5. Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds is a classic example of someone who turned adversity into success. The Michigan native earned a football scholarship at Florida State University and was even drafted to the NFL by the Baltimore Colts when he graduated. Friends and family assumed this would become his career in the long run.
Burt Reynolds
An injury would leave him sidelined, and exploring a new career as a police officer. An audition for a TV role would change the direction of his life completely, and in the 1950’s and 60’s he turned into a household name across the U.S. It took some time, but ultimately he got his big break in 1972’s ‘Deliverance’ and what followed was over 80 films, multiple television shows and fame that stretched beyond his wildest imagination.
6. Ed O’Neill
More recently in the limelight thanks to the success of ABC’s ‘Modern Family’, Ed O’Neill actually started out as a talented and popular high school student. His passion for football led him to tryouts for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969, albeit that he was cut on the spot, slightly disappointed at not making the team.
Ed O’Neill
Attempting to take things into a new direction, he auditioned for many theatre roles from 1972 to 1977, hardly booking anything in what would be a trying time for him. His day in the sunshine would still arrive, however, and in 1979 he landed the lead role in a Broadway production. The rest is history, and these days many people recognize O’Neill as Jay Pritchett, but also, as ex-football star Al Bundy from ‘Married…with Children’.
