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People Who Came THIIIIIIIIIS Close To Getting Famous, What Went Wrong?

So close...yet so far away.

For every famous person in the spotlight, there are untold others who nearly became famous, but didn’t quite make it for one reason or the other.

Person on stage looking into the audience with stage lights on
Siri Stafford / Getty Images

For example, I knew a guy in college — a former child actor — who auditioned to play “Kevin” in Home Alone and kept getting called back until he was one of the final three candidates (along with Macaulay Culkin and another kid). But, despite auditioning a couple of times in front of director Chris Columbus, the role, of course, went to Macaulay. He was so close, yet…so far!

A surprised boy with hands on cheeks, mouth open, from "Home Alone."
©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection



There are so many “almost made it” moments you or someone you know might’ve had. Perhaps you or someone you know was a member of a band, then left the band…which later went on to make it big!

Band members in black leather jackets perform with guitars and drums in a brick-walled venue
Michael Ochs Archives / Via Getty

Or maybe your band — or you as a solo artist — got signed to a major label, but things didn’t work out for one reason or another.

Maybe you or someone you know just missed qualifying for the Olympics, or made it all the way to AAA baseball but just never got that call to the big leagues.

Athlete in starting blocks at track field preparing to sprint
Tony Anderson / Getty Images

It could be that you or someone you know was going to star in a reality show, but the show didn’t happen…or your brush with fame was on an American Idol-type show where you got close but no cigar.