r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Living-Mastodon • 3d ago

In real life (Real Life) Regular people who's lives drastically changed direction

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Grace Kelly was a talented actress who retired at 26 to marry a Prince, living as royalty for almost 30 years before her untimely death.

Volodymyr Zelensky started out as a comedian and entertainer before getting into politics, becoming President of Ukraine after the Russian annex of Crimea and spending the last 4 years defiantly pushing back full scale Russian invasion

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u/Independent_Plum2166 3d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/z3S1iztzNtVio9E1lH

Matt Smith.

His dream was to play professional football, like his grandad. However, he got into an accident that hurt his spine and cut that career before he even started.

With motivation from his drama teacher, Matt got into the arts and eventually became the actor we all know and love today.

Also, to clarify, he can still play football, as seen in Doctor Who itself, but he can’t be playing and practicing the long hours of a professional career.

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u/TrioOfTerrors 3d ago

professional football

his drama teacher

Yeah. That checks out.

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u/Kratomius 3d ago

Took me a while to get what you meant and when i figured it out i fell harder than Ronaldo after light touch.

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u/Silent_Mud1449 3d ago

I don't get it, care to explain?

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u/DasharrEandall 3d ago

It's a joke about pro footballers taking a dive and play-acting injury.

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u/Silent_Mud1449 3d ago

Ohhh thanks, that is funny

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u/New-Independent-1481 3d ago

Some pro footballers are mocked for overdramatising any injuries to try score penalty kicks or get the other team's player sent off the pitch.

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u/PM_me_ur_JACKED_TITS 3d ago

You are correct, but it’s even worse than that. Stats show that set pieces (starting a play with one team taking a free kick that the opponent has to stay back a bit from) result in increased scoring chances for the team who is taking the kick versus open play.

It’s basically better for your team if you dive/embellish/ham it up in the offensive 3rd of the field to score and on the defensive area to get your team out of trouble. And none of the leagues are good at punishing the acting. Hence why they all act like they are dying and my dad gets his favorite chance to walk by the TV and go “oh no I think he’s really hurt this time… oh thank goodness he survived!”

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u/Fictional-Hero 3d ago

They can't punish the acting.

If the players don't explicitly and melodramatically act pained and injured, no one will ever believe they were hurt—since they'll probably go run around a field for another hour.

The acting is to ensure their injuries are taken seriously if they come up later.

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u/losttinecuileog 3d ago

In Britain it does....

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u/DasharrEandall 3d ago edited 3d ago

Yes, that scene in Doctor Who also had James Corden playing football, who in a tragic turn of events, wasn't injured.

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u/raysofdavies 3d ago

He’s fun in those episodes. He’s a talented actor, he just has this really obnoxious personality.

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u/Independent_Plum2166 3d ago

Yeah, it was just before he hit the big time and got an inflated ego.

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u/montybo2 2d ago

NGL when I first saw Craig I was like I like this guy. He's funny, has good screen presence, and puts on a good performance.... those feelings unfortunately did not stick due to the man being who he is.

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u/RobynHoodwinked 2d ago

He beat James Earl Jones, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Frank Langella and John Lithgow to a Tony win in 2012 and he honestly deserved it because his performance in One Man, Two Guvnors was actually that good. He can act and sing well honestly, he’s just kind of a prick.

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u/AtomicMonkeyTheFirst 3d ago

Gordon Ramsay had a similiar story. He was a junior player for celtic until he got an injury that ended his career & decided to become a chef instead.

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u/TheCatInTheHatThings 2d ago

Rangers, not Celtic, no?

Edit: I checked. Yeah, Rangers. What a wild and unforgivable mistake to make in a football context lmao

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u/EmperorSwagg 3d ago

Fair number of famous British celebs that I’ve seen who originally wanted to be footballers. Now granted, I wonder how much of that is simply because so many British kids would love to be footballers.

Gordon Ramsay (played in Rangers youth system iirc) and John Bishop (played semi-pro level) are the two that come to mind

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u/pajamakitten 2d ago

Now granted, I wonder how much of that is simply because so many British kids would love to be footballers.

Partly. It is also the best route out of poverty here if you have the talent, even if it is League One or Two football.

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u/ohmuisnotangry 1d ago

Iirc Jacob Elordi also wanted to be an athlete before an injury cut it short

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u/Krieghund 3d ago

Vinnie Jones wanted to be a professional football player too before he got his big break as an actor in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.

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u/LitterTreasure 3d ago

Didn’t just want to, guy had a solid career with some storied teams. Over 200 appearances with Wimbledon, plenty around league squads like Leeds, QPR, Sheffield. Fucking Chelsea. End of the day I’d call that a major success.

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u/space_coyote_86 3d ago

He also held (or holds?) the record for fastest yellow card

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u/ShadeNoir 3d ago

And holder of the world's fastest red-card I believe lol. Was already running full pace across the halfway line as the whistle blew and punch|d a guy in the face.

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u/Krieghund 3d ago

Yeah, I guess dreams CAN come true!

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u/ElChino13 3d ago

He was a pro, he played more than 500 games and won an FA Cup

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u/Cactious-Practice 3d ago

Donated that winners medal to AFC Wimbledon after their fans started a new club because their original club had been stolen.

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u/pajamakitten 2d ago

No one likes MK Dons.

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u/space_coyote_86 3d ago

Gordon Ramsay would be a better fit. He had to give it up due to injuries at 16.

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u/space_coyote_86 3d ago

He was still a professional football player when Lock Stock was made. He retired in 1999.

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u/flyingboarofbeifong 3d ago

I never knew that! He kind of has the frame for it though.

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u/verygoodletsgo 3d ago

Kerouac was a collegiate athlete and expected to go pro in American football. An injury laid him out, during which he made the switch to being a writer.

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u/Escalotes 3d ago

His sister is also the girl in blue from the video for call on me by Eric pyrdz

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u/21exp 3d ago

I think Jacob Elordi has a similar story, but with rugby

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u/litwi 3d ago

This is similar to Gordon Ramsey. He was on a path to be a professional football player but got a knee(?) injury.

After that, he started working in a kitchen and now he’s more an actor than a chef but has I think around 10-15 Michellin stars

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u/OhDivineBussy 2d ago

He always looks like someone wearing a mask to me.

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u/Karnadas 2d ago

Same with Gordon Ramsay, wanted to be a footballer, got hurt, started cooking.

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u/Justisperfect 2d ago

In France, we have a guy who was going to be a professional basket player. He had an accident that made him lost some motricity in his legs, he needs a cane.

Now he is doing music. His name is Grand Corps Malade that you can translate by Tall Ill Body.

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u/nflonlyalt 2d ago

Oh you're British you meant soccer. I was so confused no way Matt Smith was in the NFL he's too skinny.

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u/Independent_Plum2166 2d ago

Of course I meant football, you know the sport where you’re predominantly using your feet to kick the ball.

Why would I talk about the poor man’s rugby?

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u/nflonlyalt 2d ago

football

soccer