People may frequently hear that it’s never too late to pursue their goals. However, as many people approach midlife, it sometimes seems like the window of opportunity for fulfilling their dreams begins closing rapidly.
But the world is full of people who didn’t accomplish their goals or make it big until much later in life. Just look at celebrities, for example. Sure, there are the Justin Biebers of the world who was discovered by talent agents or hit the jackpot with a lucky YouTube video.
But by and large, a more common success story in Hollywood comes from folks who achieved it the old-fashioned way: through hard work and perseverance.
Ask anyone who’s achieved significant success about their early days and most of them will tell you stories about suffering through grueling auditions, waking up early to write a screenplay, working on late-night business plans, bussing tables to afford headshots, or other dues they had to pay.
On top of that, most of them at one point or another were told that their goals were crazy or just pipe dreams. Some of these people managed to prove others wrong right away.
Others, however, had to wait until later in life—some in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s. Yet when they finally did, the success tasted all the sweeter.
In an effort to honor these celebrities who didn’t know the meaning of the phrase “to give up,” Stacker has put together a slideshow of some stars who didn’t achieve major success until later in life.
Although many of these people had been working at their craft for years, none of them had a big breakthrough until midlife, most of them not until they were at least 40 years old. Take a look at their stories to gain some inspiration and for a reminder that it really is never too late.
1 thought on “15 Stars Who Hit Their Stride Late in Life”
I spent a decade in Hollywood mostly as an extra then a stand in.