Brie Larson recently shared some of her best (err…worst?) stories from years of failures and close calls going through Hollywood’s meat grinder that is the audition process. But obviously all of that rejection has been worth it. The actress already owns a Best Actress Oscar and is the most powerful Avenger in the world’s biggest franchise. Now she’s back with another YouTube video talking about the times things did work out for her.
And that includes the unlikely stories behind her auditions for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Captain Marvel.
The latest video from Larson starts with her listing some of the many, many films she auditioned for just from July 2008 until January 2009. That included reading for films and TV shows that could have drastically changed the trajectory of her career (both good and bad). Projects like Sucker Punch, Percy Jackson, The Book of Eli, Get Him to the Greek, Iron Man 2, The Descendants, Thor, Avatar, Jennifer’s Body, Transformers 2, Juno, Pitch Perfect, Into the Woods, Halt and Catch Fire, The Big Bang Theory, and more.
Then there are all of the roles she didn’t get… before she did. Like United States of Tara, Kong: Skull Island, and Unicorn Store. But filmmakers knew what they had immediately when she read for Room, which she took home the Oscar for. And it’s easy to see why she was immediately cast after watching her audition for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. She was Envy Adams before she even knew for sure who Envy Adams was.
What is wild, though, is that she based her character and audition on the stars she saw on the red carpet at the Adult Video Awards. Their confidence and showmanship inspired those traits in Envy. Which we will think about every time we re-watch the movie.
Brie Larson
That story might not be as weird as what it took for her to land her role as Captain Marvel. For that she had to do the unthinkable—stop saying no. Marvel approached her three times before she finally considered it. Multiple billion dollar box offices later, both her and the studio are glad she did.
Larson also provided some advice on what does and doesn’t work during auditions. They’re worth listening to if you hope to someday be fondly telling your own tales of casting calls. But the biggest lesson from these videos is an important one to remember—Hollywood’s biggest success stories are built on lots of failure and disappointment.
Featured Image: Marvel/Universal
