The Oscars, often seen as the pinnacle of recognition in the film industry, have brought joy to actors and actresses of all ages. Some, however, have had to wait until late into their careers to experience the sweet taste of Oscar glory. In this list, we celebrate 17 talented actors who clinched their Academy Awards later in life:
Christopher Plummer
Plummer was a versatile actor known for his incredible performances on both stage and screen. He became the oldest actor to win an Oscar at the age of 82 for his role in Beginners (2010). This talented Canadian actor kept proving his worth, showing to all that age is just a number.
Morgan Freeman
Revered for his iconic voice and presence, Freeman has been provided many memorable on-screen moments over the course of his career. It might, however, come as a surprise to many that the veteran only managed to clinch his first Oscar at the age of 68. He won the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in Clint Eastwood’s sports drama Million Dollar Baby (2004).
Julianne Moore
Despite appearing in several blockbusters, an Oscar win appeared to elude Julianne Moore. Well, this was until 2015, when the actress won her first and only Oscar for her compelling portrayal of an Alzheimer’s patient in Still Alice (2014).
Judi Dench
Judi Dench’s timeless talent and charm have delighted audiences for generations, with the actress racking up Oscar nods for roles in films like Mrs Brown (1997). She finally won her first Oscar in 1999 for her brief but unforgettable role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love (1998).
Sir Ian McKellen
A knight of the British Empire, Sir Ian McKellen earned an Oscar at the age of 64 for his role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). He continues to shine on stage and screen, even appearing in the recently released period thriller The Critic (2023).
Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith has enjoyed a remarkable career, displaying the ageless allure of talent over the course of seven decades. Smith was 55 when she won her first Oscar for her role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969).
Sean Connery
Sean Connery remains one of the most iconic actors in the history of cinema, not least because he was the first actor to play the popular spy character James Bond. Connery, however, had to wait a while for his first Oscar, winning the Best Supporting Actor award at the age of 58 for The Untouchables (1987). This also happens to be his only Oscar win.
Paul Newman
Known for his distinctive blue eyes, Paul Newman has had an illustrious acting career, which has seen him nominated for an Oscar ten times. However, he only managed a single win, which came at the age of 62 for his performance in The Color of Money (1986).
Al Pacino
Al Pacino began his acting career with a small role in the 1969 film Me, Natalie. It may surprise many fans that Pacino didn’t win his first Oscar for The Godfather films. While he was nominated, he lost to Joel Grey and Art Carney. Pacino would eventually get his first Oscar win with Scent of a Woman (1992), where he played Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade.
Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren clinched her Oscar for her role in The Queen (2006) at the age of 61. She embodied her role as Queen Elizabeth II so well that she won a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for playing the same character in the 2013 play The Audience.
Shirley Booth
Shirley Booth was 54 when she won her first Oscar for Come Back, Little Sheba (1952). Her portrayal of Lola Delaney was touching and earned her a spot in history as the first actress ever to win both a Tony and an Oscar for the same role.
Alan Arkin
Alan Arkin has racked up film credits since his first film appearance in 1966. He was one of only six actors to receive a Best Actor nomination for their first film. Arkin spent over 40 years in the industry before snagging his first Oscar at the age of 72 for Best Supporting Actor in the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine.
Gary Oldman
In the 1982 Royal Navy biopic Remembrance, Gary Oldman made his screen debut. His most well-known roles include Sirius Black in the Harry Potter film series and Dracula in Dracula (1992). For his performance as Winston Churchill in the 2017 war drama Darkest Hour, Oldman was awarded his first Academy Award.
Jeff Bridges
In the late 1950s, Jeff Bridges started his career in acting at a young age, working with his father and brother on the television series Sea Hunt. As Duane Jackson in the drama film The Last Picture Show (1971), he received his first Oscar nomination. After that, Bridges received nominations for six more movies before taking home his first Oscar in 2010 for Crazy Heart.
Brad Pitt
It’s shocking to learn that it took Brad Pitt, one of the most recognizable names in the industry, almost 30 years to win an Oscar in the acting category. While Pitt had won his first Academy Award for producing 12 Years a Slave in 2014, his first win in an acting category was with Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (2019) for Best Supporting Actor.
Sean Penn
Sean Penn initially gained recognition for his part in the 1986 crime drama At Close Range. He then got an Oscar nomination for Woody Allen’s 1999 film Sweet and Lowdown. However, he wouldn’t win one until 2003 for his role as Jimmy Markum in Mystic River.
Anthony Hopkins
Hopkins’s incredible performance in The Father (2020) earned him the Oscar for Best Actor, making him the category’s oldest winner at 83 years old. This is only his second Oscar, having won his first at the age of 54 despite his successful acting career spanning several decades.
