Not every Hollywood success story happens overnight — and not every A-lister became famous before their 25th birthday. Future household names like Viola Davis, Jane Lynch and others didn’t hit their stride until a bit later in life. Read all about how these respected actors came into their own in their 30s, 40s and beyond.
1. Jane Lynch
2002/2024 Jean-Paul Aussenard / Contributor // Steve Granitz / Contributor
We know and love her as Coach Sue Sylvester on Glee, but 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 scored a role in Best In Show, alongside Eugene Levy, that her success took off.
“I was 40 by the time I started making money at this … and I was happy before that. If you’ve got some goal that you think you need to be somewhere by the time you’re some age, that’s so stupid,” Lynch explained. “Don’t do it. I never had that goal.”
2. Viola Davis
2002/2024 Christopher Polk / Contributor // Amy Sussman / Staff
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 leap into the acting business until the age of 31, first appearing as a nurse in The Substance of Fire in 1996.
But even after that, Davis was often given a supporting role: she was a social worker in Traffic (2000) and appeared in an episode of NYPD 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 Woman King (2022), winning an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Fences in 2017.
“I appreciate the slow burn… All those years doing theater in Church basements and on basketball courts… just the experiences I had as Viola the person… they have taught me more about life and gratefulness and the beauty of counting it all joy than an early success would have taught me… I learned a lot in the ruins.”
3. Samuel L. Jackson
1995/2024 Steve Eichner / Contributor // Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff
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, he is known for, well, literally everything, from The Incredibles (2004) to Captain Marvel (2019).
Jackson was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction, but received his first in 2022 in the form of an Honorary Oscar for a lifetime of achievement.
4. Kathy Bates
1991/2024 Vinnie Zuffante / Stringer // Amy Sussman / Staff
We know Kathy Bates today for her prominent roles in films like Misery (1990), Titanic (1997) and About Schmidt (2002). But before she was an Oscar-winning star, Bates was working her way towards the big leagues for a long time. 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 she was 42 years old.
“Everything I’ve prayed for, worked for, clawed my way up for, I am suddenly able to be asked to use all of it,” Bates explained of her massive success.
5. Octavia Spencer
2011/2024 Lester Cohen / Contributor // Amy Sussman / Staff
Like her co-star, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer made a splash with her role in The Help in 2011. Her career began in 1996, at age 26, but she, too, held mostly minor roles. It wasn’t until she was 41 that her big break came, as she won an Academy Award for portraying Minny Jackson in The Help.
Spencer’s career really took off after that, as she began starring in movies like Fruitvale Station (2013) and Hidden Figures (2016). Although many assume she was an “overnight success” after rising to fame in The Help, Spencer doesn’t agree.
“15-year overnight success. Definitely, I check that box.”
6. Morgan Freeman
1987/2024 Fotos International / Contributor // Stephane Cardinale – Corbis / Contributor
Everyone knows Morgan Freeman for his iconic roles in Driving Miss Daisy (1989) and Million Dollar Baby (2004), but it took this star a while to become as in-demand and acclaimed as he is today. Freeman began his career at age 27 in 1964, but his earlier roles were very minor, if not uncredited. He did have a consistent role on the children’s TV series, The Electric Company from 1971 to 1977, but his big break came even later.
In 1987, his success soared for his part in Street Smart, which earned him an Academy Award nomination at age 50. Freeman then booked the hit 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.
7. Jon Hamm
2003/2024 Bruce Glikas / Contributor // Amy Sussman / Staff
This star didn’t get into acting until he was nearly 30 years old, but it would still take him quite a few years to gain stardom. It wasn’t until he landed the role of Don Draper in 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 scored roles in movies like The Town (2010), Million Dollar Arm (2014) and Tag (2018).
Today, Hamm is a sought-after star and is typically booked up with projects. As of now, the A-lister is working on about six new projects, some of which are set to come out in 2024.
