Danny Hajek
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He drove a garbage truck in LA and fibbed his way into Hollywood westerns. But Jonathan Goldsmith's big break was getting cast in Dos Equis beer commercials as "The Most Interesting Man in the World."
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The actress is best known for her role as Dr. Quinn, the physician on the American frontier. But her big break came years before, when she played 007's tarot-reading love interest in Live and Let Die.
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Susan Stamberg is an NPR "founding mother" and the first woman to anchor a national nightly news program. But her radio debut was not so glamorous: a fake weather report on a local radio station.
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Stephanie Izard is the chef behind Chicago's award-winning Girl and the Goat restaurant — and the first woman to win on Bravo's Top Chef. But her food career began in the land of unlimited salad.
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The Bronx native grew up in a blue-collar household; a life in show business seemed far from reality. He spent time in the Air Force and as a cop before he finally gave his childhood dream a chance.
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Jay Jackson plays the hilariously odd newscaster on NBC's Parks and Recreation. But before he was a fake anchor, Jackson spent 22 years as a real TV reporter — and he became an actor by accident.
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Back in 1987, Nancy Cartwright made a risky, last-minute decision during an audition: Instead of trying out for the part of mild-mannered Lisa Simpson, she went for the role of rebellious Bart.
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When Leland Melvin pulled his hamstring during practice with the Dallas Cowboys, his NFL career was over. So he did the next logical thing: He joined NASA and became an astronaut.
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Tom Toro was a directionless 20-something film school dropout. Then, after an inspired moment at a used book sale, he started submitting drawings to The New Yorker -- and collecting rejection slips.
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The explorer's life plays out like an adventure film. But before she ever went diving with great whites, she was cheering for the Miami Dolphins — until a required science course changed her plans.