Carey Mulligan learned to act by working in a pub.
Carey Mulligan
The 29-year-old actress' auditions for drama school went "horribly wrong" and she was rejected from all the ones she applied to, so instead studied her craft by observing people.
She said: "Every single drama school rejected me and I was crushed - all my auditions went horribly wrong.
"So I went to work nights as a barmaid in a pub. That experience gave me the chance to observe and study all the strange characters who came to the pub, especially some of the older men who wanted to pick me up even though I looked like I was 12."
And the 'Far From the Madding Crowd' star admitted she defied her parents by applying to drama school as they wanted her to pursue an academic path.
She explained to Psychologies magazine: "They wanted me to get a university degree in case something went horribly wrong. They were scared for me. But I thought, if I went to university, I'd spend three years doing something I don't care about, or I'll drop out and that'll be worse because I'll have wasted everyone's time and money...
"I was very angry at them for being so against it, but we just had no example of anyone in our life who was in that kind of world.
"I was quite academic until about 14 and then I went to boarding school where I became less interested in [being academic] and got more involved in acting.
"Then, when I was applying for universities, I used a couple of places on my UCAS form to apply for drama school without telling anyone."
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