SECRETARY - GYLLENHAAL CONTEMPLATED QUITTING CAREER

GYLLENHAAL CONTEMPLATED QUITTING CAREER

SECRETARY star MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL considered giving up acting after repeatedly being told she wasn't pretty or sexy enough to land roles. The 28-year-old star took acting classes at Columbia University in New York City and began auditioning for roles fulltime after graduating in 1999. But she became disheartened after being rejected for part after part. She explains, "There was a long time of not getting anything, or even coming close, and lots of feedback like, 'You're not beautiful or sexy enough.'" Gyllenhaal claims she tried to remain strong in spite of the criticism, but says the hurtful comments took their toll. She adds, "I was tough on the outside - 'You must have a boring idea of what beautiful and sexy is' - but on the inside, that's a hard thing to hear."