Millie Bobby Brown is one of the highest paid stars of her generation. Most popularly known for her iconic role as Eleven in Netflix’s Stranger Things and, most recently, for her titular character as Enola Holmes, the young star has definitely come a long way. In fact, Celebrity Net Worth has estimated her 2020 earnings and valued it at a whopping $10 million—a colossal feat for a 16-year-old!
PHOTO BY ENOLA HOLMES/NETFLIX
That said, like almost everyone in Hollywood (and in life), Millie did have her fair share of humble beginnings. Truth be told, there even came a point in her career when she almost gave up on her dreams and quit acting altogether—and mind you, this was after she got rejected for a role in Game of Thrones. She told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, “I think I was just very disheartened by the rejection, which is something I tell everyone. Like, this industry is just [filled with] rejection, 24/7.”
“You get far more nos—a lot of nos—before you get a yes. I was auditioning for commercials, for anything, really. I then auditioned for Game of Thrones and I got a ‘no’ for that,” the teenage actress recalls. “Then that's kind of when I was like, ‘Oh, this is really difficult,’ because I guess I really wanted that role.”
PHOTO BY COURTESY OF HBO
The actress didn’t specify to Jimmy exactly what role she auditioned for in Game of Thrones, but in an interview with Preview back in May 2019, Millie revealed that it was for the character of Lyanna Mormont, the brave Lady of Bear Island who was eventually portrayed by British actress Bella Ramsey.
All’s well that ends well for Millie, though, because the next ‘yes’ she received following that painful rejection was for a role that ended up defining her career as a rising star. She told us, “I got Eleven [of Stranger Things] instead! I'm not bitter!”
Well, of course she isn’t bitter—after all, Millie received $10,000 per episode for the first season of Stranger Things, which ballooned to $300,000 come season three given the show’s massive success. The iconic role also made her a bankable endorser and a certified movie star (FYI, she reportedly took home a $1 million paycheck for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, her first-ever starring role in a movie).
We’re so happy things turned out for the best, Millie! You deserve everything!
This story originally appeared on Preview.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Candymag.com editors.