Carey Mulligan Was Rejected From Every Drama School She Applied to Long Before Her Multiple Oscar Nominations
Carey Mulligan has an expansive career that is heavily decorated, and although her achievements speak for themselves, there was a time drama schools didn’t think she could cut it. The actor once revealed in an interview that she was rejected from every drama school she applied to long before her multiple Oscar nominations.
Carey Mulligan’s drama school rejection crushed her
Every actor has faced rejection at one point in their career or onset of their acting careers, and Mulligan has had plenty. HuffPost quoted Mulligan in her 2012 interview with New York Times’ Charles McGrath, where she revealed that she got rejected from every drama school she tried her hand in.
She told the publication during its 11th Annual Arts & Leisure Weekend that she was sent to boarding school at 14.
“I was a drama geek. I never fell into acting. You know, I was obsessed with acting from a really young age. I just wanted to be in musicals, and I wore a Les Misérable t-shirt for like four years, well into my teens.”
The actor shared that she desperately tried to get her parents to send her to theater school, but they refused. When the time came for her to select her university, Mulligan thought she would be a great fit for drama schools.
She said, “It was the most rebellious thing I’ve ever done. I applied to drama school instead of university and got rejected from everyone.” Mulligan called her auditions for drama schools “torture” and shared that the Drama Center London advised her to become a children’s show presenter.
While Mulligan said the rejections crushed her, she admitted she hadn’t chosen her audition pieces wisely, narrating her go-happy attitude while trying to channel “someone who is about to commit suicide” for one of her audition speeches.
Carey Mulligan has enjoyed success in acting since then
The rejections might have been what the actor needed as she went on to earn significant acting success. Mulligan had minor roles in movies and TV shows before landing her first leading role in the 2009 film An Education.
Mulligan won the role of Jenny in the film after beating over 100 actors for it. Her performance earned rave reviews and nominations for various awards, including a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and a Critics Choice. She won a BAFTA for the role.
In 2010 she appeared in Never Let Me Go alongside Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley. Her performance in the movie earned her a British Independent Award. 2011 saw Mulligan starring in two critically acclaimed films; the first being Drive alongside Ryan Gosling and the other being Shame with Michael Fassbender.
Her performance in both films earned her critical praise and nods for BAFTA awards and British Independent Film Awards. She appeared in The Great Gatsby in 2013 and Inside Llewyn Davis. She gained further recognition and acclaim with Mudbound, Wildlife, and Collateral. Mulligan has several upcoming projects, including Maestro, Spaceman of Bohemia, and She Said.
Carey Mulligan’s Oscar nominations
Mulligan has earned two Oscar nominations in her career. Her first nod came in 2010 when she appeared in her highly acclaimed role in An Education. She earned an Oscar nomination for her role as Jenny in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role category.
A decade later, Mulligan earned her second Academy Award nomination for her role in Promising Young Woman. Her performance earned her an Oscar nod for the same category as her first nomination in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role category.
