Tom Hanks, Alan Rickman, Christian Bale, Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg, these Hollywood stars have owed their popularity to legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
The world has seen many filmmakers but no one like the legendary Steven Spielberg! One of the world’s most influential filmmakers and the pioneer of the new Hollywood era, Spielberg has changed the way films were being made and he continues to do so!
The mastermind behind some of the highest-grossing films ever made with stories that fascinated everyone, Spielberg is a genius. He has given the audience a lot more than anyone could have imagined.
With his documentary aired in India on Star World on July 27, 2019, his journey has again become the talk of the town. Not many people know, other than mindblowing stories, Spielberg has also played a prominent role in bringing to the highlight some of the finest actors that we know today. They are Tom Hanks, Alan Rickman, Christian Bale, Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg.
Here’s a list of five actors that owe their popularity to Steven Spielberg
1. Alan Rickman
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A name that will 'ALWAYS' be close to our heart is the phenomenal actor Alan Rickman. The 42-year-old Alan was a lifeguard at a public pool. Someone once dared Steven Spielberg to hold his breath under the water for one whole minute and the daring filmmaker tried that, however, failed. Guess who saved him from drowning? Alan Rickman! For which Spielberg gave him a massive reward and promised him that he will cast him in his film. Though Spielberg didn’t execute the project, he was planning, he recommended John McTiernan to cast Alan and this is how Alan got Die Hard.
2. Christian Bale
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The versatile actor that we know today, Christian Bale started his career as a child artist who was unknown for a long time because of very few credits on his name. All he needed was a big break and Spielberg’s Empire was that break for him. Amy Irving, Spielberg’s then-wife personally recommended Bale for the director’s upcoming project and that helped Bale to beat out over 4000 kids for the lead of Empire.
3. Oprah Winfrey
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The genius actor Oprah Winfrey got the most of her popularity with Speilberg’s The Colour Purple. Started her career as a news anchor, everything changed for Oprah when she got a call from Spielberg asking her to come to his office and then offered her a role in what was going to be Spielberg’s new success. Oprah was so fit and fine in the role that it opened her way to the Oscars and she got her first Academy Awards nomination for it. She openly owes her success to Spielberg and the film, stating it changed her life completely.
4. Tom Hanks
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Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks are probably the best collaboration we can find in the industry. It’s surprising how their careers have been intertwined. Both being counted amongst the best in their respective fields, their collaboration has always produced a remarkable output. One of Spielberg’s finest work, Saving Private Ryan was a groundbreaking blockbuster for Tom Hanks which got him the nomination for Best actor in the Oscars. Be it Saving Private Ryan, The Terminal or Catch Me If You Can, Spielberg clearly brings out the best in Hanks.
5. Whoopi Goldberg
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Similar to Oprah, The Colour Purple was also a big step for the Oscar-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg who received her first Academy Award Nomination for her leading role in The Colour Purple. Oprah caught Spielberg’s eyes when he saw her Broadway performance. He was so impressed by her performance that he immediately offered her the lead. It was only after the success of this film that she started getting offers and significant attention in Hollywood and the rest is history.
