Carey Mulligan opens up on brutal drama school knockbacks

Carey Mulligan has opened up about how she never imagined she’d end up as one of Britain’s most respected film stars, after being knocked back by some of the country’s top drama schools.

The 40-year-old actress revealed she was rejected by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Guildhall, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art when she was younger, a setback that could have ended her ambitions before they even began.

Instead, Carey says she simply saw it as part of an “incredibly competitive” industry and kept going anyway.

Speaking candidly, she admitted her audition choices weren’t exactly mainstream crowd-pleasers either, once using a Sarah Kane monologue about suicide. 

“That isn’t exactly a crowd-pleaser,” she joked.

Her big break came in the mid-2000s when she appeared in Pride and Prejudice alongside Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. 

From there, her career steadily climbed, with roles on stage at the Royal Court Theatre and in adaptations such as Bleak House. 

Looking back, Shame actress said that was the moment it finally clicked: “I realised, ‘Oh, this is probably my job.’”

Despite now being an Oscar-nominated name, Carey admits she never expected fame or leading-lady status, believing she’d mostly be doing “tiny parts in film” and supporting TV roles.

She has also reflected on balancing Hollywood with home life, saying her husband, musician Marcus Mumford, and their three children always come first. 

The Great Gatsby star also praised Nicole Kidman as a major inspiration, calling her performance style “simultaneously charming, enticing and terrifying.” 

RELATED: Anne Hathaway playfully confronts Meryl Streep over iconic Cerulean sweater