Emilio Estevez at the Press Conference for the Premiere of 'Bobby' at the 2006 Toronto international Film Festival. Toronto, Canada - 14.09.06

The former Brat Pack member rose to fame in the Eighties with movies such as THE BREAKFAST CLUB, ST ELMO'S FIRE and YOUNG GUNS, and is now in the running for an Oscar after writing and directing the 2006 political drama BOBBY, about the assassination of Senator ROBERT F KENNEDY.

But for almost ten years, Estevez had struggled to find work or get his scripts noticed.

He says, "I didn't stop working by choice. The past ten years have been very difficult. I've had dark periods. People didn't want to go anywhere near me.

"It's a cynical and resigned world but I'm an unapologetically optimistic person who wakes up singing every morning. I always believe things will turn out ok.

"I started writing several scripts, mainly because I didn't have anything else to do. But when I tried to get them made, I was met with deaf ears and blank stares."

Source: WENN