Today, Michael Fᴀssbender is a well-known face in Hollywood, but the actor’s career began with a warehouse job, two auditions, and a long delay. Fᴀssbender is best recognized as Magneto from the X-Men movie series, but he has starred in numerous beloved movies. He appeared in 300 (2006), Inglourious Basterds (2009), Prometheus (2012), 12 Years a Slave (2013), and countless other films. Unfortunately, though he first started his career in 2001, it took five years for him to earn his theatrical role in 300.
In an interview with Esquire, Fᴀssbender explained exactly how he got his first major auditions. Coincidentally, both happened to be World War II projects. After quitting his warehouse job, Fᴀssbender had two auditions within a week: Pearl Harbor and Band of Brothers. He would get the Band of Brothers job, which would be his first major role, but he would not have another opportunity “for years afterwards“. Check out his quote below:
So the casting process for Band of Brothers was interesting, because I sort of started doing night work. I was working in a warehouse, and I was just so tired in the day. It was nighttime work, so we start at 8:00 finish at 7:00 in the morning, and I was too tired to audition. Then I said I got to stop doing this job, quit that job, and within like a week, I got an audition for Pearl Harbor and Band of Brothers. I thought it was like I was on the up and up after that, and then I didn’t work for years afterwards.
What The World War II Offers Meant For Fᴀssbender
They Did Not Mean Much For His Career
Pearl Harbor and Band of Brothers were both mᴀssive productions. The latter was a $125 million show, which explored the trials of the U.S. Army’s Easy Company during World War II. Pearl Harbor, meanwhile, was a 2001 romance movie, which followed a love triangle taking place during the Pearl Harbor attacks. It had a $140 million budget. Fᴀssbender was auditioning for the leading role in the movie, but he would lose it to Ben Affleck instead. Fᴀssbender did receive the Band of Brothers role, but it did not mean much.
Without a major role to play, he was unable to distinguish himself from the rest of Band of Brothers‘ expansive cast.
Despite seemingly having the opportunity to appear in major projects, neither impacted Fᴀssbender’s career. The Band of Brothers role was small, compared to Damian Lewis’ Dick Winters or Ron Livingston’s Captain Nixon. He played Sergeant Burton Christensen, who was not heavily explored within the show. Without a major role to play, he was unable to distinguish himself from the rest of Band of Brothers‘ expansive cast. He was left searching for other opportunities for years after.
Our Take On Fᴀssbender’s World War II Explosion
Neither Role Could Have Defined Him
While Band of Brothers and Pearl Harbor could have been significant for Fᴀssbender, neither managed to leave their mark. Fᴀssbender did not have his breakout role until Hunger (2008), where he played Irish prisoner Bobby Sands. Even had he secured Affleck’s role, it would likely not have left much of an impact on audiences. After all, while financially successful, it was sharply criticized as a тιтanic rip-off. It maintains a 24% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. Had Fᴀssbender been cast, he would have been more widely known, but not for a good production.
Fᴀssbender’s theatrical career may have been slow to take off, but it is still extraordinarily successful. He has received two nominations at the Academy Awards, which is a significant accomplishment, and he has been a leading man in the mᴀssive X-Men franchise. The World War II auditions may not have amounted to much, but it is difficult to overstate just how Fᴀssbender’s career has grown since. Losing out on his big break certainly hurt in the moment, but it was nothing but a momentary delay in hindsight.
Source: Esquire / YouTube
