Arts

Fitz and the Tantrums' members clicked instantly, and won a famous fan early. But their rise also required an enormous amount of work — what the bandleader calls "success by a thousand paper cuts."

Tom Toro was a directionless 20-something film school dropout. Then, after an inspired moment at a used book sale, he started submitting drawings to The New Yorker -- and collecting rejection slips.

Before he became Fox Mulder, Duchovny was working on his Ph.D. in literature at Yale. He was going to be a poet — or maybe a novelist — or maybe a playwright ...

When Leland Melvin pulled his hamstring during practice with the Dallas Cowboys, his NFL career was over. So he did the next logical thing: He joined NASA and became an astronaut.

Back in 1987, Nancy Cartwright made a risky, last-minute decision during an audition: Instead of trying out for the part of mild-mannered Lisa Simpson, she went for the role of rebellious Bart.

Jay Jackson plays the hilariously odd newscaster on NBC's Parks and Recreation. But before he was a fake anchor, Jackson spent 22 years as a real TV reporter — and he became an actor by accident.

The Bronx native grew up in a blue-collar household; a life in show business seemed far from reality. He spent time in the Air Force and as a cop before he finally gave his childhood dream a chance.

Stephanie Izard is the chef behind Chicago's award-winning Girl and the Goat restaurant — and the first woman to win on Bravo's Top Chef. But her food career began in the land of unlimited salad.

Susan Stamberg is an NPR "founding mother" and the first woman to anchor a national nightly news program. But her radio debut was not so glamorous: a fake weather report on a local radio station.

The comedian once worked in advertising — until he got caught dozing on the job. So, he took his savings and stepped on stage. Still, it was years before he hit his big break: a gig on the Late Show.