In 2023, there are few actors as well known as Michael Fassbender. And this year proved how versatile he is as a performer, with polar opposite roles in films “The Killer” and “Next Goal Wins.” So, with that knowledge, it’s interesting to hear him talk about his beginnings in Hollywood and how unlikely it was for him to end up where he is today.
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In a Vanity Fair video where he breaks down the major roles in his career, Michael Fassbender also gave a brief explanation about how he landed his first gig, and also, how that first gig could have been something completely different.
Fassbender discussed how he dropped out of acting school and got a job in a warehouse. After working the night shift and being too exhausted to audition like he knew he should, Fassbender was at a turning point in his life. That’s when fate stepped in, and he was given two massive opportunities in a short period.
“I thought, ‘Wait a sec, something’s gotta change here,’” explained Fassbender. “And then I got an audition for ‘Pearl Harbor’ and ‘Band of Brothers.’ I think, within two weeks, I auditioned for both of those jobs. I did a good audition for ‘Pearl Harbor,’ but they cast Ben Affleck. I don’t know why. [Laughs]”
He added, “But they actually wrote back to me, with a sweet response, so it was good for my confidence.”
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Obviously, from “Band of Brothers,” he would go on to land roles in “300,” “Hunger,” and “Inglourious Basterds,” skyrocketing his career over several short years. A couple of decades later, Fassbender is a household name. Not only that, he’s also expanding his arsenal as a performer, adding massive amounts of improvisational experience thanks to his work on the aforementioned “Next Goal Wins,” from filmmaker Taika Waititi.
Interestingly enough, he says that “90% of the movie is improvisation in ‘Next’s Goal Wins,’ and you’re all doing it collectively; you need a good collection of people doing that and a great director to be pulling all the scenes and make sure the ship has a rudder and going in the right direction.”
You can watch Fassbender go into more detail below:
