Regardless of what career you want to embark on after graduation, chances are you’ve had at least one moment in your life where you dreamed of winning an Oscar. After all, what’s more inspiring than watching a group of talented artists come together to celebrate incredible performances? What you may not realize is that before these Oscar winners were famous, many of them were college students trying to decide what they wanted to do with their lives and how they were going to make their dreams come true.
Looking for a little inspiration after watching last night’s ceremony? Here’s how these Oscar winners got their start.
Mahershala Ali, Best Supporting Actor — “Moonlight”
Before his amazing performance in “Moonlight,” Mahershala Ali was making a mark for himself with roles in movies like “The Hunger Games” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” What you may not know is that prior to becoming an actor, Ali was actually considering a career in sports. In fact, he attended St. Mary’s College on a full basketball scholarship. While there, he tried his hand at acting and got his first job at The Gavin Report, a record industry magazine where he tallied how many times records were getting played on the radio during any given week. The job allowed him to earn some extra money while keeping him from falling into the trap of finding a job that was just good enough. “I was worried I’d get comfortable, and get stuck,” he explained. Instead, he auditioned for NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and was accepted into their graduate acting program.
Viola Davis, Best Supporting Actress — “Fences”
Best known for her incredible performances in the “The Help” and “Fences,” Viola Davis is a Hollywood veteran who got her start by taking acting classes in college. “I wanted to express myself by being an actor. I felt the need to,” she said in an interview with her alma mater, Rhode Island College. After graduating in 1988, she moved to New York City to attend graduate school at Juilliard and got her first acting job in theatre. Her advice: “Love your work,” because no matter what your field, your passion will help you succeed.
Emma Stone, Best Actress — “La La Land”
If you loved Emma Stone as an aspiring actress and not-so-great barista in “La La Land,” then you’ll love the story of her first job. Working at Three Dog Bakery, Stone sold dog treats at her local farmer’s market. Does that sound like a far cry from her career as an actress? Not really. The job helped her perfect skills that are essentially to acting — like communication — and gave her a chance to earn some extra money. Sounds like a pretty great start, right?
Casey Affleck, Best Actor — “Manchester by the Sea”
If you think college internships are tough, try having your first job in kindergarten. That’s what happened to Casey Affleck whose first acting performance was as a lion in a production put on for civil rights activist Rosa Parks. Although the outcome was not as stellar as his performance in “Manchester by the Sea,” — “My mane fell off,” explained. “It was my very first artistic crisis.” — it nevertheless made him realize that he wanted to be an actor and he’s spent his career trying to perfect his craft. Judging by last night’s results, it looks like he’s pretty much there.
Damien Chazelle, Best Director — ”La La Land”
Few people had heard about Damien Chazelle before “La La Land” came out, but the young director has definitely made a name for himself with the movie that won six Academy Awards as well as a whole slew of Golden Globes, SAG awards and BAFTAs. His secret? He fell in love with movies at a very young age. “I became one of those kids that very early on was glued to that experience of being just completely transported,” he explained in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. That passion led him to study filmmaking at Harvard University and to eventually write and direct his “Whiplash,” which became his breakthrough film. That success granted him additional opportunities and eventually led him to realize his dream of making “La La Land.”
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