20 Actors Who Had To Wait DECADES Before Hitting Big

14. Pedro Pascal

In terms of recent actor breakthroughs, nobody has gotten more press for their slow ascent to stardom than the great Pedro Pascal.

Pascal took his first acting role in 1996, and though he soon enough had bit-part roles in TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, NYPD Blue, and Law and Order, he didn't catch mainstream attention until 2014 with his star-making performance as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones.

But this was just the beginning for Pascal, whose profile grew considerably through the next decade-plus with appearances in Narcos, The Mandalorian, The Last of Us, and Fantastic Four: First Steps.

All the same, he was 39 years of age before he finally escaped bit-part status, and so for the many who might suggest Pascal has become a bit over-exposed in recent years, can you really blame the guy for wanting to strike while the iron is hot? Get that bag, sir.