Samuel L. Jackson and other actors who started their careers late

In the world of entertainment there are celebrities who were lucky enough to be discovered almost by mistake and at a very young age, such as Natalie Portman, who was found by a talent scout when she was just a girl.

But there are other stars who did not manage to start their careers or break out in Hollywood until late in life, even when they had given up to find another job and give up their dreams. Below we give you the most typical examples of these cases.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson is one of Hollywood’s most popular entertainers today, but his reputation is actually short-lived. In fact, his career only took off at the age of 40.

After a series of supporting roles in films such as “Coming to America” ​​and “Do the Right Thing”, Samuel took his first big break at the age of 42 in the 1991 “Jungle Fever”.

At the age of 45, he played Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” a role that gave him the impetus he needed to reach the stars. After that, he worked on big movies like “Star Wars” and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Alan Rickman

Although he was already a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, which distinguished him as a great actor, Alan Rickman did not get a job in cinema until he was 42, when he played the villain Hans Gruber in “Die Hard”.

After this brief breakthrough in action movies, he took other opportunities in major productions, such as the epic “Harry Potter” and the movie “Love Actually”.

Viola Davis

Today she is considered one of the best actresses in Hollywood, but before that she was dedicated exclusively to the theater, where she won the praise of critics.

Her first big challenge in cinema came when she turned 43, in the film “Doubt”, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. After this success, he starred in shows such as “How to Get Away with Murder”, “Fences” and “The Help and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”.

Brian Cranston

Before his success as Walter White in the award-winning series “Breaking Bad”, Cranston was first known to fans in “Malcolm in the Middle”, where he played Hal, the protagonist’s father.

This role meant a lot to his career, but he took it when he was already 44 years old. When he was 38 he had a small role in “Seinfeld”, playing Dr. Tim Whatley, but it did not matter much.

Harrison Ford

Thanks to his roles as Han Solo or Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford has a very special place in Hollywood history, but what very few people know is that even at the age of 35 he was still living as a carpenter.

After several disastrous auditions and working on small projects, Ford had already resigned to forget about his acting career, until George Lucas discovered him and offered him a role in his new film, playing the smuggler who would change him for always life.

Ken Jeong

Before he became famous, Ken Jeong alternated between stand-up stages and hospitals as he worked as a general practitioner.

At the age of 38, Jeong got the role of a doctor in the movie “Knocked Up” and apparently did so well that he got the cast for the trilogy “The Hangover” and the series “Community”.

Kathryn Josten

Joosten is best known for his role as President Dolores Landingham in “The West Wing” and Karen McCluskey in “Desperate Housewives.” These roles are quite remarkable, especially considering that he started acting at the age of 43.

In her youth she worked as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital, but after her divorce she decided to follow her dreams, so she auditioned for a play in a small theater.

At age 56, Joosten moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in television. Four years later, she appeared on television as Mrs. Landingham.