When it comes to career paths, people are afraid that they will get “too old” to get started, succeed, or have their big break. However, time and time again there have been examples in big industries like Hollywood of people who make it big after hitting a certain milestone like the big 40.

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From the West End and Broadway to comedians who became big TV stars later in their careers, women have proven it is possible to succeed. There is still time for people to reach their goals even when they have been on their career path for a few years.

Hannah Waddingham

Hannah Waddingham on 'Ted Lasso.'

Although Hanna Waddingham was a well-known name for theater fans and West End aficionados, her big break, the one that put her name in everyone’s mouth, happened when she became Rebecca Welton on Ted Lasso. It was this role, the one for which she created a back story, that made her everyone’s favorite boss.

Waddingham’s performance has earned her several nominations, an Emmy, and a Critics Choice Award. She has also said, repeatedly, that the show changed her and her daughter’s life forever. She was 46 when Season 1 premiered.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis in 'Doubt.'

Just like Waddingham, Viola Davis, who is returning as Amanda Waller for Black Adam, made a name for herself on the stage. However, her name became important and compared to the likes of Meryl Streep when she appeared in Doubt, alongside Streep herself. This role landed her an Academy Award nomination.

Davis’s career skyrocketed and allowed her to share her amazing talent with those who hadn’t seen her perform on stage. She went on to be Annalise Keating on How to Get Away With Murder and participate in movies from the DC Universe. She was 43 when Doubt premiered.

Leslie Jones

Leslie Jones on 'Saturday Night Live.'

There are some standup comedians who make it so big they end up on popular TV shows like Saturday Night Live. So was the case of Leslie Jones who joined the cast in 2014. Jones was in the show until 2019, bringing laughter and smiles to everyone who tuned in. This opportunity led her to take part in movies like Ghostbusters and TV shows, starring in the new adult animated comedy series from Warner Bros.

Jones has also managed to gain an incredible following on social media. With funny tweets and commentary on TV shows, movies, and the Olympics, she has continued to share her talent with the world. She was 47 when she became an SNL member.

Connie Britton

Connie Britton as Tami Taylor
Image by NBC

Connie Britton is the kind of actress that one looks at and feels peaceful. Every role she has played has brought a sense of familiarity into the viewers’ lives. Although she had a few small roles, none of them brought this feeling until she joined Friday Night Lights. She first joined the franchise in 2004 for the movie but came back when the TV show premiered in 2006.

Since then, Britton has been a sweet, talented celebrity everyone enjoys watching on TV. She has been a part of popular shows like Nashville, 9-1-1, and The White Lotus. She had just turned 40 when the show premiered.

Octavia Spencer

Octavia Spencer in 'The Help.'

The Help is one of those movies that everyone will remember because it was well-written and had a marvelous cast of women. Among them was Octavia Spencer who can attribute her launch into stardom to this movie. Although she had participated in other movies before, this is the one that got her front and center.

After The Help, she was part of world-renowned movies like Hidden Figures, The Shape of Water, and The Witches. Nevertheless, people will not forget her famous pie. She was 41 when she filmed the movie that earned her an Academy Award for this role.

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Betty White

Betty White on 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show.'

As everyone continues to mourn Betty White, she is remembered for her comedic talent and the way in which she brought so much joy into everyone’s home. However, she wasn’t always a well-known household name. Stardom hit her when she joined The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1973.

After proving her talent was real, White went on to become one of the Golden Girls. This is the show most people remember her from because her performance as Rose was a comedic masterpiece. She was 51 when she joined Mary Tyler Moore.

Kathy Bates

Kathy-Bates-Misery

The younger generations know Kathy Bates for her multiple performances on American Horror Story. But those who know when her big break happened, will always remember her for her terrifying performance in Misery alongside James Caan.

Bates had been part of numerous plays and musicals up until 1990, but it was then that Hollywood learned her name. From that moment on, she became a famous and respectable figure in the industry. She was 42 when she scared every movie-goer.

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Jane Lynch

Jane Lynch as Christy Cummings and Jennifer Coolidge as Sherri Ann Cabot talking to the camera in Best In Show.
Image via Warner Bros.

Most people know Jane Lynch as Coach Sue Sylvester on Glee and others as Julia Child’s sister in Julie & Julia. But none of those roles were the one to land Lynch her big break and open more doors for her career to flourish. That happened when she joined the mockumentary Best in Show.

Although that may not be the role that comes to people’s minds when they think of her, it was the one that allowed her to make a name for herself. It was the one that helped her become Sue Sylvester and win awards. She was 41 when the mockumentary premiered.

Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren in 'Gosford Park.'

Like Hannah Waddingham, Helen Mirren was a well-known West End name before she jumped across the pond and began her career on Broadway. Not long after that, she was getting roles in movies like Gosford Park and Calendar Girls. However, most people know her as The Queen.

Mirren’s talent is indisputable, and she has shocked audiences around the world for many years. In 2007 her hard work, passion, and talent were rewarded when she won her first Academy Award for her role as Queen Elizabeth. She was 49 when she joined Broadway and 56 when she got her first major role in a Hollywood film.

Bea Arthur

Bea Arthur on 'Golden Girls.'

It seems to be a theme among the Golden Girls to get big breaks later on in their careers. Bea Arthur got her in 1966 when she won a Tony Award for Mame. After that, TV came calling, and she became Maude Findlay. When the audience fell in love with Maude during All in the Family, producers realized she needed her own show: Maude.

Maude led to even more success as Arthur joined the other girls on Golden Girls and became everyone’s Dorothy. These two roles are the ones people will always remember her for. She was 44 when she won her Tony, 50 when Maude premiered, and 63 when she became one of the girls.

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