Having penned and directed movies like 'Little Women,' 'Barbie,' and 'Ladybird', there's no denying that she is one of the best at what she does.
It's undeniable that "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig is a master storyteller. But did you know that she was rejected from all the master's programs she applied for? The 40-year-old has received multiple accolades for acting, directing and screenwriting and "Barbie" made $1.4 billion at the box office. The movie was also nominated for the best-adapted screenplay at the Oscars this year. Even though she's been incredibly successful, in a 2016 interview, the director shared that she was rejected from multiple writing programs that she applied to in 2006.
The director adds, "I applied as a playwright to Yale, Julliard, and NYU and got back a universal 'No thanks.'" This pushed her to enter the world of independent films reported CNBC. In the next year, she had a co-writing credit on a film called "Hannah Takes the Stairs." She also co-starred in it. Although the director didn't give up on her dream, getting into the industry on her own led to other challenges. She shared that negotiations were quite difficult for her at least initially. Gerwig shared that she was worried that she might be asking for too much in a 2020 interview with the outlet. She adds that she had the mindset that she shouldn't negotiate and just take whatever they were offering. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to make a movie.
Gerwig might not have won the Oscar for "Barbie" but she has proved that she's bigger than the rejections she has faced. The director has been nominated for four Academy Awards with one for her movie "Lady Bird." She also starred in the popular movie called "Frances Ha." Gerwig also has writing credits on "Snow White" which is going to be released the next year. She has also been approached by Netflix for the adaptation of "The Chronicles of Narnia."
The Hollywood star has become a great example of taking rejection in stride and creating something worthwhile out of it. When asked what she thinks about why the schools rejected her, Gerwig answered that she didn't know, maybe they made a mistake. It just goes to show that if you want to make a film with all your heart, you can do it, just like Gerwig did regardless of the barriers that get thrown in your way.
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