The "Life of Pi" director travelled across America by bus and arrived in LA at 4am with little money left. He attempted to find a room at a YMCA shelter, but the hostel was closed and he had to rely on the generosity of a group of strangers he met on the street, reported OK! magazine.
"They said, 'You can come live with us. We'll take your USD 10 until you can find a place'. They told me they were extras in the plane-crashing scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. I stayed at their place, and when I got up in the morning, I opened my window, looked out, and saw the Hollywood sign.
"Then I checked my wallet, and all of my money was gone. Stolen. Later I went to the bank, got more money, and ended up having a good time. That was my first experience in LA," he said.