Ida Lupino's first big break came in William Wellman's 1940 production of The Light That Failed, a role that Lupino fought for over the objections of Wellman, co-star Ronald Colman, and her advisors, who assured her that the unsympathetic cockney girl she played in the film would alienate audiences. (sensesofcinema.com)
Einstein's first big break with tradition came while he was in his twenties, as he pondered how light travels through a vacuum. (discovermagazine.com)
Yoshitomo Nara's first big break came in the late 1990's when he joined Japanese cult novelist Banana Yoshimoto on a book project. (artrepublic.com)