10 Celebrities We Only Remember Older — and How They Looked in Their Youth

Some celebrities almost feel like they’ve never been young — we tend to remember them only at a more mature age. In reality, some launched their careers later in life, while others simply slipped under our radar at the start of their journey. We’ve gathered early photos of beloved actors and actresses, and it turns out many of them have transformed dramatically over the years.

Fiona Shaw

Many know Fiona Shaw as Harry Potter’s strict Aunt Petunia Dursley, but the actress has also built a remarkable reputation on the theater stage. Her filmography is extensive, featuring standout roles such as the insightful Dr. Eileen Cole in My Left Foot and Carolyn Martens in Killing Eve — a performance that earned her an Emmy nomination.

Sean Connery

Sean Connery’s way to fame was complicated. He started his career in show business by working as a handyman at the Royal Theater. Gradually, Connery started to get roles in big scenes, but, at the same time, was searching for ways to earn money and was even a babysitter for some time. The actor got truly famous after he had acted in the first 5 movies about the secret agent, James Bond, when he was 30.

Anjelica Huston

Anjelica Huston made her debut on the big screen when she was a teenager, but soon realized that she preferred the fashion world to cinematography. At the beginning of the 1980s, when she was about 30, she started to play small roles again. In 1991, she played one of her most famous roles — Morticia Addams in The Addams Family. Ever since then, she has been associated with this dark but absolutely charming character.

Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie started his career in acting when he was a student. In his motherland, Great Britain, he became famous after the release of the comedy series Blackadder (1983-1989). But Laurie got his world fame after the release of House, in which he played the role of a genius yet cynical doctor. It took off when the actor was 40 years old.

Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn’s first significant role was a careless party girl, Tony Simmons, in Cactus Flower (1969). She got an Oscar for this part. After that, her career started to really rev up.

In the ’90s, Hawn disappeared from the big screen for 4 years, but came back later. Perhaps it’s because of this gap that we remember the actress by her later roles.

Ralph Fiennes

“The future Voldemort” started his career in the theater, and his debut in movies happened in 1992 with the release of Wuthering Heights, where Fiennes played Heathcliff. A year later, after the release of Schindler’s List, the actor became world-famous. He was 30 at that time.

Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren is famous for how brilliantly she portrays monarchs. She is the only actress in the world who has played 2 Queen Elizabeths. She also had the role of Empress Catherine II.

Helen’s noble appearance suits such roles perfectly, and the public doesn’t remember well what the actress looked like in her youth, though her career in cinematography started when she was a bit older than 20.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford’s way to fame started off hard. He was offered small roles, his name didn’t even always appear in the credits, and once a producer even said that he would never make a good actor. The young actor was disappointed with the profession and left it to become a carpenter.

But among his clients, there were people who introduced Ford to George Lucas. As a result, the actor got his star role — he played Han Solo in Star Wars. By the time of the movie’s release, Ford was about 35.

Emma Thompson

Sybill Trelawney from Harry Potter, Nanny McPhee, and Baroness from Cruella — also known as the actress, Emma Thompson, can transform into literally anyone. The actress played her first roles in the theater and on British television, which is why it’s no surprise that the world audience doesn’t remember seeing her at a young age.

Gloria Stuart

We remember Gloria Stuart for her role of the elderly Rose from Titanic. The actress was 87 at that moment. But not all people know that Stuart was shining in Hollywood back in the ’30s. She also acted in horror flicks, such as The Old Dark House (1932) and The Invisible Man (1933).

In 1945, Stuart left her acting career and became an artist. She returned to the screen only in the ’70s and played mainly episodic roles until Titanic.

Don’t miss our other article showcasing celebrities who have undergone truly dramatic transformations since their early days.