Aged Stars Who Reached Success
I had an English teacher before who encouraged us to see the elderly as the most beautiful people in the world. “Nevermind what People Magazine or the media tells you,” she told our class. Those young folks with their gorgeous bodies and striking features were getting underserved praise. She went on and on for an hour. By the end of the class, I concluded that my teacher was once fat during her younger years, and then lost a few pounds when she turned 30, and, finally, made it her righteous quest to defend all aesthetically challenged individuals from negative scrutiny and stereotypes.
But kidding aside, my English teacher was right in some way. Most people think that, to become a movie star, you first have to look young and actually be young. Well, if these stars have anything to say about it, they’d make it pretty clear that success in Hollywood or television isn’t all about starting early and looking ripe as a teenager.
Jack Nicholson- He didn’t reach Hollywood success until he was well within his thirties when he did One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Today, Jack is still causing ladies to swoon despite his loose skin, varicose veins, and liver spots. He’s now 71.
George Clooney –Yet another latent Hollywood breakthrough. He might have earned the early part of his success from television, doing E.R., but it was just the start of something bigger. He won an Oscar, reached the coveted A-list status, did (and is still doing) million dollar projects, and he did it all with gray hair.
Calista Flockhart-Her career skyrocketed during the tender age of 33 when she did Ally Mcbeal. She’s now with Harrison Ford, another old timer who I’ll get to later.
Harrison Ford-I told you I’d get to him. Ford was a carpenter when George Lucas said that “he was meant to star in Star Wars,” he was 35 at the time. Apparently, Lucas only hired him to be a stand-in and to read lines during auditions before the director was struck with his potential.
Judi Dench- She started out at the theater, but it way, way later when she had her success on the big screen.
Debra Messing-At 32, she still looked good enough to be mistaken as a beautiful 30 year-old (really, she did). It was also the time when she received her first claim to fame after she started doing Will and Grace.
There’s a lot more to mention, but life’s too short for me to list them all. Anyway, for those of you who have set aside their Hollywood dreams, let these bright stars and not-so-young stars tell you that it’s never too late. There’s always time to pursue an acting career. And now is a better time than never.
Start your acting career here.
