Which Celeb Really Failed Before They Got Famous?

Take solace in knowing that Oprah was once fired.

Landing a great job and finding your calling aren't easy, and it's comforting to know that they often don't happen until you're much older.

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(Hey, sometimes they never happen.)

But because people put a lot of pressure into "making it," it's time to highlight some of the famous people who failed before they succeeded.

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Maybe you know that Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting while he was alive. That's right – he didn't even become successful until AFTER his death.

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Even though he had over 900 paintings, the only one he sold while living was Red Vineyard at Arles.

Perhaps you're inspired by Michael Jordan's story of being rejected by his high school's varsity basketball team when he was a sophomore.

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And then he literally became one of the greatest basketball players of all time!

Or maybe you know that Lisa Kudrow was originally cast as Roz on Frasier but was fired two days into rehearsals.

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Kudrow later said it was a good thing she didn't get the part because it led to her role in Friends. She also said it was "good that I didn't get Saturday Night Live and that the Romy and Michele pilot didn't work out... They were actually more like guideposts that helped me on my path."

Failing isn't always a bad thing, so use the DropBox below to tell us your favorite stories about famous people who had to fail before they could succeed.

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FYI: Lady Gaga was originally signed to Def Jam Records, but they dropped her three months after signing her because "it just wasn't for them." And now she's about to be one step closer to an EGOT. Wow.

The best responses will be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post!