TV/Movie Stars Who Got Their Big Break After 30

Some of the biggest actors and actresses we know today were born or grew up famous, but many others were not. And it took some time for them to get to where they are today. According to Harvard University, the average age to become famous is 29. So, here are some of the biggest black actors and actresses that got their big breaks after 30.

MORGAN FREEMAN

 Morgan Freeman, born in 1937, has won numerous awards in his illustrious career, which include the Golden Globe Award. He has starred in many blockbuster movies.  Although he started his career early, it was not until his impressive performance as Hoke Colburn, the kind-hearted stubborn chauffeur in the 1989’s film Driving Miss Daisy, that he became famous. He was 52 when he got into the spotlight.

VIOLA DAVIS

Viola Davis, born in 1965, also started her acting career in the 1990s. Although she had some success in her early movies, Davis’s first most commercially successful and critically acclaimed film was Doubt in 2008. Her outstanding performance earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She was 43 at the time.

SAMUEL L. JACKSON

Our beloved Samuel L. Jackson, born in 1948, has a lot of international awards and accolades and is one of the highest-grossing actors alive. It is no news that Jackson has a phenomenal presence in every film, but it took more than 20 years for people to notice his exceptional talent as an actor. He became famous after his performance as Jules in the Quentin Tarantino 1994 movie Pulp Fiction at the age of 46. 

TARAJI P. HENSON

Taraji p. Henson, born in 1970, started acting back in the 1990s and we’ve known her since her groundbreaking performances on Baby Boy and Hustle & Flow. The Howard University alum, however, started to receive widespread recognition and critical acclaim in 2015 when she was cast as Cookie Lyon, the outspoken wife and mother of three in Empire. Henson was 45 at the time. She received many awards for starring as a lead in Fox’s musical drama series, including a Golden Globe Award for best actress in television drama series.

KERRY WASHINGTON

Kerry Washington, born in 1977, has also been acting for years before she landed her biggest gig yet – the role of Olivia Pope, a crisis management expert in the 2012 TV series Scandal. She was 35 at the time, and her performance won her a multitude of awards, including the Golden Globe Award for best actress.

OCTAVIA SPENCER

Octavia Spencer, born in 1972, started her acting career in 1996, but only got her big break in 2011 when she starred as Minny Jackson, a maid in the award-winning The Help. She was 39 at that time and won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.