# Can you think of people who became successful later in life **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 19, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464 "2011-05-19T16:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/41 "2011-05-22T00:40:12Z")
Even on this thread, Rodney Dangerfield doesn’t get any respect as he didn’t become well known until he appeared as a last minute replacement on the Ed Sullivan show in 1967 when he was 46 and became a movie star in his early 60s. Explaining to the economics professor how the real world works in “Back to School” is one of the all-time revealed truths to the sheltered academicians. > **[Rodney Dangerfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Dangerfield)** > > Jack Roy (born Jacob Rodney Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004), better known by the pseudonym Rodney Dangerfield, was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, his catchphrase "I don't get no respect!" and his monologues on that theme. > He began his career working as a stand-up comic at the Fantasy Lounge in New York City. His act grew in popularity as he became a mainstay on late-night talk shows throughout t... ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/42 "2011-05-22T00:47:10Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Even on this thread, Rodney Dangerfield doesn’t get any respect as he didn’t become well known until he appeared as a last minute replacement on the Ed Sullivan show in 1967 when he was 46 and became a movie star in his early 60s. Explaining to the economics professor how the real world works in “Back to School” is one of the all-time revealed truths to the sheltered academicians. > > [Rodney Dangerfield - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Dangerfield) Post 3. ---
**Author:** ![turtledove\_river](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@turtledove\_river](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turtledove_river)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/43 "2011-05-22T06:30:03Z")
Not a writer, actor or director, but the only one that comes to my mind right now is Susan Boyle. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/44 "2011-05-22T13:58:28Z")
[Dennis Farina](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Farina) was a Chicago cop for 18 years before becoming an actor jn his late 30’s. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/45 "2011-05-22T16:33:01Z")
Erma Bombeck, who didn’t start writing a household drolleries column for the local weekly paper till she was 37, once did a whole column on people who started a successful career in their late thirties and beyond. One of the people she mentioned was Shirley Temple, who got involved in politics around age 40 and became ambassador to two different countries. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/46 "2011-05-22T18:34:05Z")
Here’s a list of late bloomers: > **[Late bloomer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_bloomers)** > > A late bloomer is a person whose talents or capabilities are not visible to others until later than usual. The term is used metaphorically to describe a child or adolescent who develops slower than others in their age group, but eventually catches up and in some cases overtakes their peers, or an adult whose talent or genius in a particular field only appears later in life than is normal – in some cases only in old age. > There are many theories of the way in which children develop, proposed by a... ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/47 "2011-05-22T18:49:57Z")
Ron Sexsmith - he’s a late bloomer, he’s a slow learner. (Just a joke - that’s a quotation taken from his latest album. He actually started playing in bars at the age of 17.) ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/48 "2011-05-22T19:50:22Z")
Lewis Black has been active most of his life, but he didn’t become nationally known until he had his first show on Comedy Central in 1998, age 50. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/49 "2011-05-22T21:56:45Z")
Estelle Harris’s (George Costanza’s mom) first IMDB credit is 1977, when she was almost 50. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/50 "2011-05-22T22:23:11Z")
[/Norman Maclean](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_maclean) wrote the Pulitzer Prize nominated “A River Runs Through It” after retirement at the age of 72. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/51 "2011-05-23T08:57:55Z")
[Seasick Steve](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasick_Steve) - born 1941, released his debut album in 2006. He’s done pretty well since then. [Elizabeth Cotten](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Cotten) - born 1895, debut album 1958. ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/52 "2011-05-23T09:19:35Z")
The wonderful comic actress Irene Handl (most famous for her films and records with Peter Sellars) only took up acting in her late thirties. I think she’s at her funniest in \*I’m All Right Jack \*where she provides great support as the very down to earth, pragmatic wife giving lovely contrast to Sellar’s character’s pomposity. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/53 "2011-05-23T09:24:52Z")
Wikipedia tells me that R. Lee Ermey was cast in Full Metal Jacket when he was 42 or 43. FIFTY GOLDANGED POSTS AND YA DON’T MENTION R. LEE ERMEY, YA JACKWAGONS? ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464/54 "2011-05-23T18:09:27Z")
Other composers (besides Verdi) who would qualify: Leoš Janáček, César Franck, Elliott Carter, Anton Bruckner [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-think-of-people-who-became-successful-later-in-life/582464.md?page=2)