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Christoph Waltz - Until 2007, Waltz was just doing stage work and playing roles in small TV productions. When Waltz was 51, Quentin Tarantino came knocking at his door, and after his role in ‘Inglourious Basterds’ everything changed.

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Viola Davis - Davis was awarded a master's degree from Juilliard when she was 28, then subsequently  thrived in theater for many years afterwards. But at 43, it was the film 'Doubt' that made her a household name.

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Lucille Ball - It took time for the legendary comedian to hit the big time. Ball was 40 years old when she revolutionized the TV sitcom with ‘I Love Lucy.’

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Steve Carell - After working a lot of odd jobs, and then becoming well known through his work in 'Anchorman,' Carell truly won everyone's hearts aged 43 with the American adaptation of 'The Office,' which finally put his acting skills and comedic genius on the map.

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Judi Dench - Even though she was already a well known actor in the UK, Dench's breakthrough role into the US film industry was as James Bond’s boss in 1995’s ‘GoldenEye.’ She was 60 at the time, and since then she's won an Oscar and been nominated for six more.

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Morgan Freeman - Though hard to believe, Freeman wasn't famous for a large part of this career. He had received some recognition earlier on, but it wasn’t until his stunning performance in 'Driving Miss Daisy,' when he was 52, that he really made it.

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Kristen Wiig - Wiig decided to pursue acting after college, eventually moving to Los Angeles and joining an improv group. But it wasn't until she was 32 that she became a full cast member of 'Saturday Night Live' and people started to recognize her name.

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Liam Neeson - At 41 years old, Neeson had gained art-house acclaim for little-seen movies such as 'The Mission,' but he only really become famous that year when he starred in Steven Spielberg's 'Schindler's List.' Since then, he's been in blockbuster after blockbuster.

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Kathy Bates - Bates worked steadily throughout her acting career, but it was a major part in the film 'Misery,' when she was 42, that won her an Oscar and showcased her talents to the world.

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Sylvester Stallone - In the '70s, Stallone was a dirt-poor struggling actor and screenwriter. But that all changed when he was 30 years old and his script for 'Rocky' was picked up with him as the lead role.

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Kathryn Joosten - The late actor decided to move to Los Angeles, without any contacts, in pursuit of her acting dream when she was already 56. She had to compete against actors with decades of experience, but when she was 70 she began starring in 'The West Wing.'

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James Gandolfini - The late actor had been acting since the ‘80s, but was 38 when he landed the role of Tony Soprano, a role that catapulted him into fame.

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Jon Hamm - Hamm was once just another struggling actor in Los Angeles, but quickly became a Hollywood heartthrob when he was cast in 'Mad Men' at the age of 36.

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Alan Rickman - The late actor spent years on the stage, but finally, at age 46, he got his famous part in 'Die Hard,' and eventually gave the world Snape. 

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Bryan Cranston - One of the hottest actors in Hollywood was working hard through the '80s and '90s without much recognition. Then, when he was 44, he finally made a name for himself with ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ which was later eclipsed by ‘Breaking Bad.’

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Michael Emerson - After starting to act late in his life and doing small local productions throughout the '90s, Emerson got the part of a serial killer in ‘The Practice,’ which opened countless doors for the 46-year-old. He has since won two Emmy awards!

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Sean Connery -

Scottish legend Sir Sean Connery was working steadily through his twenties, but his appearance as James Bond at the age of 32 brought him his first real taste of fame, which would only increase with time.

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Samuel L. Jackson -

Can you believe it took two decades for people to finally see what this man can do? Jackson started acting on stage and in small roles in the '70s, but he cracked the A-list with his role in 'Pulp Fiction,' at age 45.

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Naomi Watts - Watts still looked like she was in her early twenties when she starred in David Lynch’s 'Mulholland Drive,' but she was 31 and had been working in TV and on small films since the beginning of the 1990s. She has since been nominated for 2 Oscars.

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Ricky Gervais - One of the most well-known British comedians, Gervais began acting in the '90s, when he was in his mid-thirties. It was only when he reached 40 that he finally hit it big with 'The Office,' which he both wrote and starred in.

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Octavia Spencer - Spencer was an experienced actor, having appeared in films like 'Spider-Man' and 'Seven Pounds,' but everyone knew her name when she was in 'The Help,' at age 39. Her roles that followed, like in 'Hidden Figures' and 'The Shape of Water,' have brought her talent to a wider audience.

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F. Murray Abraham -

Abraham was performing for the most part of his life but at 45 delivered his Oscar-winning performance as Antonio Salieri in 'Amadeus.'

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Jenna Fischer - Well-loved as Pam Beesly from 'The Office,' Fischer had long been a struggling actress, getting lucky with tiny roles. She was 31 when the show launched her Emmy-nominated career. Now she stars in the show ‘Splitting Up Together.’

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Jeremy Renner - In the past few years, Renner has been everywhere, but before his Oscar-nominated performance in 2009’s 'The Hurt Locker' at the age of 38, he was just trying to survive in Hollywood.

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Phylicia Rashad - Before she was famous from 'The Cosby Show,' Rashad was doing a lot of stage work on and off Broadway. Her professional life changed when she was 35 years old.

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Melissa McCarthy - Everyone knows McCarthy's hilarity, but not many people know that it took her until 2011 to finally strike gold with 'Bridesmaids,' for which she was nominated for an Oscar at 41.

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Ty Burrell - The 'Modern Family' star had been trying to break into the industry for nine years, repeatedly getting cast as the guy who would get killed. It wasn't until he reached 42 that the popular show secured his place onscreen.

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Jane Lynch - The master of dry humor has a history of being a struggling actress, and only had her big mainstream break with 'Glee' at the age of 49.

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John Mahoney - Another actor who came to the profession late, Mahoney was 53 when he scored the memorable role of Martin Crane on 'Frasier,' a role which earned him two Golden Globe nominations.

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Michael Caine -

One of the most respected film actors, Sir Michael Caine started with stage work, starved for a while in Paris, and after returning to England, he pursued film acting. His real breakthrough came with 'Alfie,' when he was 33.

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Estelle Getty - The late actor was doing small jobs, mostly on stage, for a big part of her career. When she was 62, she landed a part in 'The Golden Girls' which put her on the map and earned her a Golden Globe award. 

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Harrison Ford - The Hollywood legend was a struggling actor for most of his early adult life, and though he was in 'American Graffiti,' it was only until he became Han Solo in 'Star Wars,' when he was 33, that his place in screen history was cemented.

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Amy Poehler - Poehler started her acting journey with improv and went on to become a regular cast member of 'Saturday Night Live' at the age of 30. From there she was able to star in 'Parks and Recreation' and several films.

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Gene Hackman - One of the all time greats, Hackman started acting in his twenties, but it wasn't until he moved to New York City where he continued to struggle alongside his two friends, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall, did he find his breakthrough role in 'Bonnie and Clyde,' at the ripe old age of 36.

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Tina Fey - Just like Kristen Wiig and Amy Poehler, Fey started with improv and later joined the cast of 'Saturday Night Live,' which allowed her to star in the show '30 Rock.' But many credit her real breakthrough to her writing and co-starring in the film 'Mean Girls' when she was 34.

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Billy Bob Thornton - Beginning as a musician first, Thornton started acting late and only gained real credit with the help of his own movie 'Sling Blade,' which he wrote, directed and starred in at the age of 39.

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Jessica Chastain - After training at Juilliard, with the help of a scholarship sponsored by Robin Williams, Chastain found recognition after the premiere of two movies close together, 'The Help' and 'The Tree of Life,' when she was 34.

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Tim Allen - Allen was cast for his famous show 'Home Improvement' when he was 38, and before that he was trying to make money through low-paying stand-up gigs.

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Betty White -

The late actor first gained mainstream attention at 51 years old, when she appeared on 'The Mary Tyler Moore' show in 1973. The rest is history.

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Burt Reynolds -

When he couldn't play sports anymore, Reynolds took up acting and did small TV productions for around 14 years. It was his major acting role as Lewis in 1972’s 'Deliverance,' when Reynolds was 36, that kick-started his rise to fame throughout the '70s and '80s.

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Tiffany Haddish - Haddish spent years struggling in the Los Angeles comedy scene before landing roles in shows like 'If Loving You Is Wrong' and 'The Carmichael Show.' But it wasn't until 2017, when she was 37, that she received awards and appeared on magazine covers because of her role in 'Girls Trip.'

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Ken Jeong - The hilarious actor was actually a practicing physician before getting into stand-up comedy and acting. When he was 40, he had his breakout role in ‘The Hangover’ and then on the sitcom 'Community.' 

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Leslie Jones - Jones spent years in the standup comedy circuit before NBC cast her in its marquee comedy show after an open audition. She still appears on the series in addition to taking roles in comedies like ‘Ghostbusters.’ She was 47 when she became a cast member for 'Saturday Night Live.'

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Kumail Nanjiani - He started playing Dinesh in 'Silicon Valley' when he was 36. Nanjiani had a variety of roles on comedy TV shows and movies before starring on the HBO show, which he's still a part of. He also made the semi-autobiographical movie 'The Big Sick,' about his early days in comedy and the time he met his wife, Emily V. Gordon, for which he received a best screenplay Oscar nomination.

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Linda Gray -

After trudging through commercials and modeling, Gray rose to fame when she got the part in the 1978 TV show 'Dallas' which turned her career around at age 38.

See also: Actresses on aging and being older

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