Many actors will tell you that taking acting classes or attending an acting school is required if you want to be successful in Hollywood. Acting is a one-of-a-kind profession. So, does taking acting classes increase your chances of getting a part? Perhaps, but many A-list actors never went to acting school.
You might be surprised to learn that your favorite celebrity skipped the 5-hour class and went straight to work on set. The following are a few well-known actors who never went to acting school.
Tom Cruise never went to acting school
Tom Cruise grew up loving movies, but when his parents divorced, things became difficult, and his family was unable to buy each other Christmas gifts. In high school, he would work on a play that would change his life. Tom Cruise relocated to New York to pursue a career as an actor. He landed a role in the film Taps within six months. He started with only three lines, but they liked him so much that they expanded his lines. During that time, he was cast as the lead in ‘Endless Love.’ Cruise will co-star in the hit film with Brooke Shields. Tom Cruise would become the world’s highest-paid actor in the 1990s. Tom Cruise did not attend acting school, and he is open about it.
Cameron Diaz never went to acting school
When Cameron Diaz was living in California, she was approached by a famous photographer, Jeff Dunas, who asked who her agent was. He gave her his business card and told her to contact him once she found an agent when she told him she didn’t have one. Cameron later decided to join Elite Model Management. Diaz would go on to play minor roles in films like ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.’ Four years later, she landed the lead role in ‘The Mask.’
Brad Pitt never went to acting school
He had saved money and drove from Missouri to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. When he arrived in Los Angeles, California, he only had $225. Pitt went to McDonald’s to satisfy his hunger. While he waited for his order, he noticed an ad in the newspaper for extra work in a movie. He auditioned and was cast in the role of a background actor.
Over the next four years, he auditioned for several films and began working as an extra on several TV shows. Later in his career, he would land leading roles in several feature films, establishing himself as one of America’s most desired men.
Johnny Depp never went to acting school
Johnny Depp had lived in over 20 different places before the age of 12. He intended to move from Florida to California when he was older to pursue a career as a musician. He worked as a telemarketer selling ink pens over the phone to supplement his musical career. It was “his first acting job,” he says.
Nicolas Cage, a friend of Johnny Depp’s, asked him to meet with his agent while he was selling ink pens. Johnny Depp would later audition for and be cast in the role of Glen Lantz in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Johnny Depp never attended acting classes.
