# Actors who were discovered in their 40s or later

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-discovered-in-their-40s-or-later/439796>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 2, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-discovered-in-their-40s-or-later/439796 "2008-03-02T01:27:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-discovered-in-their-40s-or-later/439796/41 "2008-03-03T21:12:37Z")

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I’ll put forth F. Murray Abraham, who played Salieri in 1984’s **Amadeus** (a role for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor). **Amadeus** was Abraham’s first work of any note; before that, his biggest role was probably “Pile Of Leaves” on Fruit Of The Loom commercials. His IMDb resume pre-1983 is a rather short list of one-shot roles on various TV shows.

Anyway, **Amadeus** came out in 1984, and Abraham was born in 1939, making him 45 at his first big gig.

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-discovered-in-their-40s-or-later/439796/42 "2008-03-03T21:17:14Z")

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[David “Dudu” Fisher](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudu_Fisher). His first acting job was Jean Valjean in the Israeli production of “Les Miserables.” He then took the role on Broadway at the age of 42.

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**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-discovered-in-their-40s-or-later/439796/43 "2008-03-04T01:06:29Z")

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[QUOTE=Mahna Mahna]  
Michael Clarke Duncan qualifies, more or less.

IMDB credits him with a bunch of small roles as a bouncer or security guy going back to the mid-90’s, but nothing of note prior to _The Green Mile_ in 1999. Apparently his early roles wouldn’t have been much of a stretch… prior to getting into acting, he worked as a bodyguard.

He may not qualify simply because he hasn’t done much of note since then (though I see his body of work this year includes a role in _Kung Fu Panda_, which clearly will do well during next year’s award season)  
[/QUOTE]

😕 Daredevil and Sin City don’t count as “much of note”?

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