Melissa McCarthy at 41 If you watched her in Gilmore Girls, you know that Melissa McCarthy had been paying her dues in the industry for a long time before making it big.The actress and comedian didn't achieve huge success until she was 41 years old and starred in the runaway hit Bridesmaids. Frazer Harrison - Getty Images
Samuel L. Jackson at 45 Even though Samuel L. Jackson has been a working actor since 1973, it wasn't until his role in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, when the actor was 45 years old, that his career reached another level. Since then, he's been in everything from Snakes on a Plane to Django Unchained. Jemal Countess - Getty Images
Kathryn Joosten at 60 Kathryn Joosten was a nurse until she decided to quit her job and pursue her dream of acting at 45. The actress, who sadly passed away in 2012, shot to fame playing Mrs. Landingham on The West Wing and won an Emmy for her role on Desperate Housewives. Jason LaVeris - Getty Images
Harrison Ford at 35 It was thanks to fate that Harrison Ford received his big break at age 35. The aspiring actor was working as a carpenter on the stage where George Lucas was auditioning actors for roles in Star Warsand the rest, as they say, is history. Alberto E. Rodriguez - Getty Images
Viola Davis at 46 Viola Davis had a successful career in theater before she moved to film and eventually starred in the 2011 film The Help. As a result, the actress started securing some of the biggest roles in Hollywood in her 40s, including the lead in the ABC series How to Get Away with Murder. Stefanie Keenan - Getty Images
Jon Hamm at 36 Jon Hamm always wanted to be an actor, but after struggling in the business for years he almost gave up on his dream. It wasn't until he was cast as Don Draper in Mad Men that the actor's career really took off at the age 36. Randy Holmes - Getty Images
Jane Lynch at 49 Jane Lynch has been a working actress since 1988, but she reached a new level of celebrity at the age of 49 when she landed a starring role on the hit show Glee. Since then, Lynch has remained a household name. Jason LaVeris - Getty Images
Bryan Cranston at 44 Bryan Cranston is best known for his role as Walter White in Breaking Bad. But the actor's first breakout role was as the dad on Malcolm in the Middle, which he booked at the age of 44. Michael Loccisano - Getty Images
Helen Mirren at 56 Helen Mirren began her career as an actress in theater in London. In her 50s, she was cast in Gosford Park and Calendar Girls, which shot her to fameand at 61 years old, she received her first Oscar nomination for her performance in The Queen. Christopher Polk - Getty Images
Lucille Ball at 40 Lucille Ball worked as an actress and model in her early career, but it wasn't until she was 40 years old that she began starring in the now-iconic sitcom I Love Lucy with her real-life husband Desi Arnaz. Silver Screen Collection - Getty Images
Alan Rickman at 42 Alan Rickman's role in Die Hard changed the trajectory of his career. After the hit film debuted, the actor, who previously worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, landed roles in blockbuster films like Love Actually and the Harry Potter franchise. Sadly, the actor passed away in 2016. Mike Marsland - Getty Images
Bradley Cooper at 36 Despite minor roles on television, like Sex and the City, Cooper considers his role in The Hangover to be his big break into Hollywood, which he didn't land until he was 36 years old. Dan MacMedan - Getty Images
Jessica Chastain at 34 Chastain landed her role in The Help in 2011 when she was 34 years old, and afterwards the actress' career blew up. Since then, she's been nominated for two Academy Awards and is considered one of Hollywood's A-list stars. Gareth Cattermole - Getty Images
Larry David at 42 Larry David worked as a writer for Saturday Night Live in his early career, but didn't become a household name until the comedian created Seinfeld at the age of 42. Jason LaVeris - Getty Images
Leslie Jones at 47 Comedian Leslie Jones didn't catch a break in the industry until she was 47 years old, when she signed on as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. Since then, she's been in major films like Trainwreck and the Ghostbusters reboot. Roy Rochlin - Getty Images
Burt Reynolds at 36 Burt Reynolds, who sadly passed away in 2018, is remembered as one of Hollywood's biggest stars. But the actor didn't star in his breakout film, Deliverance (followed by Smokey and the Bandit) until he was in his 30s. NBC - Getty Images
Connie Britton at 39 Connie Britton had been acting regularly on shows like Spin City since the mid-'90s. But she didn't land the role most of us know her for as Tami Taylor in Friday Night Lights until she was 39. Now, she's a household name, having starred on more hit shows, like Nashville and Dirty John. Frazer Harrison - Getty Images
Ang Lee at 38 Ang Lee was 38 when he directed the film that shot him to stardom, Brokeback Mountain, in 2005. Before that, he was a stay-at-home dad. Jason Merritt - Getty Images
Regis Philbin at 56 Regis Philbin became one of the biggest names in television after he was hired to host the morning show, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, at the age of 56 in 1988. Before that, he hosted several other talk shows. Dimitrios Kambouris - Getty Images
Octavia Spencer at 39 The actress has been nominated for three Academy Awards, one of which she won, and has starred in films like Hidden Figures, The Shape of Water, and The Shack. But before Spencer starred in The Help at 39, the actress was relatively unknown. Frazer Harrison - Getty Images
Christoph Waltz at 53 Christoph Waltz enjoyed success as a German actor for years, but didn't receive international recognition until he starred in Quentin Tarantino's 2009 film Inglorious Bastards when he was 53. Joe Scarnici - Getty Images