Millie Bobby Brown reveals that she almost quit acting when she was rejected from Game of Thrones after an audition. Luckily, Brown did not give up on acting after the rejection. She went on to star as Eleven in Stranger Things, her breakout role. Most recently, the actress has lit up the screen in another Netflix production, Enola Holmes. The star also produced the adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes story as she moves to begin working behind the camera as well.
Brown has made a huge impact in the industry since first blowing up in 2016. In addition to Stranger Things and Enola Holmes, she has also starred in blockbuster Godzilla: King of the Monsters and is set to reprise that role in Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021. However, she has garnered the most attention for her role in Stranger Things. That show is arguably one of Netflix's biggest hits and has not only propelled her to stardom, but some of her costars as well.
In an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Brown was asked if it's true that she almost quit acting after multiple rejections from all types of auditions. In response, she revealed it was her failed audition for Game of Thrones that hurt most of all and she almost did consider packing it all in. You can read her comments, below.
"I think I was just very disheartened by the rejection, which is something I tell everyone. This industry is just full of rejection 24/7. You get 'No's, a lot of 'No's, before you get a 'Yes.' And I was auditioning for commercials, for anything really. I then auditioned for Game of Thrones and I got a 'No' for that. Then, that's when I was like, 'This is really difficult,' and I guess I really wanted that role. So one of my last sort of goes at all this was a Netflix show called Montauk."
Montauk would later be renamed Stranger Things, and the rest is, as they say, history. That Brown auditioned for Game of Thrones, though, is an exciting What if? for fans of both the actress and the since concluded HBO series. In previous interviews Brown has confirmed it was for the role of Lyanna Mormont that she auditioned. The character was ultimately played by Bella Ramsay and she quickly made the role a fan-favorite, but it's still fun to imagine how Brown might have approached her.
For fans of Brown, it's obviously a relief she didn't quit acting. Her Stranger Things character, Eleven, is arguably a more iconic character than the one she auditioned for on Game of Thrones. Enola Holmes has received glowing reviews, with Brown's performance being a big reason why. Her hand in the behind-the-scenes work is also surely a source of pride for her and, as she grows more into her behind-the-scenes role, she is sure to leave an even bigger impact on the industry. Brown not getting Game of Thrones just might have been the best rejection she ever got, leading her to the success that her numerous rejections almost stopped her from pursuing.