These Stars and Celebs Didn’t Get Their Big Break Until Their 40s (or Later)

In certain professions, people are told that to achieve success they must start young, but time and again, this has been proven wrong, like sports, a career renowned for pushing athletes to succeed at a young age, yet as the recent 2024 Olympic Games in Paris proved, even in a sport like gymnastics, where athletes are praised for their youth, American Simone Biles took home the gold at age 27 (it has still been mentioned that she is the oldest woman to represent the US team since 1952).

What all professionals have in common is the drive to succeed and a passion to pursue their dreams. These celebrities who reached fame later in life started in other careers before they changed professions. Some switched to acting, others to TV hosting, like Ryan Seacrest, who at the age of 49 took over from Pat Sajak as host of one of America's most popular game shows, "Wheel of Fortune".

To compile a list of celebrities who found fame later in life, 24/7 Tempo consulted celebrity-centered sources. These include Collider, MovieWeb, ScreenRant, Rolling Stone, and IMDb. Typical fans don't see the work and sacrifices some celebrities go through to make it to the top. These stories are inspiring because they give hope to those who don't have many places to turn or who are entering a new career choice later in life.

This post was updated on August 11th, 2025, to reflect additional information.

Samuel L. Jackson – 46

First major role: Mister Señor Love Daddy, "Do the Right Thing" (1989)
Breakout role: Jules Winnfield, "Pulp Fiction" (1994)

Today, almost everyone knows the name Samuel L. Jackson. He built his career in franchises like Star Wars and the MCU. However, Jackson first started out in the theater. He had a few parts here and there in films, but nothing that sent him over the top. This all changed when he was cast in the classic "Pulp Fiction." Today, producers know that having Jackson featured in a movie is an honor.

Peter Dinklage – 42

First major role: Finbar McBride, "Station Agent" (2003)
Breakout role: Tyrion Lannister, "Game of Thrones" (2011)

Not many actors have had the same impact on the industry as Peter Dinklage. He's broken down dozens of barriers, specifically by being someone people with dwarfism can look up to. It helped that Dinklage was a hugely crucial character in the widely popular series "Game of Thrones" on HBO.

Viola Davis – 46

First major role:"City of Angels" (2000)
Breakout role: Aibileen Clark, "The Help" (2011)

Viola Davis has won numerous Tony awards for her performances, but it wasn't until "The Help," that she was nominated for an Academy Award, when her career took off. She's one of the few people in all of Hollywood to complete the EGOT, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.

Martha Stewart – 41

First major role: Model, stockbroker
Breakout role (s): Author (1995), TV host (1993)

Stewart is a beloved force and has written numerous books and has appeared on TV shows like, "The Martha Stewart Show," "Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party," and more. However, this wasn't an easy road for the famous chef. Her first book "Entertaining" wasn't published until she was 41.

Vera Wang – 40

First major role: Launching her brand (1990)
Breakout role:Designer of Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan's competition dress (1992, 1994)

Wedding dresses designed by Vera Wang have a blissful reputation for being extremely special and top-tier. Her dresses have been worn by some of the most famous people around the world, but her career didn't start that way. She first worked as an editor at Vogue magazine, holding off on launching her brand. It took Wang until her 30s to decide to go off on her own. Her brand didn't reach star status until she was 40. She famously designed one of Kim Kardashian's wedding dresses for a whopping $25,000.

Ty Burrell – 42

First major role: Evolution (2001); Black Hawk Down (2001)
Breakout role:Phil Dunphy, "Modern Family" (2009)

Making it as an actor in various Shakespeare plays is easier said than done. However, it doesn't provide actors with quite the same level of fame as being bona fide Hollywood stars. Ty Burrell found himself on stage in performances like "Twelfth Night" and "Macbeth." The fact that he was able to accomplish that was amazing. He was 42 when he was finally cast as Phil Dunphy in "Modern Family." That role is the reason he's become recognized the way he is today.

Wendy Williams – 44

First major role: DJ at WVIS in Frederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands
Breakout role:Host, "The Wendy Williams Show" (2008)

Williams started her career off in the Virgin Islands but didn't learn as much about radio work as she'd hoped. She starred in a few projects between Washington D.C. and New York City until she launched her own. She called it "The Wendy Williams Show," and it premiered when she was 44.

Larry David – 42

First major role:The comedy variety show "Fridays" (1980)
Breakout role: Voice of George Steinbrenner and others, "Seinfeld" (1989)

Writing for "Saturday Night Live" is what tons of people aspire to achieve. It's challenging when the show you're working with doesn't use the majority of what you write and pour your heart into, though, which is what happened with Larry David, who decided he had enough when he pitched the show "Seinfeld" to television executives.At the time of its release, David was 42 years old. He hadn't gone out on his own yet, but the leap of faith he took clearly paid off. "Seinfeld" famously ran for nine beloved seasons before coming to an end.

Leslie Jones – 47

First major role:"Funniest Person on Campus" comedy competition (1987)
Breakout role:"Saturday Night Live" (2014)

Making it in comedy seems easy enough until you realize how many people do stand-up around the world every single night. Leslie Jones was a female comedian trying to earn her stripes, but nothing came about for many years. She never gave up and by the time she turned 47, she was finally cast in "Saturday Night Live," and was given the distinction of being the oldest person to ever join the cast. Jones won awards for her work on the show and now has multiple movies to her credit.

Jane Lynch – 43

First major role:Ms.Lindstrom, "Vice Versa" (1988)
Breakout role: Christy Cummings, "Best in Show" (2000)

Lynch was an integral cast member on "Glee" along with many other shows but she didn't enjoy a straight line to success. She had to work and grind until roles like "Best in Show" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" catapulted her to fame and international success."Best in Show" didn't happen for Lynch until she turned 43. Before that, Lynch made ends meet by snagging smaller roles in tons of commercials to strive for success.

Alan Rickman – 42

First major role:Vicomte de Valmont, RSC stage production of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" (1985)
Breakout role:Hans Gruber, "Die Hard" (1988)

Beloved by fans around the world, Alan Rickman was the perfect person to land the role of Snape in the Harry Potter franchise. He was the wizarding professor everyone loved to hate. Before that happened, Rickman did whatever he could to make it as an actor. His career didn't explode for him until age 42 when he was cast in "Die Hard." Rickman is known for working as a graphic designer before his career on the silver screen took off.

Steve Carrell – 43

First major role:Tesio, "Curly Sue" (1991)
Breakout role:Michael Scott, "The Office" (2005), Andy Stitzer, "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" (2005)

Carrell saw success when he starred in "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," but he wanted to do more. After establishing himself in comedy, Carrell was cast in "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy" where he was part of another all-star cast. He got his first chance to cement himself on his own as an actor at 43 years old, starring in what is now considered one of the best sitcoms ever – "The Office." Carrell desired to show the world he could handle the leading role in a show.

Ricky Gervais – 40

First major role:DJ at Radio Station XFM (1996)
Breakout role: David Brent, "The Office" (UK) (2001)

Ricky Gervais launched his career at 40 years old on the UK version of "The Office." While the show didn't last as long overseas as it did in America, Gervais used the popularity of the show to land more acting gigs. Before working as an actor, Gervais was a musician who spent time in radio working as a DJ.Gervais is now known for his comedy routines and ability to make people laugh. His sense of humor is one of the reasons his fans appreciate him so much.

Kathy Bates – 41

First major role:Audition singer 13., "Taking Off" (1971)
Breakout role:Annie Wilkes, "Misery" (1990)

Bates is best recognized for her role in the movie "Misery" a role that earned her a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.That movie is the reason movie lovers grew familiar with her name – and she was 41 when it hit theaters for the first time. Bates also starred as Molly Brown in the film "Titanic."

Sir Patrick Stweart – 47

First major role: Cutpurse, stage production of "Cyrano de Bergerac" (1959)
Breakout role:Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987)

Sir Patrick Stewart was honored with knighthood in 2010 for his influential acting career but before that, he snagged gigs working on stage in England. Like most others on this list with a theater background, Stewart sought after more.It wasn't until he turned 47 and got cast in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" that he got saw success on the screen, propelling him to become one of the most iconic actors ever.

Bryan Cranston – 44

First major role:"Love Without End" (1977)
Breakout role: Hal Wilkerson, "Malcolm in the Middle" (2000)

Cranston is an actor who can proudly claim having two successful television series' under his belt. Cranston didn't get his big break until he was 44 years old when he was cast in "Malcolm in the Middle."While he wasn't the main character of the show, Cranston did have an impact on viewers. In the quirky fatherly role, he instantly became a fan favorite. That's what helped him later get the role of Walter White in "Breaking Bad."

Lucille Ball – 40

First major role: Uncredited – Blonde Bit Part, "The Bowery" (1933)
Breakout role:Lucy Ricardo, "I Love Lucy" (1951)

Getting roles on television shows in the 1950s and 1960s was hard. Being part of a standout show people around the world can recognize is even harder. Lucille Ball pulled this off when she landed the leading role in "I Love Lucy."This show helped set the rest of her career up for the better. It didn't happen until after she turned 40. Interestingly enough, she pursued acting at her age during an era when most women were staying at home to raise little ones. Ball starred in the show with her first husband, Desi Arnaz.

Simon Cowell – 43

First major role:Record Label Executive (1977)
Breakout role: Judge on the UK hit, "Pop Idol" (2001)

Getting complimented by Simon Cowell is something few performers have on their resume. Most of the time he's harsh and straight to the point with his feelings. His temperament wasn't known by audiences until he abandoned life as a producer and got in front of the camera at age 43.Over the years, Cowell has become kinder with how he treats people, but he helped make a name for himself with his brutally honest persona.