Some people hear “never give up” and think of it as cliche, but others use it as a life mantra because it is truly such an important saying. It’s true that you never really know when you are on the verge of success, hence why it’s so crucial to keep pushing forward. There are many actors and actresses who have had to overcome struggles to get to where they are at today.

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker’s parents divorced when she was just 4-years-old. Her family suffered financially, and they sometimes had to rely on welfare. However, she had a passion for performing arts at a young age and was determined to pursue her dream.

She auditioned for her first Broadway play when she was just 11-years-old. Luckily, she and her brother landed a role in the play. Sarah continued to work hard and landed many notable roles including the notorious role of Carrie on “Sex and the City”.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is a 55-year-old award-winning actor. Before he became an actor, he had a tough life growing up. Unfortunately, he suffered from abuse at the hands of his father. Likely due to this, he struggled heavily in school and could not read properly until he turned 26-years-old. Regardless of where he started, he still managed to focus his time and energy into acting and become the blockbuster success that he is today.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey grew up in a poverty-stricken home and community. He found that standardized learning wasn’t suited for him and his personality, so he decided to focus on acting. He was rejected several times, but he never let that stop him. If he had given up when he got rejected, then we would never have been able to experience the roller coasters of “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”, “The Truman Show” and “Liar Liar”.  

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey’s successful career has been marred by comments about her physical appearance from day one. However, her struggles started long before she became famous. She also grew up in extreme poverty, and also experienced a miscarriage when she was a young teenager.

However, Oprah still managed to graduate from high school and attend college. She landed roles on television after college. She worked her way up until she got her own talk show and became such a success that she also has her own television network today

Robert Downey, Jr.

Robert has struggled in his career because of alcohol and drug addiction. His addiction not only cost him acting jobs, but he also got in trouble with the law. However, he managed to get sober in 2003 after going to rehab. He got his acting career back on track after getting sober. He starred in several Box Office topping films including “Iron Man” and “The Avengers”, and I’m sure there are many more successes on the way.

Of course, this is just a few of the inspiring actors and actresses of this generation. There are many other actors and actresses worth mentioning, and that list continues to grow with each new cinematic progression expertly crafted for the public’s enjoyment.