a preteen and again at 22. At 23, he moved to Atlanta, taking on various odd jobs while pursuing his passion for theater.
In 1992, Perry wrote, produced, and starred in his first stage play, I Know I’ve Been Changed, drawing from his challenging childhood for inspiration. He invested all his savings into the production, but it flopped, running for just one weekend with only 30 people in attendance. Despite the setback, Perry persisted, working odd jobs and even sleeping in his car at times to keep the show alive. Six years later, during its seventh run, the play finally found success. From there, Perry’s career skyrocketed, establishing him as a successful director, writer, and actor. In 2011, he was named Forbes’ highest-paid man in entertainment.
5. Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker was born in a poor coal-mining town in rural Ohio, the youngest of four children. When she was two, her parents divorced, and her mother soon remarried, adding four more children to the family. Parker’s stepfather, a truck driver, was frequently unemployed, so from a young age, Parker started singing and dancing to help supplement her mom’s teaching income and support their 10-member household.
Despite financial struggles and occasionally relying on welfare, Parker’s mother always encouraged her children’s artistic interests. The family eventually moved to Cincinnati, where Parker attended a ballet, music, and theater school on a scholarship. At age 11, Parker traveled to New York City to audition for a Broadway play. The trip was a turning point—both she and her brother were cast, prompting the family to relocate to New York. Parker’s dedication to her craft paid off, and she eventually landed the iconic role of Carrie Bradshaw in the hit TV series Sex and the City.
6. Colonel (Harland) Sanders
Colonel Harland Sanders faced numerous setbacks, getting fired from various jobs throughout his career. At 40, during the Great Depression, he began cooking chicken at his roadside Shell Service Station in 1930. Since the gas station lacked a proper restaurant, Sanders served meals to diners in his own living quarters.
Over the next decade, he perfected his “Secret Recipe” and developed a pressure frying method for his signature fried chicken, eventually moving to larger locations. His chicken even caught the attention of food critic Duncan Hines (yes, the Duncan Hines). However, in the 1950s, the construction of an interstate through his Kentucky town diverted crucial road traffic, forcing Sanders to close his restaurant and retire nearly broke. With only a $105 monthly pension, he hit the road, looking for restaurants willing to franchise his secret recipe, asking for just a nickel per piece of chicken sold. After sleeping in his car and enduring over 1,000 rejections, Sanders finally found his first franchise partner.
7. Shania Twain
Shania Twain’s career began out of necessity rather than ambition. After her parents divorced when she was two, Twain rarely saw her father. Her mother and stepfather, whom she grew close to, often struggled to make ends meet, so at just eight years old, Twain began singing in bars to help support the family.
She recalls her mother waking her at all hours to perform. Tragedy struck when Twain was 21, as her mother and stepfather were killed in a head-on collision with a logging truck. Twain put her music career on hold to care for her three younger siblings, who were still teenagers. She performed at resorts to support them and delayed her pursuit of stardom until they were old enough to take care of themselves. Only after her youngest brother graduated high school did Twain feel ready to move to Nashville and fully chase her dreams.
8. Emily Blunt
Before Emily Blunt was earning Golden Globe nominations and starring in major films, she struggled to even hold a conversation. Between the ages of seven and 14, Blunt had a significant stutter. As she shared with W magazine, “I was a smart kid and had a lot to say, but I just couldn’t say it. It haunted me. I never thought I’d be able to talk to someone the way I’m talking to you right now.”
That all began to change when a junior high teacher encouraged her to audition for the school play—despite her difficulty speaking. The idea seemed daunting, but the teacher suggested she try using accents and character voices to help her speak, and it worked. By the time she reached her late teens, Blunt had overcome her stutter, setting the stage for the successful acting career she enjoys today.
9. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is a shining example of resilience and determination, inspiring countless individuals to never give up on their dreams. From a challenging childhood marked by poverty and abuse to becoming a global media mogul, Oprah’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance. Despite facing significant obstacles, including criticism and personal loss, she remained focused on her goals and used her platform to uplift others. Oprah’s story teaches us that with hard work, self-belief, and a commitment to making a difference, we can overcome adversity and achieve greatness. Her unwavering spirit continues to motivate people around the world to pursue their passions and believe in themselves, no matter the challenges they face.
