Shoot Your Shot

In an interview on The Late Show, Constance Wu tells the story of how she got the leading role in a groundbreaking, smash-hit rom-com movie. The biggest role of her life.

The director loved Constance and they had a meeting to discuss her being in the movie. But unfortunately, there was a scheduling conflict. The movie was going to start filming in the fall. But Constance was already committed to doing a TV show which was filming at the exact same time. There was absolutely no way she could do both.

So, that was that. No movie role for Constance. The director would simply have to find somebody else.

Constance was devastated. She wanted to be in this particular movie so badly. The opportunity of a lifetime was slipping through her fingers and there was nothing she could do about it. It was a hopeless situation.

Or was it?

One night, very impulsively, she wrote an email to the director. She explained why she was the right actor for the job. She told the director about all the heart and passion that she would give to this role if they would just, you know, delay the entire filming process so that it didn’t conflict with her schedule.

It was a pretty bold request.

“I didn’t think it would work,” Constance confessed.

Except it did.

The director was impressed by her chutzpah. They delayed the project just for her. She got to do the part. That movie was Crazy Rich Asians, a mega-hit that grossed $239 million, enchanted audiences worldwide, and catapulted Constance’s career to a new level.

Moral of the story:

If there’s something you really want and believe in … even if it’s a total long shot … even if you’re convinced that your attempt probably won’t work … go for it anyway.

Send the email. Send the text. Send the application. Send the second application after your first one gets rejected.

It’s possible they will say “no.”

Then again, it’s possible they will say “yes.”

One email could change everything. Ten seconds of courage could determine who you marry, who hires you, endorses your book, or invests in your project.

Deep breath. Say the words.

Shoot your shot.