The world’s highest-paid comedian says you must embrace rejection if you want to be successful: ‘It’s supposed to be hard’

• Kevin HartThe best paid actor in the world in 2024, says that a key to success is to learn to adopt rejection and failure. In an interview FortuneThe artist and entrepreneur thought about the times when he was told “no” in his career, and how he used it as a tool to grow.

Kevin Hart knows something or two about success. He finished 177 million followers On Instagram. His entertainment company, Hartbeat, was valued at $ 650 million Last year. And according to ForbesKevin Hart made $ 81 million In 2024, making him the best paid actor in the world – as well as the third highest artist, attracting more than Hollywood icons like Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

In an interview FortuneHart said that a key reason for his success is his ability to learn from his failures – and “kiss” rejection.

Despite the numerous strokes of Hart at the box office – the films where he is a leading player reported more than $ 1.08 billion global; This number exceeds $ 3.6 billion if you include its support roles – its route to success has been marked by several notable refusals.

“I can't reduce it to one,” said Hart Fortune. “Do not enter comedy clubs at the start of my career. Not having chosen for comedy festivals at the start of my career. Not having cinema roles that I thought I was perfect roles for me. Do not get SNL when I thought SNL was the biggest and best for me.”

“There are so many things that if they have happened, my career would not have shaped what it is today,” he added.

He is not alone. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon was rejected twice by the company before leading it to more than $ 50 billion in income. The Daddy Scrub sponge was initially snubbed before becoming a huge success. And astronaut Mike Massimino was refused by NASA three times before going to space.

Transform rejection into success

Hart said it can be difficult to see the overview in the moments when you are told “no”, but below “, you later find out that these moments were among the best for you, which made you work harder,” said Hart.

The native of Philadelphia, 45, said that it was essential to believe that rejection can be an “asset” – a tool to motivate you, but also to force you to adapt.

“Without that, you have nothing to learn or anything to adapt to you,” he said. “If things were easy, it would be stupid. It is supposed to be difficult. You are supposed to understand that the reason for hard work and put 100% in a trade is because of what you want to get out.”

Hart said that not get anything you want to make you want these things even more.

“As a person who has experienced so many levels, I kiss him,” he said. “To date, everything is not going on as I wish. But it is not because a roadmap has not worked, it does not mean that you cannot create another. And this is where I find the most joy in the company in which I operate today.”

Learn more about FortuneInterview with Kevin Hart:

• Kevin Hart says there is still one thing that is still worth madness in this uncertain economy, whatever the level of income
  
• Kevin Hart explains why the recipients of his subsidies of $ 10,000 will also receive training on AI: “The train arrives quickly – either you are on it, or get out of the way”

This story was initially presented on Fortune.com