We don’t know whether to laugh or cry at these 17 brutal professional rejections
Even the most successful people have usually had a few stumbling blocks along the way. Consider the great Fred Astaire, about whom it was once said
“Can’t sing. Can’t act. Balding. Can dance a little.“
It didn’t seem to do him any harm.
Over on Twitter, Dave Horwitz was musing on those crushing rejections, and he shared one of his own.
what’s the worst professional rejection you’ve ever gotten? I was dropped as a client by my first manager who ended the call with “I remain a fan.” Turns out that is not fan behavior!
— dave horwitz (@Dave_Horwitz) November 29, 2020
His tweet opened the floodgates.
1.
"We feel Emily isn't quite the right fit for the role, as she is deaf, but we like what she did with the character. We have decided to make the character deaf and we'd like Emily to come in for one day and teach the girl we have cast how to act deaf." https://t.co/KHF7c5x5su
— Emily Howlett (@EHowlett) November 30, 2020
2.
A well known casting director was in the audience for my first play. When we were introduced she shook my hand, said “Have a nice life” as she walked away.
— Rufus Sewell (@FredrikSewell) November 30, 2020
3.
“Please pass on to Sooz that despite her being by far the strongest singer we saw in the day her headshots are unrepresentative of how attractive she is”
It. Was. Agony. https://t.co/pfL8lEV16w
— Sooz "Princess Nut Nuts" Kempner (@SoozUK) November 30, 2020
4.
I once wrote an article on idea theft for a woman's mag. The editor rejected my next piece, & none to kindly. A few months later, a version very similar to my piece, w/ all the same sources saying the exact same things (go figure!) turned up under the editor's name in the mag. https://t.co/Hba4xw6cDX
— Helaine Olen (@helaineolen) November 30, 2020
5.
Was applying to write copy for a company that makes Christian-themed glow-in-the-dark Capture the Flag sets and they told me I "wasn't fun enough"https://t.co/37Bei1g2pN
— Pjörk🐷 (@NicoleConlan) November 30, 2020
6.
Once I met with a manager at Le Pain Quotidien. She told me to get breakfast so I did. She said I was talented and wanted to rep me. Woo hoo! We said bye, she ran to the bathroom. I went outside to call my dad. I saw her slip out. A waiter then appeared. Our bill hadn't been paid https://t.co/f5lvs0d774
— Jeanne Leitenberg (@JLeitenberg) November 30, 2020
7.
After 10 months of being unemployed, I got the call that I got staffed. I celebrated by buying new shoes.
A few days later, I was told the showrunner had made a mistake and meant to hire someone else.
I had to return the shoes. https://t.co/nB3GMNfDdp
— Julia Yorks (@juliayorks) November 30, 2020
8.
My first rejection letter from an actors agency which started with the words…
"Dear Maroon," https://t.co/hyJJk6sXhG
— Marlon Solomon (@supergutman) November 30, 2020
9.
We once got a script to M.Keaton. His producing partner calls: 'You sitting down? We're making this movie.' Amazing! I splurge for champagne in my tiny apt. 2 weeks later we speak again: 'Oh when I called you I was only on page 8. Got a little cartoony after that. It's a pass.' https://t.co/Hal2tfIsDG
— Shannon & Swift (@shannonandswift) November 30, 2020
