Do you know stories about famous actors / actresses rejected by acting schools, auditions, etc.?

Alan Chenkin, Learned about celebrities by reading the tabloids in the checkout aisle.

I love insightful questions like this, because the answers are genuine and compelling (but it’s not all actors and actresses):
All actors need to be able to deal with rejection, and it almost always is leaked to the press or paparazzi as they feed on the emotion and drama of the event.  Past failures are newsworthy stories. Publicists, PR hacks, studios, and reporters clamor for any “news”, good or bad, to feed to the hungry fans. 
The important takeaway is that rejection is part of life, and in the acting profession, a “Thick Skin” is necessary armor for those moments when you have to deal with not getting the job, or when horrible photos of you get hated on in the media, or your clothing off-set is found amusing or repugnant by critics.  Rebounding, brushing it off, and moving on are required skills in a profession that judges and often manipulates all the time.  Actors and celebrities know and live the meaning of “laughing on the outside, crying on the inside”.
And for us “non-Celebrities”: Don’t Take It Personally: The Art of Dealing with Rejection – from Amazon Books.
SO, – Enjoy the Show!
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Edited and expanded from my answer to this question on Quora.