# People who reached a world class level starting their discipline after the age of 30? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766 "2015-11-27T21:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/41 "2015-11-28T16:04:50Z")
Miguel de Cervantes already had published a few poems in his 20s, but his first novel, La Galatea, was published when he was 38. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/42 "2015-11-28T16:33:59Z")
At thirty, Albert Schweitzer was an accomplished musician with degrees in philosophy and theology who suddenly decided it was time to go to medical school. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/43 "2015-11-28T19:48:02Z")
David “Dudu” Fisher was a cantor with no stage experience when he saw Les Miserable in London at the age of 36. He was so mesmerized that he tried out and made his stage debut as Jean Valjean. Later he did the role in Israel and on Broadway. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/44 "2015-11-28T21:56:04Z")
Kris Kristofferson started acting in his 30s, winning a Best Actor Golden Globe at 40. ---
**Author:** ![scoots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@scoots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scoots)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/45 "2015-11-28T22:32:08Z")
Anthony Burgess published A Clockwork Orange when he was 45. He had published a few earlier books, the first one at age 39, but Clockwork Orange was the first big seller. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/46 "2015-11-29T00:51:34Z")
Oops, never mind! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/47 "2015-11-29T01:19:39Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > My favorite story of this is [Wayne Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Rogers). > > Actor, played Trapper John on MASH. Left at age 42 because he felt he was being pushed into a supporting role behind Alan Alda. True enough, I guess. > > Kept a bit of acting but also went into investment management and strategy as well as [other business pursuits](http://waynerogers.webs.com/). A complete flip from where he was in his mid-40s now sits on several boards - including chairing a bridal dress firm’s board - and is a commentator on investments. Not sure how much this counts as he played on his name. Plenty of sports figures have done the same such as OJ. Would they have gotten a shot without the name recognition? Not sure it disqualifies them with the OP but throwing it out there. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/48 "2015-11-29T01:22:38Z")
Would [Charles Bukowski](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bukowski#Early_writing) count? Not sure if publishing a couple of stories in his 20’s before going on a 10 year drunk before starting to write again really counts? He only started writing full time at age 49… ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/49 "2015-11-29T02:20:23Z")
Faye and Ray Copeland started a new career together when they were 65 and 72. Robert Picton started the same new career when he was 34. All of them were initially farmers before they became mass murderers of considerable repute. Picton was in a class of his own, turning a pig farm and slaughterhouse into a charity party farm and [human slaughterhouse](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3500890.stm). ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/50 "2015-11-29T02:34:23Z")
Jack Iverson was born in 1915. He played cricket as a boy at school (as everybody did) with no success (like nearly everybody) and then became a farm hand, eventually becoming a property manager. He enlisted in the war, and then while mucking about with his mates in the New Guinea jungle, he developed a unique way of bowling. After the war, he thought nothing of it, until someone spotted him helping out with some blind cricketers. He joined the local cricket club in 1947, made it to the Victorian team in 1949, and represented Australia against England in 1950-51 - age 35 - and was probably the key player in the series. It would be equivalent to someone developing a ‘mystery’ pitch in baseball at age 32, getting to the major leagues at 34 and winning the World Series MVP and Cy Young at 35. And then he got worked out - he had no real ability other than his ‘mystery’ ball - couldn’t bat, couldn’t field - and basically disappeared. ---
**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:** [November 29, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/51 "2015-11-29T20:37:39Z")
Jim Morris became a major league baseball player at 35. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/52 "2015-11-29T21:17:06Z")
Not sure whether to count this, but to err on the side of caution: at thirty, Tim Allen had spent a couple of years behind bars and was holding down a day job while playing stand-up comic in the evenings; if you’d told him he’d soon be an award-winning actor with starring roles in a dozen movies – interspersed with a dozen years of starring roles on television – would _he_ have believed you? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/53 "2015-11-29T22:49:46Z")
All the writers that have been mentioned started writing after they turned 30? If they get published at 40, but have been writing since they were 13 that doesn’t match the question. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/54 "2015-11-30T13:04:11Z")
[Priscilla Welch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priscilla_Welch) started running at age 35 in order to help her quit smoking and get in shape. She ran the 1984 Olympic marathon, finishing 6th, and won the New York City marathon at age 42. ---
**Author:** ![upend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b3f665/32.png) [@upend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/upend)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/55 "2015-11-30T14:07:19Z")
anyone not over the age of 50 and in the UK, would almost certainly have to google her. > **[Mrs Mills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs_Mills)** > > Gladys Mills (née Jordan; 29 August 1918 – 24 February 1978), known as Mrs Mills, was an English pianist who was active in the 1960s and 1970s, and who released many records. Her repertoire included many sing-along and party tunes made popular in the music hall, using a stride piano technique. > Mills was born in the East London suburb Beckton. Her uncle Henry was a harpist and her mother was the main influence in developing her musical ability. She took piano lessons from the age of 3½ to the ... She was a honky Tonk sing-a-long Piano player from the 1960’s and released her first album at the age of 43. I imagine she learnt much earlier, so not quite answering the OP question. Her wider claim to fame was that she recorded at Abbey Road at the same time as the Beatles. She had a special piano made for her which the Beatles used for songs like Ob La Di Bla Da, Lady Madonna plus many others here’s a lovely picture of the Beatles with it > **[Steinway Vertegrand 'Mrs Mills' Piano](http://plasticineportal.blogspot.com/2012/07/steinway-vertegrand-mrs-mills-piano.html)** > > The Steinway Vertegrand was brought into Abbey Road in the 50s for its boogie woogie sound. The piano had a harder, old time sound which you... ---
**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:** [November 30, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/56 "2015-11-30T15:20:33Z")
Abe Vigoda’s work as an actor was mostly as an extra in TV shows until he was 50. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/57 "2015-11-30T15:26:45Z")
Technically, George Lazenby had never acted in a movie – or on the stage, or on a TV show – before ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE came out after he turned 30. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/58 "2015-11-30T15:58:41Z")
After working as a street merchant and lounge singer, Jason Statham had no acting experience when he started appearing in movies at thirty-one. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/59 "2015-11-30T16:19:11Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > The average age for publishing a first novel is 36, so most authors. But that doesn’t mean they were “starting their discipline” then. How many of those authors were writing for years before they got published? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766/60 "2015-11-30T17:24:19Z")
The self-taught mathematician [George Green](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Green_(mathematician)). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-reached-a-world-class-level-starting-their-discipline-after-the-age-of-30/738766.md?page=4)