20 Actors Who Had To Wait DECADES Before Hitting Big
17. Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston began his screen acting career way back in 1980, after which he spent the majority of the next 20 years playing small roles in TV shows and films, before winning the iconic role of Hal in 2000 sitcom Malcolm in the Middle.
But even so, it wasn't quite the part that propelled Cranston to undeniable superstardom - it wasn't until 2008 that he entered the veritable A-list with his phenomenal, against-type starring role as Walter White on Breaking Bad.
At age 52, Cranston finally graduated from respected "that guy" actor into a genuine star, opening the door for him to land juicy roles in a variety of films such as Drive, Godzilla, Trumbo, Power Rangers, and several Wes Anderson films, to name just a few.
Perhaps it was that Hollywood simply wouldn't take a chance on a sitcom dad in a dead-serious role, but bless Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan for seeing the enormous untapped potential, and in turn the duo birthed one of TV's all-time greatest characters.