Carey Mulligan Wasn’t Famous Enough for a Cameo in a 2010s TV Show
From independent British productions to American black comedies, Carey Mulligan has done it all. Immensely private in her personal life but versatile and expansive in her public one, Mulligan has been a mainstay in the entertainment scene for more than a decade. She rose to stardom in the early 2000s, after getting her start as a stage performer. But there was at least one notable occasion when Mulligan was denied a guest role in a popular TV series. In a 2010 interview, Mulligan opened up about the experience, revealing that she was told she “wasn’t famous enough” for the show.
How did Carey Mulligan become a star?
Mulligan was born in England in 1985. She developed an interest in acting as a young child, getting involved in drama productions when she was a teenager. According to IMDb, Mulligan made her professional acting debut in 2004, when she appeared in the stage production Forty Winks. Just one year later, she made her film debut, acting in Pride & Prejudice.
Over the following years, Mulligan appeared in a variety of TV and movie roles, including Bleak House and Northanger Abbey. She got her big breakthrough in the 2009 movie An Education. For her work as a schoolgirl in the 1960s, Mulligan received several award nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. By 2010, Mulligan was a star. She often opted for challenging roles in movies such as The Great Gatsby and Inside Llewyn Davis.
Carey Mulligan revealed that she ‘wasn’t famous enough’ to guest star in ‘Glee’
Mulligan was an in-demand star by the time 2010 rolled around. But the actor wasn’t considered to be a big enough performer for at least one television production. In a 2010 Vogue interview, Mulligan opened up about her desire to appear in the TV show Glee. But she was told that she wasn’t yet big enough for a guest role. “I want to be in Glee, but I’m told I’m not famous enough to be a cameo,” Mulligan said, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Mulligan maintained a sense of humor about the incident, however. She revealed that she considers herself to be slightly outside the mold of the standard Hollywood star. “…when I came out here, I never had that whole Hollywood pressure thing. I never said I wanted to be a lead actress; I never said I wanted to be a film actress,” Mulligan said. “This need to trump everyone bewilders me. I’m only 25. I’m not better than anyone. I just want to watch other people and learn to be good.”
‘Glee’ featured many high-profile guest stars
Even though Mulligan never got the chance to appear on Glee, many high-profile stars had cameos in the musical comedy series over the years. Gwyneth Paltrow, John Stamos, and Demi Lovato were a few of the superstars who appeared in the series, along with Adam Lambert and Kate Hudson. Legendary actor Whoopi Goldberg made a cameo on the show in both the third and fourth seasons of Glee. Meanwhile, Idina Menzel had a recurring role in the series as Rachel’s mother.
For many fans, one of the most memorable cameos on Glee was from none other than music legend Britney Spears. The pop star made an appearance on the show in the second season, wandering around the school halls even as students performed some of her biggest hits.
