From Samuel L. Jackson To Steve Carell, 10 Actors Who Found Success Later In Life

Judi Dench was 60 when she played the role of “M” in the 1995 James Bond film “Golden Eye” and became a global name.

PUBLISHED SEP 11, 2023

Samuel L. Jackson, Harrison Ford, Steve Carell | Getty Images

Age is just a number When It Comes To Success

Harrison Ford on the set of — Harrison Ford on the sets of "Indiana Jones 5" | Getty Images | Robino Salvatore

No matter which profession, there is no certain road to success. In the world of acting, some become stars at a young age, while some take time to achieve stardom. There are plenty of actors who proved that with talent, grit, and grind, anyone can achieve success no matter what age. Here are 10 such actors who achieved success later in life.

1. Dame Judi Dench

Dame Judi Dench at the Royal World Premiere of 'Skyfall' | Getty Images | Photo by Samir Hussein

Despite winning a handful of BAFTA awards, Dame Judi Dench was unknown to the American and global audience until she bagged a role in the “James Bond” series. Dench was 60 when she played the role of “M” in the 1995 James Bond film “Golden Eye”. She continued to play the role until “Skyfall” (2012) receiving seven Academy Award nominations and one Academy Award along the way.

2. Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman at the AFI Awards Luncheon | Getty Images | Photo by Michael Kovac

One of the most respected and renowned actors in the film industry, Morgan Freeman also rose to fame later in life. He only achieved public recognition in his 50s when he was cast alongside Christopher Reeve in the 1987 film “Street Smart”. Two years later, he won his first Golden Globe Award for “Driving Miss Daisy”.

3. Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards Photo by Dan MacMedan — Christoph Waltz at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards | Getty Images | Photo by Dan MacMedan

A prolific TV actor in Germany, Christoph Waltz only achieved success in the West at the age of 52. Waltz rose to prominence with the role of “Hans Landa”, also known as 'The Jew Hunter', in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds". A year later, he swept the critics' awards circle and even won an Oscar for his role.

4. Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston at the Los Angeles premiere of "Godzilla" | Getty Images | Photo by Michael Tran

Bryan Cranston is one of the biggest stars in the industry, but the actor, producer, and screenwriter had to work really hard for decades to achieve recognition. His first major role came in 2000 in the TV series “Malcolm in the Middle”, at the age of 44. However, the biggest role in his career came at age 52 in the form of “Walter White” in the critically acclaimed series “Breaking Bad”, which won him numerous awards and earned him millions.

5. Steve Carell

Steve Carell at the World Premiere of 'Vice' | Getty Images| Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin

Steve Carell was offered the lead role of a lifetime in the American adaptation of the show “The Office” at age 43. The role of “Michael Scott” shot Carell to fame who went on to become one of the most beloved actors and comedians of recent times. He then starred in several movies and in 2010, he even worked as a voice actor for the character of “Gru” in the popular children’s movie series “Despicable Me”.

6. Melissa McCarthy

Melissa McCarthy at the 2023 WeHo Pride Parade | Getty Images| Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino

Melissa McCarthy spent many years working as a cast member on Gilmore Girls before she landed a role in “Bridesmaids” at age 41. The role made her a household name and earned her many nominations for awards and follow-up offers. She has now established herself as an esteemed actress, leading multiple movies and TV series. She also has her own production company, “On the Day Productions” which she runs with her husband Ben Falcone.

7. Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L Jackson at the premiere of "The Legend Of Tarzan" | Getty Images | Photo by Gregg DeGuire

Samuel L. Jackson spent several years working to achieve fame and glory. Jackson became a star with the role of “Jules Winnfield” in Quentin Tarantino’s critically acclaimed film, “Pulp Fiction” in 1994 at the age of 40 years. Since then he has starred in hits such as “Django Unchained”, and “A Time to Kill”, and he also became a part of two of the most successful film franchises the MCU and the Star Wars.

8. Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford at the Premiere of "The Call of the Wild" | Getty Images | Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin

Harrison Ford worked as a self-taught carpenter before appearing in a supporting role in George Lucas's American “Graffiti” in 1973 at age 31. After that, Ford achieved universal fame in Lucas's next film, “Star Wars” playing the role of “Han Solo”. Post-Star Wars, Ford went on to lead the world-famous “Indiana Jones” franchise. He starred in the fifth installment of the series as well, at age 80.

9. Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman poses for a portrait, circa | Getty Images | Photo by Icon and Image

Jene Hackman was 30 years old when he decided to take a shot at acting. Appearing as Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection (1971), he won his first Oscar and by the age of 37, he had become an established star. He worked in several hits like “Bonnie and Clyde”, “Night Moves”, “The Poseidon Adventure”, “Eureka” and many more.

10. Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm at the premiere of FOX's 'Lucy In The Sky' | Getty Images | Photo by Tibrina Hobson

Jon Hamm began his career on stage and in minor TV roles in shows like “Numb3rs” and “CSI: Miami”. Finally, at age 36, Hamm landed the role of Don Draper in the critically acclaimed production “Mad Men” and went on to win an Emmy Award. “Mad Men” earned Hamm universal acclaim, and since then he has starred in several big projects including “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Confess, Fletch”.