To be successful in the entertainment business, you have to push, push, push. They don't care how they have to get there, or who they have to cross to reach the peak. Their main objective is to get there, and they'll do everything in their power to achieve that. Exploitation plays a very large part in that. The casting couch can come into play.
Many stars have to sleep their way to the top.
Male and female. The very straight Clark Gable had to demean himself by sleeping with male casting directors, just so he could have a chance to audition. That's more common than you'd think. It's even rarer that you get by just by doing that. It's a combination of personal sacrifice, raw talent and luck.