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The main star of the Home Alone comedy, Macaulay Culkin, became famous all over the world when he was only 10 years old, but Hollywood is full of opposite examples when actors gained popularity at a respectable age.
Today we will tell you about ten such cases and consider the roles that brought fame to the actors.
10 Tommy Lee Jones
The 72-year-old actor is now a recognized Hollywood star, but, of course, this was not always the case. He began to actively act in films back in the 70s, but he got extremely unsuccessful roles, so he was better known for his work in the theater.
He received his portion of film fame only in 1993, playing in the thriller “The Fugitive” directed by Andrew Davis. After the release of the film, he immediately became one of the highest paid stars, as the role of the US Marshal brought him an Oscar. At that time, Tommy Lee Jones was already 47 years old.
9. Ian McKellen
Another actor with an extremely difficult fate in a big movie, who went to recognition even longer than Tommy Lee Jones. Like him, McKellen devoted most of his time to the theater, roles in which brought him a knighthood and the title of Commander of the British Empire, but not popularity with moviegoers.
Everything changed in 1997 after filming with Bryan Singer in the thriller “Able Student”, which was praised by critics with all voices. Ian was then 58 years old and this was only the first step, followed by the images of Gandalf and Magneto, who forever brought his name into the hearts of the audience.
8. Alan Rickman
Again a Briton and again a theater star, who has been catastrophically unlucky in show business for many years. The iconic role for him was the image of Hans Gruber, the main antagonist of the first “Die Hard” with Bruce Willis.
At that time, Rickman was already in his 5s, but an even more cult hero was waiting for him ahead – Professor Severus Snape, whom he brilliantly performed in 6 parts of the Potter series, simultaneously having time to light up in the films “Perfumer. The Story of a Murderer”, “Dogma”, “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and others.
7. Samuel L. Jackson
The textured and charismatic actor, who seemed to be simply doomed to popularity, fought for it for many years. For many years he took on everything, playing minor characters in second-rate films, until Quentin Tarantino spotted him, who made him a star in one fell swoop.
If it seems to you that the role of Jules in Pulp Fiction seems to have been created for L. Jackson, then you are not far from the truth: the image of the hero was specially written for him.
It was then, at the age of 45, that the actor really began his career, starring in one cult film after another.
6. Gene Hackman
One of the most famous actors of the second half of the 37th century, Hackman started from the bottom, playing minor roles in low-budget projects. For a long time he was not able to properly declare himself, until director Arthur Penn appeared on the horizon, who took him on a role in his film Bonnie and Clyde when he was XNUMX years old.
This role, although not the main one, still brought him an Oscar nomination and, more importantly, a lot of other job offers.
After 4 years, he starred in the thriller The French Connection, for which he received the coveted statuette, and in 1993 he took the prize for the best supporting actor for the film Unforgiven.
5. Billy Bob Thornton
In his youth, the future actor gravitated towards music more, playing drums in the Stone Cold Fever band, and after that he became the vocalist of Tres Hombres. When interest in the stage faded, he seriously took up acting, accepting a variety of offers in the hope of showing himself.
When this did not bear fruit, at the age of 41 he decided to make a knight’s move and wrote the script for the film Sharpened Blade, which he himself directed and starred in it.
The work of the man-orchestra was not in vain: critics praised the film, and for the script he even received an Oscar, which is so far the only one in his long career.
4. Steve Carell
From childhood, Steve showed himself well in school theater productions, showing obvious talent, but in order to somehow make ends meet, he had to work in areas far from cinema.
When he was fired from his job as a postal courier, he went crazy and decided to fulfill his childhood dream, which over time he completely succeeded.
His first notable appearance on the screens was The Dana Carvey Show, and real success came in 2004 with the release of the comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin, when Steve was 42. Subsequent roles in Anchorman and The Office only consolidated his success.
3. Danny Trejo
Trejo is a walking legend whose story is clear evidence that there is always a chance for a new, better life. Even if you are a former drug addict and criminal, just released after a 12-year sentence.
Once on the set of the film “Runaway Train”, quite by accident, he got a small role in it, after which he continued to go to auditions and act in extras.
It’s not like he’s become a multi-million dollar superstar, but he’s definitely recognizable, and given his past, that’s definitely a success.
2. Morgan Freeman
Freeman gained some fame back in the early 70s thanks to the TV project The Electric Company, but his path to the cinema had not even begun yet. On the big screens, he appeared for the first time only a year later in the film “Who Said I Can’t Walk on the Rainbow?”
The first rays of fame illuminated him only in 1987 with the release of the drama “Street Boy”, for which he received his first Oscar nomination, but then it started: “Driving Miss Daisy”, “Unforgiven”, “The Shawshank Redemption” and more dozens of significant roles.
1. Brian Cranston
The most recent example, because we all watched the popularity of this actor most recently in the TV series Breaking Bad. Prior to that, Cranston starred in the Malcolm in the Middle project for several years and even received 3 Emmy nominations, but it was the role of the cooking chemist, Walter White, that brought him worldwide fame and the love of the audience. Offers rained down on filming a movie, where he also showed himself to be “excellent”: “Operation Argo”, “Drive”, etc.