From Thor to Superman and Eleven, the little-known stories behind these stars’ rise to fame

Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, and Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, might be some of the most recognizable names in Hollywood today, but the story behind the stars who made these roles famous is a lot more interesting.

While many people know these stars for the roles, not everyone knows the little-known stories behind their rise to fame. Chris Hemsworth nearly missed out on Thor, Hugh Jackman was a last-minute choice for Wolverine, and Henry Cavill went through many big roles before Superman changed his career.

Inde Navarrette has a pretty interesting story of her own, as she was once a streamer before she appeared as Nikki in Obsession, which opened the door for her, and now she is joining Marvel as Rogue.

From the God of Thunder to the Man of Steel and a powerful young telepath, these are the turning points that changed everything for these stars.

The little-known stories behind Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, and more iconic roles

Chris Hemsworth

While Thor is one of the most beloved characters in Marvel, not many know that the actor, Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, lost the opportunity to bring it to life after Marvel decided to pass on him. And surprisingly, his younger brother Liam made it to the next stage of casting.

Hemsworth opened up about the audition process for Thor while talking to W Magazine, where he revealed that he felt he suited the role after reading the breakdown and auditioning for it with Kenneth Branagh. Speaking of Liam's audition for Thor, he said that Liam made it to the final few choices for Thor, but the role went another way. Chris was then called back for another audition for Thor in Vancouver, with his mother reading Anthony Hopkins' lines.

Chris said his second audition went much better for Thor, partly because his little brother had gone further, which gave him extra motivation, and things moved quickly after that.

Henry Cavill

Before getting the role of Superman, Henry Cavill had already been linked to many major roles, including James Bond, Cedric Diggory, and Green Lantern, which he reportedly didn't get. In an interview with Collider, he revealed that he had given a test for an earlier Superman project, but the role did not work out at the time.

The actor's big breakthrough came from Man of Steel, which made him a big star all over the world. After the movie became a hit, he appeared in many big projects, including Justice League and The Witcher.

Hugh Jackman

While Thor has an interesting story, Wolverine's journey is just as surprising. Hugh Jackman became a big name after playing Wolverine in X-Men. But the actor was not the first choice for the role. Dougray Scott was almost chosen to play the character. However, he had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts, and the role was later given to Jackman.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Kevin Feige revealed that Jackman was initially rejected because he was considered too tall for the character, but the comics' Wolverine was short, creating a contrast. However, the team brought him back when they needed a new Wolverine.

Jennifer Lawrence

The Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence had a whole career path she decided for herself. However, a talent scout completely changed her life, making her one of the biggest names in Hollywood.

The actress opened up about her experience with Amy Poehler on the Good Hang podcast, stating that she was watching street dancing in Union Square, and a talent scout named Daniel came and took her picture. She later got interviewed by modelling agencies, and she decided to sign with an agency that would let her act.

Lawrence got cast in many successful projects, including X-Men: First Class, The Hunger Games, and Silver Linings Playbook, for which she won an Oscar, and most recently, Die My Love.

Millie Bobby Brown

Netflix's Stranger Things became famous in no time, with viewers becoming fans of Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown. The role also opened more doors for her, leading to movies like Enola Holmes, Damsel, and The Electric State. However, her success didn't come overnight. The actress faced many rejections before landing the role of Eleven.

When asked about quitting acting before landing her role in The Tonight Show, Millie Bobby Brown said that she was very disheartened after the rejection she faced, as she auditioned for multiple commercials, Game of Thrones, and Montauk. She recalled that two months later, they contacted her for a Skype call, and Montauk, the original name for Stranger Things, gave her hope to try acting again.

Thanks to Stranger Things' success, Brown became a famous child star, later opening her own business ventures, Florence by Mills and PCMA Productions.

Inde Navarrette

One of the rising stars in Hollywood, Inde Navarrette, recently joined Marvel as Rogue. Even after Obsession became a success, Inde Navarrette went about a year and a half without landing another acting role. Talking to Complex, she said that she kept auditioning, but nothing was working out, and she started walking dogs and streaming and did whatever she could to pay rent.

Obsession later became a huge success, earning over $500 million at the box office. And with that, she got famous for playing the role of Nikki in Obsession, making her a possible contender for the Oscars.

John Krasinski

John Krasinski's story is a little similar to Chris Hemsworth's Thor, considering he also had to go through some unexpected turns that led him to his big role. If he had given up just a few months earlier, we might never have gotten Jim. The actor revealed that he thought of becoming an English teacher, but after going to theater school, he decided to move to New York and become an actor.

His mom gave him two and a half years to see if acting would work out, but when that time came, Krasinski was ready to give up. She later told him to wait until the end of the year, and he landed The Office, making him a big star.