In the mid-1800's he was poverty-ridden and a failure as an actor. He went on to become well-known as a great author and storyteller, especially of fairy tales. Name this famous Dane.

This celebrated Danish author's life could have been a story from one of his own famous books. Born into poverty in Odense, Denmark, in 1805, he faced significant hardship from a young age. Following his father's death when he was just eleven, his family was left nearly destitute. At fourteen, he moved to Copenhagen with dreams of becoming an actor at the Royal Danish Theatre. Despite having a good singing voice, it soon changed, and after several years of struggling, he was ultimately unsuccessful in establishing a career on the stage.

Encouraged by a colleague to pursue writing, and with the financial support of patrons, he began to focus on literature. His career took a significant turn in 1835 with the publication of his first novel and, most importantly, his first collection of fairy tales. While he also wrote plays, poems, and travelogues, it was his fairy tales that brought him lasting international fame. Many of his stories, such as "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Little Match Girl," are believed to draw on his own experiences of being an outcast and knowing poverty. His imaginative and poignant tales, including "The Little Mermaid," "The Emperor's New Clothes," and "The Princess and the Pea," have been translated into over 125 languages and remain cherished classics around the world.