These Celebrities Didn’t Become Famous Until Later In Their Life

These celebrities didn’t become famous until later in their life

Many people have ambitions of making it big as an actor or singer, but it’s rare that their dreams ever come true. These industries are incredibly competitive, and there are millions of hopefuls all trying for the same thing. However, even though the chances of finding fame are slim, you should never give up. Plenty of celebrities didn’t get their big break until they were older, proving that sometimes the determination is all that you need to succeed.

Judi Dench

Judi Dench has been in the acting industry ever since the 50s. Most of her work started out on the stage before she bagged some prominent roles on TV and in films. However, it wasn’t until she played M in GoldenEye that her life really turned around.

By that point, the actress was already 60, but her age has only worked in her favor for the last few decades. It’s helped her land plenty of roles, including several award-winning ones.


Betty White

We can’t think of anyone who’s more of a national treasure than Betty White. The actress, who turned 97 this year, has been gracing our screens for decades, and she still has what it takes to be a star. There’s no doubt that White’s best-known role was as Rose Nylund on Golden Girls, but she didn’t land that until she was 63.

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While that was far from her first acting credit, it’s surprising it took so long for something that big to come around. Even her part on The Mary Tyler Moore Show didn’t come about until she was 51!

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Melissa McCarthy

Fans of Gilmore Girls will remember Melissa McCarthy from before she became comedy’s go-to leading lady. She first appeared on the show in 2000 when she was 30, with her breakthrough film role coming 11 years later. McCarthy received critical acclaim when she starred in Bridesmaids, and she ended up scoring an Academy Award nomination for her performance.

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Since then, the actress has had no trouble building up her résumé with one blockbuster hit after another. Melissa might be turning 50 next year, but it’s clear that her career has never been in a better position. The future’s looking bright for her.

Ridley Scott

It’s thanks to Ridley Scott that we have incredible movies like Blade Runner, Gladiator, and – of course – Alien. The director has received dozens of awards and nominations for his films, but his debut release didn’t even come out until he was 40.

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Thankfully, significant success soon followed, with some of his best movies being released over the following decade. It’s just a shame that it took so long for people to realize how talented he is.

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Norman Reedus

If there’s one role people know Norman Reedus for, it’s as Daryl Dixon in “The Walking Dead.” The man has been with the show since 2010, and we expect he’s grateful that it came along when it did. After all, it finally gave him the big break he’d been waiting for.

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Although he had plenty of other roles before 2010, it wasn’t until he turned 40 and landed the part that his career went to the next level.

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Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates has wowed us in countless films and TV shows, but the performance we remember most is the one that started it all. The actress’ Hollywood breakthrough came with her part as Annie Wilkes in the 1990s film Misery.

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It earned her widespread acclaim and numerous awards, achievements which have only continued over the years. She might have already been in her 40s when success finally happened, but she’s definitely made up for a lost time.

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Joy Behar

After initially starting out behind the scenes on Good Morning America, Joy Behar finally got her big break when she was cast on The View. She was chosen as one of the original panelists in 1997, at which point Behar was already in her mid-40s.

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Thankfully, while it might have taken her years to become a TV star, she’s been thriving on our screens ever since. She’s hardly been away from the show since it began!

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Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais is a comedy genius, and he’s someone who’s no doubt done great things for his genre. However, he didn’t start having an impact on people until the turn of the century, by which point he was in his 40s.

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Things went from zero to 100 in the blink of an eye, with the man even winning Golden Globe Awards. However, it took years of working as a musician, radio presenter, and sketch comedian to get there.

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Jane Lynch

If you’re a fan of musical dramedies, then you’re probably very familiar with Jane Lynch. The actress was one of the more memorable additions to the cast of Glee thanks to her portrayal of the ruthless Sue Sylvester.

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Although the role was by no means her first, it marked a change for Lynch from filming the odd episode of various TV shows. Somehow, it took her almost 50 years to bag that career-defining role, but better late than never.

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Peter Dinklage

Peter Dinklage was getting through his 30s when he got the breakthrough he’d been waiting for. A role in the dramedy Living in Oblivion changed his life, and that’s when things really took off. Of course, the actor didn’t start getting universal acclaim until he starred in Game of Thrones in 2011.

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When the series debuted, he was already in his 40s, but we don’t think age is going to stand in the way of his career now.

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Ann Dowd

Ann Dowd has been one to watch recently thanks to her compelling role on The Handmaid’s Tale. With the show, she’s already won one Primetime Emmy Award, and we wouldn’t be surprised if she scored more in the future.

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She might be in her 60s, but it’s never too late to become a star. Dowd has actually been in the industry since the ‘80s, but it wasn’t until 2012’s Compliance that she started being recognized for her work.

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Bryan Cranston

It’s hard to imagine Bryan Cranston not being on our screens given all the amazing performances he’s given us. It started with his role as Hal in Malcolm in the Middle, and that was soon followed by his portrayal of Walter White in Breaking Bad.

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The latter made him a household name and assured that Cranston had an exciting career ahead of him. However, he was hardly a spring chicken when it came out, what with him already being in his fifties. Even his first major role on Seinfeld didn’t come until he was nearly 40, so age clearly isn’t everything in the industry.

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Regis Philbin

Live! has been hosted by many people, but none have dedicated more years of their life to the program than Regis Philbin. The man first sat behind the desk in 1988 where he presented the talk show alongside Kathie Lee Gifford.

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When she left, he was joined by Kelly Ripa until he announced his departure in 2011. His breakthrough on Live! – which came when he was 57 – made up for all the years he’d struggled to find success.

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Vera Wang

More people are probably familiar with the work of Vera Wang than the woman herself. Her wedding dresses are some of the most popular in the fashion industry, and they continue to sell like hotcakes.

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Funnily enough, this isn’t the life that Wang had initially intended for herself, with the designer previously attempting to become an Olympic ice skater. That dream, unfortunately, fell through in 1968, but she thankfully found her true calling by the time she was 40.

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Samuel L. Jackson

No matter what Samuel L. Jackson does, his presence always makes a film ten times better. His roles in movies like Django Unchained, Avengers, and Snakes on a Plane have all showcased what he’s capable of.

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However, we wouldn’t have had these performances if it wasn’t for one movie in particular – Pulp Fiction. The 90s were a great time for Jackson, and his role in Quentin Tarantino’s iconic film at 45 years old solidified his place in the industry.

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Toni Morrison

Nowadays, Toni Morrison is hugely respected as an author. However, it was until she was just shy of 40 that she actually had her first book published. Moreover, Morrison was in the latter half of her 50s when one of her novels – Beloved – actually turned her into a star.

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The book was on the best-seller list for 25 weeks, and things only got better from there. Six years after the novel’s release, she won the Nobel Prize in Literature!

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Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton’s life changed massively in the 90s. Not only did he get his big break with One False Move, but a few years later, he became famous for his contribution to Sling Blade. The actor not only starred in the independent drama, but he also wrote and directed it too.

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The 40-year-old received several Academy Award nominations for that movie, walking away with a win for Best Adapted Screenplay. Since then, things have gone from strength to strength.

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Kim Cattrall

As one-quarter of the unforgettable cast of “Sex and the City,” Kim Cattrall took America by storm. She spent six years portraying the provocative Samantha Jones on TV, and her time on the show will always be remembered.

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Surprisingly, Catrall was already in her 40s when she landed the part, and in her 50s when she bid a final farewell to the character. It’s hard to believe that her greatest success came so much later in life.

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Ellen DeGeneres

What would we do without Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show? The woman has been keeping daytime TV interesting for more than 15 years, with the program earning a whopping 166 Daytime Emmy Award nominations.

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It’s won 61 of these, and we can see why. The host puts her all into everything she does, and she has done it from day one. It’s amazing that it took until Ellen was in her mid-40s for it to get greenlit.

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Viola Davis

Surprisingly, people have only really been paying attention to Viola Davis for the last decade or so. Her Academy Award-nominated film breakthrough in 2008 marked her rise to stardom, and it was soon followed by her critically-acclaimed role in The Help.

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From there, the parts started pouring in, and they helped her bag one award after another. It took until she was in her 40s to finally get major recognition, but at least she got it in the end.

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Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren is one of the most respected women in the biz, especially overseas. However, while the actress is known for blockbuster roles like The Queen, it was a long time before she got her big break.

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Mirren was in her 40s when she starred in Prime Suspect, the TV show that made her a household name. By the time she received her first Oscar nomination, she was nearly 50, with her first win coming when she was 60!

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Sofia Vergara

It wasn’t until the 2000s that Sofia Vergara even started landing English acting roles, but she didn’t waste any time once she began getting them. The actress spent the next decade racking up a respectable collection of credits, including appearances in several Tyler Perry movies.

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However, her greatest success came towards the end of that time when she was cast on Modern Family. She bagged the part in 2009 when she was in her late 30s, and it made her into the star she is today. The numerous Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Awards speak for themselves on that one.

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Christina Hendricks

Christina Hendricks had always wanted to be an actress and it was at school that she found salvation in the drama department. Although she has been taking on a few acting roles during her lifetime, she found fame later.

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It wasn’t until she scooped the role as Joan on the AMC series Mad Men that the world really noticed her and today she is known as one of the most famous and beautiful women in Hollywood.

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Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman is a man who adds something special to every film he appears in. He’s been an actor worth watching for more than three decades, but it took him years to reach that point. His role in Street Smart, which the actor considers his breakthrough, didn’t air until 1987.

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By that point, the actor was 50 and heading into the later years of his life. Thankfully, he hasn’t let age get in the way of his career.