7 Celebrities Who Found Fame Later in Life: Samuel L. Jackson, Kathy Bates

Not all Hollywood success stories happen overnight, and not all celebrities became famous before they turned 25. Future names known as Viola Davis, Jane Lynch and others didn’t catch up until a little later in life. Read all about how these respected actors became famous in their 30s, 40s, and beyond.

1. Jane Lynch

We know and love her as Coach Sue Sylvester on Joybut Jane Lynch worked in the trenches for years before becoming a Hollywood heavyweight. Although she began acting in 1988, it wasn’t until 2000 when she landed a role in best in show, next to Eugenio Levythat his success took off.

“I was 40 years old when I started making money doing this… and before that I was happy. “If you have a goal and you think you need to be somewhere when you’re a certain age, that’s very stupid,” Lynch explained. “Don’t do it. “I never had that goal.”

2. Viola Davis

She is now instantly recognized for her role as Aibileen Clark in The help (2011), but the actress and film producer wasn’t always an Oscar-winning celebrity. Davis didn’t jump into the acting business until age 31, first appearing as a nurse in The substance of fire in 1996.

But even after that, Davis was often given a secondary role: she was a social worker at Traffic (2000) and appeared in an episode of New York Police Blue later that year. Now, Davis has become one of the industry’s most sought-after actresses in films like fences (2016), widows (2018) and The king woman (2022), winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in fences in 2017.

“I appreciate the slow process… All those years doing theater in church basements and on basketball courts… just the experiences I had as Viola the person… have taught me more about life and gratitude and the beauty of considering everything joy than a early experience. success would have taught me… I learned a lot in the ruins.”

3. Samuel L. Jackson

Although his acting career began in 1972, many of his early roles were minor. It wasn’t until 1994, at age 46, that Jackson’s career took off after starring in Pulp fiction. Today it is known for, well, literally everything, from The Incredibles (2004) to Captain Marvel (2019).

Jackson was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as Jules Winnfield in pulp fiction, but he received the first in 2022 in the form of an honorary Oscar for a lifetime of achievements.

4. Kathy Bates

we know Kathy Bates today for his notable roles in films such as Misery (1990), Titanic (1997) and About Schmidt (2002). But before becoming an Oscar-winning star, Bates long worked his way to the big leagues. Beginning her career in the early 1970s, it wasn’t until 1990 that Bates broke through with her Academy Award-winning performance in Misery (1990), when he was 42 years old.

“Everything I’ve prayed for, worked for, and moved forward with, I can suddenly be asked to use it all,” Bates explained of his enormous success.

5. Octavia Spencer

Like her co-star, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer caused a sensation with his role in The help in 2011. Her career began in 1996, at the age of 26, but she also played mainly minor roles. It wasn’t until she was 41 that her big break came, as she won an Academy Award for playing Minny Jackson in The Help.

Spencer’s career really took off after that, when she began starring in films like Fruitvale Station (2013) and hidden figures (2016). Although many assume he was an “overnight success” after rising to fame in The helpSpencer disagrees.

“15 years of overnight success. “I definitely check that box.”

6. Morgan Freeman

everyone knows Morgan Freeman for his iconic roles in Driving Miss Daisy (1989) and million dollar baby (2004), but it took a while for this star to become as in-demand and acclaimed as she is today. Freeman began her career at age 27 in 1964, but her previous roles were very minor, if not uncredited. She had a constant role in the children’s television series, The electric company from 1971 to 1977, but his big break came even later.

In 1987, his success skyrocketed for his role in smart street, which earned him an Academy Award nomination at age 50. Freeman then landed the successful role of Hoke Colburn in Driving Miss Daisy in 1989. He won his first Academy Award in 2005 for million dollar baby and his filmography has grown exponentially since then.

7. Jon Hamm

This star didn’t start acting until she was almost 30 years old, but it would still take her quite a few years to reach stardom. It wasn’t until he landed the role of Don Draper on Mad Men in 2007, when he was 36, that Hamm’s success took off. He eventually won a Primetime Emmy Award for the role in 2015. During and after his time on the series, which came to an end in 2015, Hamm landed roles in films such as the town (2010), Million Dollar Arm (2014) and Label (2018).

Today, Hamm is an in-demand star and usually has many projects booked. As of now, the A-star is working on about six new projects, some of which will come out in 2024.