Julia Garner: Why I almost quit acting
Julia Garner almost quit acting after a "tough" few years in her early 20s when she was considered too old for Hollywood.
Julia Garner almost quit acting.
The 29-year-old star eventually found success as Ruth Langmore in Netflix drama series 'Ozark' and went on to achieve critical acclaim for her role as disgraced socialite Anna Delvey in 'Inventing Anna' but admitted that she had a "tough" few years in her early twenties when she was considered "too old" for the business.
She said: "When I was 21, I had a pretty dry year. This was before I booked 'Ozark'. It wasn’t a great year for me as an actor.
"I felt a little hopeless. I wasn’t getting jobs for a few months. It was really hard.
"I remember thinking, If I’m still in the same place in five years, I don’t want to do this.
"It’s a really hard business and there are other businesses out there other than acting. I was still young at the time, but it’s tough because in the acting world, 21 is young, but it’s not so young. You’re not 16 or 17 anymore. You’re not the bright, shiny new toy, and this business relies on shining. They love a shiny new toy.
"I booked 'Ozark' and I kept pushing because I felt like I still had a lot to do."
However, the 'Dirty John' actress went on to explain that she decided she "wasn't good" at many other things so found the impetus to continue with her career despite the setbacks.
She told Vanity Fair magazine: "So I’m going to be honest: I’m not good at a lot of things, so I was like, 'This acting thing better work out.' I’m somewhat decent at acting. And I just continued to have the stamina, worked really hard, and not have entitlement. "
