15 women whose careers peaked after 30
Forbes just announced their choices for 2017’s “30 Under 30,” a list of successful af entrepreneurs, entertainers, and innovators who are doing big shit despite their age.
And while it might be giving me major anxiety about my life choices (like wtf am I doing wrong), we should also realize that not everyone hits their stride before they turn 30. You can still do badass and innovative shit after you turn 30, you know?
In fact, some of your faves probably didn’t hit the big time until much later than you might imagine. Here’s a list of just a few women who got their big breaks after turning 30.
1. Sarah Paulson, 37
Although she had starred in a few films and had bounced from stage to stage on Broadway, Sarah didn’t really hit the level of acclaim she now has until she starred in the first season “American Horror Story” when she was 37.
2. Oprah, 32
Oprah’s career still hasn’t peaked in my opinion. She’s still going. Despite her work as a reporter in Nashville and eventually getting a daytime show in Chicago, she didn’t get her renowned television talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” until she was 32.
3. Sia, 36
Sia was a successful songwriter for other people, but it wasn’t until 2011 when she released the bop “Titanium”with David Guetta and started writing for herself that people really recognized her as a talented voice in the music industry. She was 36.
4. Nora Ephron, 48
Nora was a journalist, director and writer, but she was best known as a screenwriter of romantic comedies. Her two most well known works, “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle” earned her several accolades, and she was 48 in 1989 when “When Harry Met Sally” came out.
5. Carrie Brownstein, 37
Originally, Carrie was known as a front-woman for the rock band Sleater-Kinney. The band didn’t really pick up acclaim until their 2005 album, “The Woods.” She’s most known from her role on the skit show “Portlandia” which started in 2011 when she was 37.
6. Jane Fonda, 34
Jane got her start as an actress, but is also well known for her work in social activism. Despite several ingenue roles in her 20s and an iconic turn in “Barbarella” at 29, the first movie she was in that achieved critical acclaim was “Klute’ in 1971 when she was 34. She later became known for her incredible activist work. Oh, and she also practically invented the celeb-led at-home workout. She also recently starred in the Netflix show “Grace and Frankie.”
7. Melissa McCarthy, 40
Known as Sookie St. James to “Gilmore Girls” fans, Melissa starter out as a standup comedy performer and then eventually landed the Stars Hollow role. She didn’t truly break out until her role on the sitcom “Mike and Molly” which earned her an Emmy when she 40.
8. Kim Kardashian, 34
Sure, Kim “technically” stepped out from underneath Paris Hilton’s shadow when her sex tape was leaked in 2007. But she didn’t truly achieve the level of the respect she has now until she nabbed a Vogue cover in 2014 when she was 34.
9. Kristen Wiig, 32
Kristen didn’t start acting until she was in college, and her big break didn’t come until 2005 when she landed a spot in the coveted cast of Saturday Night Live. She was 32.
10. Judi Dench, 65
We all know and love Judi from the “James Bond” movies, but she became an icon later in life, winning an Academy Award for her performance in “Shakespeare In Love” in 1999 when she was 65.
11. Beyoncé, 35
Truthfully, Beyoncé probably hasn’t peaked yet, and that’s why she is on this list. Bey started out in Destiny’s Child, but went solo in 2004 and has basically been slaying the game ever since. Her most recent project “Lemonade,” that was released this year, has earned her the most acclaim thus far.
12. M.I.A., 33
Can y’all believe this babe is 41? I had no fucking clue! M.I.A. is known for incorporating more social themes in her music, and she was 33 when the iconic song “Paper Planes” was released in 2007.
13. Whoopi Goldberg, 30
“The View” cohost started acting in smaller films in her 20s, but it wasn’t until her role in “The Color Purple” when she solidified her place in Hollywood. She was nominated for best actress in that film, and she was 30.
14. Rashida Jones, 33
As the daughter of music production legend Quincy Jones, Rashida had always grown up around the spotlight, but it wasn’t until 2009 when she landed the role of Ann Perkins on “Parks and Recreation” that she would make a name for herself as an actress at the age of 33.
15. Kris Jenner, 52
You didn’t think we’d make a list about successful women without including the Mother Theresa of Hollywood, did ya? Of course, we all know and love Kris Jenner from the reality show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” which started in 2007 when Kris was 52. Qween.
