Five Actors Who Got Their Fame Later in Life (2024)

by Tom Foster Published Feb 19, 2021

Not every star out there got their start at a young age, and even some of those that did never managed to achieve a noticeable level of fame until much later, perhaps when they’d even questioned if it was still worth it any longer. But even at an older age, it’s possible to become famous as many actors have proven over the course of their careers, and while a couple of people on this list are no longer with us they did prove in their time that it was possible to become famous when one has passed their prime. The thing about acting is that there is a place for everyone, quite literally in fact, since the number of movies and TV shows throughout the halls of Hollywood is so great in number that trying to find one part that can make a person famous might take a while, but it’s still entirely possible since there are so many roles that thinking that there isn’t a place for everyone is kind of ludicrous. Age isn’t a detractor in acting, since someone will always fit one or more roles perfectly due to several factors that they might bring to the table.

5. Bryan Cranston

Cranston is a great example since he’s been steadily increasing in popularity over the years and is someone that made a reputation for being kind of a goofball on the show that really made him stand out, Malcolm in the Middle. From there, however, he started taking on movie roles and eventually found his way to Breaking Bad where he took on the role of Walter White, arguably one his best roles of all time. He was in his 40s when he started Malcolm in the Middle, so to be serious the guy had a lot of years in which he was simply passed over and looked past given that had he really cut loose he might have been famous long before then.

4. Alan Rickman

Alan was one of those that loved theater and had been acting for a while, but the thing is that no one really knew who he was since he hadn’t stood out that much up until the movie that made him into the villainous icon he would become as Hans Gruber. That one role started a chain of events that would see him become one of the best-known names in Hollywood. From his role in Die Hard up until his passing, Rickman was one of the favored actors of many people throughout Hollywood and the world in fact since he proved to be someone that people could get behind even when he was playing the part of the villain.

3. Christoph Waltz

Christoph is kind of like a hidden gem since once he really started to shine, which was as Hans Landa, there wasn’t any stopping him. Up until that point he’d been taking care of his family with what he earned from acting, but starring in a couple of Quentin Tarantino movies did wonders for his career since as Hans Landa and then Dr. Schultz, he was a cunning villain and a kindly but deadly bounty hunter, but he was great in both capacities. From that point on he’s been someone that people will actually take to quickly no matter what character he’s playing, even as Dr. Ido in Alita: Battle Angel.

2. Rodney Dangerfield

Whatever name a person wanted to know Rodney by, he was one of the funniest men of his time and actually had something to do with Jim Carrey’s career moving on an upward track as well. But his fame didn’t really come until he’d been a standup comedian and a salesman for a while, during which time he had to struggle quite a bit just to make a living. But once he started starring in movies such as Caddyshack and Back to School Rodney’s star rose in a way that people hadn’t expected and he became someone that a lot of people wanted to watch since his continual act was something that tended to upset the rich elites, which has been a favored pastime for a while now.

1. Morgan Freeman

It wasn’t until the movie Street Smarts that Freeman really started to see his star rise, and since then he’s been a name that pretty much everyone knows since from narration to his acting he’s been one of the most loved celebrities in the world. Something about his voice and a lot of people would agree, is simply cathartic in a way that can’t be fully appreciated just by talking about it. Of all the celebrities alive today he’s definitely one of those that has come a long way in his career and is still going just as strong.

Being a child actor and staying famous is impressive, but starting later and becoming famous deserves a great deal of respect.