Jon Bernthal on Rejection: “You’ve got to remind yourself how lucky you are to be doing this.” 

By Webmaster

  • Jon Bernthal on Rejection: 

    “You’ve got to remind yourself how lucky you are to be doing this.” 

    (By Carmichael Phillips)


    (Jon Bernthal)


    You’ve got to remind yourself how lucky you are to be doing this, even when it’s not working out.


    In a recent interview with the New York Times, actor Jon Bernthal talked about his career in the entertainment business. The conversation eventually turned to the issue of rejection and how he dealt with it, when he was an up-and-coming actor.

  • Bernthal, best known for his roles on AMC’s The Walking Dead and Marvel’s The Punisher, described how he handled going on auditions that ultimately went nowhere, and the disappointment that comes with it.

    “When you look at the entertainment industry, it’s amazing how doors are slammed in your face. I remember casting directors looking at my big nose and my giant ears and just being like, “What are you doing here?”

    “Feeling like you don’t belong, agents never returning your phone calls. You get so much rejection and people make you feel so small, and the second that things start to change for you, those same people all want something.”

    But, according to Bernthal, dealing with rejection is all about keeping things in the proper perspective.

    “You’ve got to remind yourself how lucky you are to be doing this, even when it’s not working out. Look, when I was starting out and I was going through really hard times, my wife was an I.C.U. trauma nurse, so there’d be plenty of times I would get home and I would have tears in my eyes of frustration and then my wife would talk about her day. The things she was encountering – holding somebody’s hand as they were passing, or letting somebody know that they weren’t going to ever see a family member again – just put it all in such clear perspective for me.”

    Jon Bernthal’s most recent work includes appearances in films like King Richard, Ford v Ferrari and The Many Saints of Newark.


  • You Might Also Like:
    Daniel Day-Lewis: “I work when I feel a compelling need to.”


     

    Recommended Posts

  • Ad

  • 14 Inspirational Quotes by Stella Alder

    14 Inspirational Quotes by Stella Alder Her powerful advice to actors… (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Stella Adler) “No actor is a success unless he feels inside himself, as long as he lives, that…

    11 Inspirational Quotes by Meryl Streep

    11 Inspirational Quotes by Meryl Streep “Keep going. Start by starting.” ~ Meryl Streep (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) “The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy. Empathy…

    15 Inspirational Quotes by Robert De Niro

    15 Inspirational Quotes by Robert De Niro His powerful advice to actors… (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) Go for your dreams… “Time goes on. So whatever you’re going to do, do it. Do it…

    Nicolas Cage’s Best Acting Advice

    Nicolas Cage’s Best Acting Advice Inspirational quotes by Nicolas Cage (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) “Actors, their greatest tool, their greatest resource is imagination. You can take things, powerful objects, you can recruit your…

    Ann Dowd: “Celebrate the small victories.”

    Ann Dowd: “Celebrate the small victories.” (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) “All I ever wanted was a successful career as an actress.” “I look at all these wonderful actors who are out of work,…

  • Ad

  • Morgan Freeman: | ‘Stillness is the hardest thing for actors to do.’

    Morgan Freeman: ‘Stillness is the hardest thing for actors to do.’ Morgan Freeman on the importance of keeping your acting simple (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) “There’s no mystery to it (acting). Nothing more…

    Will Smith: What’s the point of being realistic?”

    Will Smith: What’s the point of being realistic?” (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Will Smith) “If you say in your mind, ‘It can’t happen,’ you’re DONE! You’re training yourself to not even be able…

    25 Inspirational Quotes by Will Smith

    25 Inspirational Quotes by Will Smith “The first step is you have to say that you can.”   ~Will Smith (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Will Smith) On going for your dreams… “You have to…

  • Ad

  • 25 Inspirational Quotes by Denzel Washington

    25 Inspirational Quotes by Denzel Washington “If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying.”  ~Denzel Washington (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Denzel Washington in Fences) On failure… “Fail big! Today’s the beginning of the…

    Ryan Gosling Describes the Impossible Gauntlet That Every Actor Must Survive

    Ryan Gosling Describes the Impossible Gauntlet That Every Actor Must Survive ‘The percentage of actors achieving that dream is never.’ ~Ryan Gosling (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Ryan Gosling) Ryan Gosling may be a…

    How Samuel L. Jackson Prepares His Characters 

    How Samuel L. Jackson Prepares His Characters ‘I read the script and create a biography for myself’ – Samuel L. Jackson (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Samuel L. Jackson) Samuel L. Jackson has dozens…

    Viola Davis: | ‘The most powerful question an actor can ask themselves is, Why?’

    Viola Davis: ‘The most powerful question an actor can ask themselves is, Why?’ (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Viola Davis) “Most people will say, ‘Just go out there and do it (become an actor)….

    Sonequa Martin-Green: “Whatever your flaws are, as a person, they will be reflected in your acting.”

    Sonequa Martin-Green: “Whatever your flaws are, as a person, they will be reflected in your acting.” (Sonequa Martin-Green) “The further I go in this business, the more I realize that, the type of…

  • Ad

  • Jeff Bridges: | “A large part of acting is just pretending” 

    Jeff Bridges: “A large part of acting is just pretending” (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) “Making films is sort of like you’re pulling off a magic trick. It’s sort of like an illusion. It’s…

    Liam Neeson: “The name of the game is rejection.” 

    Liam Neeson: “The name of the game is rejection.” (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Liam Neeson) “For every successful actor or actress, there are countless numbers who don’t make it. The name of the…

    15 Inspirational Quotes by Sanford Meisner 

    15 Inspirational Quotes by Sanford Meisner “The foundation of acting is the reality of doing.” – Sanford Meisner (By Carmichael Phillips) (Photo: Johannes Plenio | Pexels) Sanford Meisner came along in the 1940’s…

  • Ad

  • 10 Actors Discuss Their Love for Acting 

    10 Actors Discuss Their Love for Acting If you need some inspiration, here are 10 famous actors discussing their love for the craft (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Photo: Cottonbro | Pexels) Go to…

    Konstantin Stanislavski: “Live the Part”

    Konstantin Stanislavski: “Live the Part” (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Konstantin Stanislavski) “In our art you must live the part every moment that you are playing it, and every time.” The following is an…

    OPINION | Same-Day Auditions Feel Disrespectful 

    OPINION  Same-Day Auditions Feel Disrespectful  Don’t they understand that we all have lives?  (The Anonymous Actor) (Photo: Andrea Piacquadio | Pexels) Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m certainly grateful for each and every…

    Denzel Washington: “You only live once. So do what you feel passionate about.” 

    Denzel Washington: “You only live once. So do what you feel passionate about.” Denzel Washington on the importance of matching goals to your dreams (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Denzel Washington in Fences) “Fail…

    Ray Liotta’s Timeless Advice for Up-and-Coming Actors 

    Ray Liotta’s Timeless Advice for Up-and-Coming Actors “I love acting. It’s an interesting challenge…” (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) His death, at age 67, was a shocking development, but Ray Liotta’s legacy and wisdom…

  • Ad